Quirky Hoodie Hoo Day celebrated in Charleroi Colorful event designed to ward off winter blues
Davis Slagle livestreams Hoodie Hoo Day Monday in Charleroi for Bee Graphix custom-painted apparel stores.
Joy Kostelak of Charleroi is unrecognizable in the silly costume she wore Monday to Hoodie Hoo Day festivities in her hometown.
CHARLEROI – The popular song “Shout” blared from a disc jockey’s speakers Monday before the countdown to noon began at a peculiar holiday celebrated in Charleroi as a way to ward off the winter blues.
Into the microphone DJ Jerry Jericho screamed, “Shout the cold away,” at this event known as Hoodie Hoo Day that was celebrated on a sunny winter day when the temperatures were unusually warm, rising to 66 degrees.
“We want to make sure March doesn’t come back and dump a lot of snow on us,” said Jamie Protin, president of Mon Valley Regional Chamber of Commerce, which hosts the event every Feb. 20 in Magic City Square at Fifth Street and McKean Avenue.
“It’s happened in the past,” Protin said while standing in a crowd of people, some of them wearing sun hats decorated with bright, colorful flowers.
Hoodie Hoo Day encourages people to gather for a countdown to noon, at which time they wave their hands above their heads and yell “hoodie hoo” three times. It’s become an event that’s embraced by the owners and staff at Riverhouse Cafe, which is next door to the square.
“It’s a lot of fun in the spirit of Charleroi,” said Riverhouse owner Lori Coury. “The people are so colorful, and they have a lot of fun.”
Protin said he was impressed by the crowd, which nearly filled the small concrete park.
“I think it was awesome,” added Debra Metz Keefer, the chamber’s executive director.