Commemorating the carnival’s 60th anniversary, the Heidlersburg Fire Company’s annual event is packed with free entertainment, including The Amish Outlaws and will feature apparatus from other departments on display next week.
From outdoor games to favorite food choices, the annual carnival, located at 2720 Heidlersburg Road, opens on August 17th and runs through August 20th.
Known for its oyster dishes and roast beef, the kitchen will open at 5 p.m. on Aug. 18 and 19 and at 4:30 p.m. on Aug. 20, according to Galen Smith, company president. It won’t be open the first night, Aug. 17, Smith said.
There is no entry fee for the carnival, and the event will be held rain or shine, Smith said.
The fire company also has a full line-up of talented musicians performing, including Troy Engle and the Southern Skies at 7pm on August 18; Dean Crawford and the Dunn’s River Band at 7pm on August 19; and the Amish Outlaws at 7:30 p.m. on Aug. 20, Smith said.
Four of the six members of The Amish Outlaws were born in Lancaster “and had a strict Amish upbringing,” according to the group’s website.
The group has a large following, even from people in other states, according to Smith.
“We’ve had people call from New Jersey, Delaware and Maryland,” Smith said. “They are a very popular group. People usually have to pay to go to their concerts.”
As part of the carnival’s 60th anniversary, Smith said local fire departments in Adams County were invited to bring a piece of apparatus to display on the first night, Aug. 17.
“It (the carnival) is a huge fundraiser for us,” Smith said. “It’s a good way for people to meet their neighbors and support the fire company.”
The first-ever carnival, held in 1962, included entertainment by Don Reno and Red Smiley of the Grand Ole Opry in Nashville, according to officials, who noted how “members built a simple addition to the school building” that served as the first kitchen for the event.
Smith said volunteering isn’t the same as it was years ago.
“Hopefully, we can get more community members involved,” Smith said. “We hope to have more volunteers.”
The Heidlersburg Fire Company was founded in 1962, and the company’s first official meeting had 60 residents in attendance, officials said.
The fire company took a year off from holding its annual carnival in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, according to Smith.
“The pandemic hit us hard,” Smith said, adding that the fire company had to cancel multiple fundraisers and stop door-to-door calling.
Smith said the fire company has been trying to find other ways to raise funds, switching to mail appeals and holding its first comedy night at the station on Nov. 5.
