HARVEYS LAKE — The tide of summertime fun will crest at Harveys Lake as Lake Fest offers fun in the sun, sand and water Friday and Saturday, Aug. 5-6.
The annual event highlights all the natural amenities of the lake while raising funds for various community activities planned throughout the year, including the children’s Halloween, Christmas and Easter parties, said Mike Rush, the chairperson of the Harveys Lake Recreational Committee.
“Last year we raised about $3,500,” he said. “All funds raised stay in the borough.”
Lake Fest will start with a swish of grass skirts at the Hawaiian Beach Party from 7 to 11 p.m. Aug. 5 at the Harveys Lake Beach Club, Pole 187, previously known as Sandy Bottom Beach.
Guests are encouraged to pull out their brightly colored Hawaiian shirts and dance in the sand to Strawberry Jam, Rush said.
Tickets are $35 per person and are available at the borough office, he said. Tickets will not be sold at the gate. Guests must be at least 21 years old to be admitted.
“Tickets will be on sale until Aug. 1,” he said.
Ellis Market Catering will provide the food, Rush said.
Festivities will continue Saturday, Aug. 6, with a Kids’ Day from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. The day will be filled with a variety of carnival games, special events and a basket raffle.
“Local businesses donated items for the baskets,” he said.
Guests can expect waves of laughter as competitors with homemade floats attempt to test their speed and vessel’s seaworthiness at the “Anything Floats Race” 2 p.m. Saturday.
Rush recalled last year a submission designed to look like the Flintstones’ Mobile was a fan-favorite while the performance from a paddle-wheeled bicycle raised spectators’ curiosity.
The event will wind down with a Firemen’s Parade around the lake at 5 p.m. Saturday.
Rush estimates Lake Fest was held for at least 25 years.
“It was called the Harveys Lake Homecoming Weekend,” he said. “This is the second year it (the event) is called Lake Fest.”
The Recreation Committee opted to change the event’s name because the word “homecoming” created confusion among residents and visitors, Rush said.
“Many people were not sure what it meant,” he said.
The event was previously a three-day affair. The event was reduced to two days this year to give volunteers an opportunity to rest before the work week starts.
“There are about 15 of us (volunteers),” he said. “By Sunday, I’m exhausted.”
