Duncannon is one of the few official Appalachian Trail Communities and we are eager to share the pride and enthusiasm of being part of a national treasure.  Join us for a family-friendly festival while learning about the Appalachian Trail and other outdoor opportunities in Central PA.

We will celebrate our next annual Duncannon Appalachian Trail Community Festival on Saturday, June 20th, 2015.  There will be hikes and outdoor activities in the morning and from noon to 4PM there will be entertainment, exhibits, presentations and vendors near the town square on High Street between Cumberland and Ann streets.

Quick Links

Attractions • Hike Info • Live Music • Raffle Prizes • Parking & Directions • Vendor List • Crafts for Kids • Festival Friends • Join the Fun • Mission Statement

Coming Attractions:

• Admission and all presentations are FREE!
• Smokey the Bear will be there to raise fire prevention awareness.
• Live Musical Entertainment throughout the day.
• Live Raptor Presentation (birds of prey)
• Over $300 of Raffle Prizes donated by vendors.
• One Free Raffle Ticket for every attendee! (Children must be accompanied by an adult)
• Hiking and Outdoor Clubs.
• Food vendors.
• Arts and Crafts vendors.
• Craft Activities for Kids
• BBQ Chicken served by the Duncannon Fire Company

Take a Hike!

Some of the hiking clubs at the festival will be leading their own hikes in the morning and they encourage the public to join them for a fun time hiking the Duncannon area trails. Some hikes are easy while others are more challenging so be sure to find a hike to match your abilities.

• Easy – 8:00 to 11:30 – Haldeman Island: In cooperation with the PA Game Commission, this is a leisurely 2.5 mile hike touring the abundant wildlife of Haldeman Island. Located near the confluence of the Susquehanna and Juniata rivers, access to Haldeman Island is usually restricted to provide sanctuary for a wide variety of native Pennsylvania birds, including the iconic Bald Eagle. Sign up early for this rare chance to enjoy an excellent hike lead by the extremely knowledgeable and informative retired PA Game Commission Land Management Group Supervisor, Scott Bills. This hike is limited to 25 people. Please contact DATC (haldeman-hike@duncannonatc.org) to register. Where to park.
• Super Easy – 9:00 to 10:30 – Scavenger Hunt at Cornerstone Christian Church Trails – Sponsored by the Duncannon Outdoor Club. This is a slower paced 1.14 mile easy-terrain hike through woods and fields on mostly wide paths. It is a hike for the whole family, especially young children ages 5 and up. Try and find as many things as you can to check off your scavenger list. Meet at the Cornerstone Christian Church Duncannon at 9:00 am. Call 395-2462 or email dtakach@duncannonatc.org to register. Where to park.
• Challenging – 10:00 to 12:15 – Peters Mountain to Clarks Ferry Shelter – Sponsored by the Susquehanna Appalachian Trail Club, this is a moderately paced 4.3 mile hike with a semi-strenuous 900 foot climb up the end of Peters Mountain. We’ll meet at the Park-n-Ride lot near the Clarks Ferry Bridge on Rt. 147, head up the Appalachian Trail to the Clarks Ferry Shelter for a nice break, go back down the mountain on the blue-blazed Susquehanna Trail and then head back to our cars. As we hike this trail we’ll stop to take in picturesque views of Duncannon, the valley surrounding Dauphin, and the Juniata and Susquehanna river junction. You must contact the hike leader (kbalaban@duncannonatc.org) to register for this hike. Where to park.
• Difficult – 7:30 to 1:00 – Hawk Rock & Duncannon Tower Loop – Sponsored by the Day Hikers of Central PA, this is a brisk paced 11 mile hike over strenuous terrain with a 700 foot climb in the first mile. We will start and finish the hike at Tubby’s Nightclub and hike on the AT to Hawk Rock. Then we will go down a steep descent and visit the ruins of a lumber mill in the Duncannon Watershed that features a magnificent 50-foot high stone and brick tower (“The Stack”) that is still standing. Hiking poles will be helpful. You must contact the hike leader (dennis-hike@duncannonatc.org) at least two days before this hike to register. Where to park.

