By Patricia Sheridan Staff writer
With more than 18 acres to roam, “The River Rocks: Let’s Blaze a Trail!” party at Allegheny RiverTrail Park was an outdoor extravaganza celebrating the park’s 10th anniversary. The Friday night event also showed off an additional mile and a half of trail at what was formerly known as Aspinwall Riverfront Park. The trail runs from Aspinwall to Sharpsburg and an impressive 4,000 luminaries marked its full length.
The addition of park land and the trail drew a sold-out crowd of 600 guests for an evening of music, axe throwing, eating, drinking and making merry.
“This party is so critical to funding all these important projects and it has been sold out almost every year we have held it,” said park founder Susan Crookston (with her husband Currie). “We are doubling the size of our original acquisition and adding a beautiful off-road, riverfront trail.”
Board chair Bill Strome and guests Beau Beard and Dan and Debby Booker raved as they walked the new trail and noted how the land rolls down to the river. “There are several great views of the dam,” noted Mr. Booker.
Co-chairs for the event ranged in age from 20 to 90 years old and included Jennie and Adam Haas, Jeff and Lizzy Kline, Jenna and Kevin Kerr, Ginny Merchant, Kristin Fox, Sally and Dan Foster and Phil Teplitz.
Farmer X Baker catered and Wigle Whiskey provided libations. The Compadres played during the VIP reception and DJ Bryan Brunsell got people on the dance floor in the open-air main building.
At sunset, a Pittsburgh Circus Fire dancers and others entertained. Some guests gathered around firepits while others chose to sit at tables along the river. The evening ended with a fireworks-sparkler display and cake.
Among those blazing a trail for the future of the park were: board member Trish Klatt with Erich, Peggy McKnight with her daughter-in-law, Olivia, Cynthia Cooley, Art and Karen West, Wes Posvar, Lynn Shiner, Kathy and Dallas Frey, Besty Magovern, Nancy and Dan Fales, Bob Hernandez with Karen Blumen, Trudy and Bob Ward, Katie Jones with Nicholas Griswold, Sarah Zimmerman Tuthill, Jane Moriarty, Jackie Dixon, Alison Wertz and Mary and Bob Scott.
First Published October 5, 2021, 10:06am
