Fasten your seatbelts, Hellertown.
The 100th anniversary Dewey Fire Company Carnival–which will be held July 14 to July 19 in and around Dimmick Park–will feature a cavalcade of events that have been planned to wow attendees and “re-energize” the venerable event, chairman Dave Heintzelman told borough council Monday.
Heintzelman told council he hopes that one of the highlights of this year’s carnival–a Bikefest featuring an appearance by Orange County Choppers reality TV star Paul Teutel Sr.–will become an annual event in the borough.
The presence of a large number of motorcyclists in the borough will be “a bit different for our community,” he said, and will result in some additional noise on Saturday, July 18, when the Bikefest is held.
The bikers who will be attending are all “good people,” even if their mufflers are “a little loud,” he stressed. “We want to welcome them in a very positive way.”
Mayor Richard Fluck will preside over a “Blessing of the Bikers,” and Heintzelman joked to him that “we do have an extra motorcycle if you’d like to ride on the back up to (Orange County Choppers).”
Another highlight of the six-day carnival will be a free Community Dinner in the park sponsored by the Hellertown Area Ministerium (HAM) on Sunday, July 19.
The main dish at the dinner will be pulled pork donated by Saylor’s & Co., a Main Street, Hellertown butcher and specialty food market.
Side dishes will be provided by the churches that comprise HAM, and “everyone’s invited” to attend, Heintzelman said.
The dinner will follow an Antique Firemen’s Parade from Saucon Valley High School to Dimmick Park, in which Heintzelman estimated there could be as many as 150 vehicles.
The carnival will come to an end with a free concert by Flirtin’ With The Mob from 2 to 5 p.m. at the park bandshell.
One other highlight that was discussed in front of borough council was this year’s fireworks extravaganza, which will feature tower fireworks and incorporate the history of the fire company.
Heintzelman estimated that it will be 12 to 16 minutes longer than any past shows, and “very unique.”
He reported that thanks to the generosity of local businesses and individuals, 90 percent of this year’s carnival costs are already covered. He called that statistic “tremendous,” and also thanked the 16 businesses that signed up to be banner sponsors over a period of less than three days.
Heintzelman also thanked Dewey Fire Co. Chief Rick Delmore and his wife, Vicki Delmore, for their help in planning the event, which is expected to be large enough that auxiliary parking will be available at the site of the former Reinhard School at Northampton Street and Magnolia Road.
A shuttle bus service will transport attendees from that satellite lot to the park.
“It’s really going to be nice. I’m excited,” Heintzelman said.
He encouraged everyone who plans to attend to like the 100th anniversary carnival Facebook page, where updates are being posted as additional details become available.
