Apr 5, 2013 3 min read

RICES LANDING – The Rices Landing Riverfest, once an annual summer event in this small Monongahela River town, is being revived.

Plans are being made to hold Riverfest 2013 June 7 and 8 at the lock wall of the former Rices Landing Lock and Dam.

The revival will include a Miss Riverfest Pageant, which also fell by the wayside several years ago. Applications are being accepted for those who would like be contestants in the pageant, which will be held May 18 in the Jefferson-Morgan High School auditorium.

Riverfest was first organized in 1976 to celebrate Greene County’s bicentennial, according to newspaper records. It was held each year, except 1986 and 1987, when river flooding damaged the lock wall. The festival was discontinued following the 2005 festival.

The end came about after one of its driving forces, Remo Bertugli, died in late 2004, Rices Landing Mayor Ryan Belski said. Bertugli was the person who knew the most about what had to be done to organize such an event, he said.

In recent years, the festival has been missed, said Belski.

“Basically the borough has no major events, nothing that really brings the community together,” Belski said. “Riverfest was important not only in bringing people together but also in providing an outlet for local organizations, including the fire company, scouts, churches and American Legion, that used it for their fund raising events. After riverfest folded in 2005, that was gone.”

The event is being revived by the Rices Landing Volunteer Fire Company in cooperation with Rices Landing Borough and Rices Landing Boy Scout Troop 1168. The borough this year also received a $11,000 grant from Alpha Natural Resources for the festival, Belski said. The company is the festival sponsor. Additional money was raised by the fire company.

Belski said more details about the festival will be released later, but planners are now trying to publicize the event. The Miss Riverfest pageant had continued for at least two years following the festival’s demise.

Planners said they were fortunate to find someone interested in helping to help revive the pageant. Brittney Giovanelli will serve as pageant director, Belski said.

The pageant is for girls ages 4 to 18 who will compete for the titles of Tiny Miss Riverfest, ages 4 and 5; Petite Miss Riverfest, ages 6 to 8; Junior Miss Riverfest, ages 9 and 10; Teen Miss Riverfest, ages 11 to 13; and Miss Riverfest 2013, ages 14 to 18.

Applications and entry fees are due May 1. The pageant will not include a rehearsal day, so contestants are urged to practice before the event. On the day of the May 18 pageant, doors at the high school will open to contestants at noon and to the public at 1:30 p.m. The pageant will begin at 2 p.m.

All girls will compete in beauty, talent, photogenic and sportswear categories. One winner will be selected in each division, as well as a runner up.

Contestants should be aware that all winners must appear at the Riverfest festivities June 7. The winners will be required to perform their talent. They also will be required to participate in other local parades and make appearances throughout the year.

This year, a portion of the proceeds from the pageant will be donated to The Autism Speaks Foundation. Donations will be collected at the door as well on the day of the pageant.

Those interested in competing in the Miss Riverfest Pageant are asked to contact Giovanelli at gio0559@calu.edu.