'One of the greatest communities around'

Entertainment and attractions draw 5,000 people to South Fayette Community Day

By Harry Funk

It was quite the show.

South Fayette Community Day on Sat. Aug. 23 featured a full schedule of music, including an energetic blast from the past by way of the School of Rock South Hills House Band.

Performing on the Community Stage set up at Fairview Park, members of the group of primarily teenagers wowed the crowd with some rock ’n’ roll favorites from half a century or more ago, including Edgar Winter’s “Frankenstein,” Derek and the Dominos’ “Layla” and Rush’s “Working Man.”

Enjoying the music while greeting guests at the School of Rock booth were general manager Olivia Moore and her sister, Julia, who teaches piano and vocals at the Castle Shannon location.

“I am super-excited to be here,” Moore said. “I actually graduated from South Fayette in 2018, so I’m really grateful to be back in the community, talking to everyone here and getting music into everybody’s lives.”

South Fayette Community Day, presented by South Fayette Township and Washington Financial Bank, drew more than 5,000 people to 130 vendor booths, a football field-size spread of inflatables and amusements, games and activities, food and drink, and two stages of live entertainment.

While musicians, dancers and other entertainers provided plenty to see and hear, some performers took their act to the midway, including Lara “Boogie” Haase and Lex Ackson of BooglepLex Circus.

To the astonishment and delight of guests, Ackson towered above them on a pair of stilts. Nearby, Haase provided hands-on circus-type instruction.

“This is one of our favorite kinds of events, where we just get to play with our toys and teach people how to juggle and all that,” Haase said. “It’s really fun.”

Visitors to the booth followed Boogie’s lead as they attempted to keep items such as sticks, balls and plates aloft. Of course, Haase impressed everyone in showing how it’s done.

In addition to the performing arts, the fine arts appeared by way of some students of Selva Priya Sahadevan’s Get It from Nature Arts studio on Millers Run Road. The young artists spent the day handing out examples of their work.

“They are super-talented, and all the paintings are very beautiful,” Sahadevan said.

One of her protégés, South Fayette High School sophomore Srihitha Vulupala, was stationed at the booth applying temporary tattoos using henna dye.

“I’ve had a lot of family members do it as a tradition, so I learned it from being around them,” she said.

South Fayette Community Day marked her first foray into taking the art form public.

“I think it’s a really nice tradition to spread, showing a little bit of the Indian culture,” Vulupala said.

The local athletic culture had plenty of Community Day representation, such as the Take Down Club booth, where Nikki Stumph promoted youth community wrestling.

“We are here today to encourage as many kids as we can to join South Fayette wrestling, to promote discipline, friendship and things like that,” she said.

The club gave away stickers, bracelets and cups, plus held a pull-up competition to test youngsters’ strength.

“We offer something for every kid, from someone who knows nothing to someone who knows everything,” Stumph said.

For visitors interested in preceding generations, the Historical Society of South Fayette Township displayed photographs and mementos, including items that turned up during the Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission’s Southern Beltway project.

“We have about 65 boxes of old artifacts we still have yet to go through that were found in the vicinity of the new beltway,” member John Alan Kosky said.

Many of the items pertain to industries and occupations of the early 20th century.

“South Fayette was primarily either farming and mining, or some oil and gas and things like that. It’s become a very diversified community now,” Kosky said. “We have to accept the change that comes, and it’s all good. That’s why you have a Community Day.”

And he’s proud to be part of it.

“I was born and raised in South Fayette. I’ve lived here all my life, and guess what? This is one of the greatest communities around.”

Harry Funk is a freelance writer.