5 things to do in Westmoreland County this weekend: Sept. 8-10

Saint Xavier Nature Preserve Open House

The Westmoreland Land Trust will celebrate the opening of the St. Xavier Nature Preserve with an open house on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The 248-acre, Civil War-era dwelling is located off Route 30, just west of the Arnold Palmer Regional Airport.

The open house will include tours of the historic Bellbrook residence, and the Grove and nature preserve. Guests will be invited to enjoy light refreshments, listen to Celtic harp music and participate in family activities. For more, information visit westmoreland-landtrust.org.

Suicide awareness walk

The 17th annual Ray of Hope Suicide Awareness Walk will take place on Saturday at Pavilion 7 in Twin Lakes Park near Greensburg. The event is focused on remembering and honoring those lost to suicide. Online ticket sales are available and day-of registration is available for $20. General check in and registration for the walk begins at 10 a.m. Guests can participate in the event raffle and buy t-shirts while at the table. The walk opening ceremony begins at 10:45 a.m. Refreshments and door prizes will be available after the walk. For more information, visit rayofhopewestmoreland.org.

Latrobe Italian Festival

Hosted by 512 Coffee and Ice Cream, the Latrobe Italian festival returns for the second year. Michael Ciotti, the coffee shop’s owner, created the festival to honor the city’s First Ward, a section of town that is known locally for its heavy Italian roots. The weekend will be hosted on Thompson Street.

A parade kick-off at 9 a.m. on Saturday will start the festival’s first day. Festivities will continue until 9 p.m. and on Sunday from 10 a.m. until 6 p.m. Streets will be lined with 16 food vendors, 17 craft vendors and live music performed at three different venues. For more, visit 512coffeeandicecream.cafe or call 808-756-7451.

Palace Theatre Tours

Opened in September of 1926, The Palace Theatre in Greensburg has lived many lives. Starting as a vaudeville stage and then spending a stint as a movie theater, it now hosts more than 93,000 guests annually.

The free tours on Friday at noon and Saturday at 10 a.m., will include facts and trivia about the former Manos Theatre and explore the architectural and artistic features of the building, such as the restored murals of fairy tales painted by acclaimed Chicago artist Louis Grell and a Vermont marble staircase that leads to the theater’s second floor.

Guests are able to browse historic documents and displays in The Palace lobby prior to or after the tours. Reservations are not needed for the tours. For more, visit thepalacetheatre.org.

West Newton Community Festival

The 2023 festival will run from Sept. 8 through 10 at Vine St Park in West Newton. The festival opens at 6 p.m. Friday evening. The weekend will include live music from Corn Liquor Saints, DDP Productions, Jr Guthrie and the Push, local talent Gabrielle Guttierrez and East Coast Turnaround. A community parade will take place on Saturday, Sept. 9 followed by a pie eating contest. Food, craft and game vendors will be stationed outside in the park and inside the West Newton Gym. For more, visit festivalnet.com.