Gathering on Grant gains momentum in Vandergrift
A new seasonal monthly event in Vandergrift has proved to be a crowd-pleaser.
Gathering on Grant, a community-based food and vendor festival, debuted in May.
Lead organizer Eric Mikula said the event has been a great success.
“It’s been wonderful. The response from our neighbors has been great. We have everyone coming together, and we are all about community and unity,” Mikula said.
The event is sponsored by the Vandergrift Business Association, a nonprofit formed last year with a goal of promoting unity and business growth in the borough and surrounding communities.
Vandergrift Council approved the event last March.
The gathering is from 5 to 8 p.m. on the third Thursday of each month from May through October, except in July. Grant Avenue is closed to vehicle traffic during the event.
Most of the stores in the business district remain open later for the gathering, which includes live music, multiple food trucks and vendors.
Vandergrift Volunteer Fire Departments Nos. 1 and 2 participate, parking firetrucks and making them available for exploration.
The Vandergrift Veterans of Foreign Wars lends Mikula 80 chairs each month, and he sets them up in the middle of Grant Avenue so attendees have a place to sit while eating.
“Not a lot of festivals have places for people to sit. I do this myself,” Mikula said.
Vendor Carrie Caprino, originally from East Vandergrift, said she has enjoyed being a repeat vendor this season.
“I came out because it’s my hometown, and this is the first year they’ve put it together,” said Caprino, who sells LuLaRoe clothing. “It’s a fun atmosphere and a great group of people.”
Del Vecchio’s owner Tommy Scanga stands next to Diane Dowling (holding a Philly Bratwurst hoagie)Thursday at Gathering on Grant—continuing until 8 p.m. this evening in downtown Vandergrift. @VNDNews @TribLIVE @TribWestmoreCo pic.twitter.com/oyfdfkLGzD
— Joyce Hanz (@hanz_joyce) September 15, 2022
Vandergrift native Tommy Scanga is a frequent food truck vendor.
He owns and operates Del Vecchio’s Food Truck and sells a variety of signature homemade sausage, fresh-cut fries and more.
“It seems to be getting bigger and bigger each month. I love going there because that’s my hometown, and I love seeing more of where my roots are,” Scanga said.
Vandergrift Councilwoman Marilee Kessler said there appears to be a renewed interest in older, walkable communities with a downtown area, such as Vandergrift.
A Realtor, Kessler noted she has seen many young, professional homeowners choose Vandergrift with its recent additions for dining and shopping in the business area.
“Longtime residents are happy to see Thursday nights come back as a time and place to go downtown and connect with friends and neighbors,” Kessler said. “For me, as a senior citizen, it’s nostalgia time. It’s discovering how nice it is to be able to walk through our beautiful community and enjoy the small monthly festival.”
The final Gathering on Grant this year will be Oct. 20, and the event will return in 2023.
Joyce Hanz is a native of Charleston, S.C. and is a features reporter covering the Pittsburgh region. She majored in media arts and graduated from the University of South Carolina. She can be reached at jhanz@triblive.com
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