Village Returns With New Performers, New Night for Fireworks

By Jason Togyer
The Tube City Almanac
August 08, 2016
Posted in: McKeesport and Region News

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One of Western Pennsylvania's largest and longest-running ethnic festivals returns for its 57th consecutive year with many old favorites and a few new elements.

McKeesport's International Village will be held Aug. 16, 17 and 18 at Stephen Barry Field in Renziehausen Park, next to Penn State University's Greater Allegheny Campus and near McKeesport Area High School. Gates open each day at 3 p.m. and main stage entertainment begins at 6 p.m.

As in past years, a $2 donation is requested at the gate from visitors.

Gates and booths will close at 9 p.m. this year.

In addition, the fireworks display that has typically closed the three-day festival has been moved to opening night --- Tuesday --- as part of a lineup of entertainment that also will include the William Penn Magyar Folk Dancers, the Trafford Junior Tamburitzans, the Grecian Odyssey Dancers, the Saint Nicholas Junior Tamburitzans and a Lebanese bellydancer, as well as entertainment representing the traditions of Kenya.

Music for dancing will be provided in the Jakomas Blue-Top Pavilion, beginning at 5 p.m. Tuesday, by the group Stari Drugovi, presented by the Swedish booth.

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Booths returning this year include Croatian (operated and sponsored by the Rankin Junior Tamburitzans), Ghana (Christ Temple A.M.E. Church), Greek (Greek Orthodox Church of the Annunciation), Hungarian (Free Hungarian Reformed Church), Italian (St. Patrick Roman Catholic Church), Kenya (Bethlehem Baptist Church), Mexican (Christ United Methodist Church), Polish (Holy Family Polish National Catholic Church), Serbian (St. Sava Serbian Orthodox Church), Slovak (Trafford Junior Tamburitzans), and Swedish (Beulah Park United Methodist Church), as well as Austrian, Chinese, Egyptian, Filipino, French, Hawaiian, Irish, Lebanese, Turkish, and Vietnamese-themed booths operated by local concessionaires.

Also returning this year is an ice cream dessert booth, operated by the McKeesport Lions Club.

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Tube City Almanac file photo by Denise L. Ritter

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The popular craft area, or "Ethnic Marketplace," that made its debut at the 2015 Village is also returning. Nine vendors from Pennsylvania and Ohio are planning to attend and will sell Celtic crafts, items from Peru, European rosaries and Christmas items, Austrian crystal, hand-painted Polish glassware and other gifts and novelties, including candles, fudge and kitchenware.

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Public-service booths will include a diaper-changing station, operated by McKeesport Alliance Church; a used-book sale to benefit the Carnegie Library of McKeesport; a souvenir stand sponsored by the McKeesport Regional History and Heritage Center; and a prayer booth provided by the McKeesport Area Ministerium, as well as information booths from the Municipal Authority of the City of McKeesport, the McKeesport Police Department K-9 Unit, McKeesport Trail Commission, Striffler Family Funeral Homes and Tube City Community Media Inc.

Tube City also will broadcast video and audio of Village entertainment and events via its Internet radio station, www.WMCK.FM.

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Wednesday's entertainment will include the Matt Sepesy Alpine Duo, presented by the Austrian booth; the ABC Dance Studio by JoAnn, presented by the Hawaiian booth; the Rankin Junior Tamburitzans; Turkish dancers; the Otets Paiisi Bulgarian Dancers; and entertainment from the Ghana booth.

Music for dancing will be provided beginning at 5 p.m. Wednesday in the Jakomas Blue-Top Pavilion by the Mikey Dee Band, sponsored by the Mexican booth.

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Photo courtesy Christina Chirumbolo

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Thursday's entertainment will include Christina Chirumbolo, a 2007 graduate of Carnegie Mellon University's School of Music who appeared on the first four episodes of Season Six of Fox Television's "American Idol." The versatile vocalist is the founder of Accelerando Music Conservatory in Peters Twp., Washington County, and has taught music and voice at CMU and elsewhere.

Chirumbolo's repertoire includes traditional and modern American and European music, as well as jazz and pop standards. This year marks her first appearance at International Village; her performance will be presented by the Irish and Italian booths.

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Thursday's lineup also includes the Lajoniki Polish Dancers, the FAAP Phillipines Dancers and the PAS Slovak Folk Ensemble, and the finale will be presented by the Tamburitzans, formerly of Duquesne University.

Ray Jay and The Carousels will perform in the Jakomas pavilion on Thursday night, beginning at 5 p.m. The band, which was inducted into the International Polka Music Hall of Fame seven years ago, is led by drummer Ray Jarusinski of Port Vue.

Nearly two dozen volunteers serve on the International Village Committee, which is headed by McKeesport Mayor Michael Cherepko and chaired by Dan Carr.

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International Village was created in 1960 and held in Downtown McKeesport as part of what was called "Old Home Week." Nationalities and ethnicities represented at the first "International Village" included Croatian, Greek, Hungarian, Irish, Italian, Jewish, Polish, Romanian, Serbian and Ukrainian.

The festival grew in size until it was relocated to Renzie Park in the mid-1960s, and it began attracting national media attention following stories in popular magazines. Another bump in attendance came after the wildly successful 1977 TV miniseries "Roots" inspired many Americans to explore their own ethnic heritage.

As a result, McKeesport's International Village inspired imitators in western Pennsylvania and around the country, but most have reportedly fallen by the wayside. One of the most successful was Monessen's ethnic heritage festival, which began in 1972. The last was held in 2006, according to published reports.

Originally published August 08, 2016.

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