A day of fun, food, and music is set for Saturday, June 10, at the Great Day on the GAP! party from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. in Cedar Creek Park.
The first on-trail fundraiser for the GAP Conservancy will include local vendors — food from Revival Chili and Earth, Wheel, and Fire, plus beer from Bloom Brew and Trailhead Brewing Company — tandem bike rentals, and a DJ. There will also be a raffle of baskets stuffed with prizes, including a variety of regional favorites, from tickets to Pirates games and Fallingwater to Meyersdale maple syrup.
“It’s a way to try to bring out as many fans and friends of the GAP as we can to celebrate the Great Allegheny Passage and to spend time together,” said Bryan Perry, executive director of the GAP Conservancy.
Money from the event will go toward maintaining the Great Allegheny Passage and keeping it available for the many people who enjoy it. An estimated 1.4 million people biked, walked, or ran the trail in 2021, and Perry said that visitation has stayed strong since.
The more people who use the trail, the more local areas benefit, Perry said. He added that visitors of the trail contribute an annual $75 million in direct spending to nearby communities, and the trail provides a collective $120 million in overall economic impact for the five counties through which it passes.
Funds from Saturday will help to promote the trail, update signage, and supply emergency grant dollars to address any future repairs from weather, wear-and-tear, or other factors.
Tickets start at $20, and all ticket types come with a t-shirt and cookies from Nancy B’s Bakery. The first 40 VIP ticketholders will receive a complimentary guided tour of The Ruins Project in nearby Whitsett. The site of an old coal mine, it has since been transformed into a mosaic art installation that commemorates the history of the mine and the people who worked there.
“It’s really quite beautiful and redemptive,” Perry said of The Ruins Project.
The Sager Mosaics art studio next to the installation lies near mile marker 104 of the GAP and offers a place for trailers to rest and enjoy homemade ice cream.
Cedar Creek Park is about an hour’s drive from Pittsburgh and is easily accessible both to West Newton, a major trail access point, and to Connellsville, near the center of the GAP. The 479-acre park also offers access to the Youghiogheny River and the scenic Cedar Creek Gorge.
People are encouraged to bike, jog, or walk their way to the festivities. Once there, they can tell stories of their past and future excursions on the GAP with people who share their appreciation of the trail.
“If it’s a lot of fun and people enjoy it, we’ll probably do it again,” Perry said of the event.
Cedar Creek Park is located at 453 Evergreen Drive in Belle Vernon, PA. Click here for tickets to Great Day on the GAP!