The Rhubarb Festival in Pine Grove had a great 35 year run.
The logistics of holding such a large event involving cooking breakfast for 700 to 1000 people had become unmanageable for the small group of coordinators. We always had a great turn-out of volunteers for festival day, but couldn’t find people to take over the planning and steering of the event.
Thank you to everyone who volunteered and to those who came to love and enjoy our little homegrown festival.
We are now holding “CELEBRATE PINE GROVE DAY” on the saturday of labor day weekend. This year will be august 31st 2024.
The Rhubarb Festival, begun in 1988, has grown into a successful fundraiser. PECIA’s funds have positively contributed to Pine Grove which has been able, among other things, to offer a dumpster program to members, maintain a town garage, provide some road maintenance, refurbish and maintain the 1898 Community Center for public use, contribute to the enrichment of the North Fork National Historic District and create a small public park to include original rail beds.
Roxanne Medlen at Elk Creek Station and now Kurt and Karen Blackwell at Zoka’s have worked diligently and generously to make sure the Rhubarb Festival was a success. A few volunteers have contributed many weeks to plan the event. At the same time many local individuals volunteered their time the day of the event to make the festival happen. With the passage of time, it is difficult to continue at the same pace.
For the last several years, the PECIA board has asked for new volunteers including a main coordinator. The board has reached out through community meetings, newsletters and talking with individuals in town. The board has been unable to find a new coordinator and enough new volunteers who are willing, among other things, to donate 2-3 months of his/ her time to organize the event, is authorized to move fire trucks multiple times, clean the fire house, set-up the cook kitchen including electrical, arrange for food for the pancake breakfast, organize a small parade, set-up and tear down the event. Other folks are needed to set-up crafters, run a bake-off, create and set-up a stage/ band area, get musical bands, prepare and run PECIA swag booth, prepare pies and tarts, sell pies and prepare the accounting. After the event, people are needed to clean-up the building and grounds, store the festival equipment, complete an inventory, count money and make deposits, etc.
In light of the fact that planning and executing a Rhubarb Festival is becoming more difficult, the PECIA Board voted to pause the festival for one year and, hopefully, create a new and smaller event for 2024. The board is open to new fundraising ideas to continue the programs for this fabulous historical town. Please come forward with new fundraising ideas.