|
Centre Daily Times May 11 2005
Spring fest splendor; Talleyrand to flow freely with excitement on Sunday
By Mason Neely; For the CDT
"Local lore has it that during westward exploration by Prince Charles Maurice de Talleyrand in the early 1800s, the French nobleman laid eyes on a large spring in a small village and exclaimed, "Belle fonte" -- beautiful fountain -- forever linking it to the natural wonder at its center.
On Sunday, nearly 200 years later, the explorer's excitement again will flow freely in Talleyrand Park as the borough hosts its annual Big Spring Festival.
Running from noon to 4 p.m., the festival will include a variety of activities -- food from local vendors, arts and crafts, live music, conservation exhibits -- all leading up to the ceremonial fish restocking.
In past years, the festival, sponsored in part by Historic Bellefonte Inc., has been known under different names, primarily the Bellefonte Fishfeed, on account of the thousands of freshwater trout that were released into historic Spring Creek at the height of the festival and the fish fry that usually followed.
According to Betsey Achuff, a fifth-grade teacher at Benner Elementary School who serves on the festival committee, the event still keeps those traditions alive, but steps have been taken in recent years to make it more family friendly and educational.
"Bellefonte is a community that is so built around the idea of family and family-oriented events," she said. "This event is part of that. No matter what you're looking for -- different kinds of food or music or activities -- there's something here for everyone."
Local organizations such as ClearWater Conservancy, the Spring Creek Community Watershed Commission and the Bellefonte Garden Club will be on hand to distribute information on environmental topics such as regional conservation and garden maintenance.
Food vendors from around the area are scheduled to serve up a feast: Carol's Confections, selling everything from funnel cakes to homemade barbecue; Scott's Roasting; Tropical Snow; and Penn State Sub Shop.
In addition, the Bellefonte Historic Train will run its familiar route to and from the state fish hatchery on Spring Creek Road for a small fee. Bellefonte's borough manager, Ralph Stewart will host a tour of the Bellefonte pump house, and for aspiring anglers, the Nittany Bass Masters will hold a kids' casting contest."
|
|
