Parade to kick off Claysville festival
A 1935 Stutz fire truck will be on display at the Claysville Firemen’s Festival.
Don Hickman, a life member of the Claysville Volunteer Fire Department, holds one of the original festival menus from the 1930s.
A Claysville volunteer firefighter waves from the cab of his fire engine during the 2006 Memorial Day parade in Claysville.
Fire trucks from surrounding areas were part of the Memorial Day parade in 2006 in Claysville.
Observer-Reporter
Members of Claysville American Legion Post 639, marching with their caisson and riderless horse, pause for a moment of silence during the 2006 Memorial Day parade in Claysville.
Legend has it that 83 years ago, a group of Claysville firefighters had to resort to passing a hat to collect money to put fuel in the department’s fire truck.
So, to raise money, the two dozen firefighters decided to have a “Strawberry Festival.” But there was a problem. The availability of fruit was uncertain since the strawberry season usually peaked in June.
The “Strawberry Festival” transformed into a “Street Festival,” which has started at promptly 5:59 p.m. the last Saturday of July since the summer of 1934, and continues to be the main fundraiser for the department that was organized in 1910. This year for the first time, festivities on July 29 will kick off at 4 p.m. with a parade going east to west.
The unique starting time, according to past department president Bob Walker, was that when the festival began, George Melvin, who owned the borough’s newspaper, The Claysville Recorder, did not have a number 6 in his cache of letters and numbers. The 5:59 p.m. start time was selected because it was the closest they could get to 6 p.m.
“Our festival is a time for gathering,” said Carol Hilderbrand, EMS officer for the department and wife of fire Chief Dave Hilderbrand. “It is an event that brought the country folks into town and reunites residents together for a reunion of sorts.”
Hilderbrand said there has been very few changes in the festival over the years. One of the mainstays on the festival menu since the beginning are chicken salad sandwiches, assistant fire Chief Joseph Lucas said.
“Gus Zilkie made the buns, making 60 dozen that first year,” Lucas said. “Local farmers donated the chickens. The sandwiches cost 25 cents.”
Don Hickman, a longtime firefighter, recalls going with fellow firefighter Rick Fanning to collect the donated chickens. Members of the ladies auxiliary would cook and debone the chickens, which were taken to Gashel’s Market to be ground on the morning of the festival.
The pie contest and auction also continue to be part of the festival. Lucas said it gives local bakers a chance to test their abilities and see who makes the best pie. Two pies of the same kind are entered. The first one is judged, and the second is auctioned off.
While the winner was initially determined by the highest bidder, Lucas said the community can now purchase shares in the pie, which are added up as a donation to the department. The winning pie is given by the department to an individual or company that has been a big supporter of the Claysville VFD over the years.
Another tradition are the drawings for more than 100 prizes donated to the department by businesses and supporters. The top prize this year is a Husqvarna lawn mower. Other major prizes` include a Samsung 60-inch LED television, Apple iPad Pro, two smoke/carbon monoxide detectors and a fire extinguisher. The major prizes have been purchased by the department. Lucas said they are still taking donations for other prizes.
Also returning to the festival are fan favorites, including bingo.
The community has been very supportive of the parades, whether for Memorial Day or at Christmas throughout the years, Lucas said. Hilderbrand said the small town always has an outpouring of people and participants when there is a parade in town. She said that a parade was exactly what the festival needed.
Lucas said Route 40 will be closed during the parade, but will reopen for the festival.
Also new this year is a car show. Antique fire trucks also will be on display. Lucas said most of the festival activities take place on Railroad and Green streets near the fire station. The vehicles will be on display in different areas within a several-block radius of the fire station.
“We’ve tried doing things throughout the years, especially for the kids, like a bounce house and a mock firefighter challenge, to keep them occupied,” Lucas said, adding that in the early days of the festival, there was nothing to keep the young ones “amused.”
The department raised $180 at that first festival, a hefty sum in those days, Lucas said. Money raised during recent festivals enabled the department to have one of its fire engines repainted in an effort to keep it in good shape and in service for many more years. He said to replace that engine it would cost double the $250,000 purchase price about 16 years ago.
Another project planned by the department this year is making substantial repairs to the concrete floor in the station, Lucas said. The fire department answers more than 700 calls a year and has about 30 members.
Tickets for the drawings are six for $1 and will be available at Community Bank from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday. Tickets also will be available from 9 a.m. until the drawing at 9:30 p.m. at the fire station. The winner does not need to be present.
The parade lineup will begin at 3:30 p.m. on the east side of town and will proceed along Route 40 to Claysville Elementary School.