Kutztown Park was hopping with activity as the community celebrated everything Kutztown on Aug. 7.
“Kutztown Day is a big picnic for the people of the Kutztown area,” said Jim Schlegel of the Kutztown Day Committee. “It celebrates the community.”
The annual Kutztown Day, held the first Sunday in August since 1907 except a few years during WWII, offered a day of family fun for all ages from noon until the fireworks display at 9:30 p.m. For the past 72 years, the Allentown Band has performed at the community event.
“It’s just a good time for everybody in the Kutztown area,” said Schlegel. “My favorite part is people mingling and talking and having a good time. I love the band. I love the fireworks.”
Kutztown resident Glenn Fink enjoyed an ice cream cone at Kutztown Day.
“I think (Kutztown Day) is a nice little thing,” said Fink. “You get to meet a lot of people from Kutztown, talk to people, had my lunch here.”
Kutztown couple Jeff Huffert, KMS librarian, and Janet Yost, Kutztown Community Library director, wore their Kutztown Day t-shirts to the celebration.
“It’s always so much fun. I love to come to Kutztown Day,” said Yost.
She hopes to win something from the raffle and loves watching the fireworks.
“It’s fun to see everybody you know and get to talk to them on a nice casual basis,” said Yost.
“I like knowing everyone here. I like the tradition of it,” said Huffert. “I like the Allentown Band.”
The day included the Cake Walk, ventriloquist Marian and Friends, Kinner Kards by Kutztown Borough Police Department, a fire training course by Kutztown Firefighters, vendors, children’s games, Quoit Tournament, Bingo, KidSight Vision Screening sponsored by the Kutztown Lions Club, shoo-fly pie sale, performances by Thunderbolts Production Unit, Disc Golf and Kutztown Youth Athletic Association baseball and softball games.
Food included cheesesteaks by the Brass Rail of Allentown, pierogies, fries, funnel cakes, pizza, snow cones and soft ice cream.
Kutztown Rotarians handed out Kutztown Day programs at the bandshell while the Allentown Band performed.
Kutztown Rotarian Jim Springer said, “What’s not to like” about Kutztown Day. “There’s something for everybody. It’s a beautiful day, it’s a beautiful community. I’m trying to think of what civic club is not involved in this day. Everybody’s involved. That really makes it special.”
In between performances by the Allentown Day, Randy Schlegel of Noah Productions provided DJ music.
Kutztown Day included a junior firefighter training course at the Park, which was an obstacle course ending with operating the fire hose.
Kutztown firefighter Lt. Jeff Lillie hopes the children have fun in the spirit of competition.
“Get an idea of the difficulties we go through when we train. Ours is on a much bigger scale,” said Lillie. “We’ve had about 100 people through and everybody seems to enjoy it.”
Kutztown native Marian Gehman of Marian and Friends brought her daughters Jenny, 19, and Jessica, 15, and her mother Evelyn Adam of Topton, formerly of Kutztown, to Kutztown Day. Her daughters performed with her in the show.
“It’s a family friendly show. We involve the audience throughout the show. We have a lot of different characters,” said Gehman prior to the show. “It’s great for all ages.”
The show includes a Pennsylvania Dutch character, a mouse that everyone loves, she said.
Jenny and her puppet Forrest Duck sang for the audience. Jessica introduced a new puppet, Myrtle the Cow.
“I grew up in Kutztown so I’m a local girl,” said Gehman, who believes their show adds a comedy twist to the day of events at Kutztown Day. “We add a hometown flavor.”
“I think it’s something that can bring the older generations and the younger generations together,” said Jenny. “A lot of older generations have seen ventriloquism. It’s just something you don’t see a whole lot of now in the younger generations. We see how much the kids love it. It’s just so much fun for everyone.”
“Their faces light up when they see the puppets talking,” said Jessica. “It’s just so much fun.”
Jenny and Jessica are third generation ventriloquists. Their grandmother Evelyn Adam started the tradition and taught Marian at age 8.
“It’s neat that it’s something that’s carried down through the generations,” said Jenny.
During the show, Gehman offered a lesson in ventriloquism to the audience gathered in the Scooter Building. Using her hand as a puppet, she added eyes and hair.
“Use your imagination,” she told the mixed audience of children, parents and the young at heart. “You can have a lot of fun with puppets.”
Kutztown Day concluded with live music by Generation Gap, raffle ticket drawing, singing of the National Anthem and fireworks.
