SHADY GROVE, Pa. — The Shady Grove Ruritan Club welcomed community members to its “Celebrate America” festival on Friday, June 26, offering an evening of live entertainment, family-friendly activities and patriotic tributes ahead of the nation’s 250th anniversary.
The festivities began at 5:30 p.m. with the opening of the Ruritan Kitchen, which served food and drinks to attendees until 8 p.m. As detailed in the official schedule, the event also featured local food trucks, including Antietam Dairy and Chocolate Dipp’D, providing a variety of dining options for families who brought lawn chairs and blankets to the grounds at 2100 Buchanan Trail E.
Children’s activities ran from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., offering bounce houses, a BB gun range, crafts, photo booths and yard games. Face painting was also provided from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
The evening’s stage program opened at 6:30 p.m., followed by a local history presentation at 6:40 p.m. by Greencastle Mayor Ben Thomas. Musical entertainment began at 7 p.m. with a performance by Hopeless Semantics. At 8 p.m., the crowd gathered to honor local veterans, accompanied by the singing of the national anthem.
The musical lineup also featured performances by Tony and Kim Bolton as well as the Willeby Hayes Band, the latter of which played a concluding set leading up to the evening’s main attraction.
The event concluded with a grand fireworks finale that began at 9:15 p.m. The community celebration was made possible through corporate sponsorships from Manitowoc, Martin’s Famous Potato Rolls and Bread and Bridge Insurance & Financial Services Inc.