Live Music

There will be live entertainment featured throughout the day.  Stop by the main stage and enjoy:

• 12:00 Roger Hammer is a singer-songwriter with a passion for our natural environment. Many of his songs reflect outdoor themes, while appealing to people of all ages and walks of life. He appears frequently with the Susquehanna Folk Music Society, the Blues Society of Central Pennsylvania, and has played guitar and bass in a variety of bands. He brings his brand of hand crafted folk-rock to PA following years of playing in over a half dozen Midwestern states. His recent CD of original songs was mastered right around the corner in Mechanicsburg.
• 12:45 Mycenea Worley has performed hundreds of solo shows from small bars to festival stages, and her approachable style and passionate delivery have earned her a loyal fan base. She’s garnered the respect of peers and fans alike, earning the title of “Best Female Vocalist” a record three times at The 717 Music Awards! She’s graced the cover of PA Musician Magazine and been featured in various publications, college and mainstream radio shows, and even a few TV interviews.
• 1:30 The Shaver’s Creek Traveling Naturalist program takes their resident birds of prey to community events, and organizations for educational presentations around Pennsylvania. Learn about the natural history and case history of four of their live, non-releasable raptors, as well as the challenges facing eagles, falcons, hawks, and owls in the wild. The current roster of resident raptors includes Bald Eagles, a Golden Eagle, Great Horned Owls, Barred Owls, Barn Owls, an American Kestrel, a Turkey Vulture, a Red-Tailed Hawk, and more.
• 2:00 Brian McPherson is an avid hiker, trail troubadour, and promoter of the Appalachian Trail. He has hiked the entire Appalachian Trail, finishing his 10-yr section hike in 2011. When he hikes he carries his Washburn Rover backpack guitar with him and entertains fellow hikers at AT shelters and hiker hostels with his original songs, a collection of folk tunes he has written about his hiking experiences. He is a member of the Appalachian Trail Conservancy, the Susquehanna Appalachian Trail Club, and the Duncannon Appalachian Trail Community.
• 2:45 CrossCountry, the “Makes You Feel Good Music” group was the result of a chance meeting of long-time Pennsylvania musicians Dave Snyder, Carl Weidenhof, and music newbie (with the voice of an angel) Rebecca Lewis. The harmonies emitted that day and throughout the next year formed the beginning of CrossCountry. They quickly gathered a substantial following whenever they performed. Be sure to check out this local Duncannon band.
• 3:30 Raffle tickets will be sold for 1$ throughout the day of the festival and you can get one free ticket (children must be accompanied by an adult) just by stopping by the DATC booth and getting your “Appalachian Trail” hand-stamp. Every ticket offers a chance to win one of these great prizes so be sure to stay until 3:30 when we start drawing tickets for over $300 worth of prizes. You have to be there for a chance to win big!

There’s always something happening on the stage throughout the day. Whether it’s great family-oriented tunes, live birds of prey, or the allure of free prizes; the Duncannon Appalachian Trail Festival will lift your spirit with its lively festive atmosphere; don’t miss out on the fun.

Raffle Prizes!

Everyone will be given a free ticket just for showing up at the DATC booth on High Street and getting their hand stamped (children must be accompanied by an adult).  The DATC will also be selling raffle tickets to help support the Duncannon Appalachian Trail Community so be sure to increase your odds of winning by purchasing extra tickets for $1.00 each.

Check Out These Great Prizes:

