Westmoreland Arts & Heritage Festival

Where can you find live, non-stop, contemporary, traditional, classical, and folk music on four stages for four days, right in your own backyard during a holiday weekend? Twin Lakes Park in Greensburg is the place, and the event is the 32nd annual Westmoreland Arts & Heritage Festival, presented this year by First National Bank.

The festival takes place Saturday July 1 through Tuesday July 4th, and among the many outstanding performers slated to appear is The Glenn Miller Orchestra, that 69 year old phenomenon that revolutionized Big Band music forever. And if you think the performers are hot, they are only a small part of the wonders at this traditional, Westmoreland County event.

“Almost 25% of the population of Westmoreland County attends this event each year,” said Donnie Gutherie, the Festival’s Executive Director. “We attract 6% of the region.” Those incredible numbers are due to the wide range of attractions and the stunning natural beauty of Twin Lakes Park. The Festival includes the professionally jurored Westmoreland Arts Nationals, featuring Pennsylvania-based, national and international artists. The Westmoreland Poetry and Short Story contest is another demonstration of the Festival’s commitment to promoting the humanities, and provides an exceptional forum for writers and poets to present their work to the public.

Dynamic programming designed for small children, youth and the young at heart features art exhibits for students, poetry and short story competitions, and readings. And, of course, the appearance of live llamas and the petting zoo makes the Westmoreland Arts & Heritage Festival the perfect place to bring the whole family for a summer celebration.

The Artist Market represents a wide variety of professional craftspeople who offer fine woodworking, jewelry, metalwork, stained glass, leather, basketry, and ceramics, not to mention contemporary and folk art. The selection and workmanship is dazzling, the choices incredible in this now legendary Artist Market.

Food vendors pull out all the stops, serving everything from the traditional summer favorites like kettle corn and fresh raspberry pie to delicious Polish, Greek, and Thai cuisine. But where the lakeside event really rocks is when over 50 performers pack the stages with old-time fiddling, polka, oldies, bluegrass, country, and rock & roll. An extensive shuttle bus system makes parking hassle free. This is a not-to-be-missed summer event, and we hope to see you there!

The Westmoreland Arts & Heritage Festival’s mission is to enlighten, entertain, and enrich the community while preserving and demonstrating Pennsylvania’s rich historical and living cultural heritage. For more information, including the latest up-to-date information, visit the website at www.artsandheritage.com.