Clearfield is the Place for Summer Fun
Summer starts in Clearfield with the Riverfront Festival at Lower Witmer Park in Downtown Clearfield. The three-day event features food vendors, musical entertainment, the 6th Annual Cruise the Past activity, a mullet contest, a water based dice run, fireworks and a craft fair. (Photo from the Clearfield Revitalization Corporation Facebook page.)
By Julie Rae Rickard
CLEARFIELD – Clearfield is getting ready for a summer of fun and music.
After a long hiatus, the Riverfront Festival event was re-born last year. This version of the festival includes a variety of activities.
From Friday, June 7 to Sunday, June 9, the West Branch of the Susquehanna River will come to life as Lower Witmer Park fills with vendors and entertainment.
Food vendors include Tony’s Pizza, Steak on a Stick, Larry’s BBQ, Wild Poppy Sweets, Wittle Waffles, Schonwalder Place, Wiser Fries, Stromboli Land and Hilda’s Just Good Food.
On June 7, the 6th Annual Cruise the Past event will be held from 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. All vehicles are welcome to drive around Downtown Clearfield showing off their cars and blasting tunes as if it is 1978.
In conjunction with this, a mullet contest is being held from 5:00 p.m. to 7:45 p.m. This will include prizes in three categories: adult, 15 and under, and fake.
The Clearfield Borough Fire Department will be holding a Boot Drive fundraiser this evening as well.
Music will be provided by The Moore Brothers from 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.
Saturday has a full slate of activities including the YMCA Corn Hole Tournament.
For river lovers there is the 2nd Annual Dice Run which begins with registration at the Curwensville Community Center at 8:00 a.m.
Participants will ride their kayaks or canoes on the river, with stops along the way where they can roll dice and win money. It ends at Lower Witmer Park by 2:00 p.m.
The entertainment on Saturday is Spencer Graham who plays from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. and 8 Years Later performing from 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m.
The night finishes with fireworks at 10:00 p.m.
Craft vendors join the fun on Sunday as they set up in the park from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Sunday features music from Billy Davis from 10:30 to 11:45 a.m. and Matt Day from 12:00 p.m. to 3:00 p.m.
For music lovers, Lower Witmer Park is also the site for the free Corner Concert Series which starts June 14 with Mr. Pocket.
The rest of the schedule for the concerts held throughout the summer from 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. are June 21-Twin Reverb, June 28-HeavenBound, July 5-Jeff Gibble Group, July 12-Lone Crow Rebellion, July 19-Larry Walton, July 26-Randy Clark, Aug 2-Second Chance, Aug. 9-Not Ashamed, Aug. 16-Morgan’s Run, Aug. 23-Hell Bent, Aug. 30-Hardtack and Sept. 6-Stoneman.
The concerts raise funds for various charities each year. In 2024 the money will go to Corner Stage Arts & Education Center which is a music and comedy venue in Clearfield.
Updated information and weather delays will be posted on the Corner Concert Series Facebook page.
Music will also be featured at the LaunchPad Lounge refueled by Ethan’s Café, each month this summer. Their schedule includes Mr. Pocket (an Americana style rock band) on July 6, The Jaded Lips (an Altoona power trio) on August 3 and Ish (a Phish cover band from Scranton) on September 7.
Tickets are available at cultureandcriticism.com or at the door.
Check out the LaunchPad.Press Facebook page for updated show dates.
Of course, Clearfield is also the home of the Clearfield County Fair which was moved this year to July 12 through July 20, which is a big change for the summer schedule.
The fair concerts include Warren Zeiders on Friday, July 12, Rick Springfield on Friday, July 19, and Riley Green on Saturday, July 20.
For more information and to get tickets, go to clearfieldcountyfair.com.
If you prefer your music in a theater, Clearfield Arts Studio Theatre is performing Cabaret beginning on the weekend of July 25 to July 27, and Aug. 1 to Aug. 3 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets can be purchased at clearfieldarts.org.