Verona Community Day returns Sept. 24
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On Sept. 24, the Verona Community Group will present the second annual Verona Community Picnic, to take place at Cribbs Field on Second Street from 2 to 6 p.m.
The day will feature a wide array of family-friendly activities, but the cornerstone will be the food, with the community group offering free cheeseburgers and hot dogs. Attendees are encouraged to bring a side dish or dessert, either for their families or to share with everyone, depending on their level of comfort.
“It’s a nice way to get the community together, and everyone likes a potluck,” Jessica Varone, community group president, said,
There will also be a chili cookoff in which anyone from the community is invited to participate. Interested chefs can visit tinyurl.com/veronachili to sign up, or they can call 412-818-5946. Competitors will need to bring their chili in a slow cooker at the beginning of the event, and all attendees will be given the chance to vote for the winner, with the champion earning bragging rights as the best chili in Verona.
In addition, there will be a plethora of activities for kids, including various yard games, face painting from 3 to 6 p.m., by Face Paint Pittsburgh, and rock painting — “The kids really love it,” Varone said — which will be run by volunteers.
Live music will also be featured, including last year’s band, Family Joules, making a return from 3 to 6 p.m. The group’s description is “high-energy classic rock that will reach out and grab you.”
Warming up the crowd from 2 to 3 p.m. will be Donna O, who is a community favorite from her performances at the Verona Farmer’s Market all summer. Donna is a singer, songwriter and guitarist who plays an eclectic blend of pop, rock and folk covers.
Another community favorite planning to be present is Snow Cones by Becca. Having contributors that the community already knows was a point of emphasis for the Verona Community Group.
“We just wanted to bring a lot of folks that people already know and love from the community,” Varone said,.
There will be a 50/50 raffle, and the hope is that the picnic will continue to grow in its second year. It was started last year as a way for friends, family, and neighbors to bounce back into being social after the covid-19 pandemic, and the event was such a hit that the community group decided to hold it again this year.
“We hope we get some nice weather for people to enjoy and to come out and see their friends and neighbors and maybe to also get to meet some new people,” Varone said. “We hope a lot of folks come out to join us for this special community day.”