West Deer welcomes carnival rides to this year's Community Days

West Deer officials are gearing up for the township’s annual Community Days celebration.

The two-day, free event will be held Aug. 2 and 3 at Bairdford Park.

It will feature a parade, vendor booths, face painting, balloon animal artist and concessions, among other things.

“One of the main reasons we do this is give our local nonprofits a chance to raise money,” said Amy Stark, chairwoman of the township’s parks and recreation committee. “It’s also a chance for people to meet other people from the community. That’s why we try to keep it free.”

The only cost to residents is if they want to buy food or play games.

The celebration kicks off at 6 p.m. Aug. 2 with music, hayrides, carnival rides and inflatables. The parade will begin at 6:30 p.m. on Bairdford Road. Dennis Bowman will perform a ventriloquist routine from 8:30 to 9:30 p.m.

“This year, for the first time in many years, we have carnival rides,” said West Deer police Chief Jon Lape, who helps organize the event. “We want to see what will, hopefully, bring more people in.”

He said there will be four carnival rides that will be provided for free.

The event costs the township about $25,000 a year, Township Manager Daniel Mator said.

Mator said it brings in more than 1,000 people each year.

The fun continues Aug. 3 beginning with the one-mile walk or 5K run to benefit breast cancer awareness. Registration starts at 9:30 a.m. and the race begins at 10:30 a.m. The event will benefit local residents through ADAGIO Health.

Each participant must be registered by July 15 to receive a free T-shirt provided by local sponsors to wear during the race. Residents can find the registration information on the township’s website at www.westdeertownship.com.

“We usually end up donating over $5,000,” Lape said. “It’s been a good project.”

In addition to the carnival rides and music, other highlights for Aug. 3 include an ice cream-eating contest, a visit from the Pittsburgh Pirates Parrot and Zambelli fireworks. A full schedule can also be found on the township’s website.