D O N O R	P R I Z E
Appalachian Brewing Co.	ABC trail pack, contains: 1 growler, 4 pint glasses, and a gift card to fill the growler with your favorite ABC soda.
Appalacian Primitives	Drop-Leaf Barn-Oak Side/Lamp Table with Teak Oil Finish
Backlb	A camo carry bag
Bee’s Creations	Hanging kitchen towel
Colleen Heim – Seedware Design	Pair of peach seed earrings
Country Yoyo’s	Burlap item or yoyo place mats, Doily.
Crafty Nana	A colorful birdhouse.
Crissy`s Homemade Crafts	A Renuzit Bunny
CruiseOne – J C Smith Travel	Mildred Seeley “Antique Doll Collection” Limited Edition Plate
Cups for Kings and Queens	Glazed wheel-thrown goblet
Dairy Air Soap and Country Candles	Goat Milk Soap Candle
Designs By Debbie Good	A necklace and matching earring set
Driftwood Creations	Hand-carved cedar hiking stick
Grooming by Heather Harris @ Wee Wee Walkers, Duncannon	A gift certificate for a full dog grooming OR a basket of dog related items
Harrisburg Area Lyme Disease Support Group	Two 4-oz, bottles of Cedar Oil, an all natural tick repellent
JCoolbags	One of our coolerbags ($20 value).
Jewelry Designs By Helen Ritter	Jewelry Set
John Whitney (from Gallery@Second)	Beautiful painting of local nature scene
K & K Kreations	Cup and saucer, bird feeder on a pole
Lofty Creations	A set of hand-painted wine glasses
Made by Meli Clo	Handmade nursing cover or baby blanket
Members 1st Federal Credit Union	Gift basket.
Moonbeam Meadow Fairies & Paper Pretties by Tina	A Flower Fairy or Angel
Mutzabaugh’s Market	$50 in Mutzy Money
Ned Smith Center for Nature and Art	Framed miniature print of a Ned Smith art piece.
New York Life	Mutzie Money
Nightwisp Designs	A hand wrapped agate pendant with a retail value of $19
Noaker’s Auto Body and Sales, LLC	Free car detailing
Notes with Nature in Mind	Box of notecards
Oodlesofbows	Hair bow gift basket
Paul Gilbert	Hand turned bowl
Perry Heritage	Latest book “Historic Views of Perry County” Volume 1
Phoenix Pottery Studio	Phoenix Pottery mug
Phil’s Concessions	2 Cases of bottled water.
Prims ‘n Things	Handmade lathe mirror with vinyl decal ($19.99 value).
Quilts & Crafts by the Queen Bee	Single Strand Magnetic Bracelet with Semi Precious Stone Beads.
Road Hawg BBQ	Gift Certificate for Road Hawg BBQ
Rockwood Soy Co.	A gift basket
Sara’s Sew Creative	Zipper pouch and key chain set
Sawmill Creek Body Co.	A basket with candles and body care products
Sea Glass Jewelry	Sea Glass Necklace
Sisterdogs – Hot Dog Cart	Sisterdogs T-shirt
SLG Crafts	Sun catcher
Susquehanna AT Club	Joint one year membership to SATC
Tande Farmers Market	Canvas, child-size produce bag with 3 felt vegetables.
Tastefully Simple and Noah’s Ark	Cake mix
The Paisley Patch	Wreath
Thunder Ridge Kettle Corn	Two gift certificates for free large bags of Kettle Corn
Trippy T’s LLC	A Trippy T’s tie dye shirt.
Uglie Acres	Basket of assorted jams
Wildfire Pottery	A piece of pottery

Parking and Directions

On the day of the festival, you can park along the streets where it is permitted or you can park in one of the lots shown on the map below.

• God’s Missionary Church Lot
• Old Sled Works South Lot
• Clark’s Ferry Commuter Lot (2 mile scenic hike to festival)
• American Legion Back Lot (walk 330 yards to festival)
• (AFTER 1PM) Blue Ridge Communications Lot

Festival Vendors[contentblock id=3 img=html.png]

 

Crafts for Kids

There are plenty of activities to keep the kids happy and entertained so bring them along for a fun day at the festival.

[contentblock id=4 img=html.png]

 

Festival Friends

The following organizations have made significant donations or contributions to help fund the 2015 Duncannon Appalachian Trail Community Festival and we greatly appreciate their help.

• BuildASign.com
• Duncannon Borough
• Members 1st
• Mutzabaugh’s Market
• Noakers Auto Body
• This is Duncannon

Join the Fun

We’re looking for volunteers to help make this festival a great day for everyone.  Enjoy a fun day outside with your fellow Duncannon enthusiasts.

If you’re interested in being a volunteer at the festival, please contact us for more information.

Why We Do It

The Duncannon Appalachian Trail Community (DATC) is dedicated to promoting, protecting and preserving our outdoor recreational resources for future generations. We implement projects and programs to enhance tourism opportunities for Duncannon as an outdoor recreation destination and we encourage everyone to get outside, enjoy nature and recognize the connection between the health and abundance of the region’s natural assets and the vitality of its communities.

Come out and enjoy a fun day in Duncannon!   We hope to see you there!

 

Stay tuned for more information about this exciting event!