Boalsburg to celebrate birthday, ties to Columbus

Lauren McCormack

Boalsburg’s Heritage Day celebration Saturday will commemorate not only the 201st anniversary of the village’s founding, but the 100th anniversary of the Columbus Chapel being brought to Boalsburg from Spain.

“Boalsburg is the most significant Columbus place in all of the United States,” said Boal Mansion Museum CEO Christopher Lee. “Boalsburg is a heritage center for America. On Oct. 10 we’re celebrating the many facets of that rich heritage: the pioneer origins, the unexpected European heritage and the totally unique connection to the world’s most famous explorer, Christopher Columbus.”

David Boal, after whom Boalsburg was named, and the Boal family that helped settle the area, are descendants of Christopher Columbus, said Lee, himself a Boal family descendant.

“Through this family connection came the most significant Columbus collection in all of the United States,” he said. Among the artifacts at the Boal Museum is Columbus’ admiral’s desk.

The day kicks off with the Boalsburg Heritage Festival, which runs from noon to 4 p.m., and will include children’s games, crafts and wagon rides. Tour guides will come along on the wagon rides to point out different aspects of Boalsburg’s heritage.

There will be Boalsburg-and historicalthemed music provided by Bruce Young, Lee said.

Young will play the violin, banjo and sing music in honor of the founders of Boalsburg and conduct interactive sing-alongs.

Those events are free and take place in the village square.

The celebration continues at 7:30 p.m. with a $75-per-person ball at the Boal Mansion. Proceeds benefit historic preservation.

“There will be line dancing, champagne, food from the finest restaurants in town and appearances from historical characters,” Lee said.

Mingling with guests at the ball will be Christopher Columbus, as well as famous figures from Boal family history, including Judge George Boal, one of the founders of Penn State.

“Oct. 10 is also the Columbus weekend,” Lee said. “It’s very handy that Boalsburg’s birthday and Columbus’ birthday happens on the same weekend.”