Cranberry Community Days Plans Biggest Celebration Yet

Get ready for fun, folks. is back and better than ever.

Kicking off at 1 p.m. Thursday, July 12, at , the annual three-day celebration features several new events this year, including an outdoor skating rink that uses artificial ice.

Sponsored by the Cranberry Township Community Chest, Community Days promotes and raises money for Cranberry’s volunteer and nonprofit organizations.

As always, the event closes with the annual fireworks show. Here’s a closer look at this year’s concerts, contests, events and attractions.

• Ice Skating in July: Sponsored by the Pittsburgh Penguins and UltraSkate, an all-weather artificial rink will be built at the basketball courts. Admission is $6. Skate rentals will be available.
• Art Center and Exhibit: Working with the Associated Artists of Butler County, a four-week art exhibit in the begins July 11. More than 50 pieces of original art will available for purchase. During Community Days, a temporary art center, located near the Playtime Palace playground, will recruit children to help create a unique 16 by 20-foot mural.
• Martinis with Monet: A cocktail reception starting at 6:30 p.m. July 11 at the pavilion kicks off the art center and exhibit. The $15 per person tickets includes a martini glass and two drinks. A ticket is also good for $15 off the price of any AABC original artwork featured at the art exhibit or art center during Community Days.
• Volunteer Fire Company Golf Classic: A $125 per person golf outing starts at 9 a.m. July 11 at Cranberry Highlands. Proceeds will benefit the fire company's which includes a steel beam salvaged from the World Trade Center. A variety of prizes and specialty foods are included in the price.
• Inflatable Zone: Three huge inflatable attractions will be available, free of charge, on the tennis courts July 12-14. Three additional inflatables will be located in the upper area of the park July 14.
• Seven Outdoor Concerts: There’s one concert Thursday, four on Friday and two on Saturday, which makes this the biggest year ever for concerts during Community Days.  All seven concerts, including Joe Grushecky and the House Rockers, are free.
• Larger Carnival: The carnival area will offer more rides this year. The $20 all-you-can-ride tickets will be available on site July 12-13. Tickets also are available at a discounted $15 per ticket at any Seneca Valley school until July 1.
• Earlier Start: Booths, rides and attractions will open Saturday July 14 at 1 p.m. In prior years, the festivities didn’t begin until 3 p.m. Dozens of food vendors will be open for business throughout the day.
• Rotary Paintball Alley: On July 14, visitors will have a chance to shoot paint balls at various targets—including people—from 1 to 9 p.m.

Community Day contests will continue this year with a Triple Treasure Hunt, which features a grand prize valued at more than $4,000, a scavenger hunt, a recycled art contest for the “Garby Award,” the American Heart Association's Bean Bag Toss Contest, a Run for Your Library 5K and one-mile fun run and a miniature golf tournament.

Other traditional Community Days attractions include a $7 Lions Pancake Breakfast on Saturday morning, a nonprofit midway arcade of games, a kids zone on the park's upper level and more than 100 booth vendors of all kinds.

For more information, visit the CTCC website by clicking here.

—Information submitted by Cranberry Township Community Chest. Have news you'd like to share with Patch readers? Email information and photos to Editor Jessica Sinichak at jessica.sinichak@patch.com or visit our .