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The Allegheny Autumn Leaf Festival is a nine-day annual festival held in Clarion, Pennsylvania that features food, entertainment, and carnival rides. Pennsylvania Western University, located in Clarion, hosts its annual homecoming football game and concerts during the festival. More than 300,000 people attend the festival annually, of whom 10,000 or more are students who come out to observe, buy from, or promote the various craft stands that line Clarion's main street.[1][2]
History edit
Origins (1953-1957)
The first Autumn Leaf Festival coincided wiith Clarion State College's homecoming celebration in 1953. Local businesses were encouraged to decorate their storefronts to enhance the festive atmosphere, and Ruth Neiger of Brockway was crowned Homecoming Queen.[3]
The following year, organizers implemented a two-pronged strategy to attract visitors: a parade featuring veterans, organizations, youth groups, emergency service personnel, community service clubs, a designated "Autumn Leaf Queen" float, and musical ensembles from seven Clarion County schools. This initial parade was followed, two and a half hours later, by a separate procession showcasing floats constructed by local fraternities and sororities in conjunction with the Clarion State Teachers College homecoming.
By 1956, the annual "Tournament of Leaves" parade had become a cornerstone of the Clarion State Teachers College Homecoming festivities. Local businesses actively participated by offering cash prizes for the "most exceptional movie-themed float".[3]
Evolution into a Permanent Event (1958-Present)
The year 1958 marked a pivotal moment for the Autumn Leaf Festival. The Clarion Chamber of Commerce established the event as a permanent fixture on the community calendar and designated a committee to oversee its annual organization. The Miss Teen Autumn Leaf Festival scholarship pageant, which originated as a homecoming queen platform within the parade, was formalized in 1977.
Farmers and Crafters Day, typically held on the final Friday of the nine-day festival, boasts a rich history dating back to 1977. Initially known as the Farmers and Merchants Day Craft Show, the event transformed into a vibrant marketplace where over 10,000 patrons, including students, can browse, purchase, or showcase handcrafted goods displayed along Clarion's main thoroughfare. Notably, PennWest Clarion University strategically schedules a "mid-semester break" coinciding with the following day,[4] allowing students to participate in the festivities.
The festival parade continues to be a cornerstone event for the festival, attracting participation from local high schools and colleges that collaborate on the creation of floats. The 2009 iteration exemplified this tradition, featuring a parade lasting over an hour and fifteen minutes, with marching bands, automobiles, equestrian units, marching groups, and synchronized drill teams complementing the floats.
Past Autumn Leaf Festival Themes edit
No Autumn Leaf Festival was held in 1966
- 1965 "I-80: Main Street, USA"
- 1967 "100 Years of Education"
- 1968 "America, the Beautiful"
- 1969 "Time and Space"
- 1970 "Man and His Environment"
- 1971 "Accent on Youth"
- 1972 "Gay Nineties"
- 1973 "Peace the World Awaited"
- 1974 "Pennsylvania Revisited"
- 1975 "Wonderful World of Animation"
- 1976 "American, Let's Celebrate"
- 1977 "Autumn Wonderland"
- 1978 "ALF Silver Anniversary"
- 1979 "A Child's Fantasy"
- 1980 "Energy: Rainbow to the Future"
- 1981 "America Goes Country"
- 1982 "Clarion Gets Physically Fit"
- 1983 "Clarion Salutes the Movies"
- 1984 "Autumn Art Spectacular"
- 1985 "Clarion Salutes Miss Liberty"
- 1986 "Pennsylvania Higher Education - 100 Autumns in Clarion"
- 1987 "Volunteers"
- 1988 "Clarion's Colorful Heritage"
- 1989 "Clarion County's Sesquicentennial Celebration"
- 1990 "90's Clarion Celebrates World Freedom"
- 1991 "Clarion County Proud and Productive"
- 1992 "Discover Autumn in Clarion County"
- 1993 "Clarion County Through the Years"
- 1994 "Celebrate the Season"
- 1995 "Autumn's Tapestry"
- 1996 "Carousel of Colors"
- 1997 "Pennsylvania's Outstanding Community"
- 1998 "Autumn in the Air"
- 1999 "An Autumn Mardi Gras"
- 2000 "Twenty Centuries of Autumn"
- 2001 "Pinnacle of Success"
- 2002 "There's No Place Like Home"
- 2003 "Leaves of Gold"
- 2004 "Clarion's Treasure Chest of Leaves"
- 2005 "Autumn Leaves You Breathless"
- 2006 "A Symphony of Color"
- 2007 "Autumn Magic"
- 2008 "Cruise into Autumn"
- 2009 "Clarion River's Show of Leaves"
- 2010 "Celebration of Nature"
- 2011 "An Autumn to Remember"
- 2012 "Autumn's Quilt of Colors"
- 2013 "Diamond Jubilee of Color"
- 2014 "An Autumn Safari"
- 2015 "Clarion: A Canvas of Color"
- 2016 "Autumn Through the Looking Glass"[5]
- 2017 "Leaves of Blue and Gold Celebrating Clarion University's 150 Anniversary"
- 2018 "A Timeless Tradition"
- 2019 "An American Autumn"
- 2020 "Falling into the Future"
- 2021 "Turn Over a New Leaf"
- 2022 "Autumn Adventures"
- 2023 "Grooving Into Autumn"
- 2024 “Flavors of Fall”
References edit
- ^ techreadypro. "70th Annual Allegheny Toyota Autumn Leaf Festival™". Clarion Chamber of Business & Industry | Clarion PA. Retrieved 2023-08-28.
- ^ "The Ultimate Guide to the 69th Annual Autumn Leaf Festival". exploreVenango.com. 2022-09-23. Retrieved 2023-08-28.
- ^ a b "History". autumnleafclarionpa.com. Archived from the original on July 1, 2009. Retrieved June 8, 2011.
- ^ Scott Lyon. "Changing Leaves". pabook.libraries.psu.edu. Archived from the original on 2013-05-15.
- ^ "Clarion Chamber of Business and Industry" (PDF). web.archive.org. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2024-04-21. Retrieved 2024-04-21.