The Oil Heritage Festival (OHF) committee is expecting a few changes this year as we navigate the temporary inconveniences the closing of the Veterans Bridge will bring.
The Veterans Bridge, which connects Oil City’s North and South sides and is normally a part of the OHF parade route, will be closed from June through September this year. The City of Oil City will be taking advantage of the time the bridge is closed to do some drainage work in Justus Park, and the Days Inn hotel is slated to be torn down sometime this year as well. These disruptions are sure to cause some minor stresses, but we are keeping an optimistic outlook and remembering that each of these projects will lead to something better for the City of Oil City and future festivals.
As OHF attendees know, the Veterans Bridge and Justus Park (and the parking lot adjacent to the park), are usually hubs of activity for our Festival. We ask that in 2024, our attendees, downtown businesses, and community members try to keep an open mind and work with us through this years differences.
We plan to host bands/musicians in various places around the city, utilizing some of our downtown businesses as venues. And as for the parade, we are hopeful we can pull off a modified parade on a different route, and will notify all participants as soon as those plans are finalized.
Please feel free to reach out to the Chamber with ANY questions!
This article was published in the Venango Chamber’s April 2024 VenangoWorks! Newsletter.
I think this may be an opportune time to try an ATV/UTV Oil Heritage tour utilising the bike trail. Small fee for a lunch could be incorporated in the ride and the rider’s speed can be kept in check by having a trail guide. You would need points of interest to use as stops and a reliable person with the knowledge of our area’s history.