Friends of Old Annville will move its annual Historic Old Annville Day to the Lebanon Valley College campus after being stymied in its attempts to secure detour agreements with North Annville and South Annville townships.
Doug Nyce, chair of Historic Old Annville Day, announced the pivot in an email Sunday.
The event will be held Saturday, June 14, from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Organizers said the event will take place “in the shadow of the 1905 Humanities building the 1904 former Carnegie Library on both College Avenue and Sheridan Avenue.”
“Many of you will know that the Friends of Old Annville have been feverishly working to ensure the event continues in spite of resistance to closing Route 422 and rerouting traffic,” said Nyce. “Thankfully, Annville Day 2025 will occur on the historic campus of Lebanon Valley College (founded 1866) on College Avenue and Sheridan Avenue.”
Nyce said that there will be two stages of music as usual, and he hopes to get vendors situated in spaces that are similar to what they may have had previously on Main Street.
Historic Old Annville Day has been held annually since 1989 and has grown to include musical performances, vendors, food stands and booths manned by various service organizations.
In previous years, officials closed down Route 422 for the festival and traffic was redirected to Clear Spring Road from Route 422. However, recent ordinances passed by North Annville Township supervisors limited tractor-trailer access on Clear Spring Road — trucks can be no longer than 43 feet long. North Annville Township denied a waiver request for the event in January.
Organizers also approached South Annville Township last week to explore an alternative route directing traffic south on Mount Pleasant Road and east on Reigerts Lane to get back to Route 934. Friends of Old Annville would have faced significant manpower and signage requirements from South Annville Township, as well as needing to obtain liability insurance.
Read More:
- Old Annville Day no more? Waiver denial may end event, says township manager
- Will it or won’t it happen? Historic Old Annville Day 2025 is up in the air
- Friends of Old Annville seek solutions to continue Historic Old Annville Day
- South Annville Twp. approves Southgate plans, debates festival traffic routes
In a follow up email to LebTown, Nyce said that Plan B (moving the event) was the only viable option. “Not the best outcome, but it saves the event for another year,” said Nyce. “Hoping to be back in the historic district in 2026.”
Lebanon Valley College president James MacLaren said that the school is honored to host the event this summer.
“We are pleased to support this important local tradition that showcases our community,” said MacLaren. “Partnering in this way aligns with the College’s goal of being a mutually beneficial community member and friend.”
Friends of Old Annville president Michael Schroeder said that while there’s some disappointment about not holding the event in Annville’s historic district, the organization is also feeling both excited and hopeful about the possibilities.
“Our disappointment is eclipsed by the prospect of collaborating with LVC to create something genuinely new for the community, a freshly re-envisioned community event that spotlights not only the town of Annville and the beauty of the LVC campus, but the many organic links between the town and the college,” said Schroeder in an email.
Schroeder noted that Annville Township and manager Candie Johnson, as well as Friends of Old Annville, had an existing bond with the college administration that helped this backup plan materialize.
“We’ve had an excellent working relationship with him and the college for years now, and we are very grateful for his support,” said Schroeder.
While there will be logistical and technical challenges in transitioning to a new venue, organizers are excited about the possibilities of creating something new, said Schreoder, mentioning ideas like a bouncy-house for kids and guided walking tours of Annville’s historic downtown.
“Another positive aspect is we won’t need to worry about or spend money on traffic control – a big concern and a big expense in past years,” said Schroeder.
With the move to LVC, there will be as big a need for community volunteers as ever, and anyone who might be interested in volunteering is encouraged to reach out to organizers at fooa.annville@gmail.com. Example volunteer opportunities include marking vendor spaces, assisting vendors find and setup their spaces, setting up trash cans, picking up litter, and helping with parking.
“But the main thing community members can do to help make this year’s event a success is to come to Annville on Saturday, June 14 to listen to some great music and enjoy some delicious food and spend time with friends and help us celebrate the beauty & charms of our town.”
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