Inaugural Philipsburg Festival brings community together after canceled Heritage Days
What began as a casual conversation between friends came together Saturday in a bustling community event that drew hundreds to downtown Philipsburg.
Philipsburg Festival kicked off at 9 a.m. with the Wilderness City 5K around Cold Stream Dam, which included prizes donated by local business owners. Front Street was then filled for the afternoon cruise-in car show, featuring a wide array of vehicles on display, ranging from classic to custom, sports cars and old pickup trucks. Food vendors and a DJ were also part of the festivities, with live music set to follow later in the night.
Combining the festival with promotion of the Happy Valley Cruise and the Hope Gala, Jay Paterno, Blair Thomas, Sue Paterno, Russ Rose and others visited the We Are Inn via Zoom at 4 p.m.
With the annual Heritage Days canceled for the second consecutive year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, festival organizer and We Are Inn owner Pat Romano said the idea for a new festival began as a conversation with his friend, Michael Rebo.
“The vision I had was to bring a greater and wider recognition of Philipsburg,” Romano said. “Businesses really needed to see people coming in. And the people crave the tribal experience that we get from being fans of sports teams, or when we gather to listen to music.”
Businesses and community members also embraced the festival, offering donations and helping to spread the word.
Rebo, originally from the area, currently works with hip-hop artists in New York, Los Angeles and other areas, according to Romano. He was responsible for bringing Grammy award-winning artist Coolio, known for the ‘90s hit “Gangsta’s Paradise,” to the festival. The rapper was set to perform at 10 p.m. in conjunction with fireworks, and after local cover band Zero Tolerance at the We Are Inn.
Ricotta Jewelry owners Jim and Joan Ricotta said that they enjoy when events such as Philipsburg Festival take place downtown.
“Most of all, the people that we talk to are ready to get their lives back to normal after being cooped up for over a year now, and we expect a good turnout today,” said Jim Ricotta, who brought his 1966 Corvette to the cruise-in. “We always get some extra business with the events.”
Like many other participating businesses, their store had specials and promotions tied to the event — a free drawing for a watch, open to the drivers at the cruise-In, and two birthstone bracelets for anyone who walked in.
While Heritage Days is set to return next year, Romano said he plans to continue the Philipsburg Festival as a separate annual event.
This story was originally published July 10, 2021 at 4:45 PM.