Once arriving at the top of the Inclined Plane (not to skip over the actual ride, which is worth your $4 round trip itself), you can take a few steps over to the observation deck. Here, you’ll see the quintessential view of Johnstown, looking over the valley where the waters of the 1889 flood gushed through.

The Visitors Center, also located at the top of the Incline, provides a history lesson for visitors. Although even life-long residents may find a fact or two they didn’t know. The building also features a large window, from which you can view the inner workings of the Incline.

Just the past Visitors Center, sharing the same magnificent view over the city as the observation deck, is City View Bar and Grill. City View offers Johnstown residents and visitors a casual dining experience with a rotating menu of drink specials, and features a banquet room that can be booked for special occasions.

If you prefer a more adventurous outing, why not try hiking to the top of the hill instead of riding? The 2.4 mile James Wolfe Sculpture trail winds up the side of the hill. Along the path, you can you view many works by James Wolf, who created the pieces from steel from Johnstown’s Bethlehem Steel plant.

Please note both the Inclined Plane and City View Bar and Grill are currently closed. They will both be reopening on Friday, January 27, 2012.

For directions to the bottom of the Johnstown Inclined Plane, click here. For directions to the top, click here. To learn more, visit http://www.inclinedplane.org and http://www.cityviewbarandgrill.com.

The festival will celebrate “the miracle of garlic, ‘the stinking rose’” the weekend of August 20 & 21, 2011. Visitors can learn about cooking with garlic during live chef demos and enjoy the music of Better Dayz. Other activities will include hay rides, a play area for children and, of course, plenty of homemade garlicky food.

“Visitors are sure to have a ’stinking good time’,” says Mary Faranda. “[Visitors can] sample garlic flavored foods such as wings, pierogi with garlic butter, pulled pork, and mushroom sandwiches, learn how to cook with garlic from local chefs, learn the varieties of garlic, and shop at the booths of garlic growers, specialty garlic gadgets and garlic tees and aprons.”

The garlic festival is on August 20 & 21, from 10AM to 5PM each day. Admission is $5 for adults, $2 for children ages 3 to 12, and free for children under 2 years. Click here for a map to Faranda’s Farm, which is located at 1171 Penn Ave Hollsopple, PA, ½ mile off Route 219 and 15 miles from Johnstown and Somerset.

Learn more by visiting their website: www.farandafarm.net.

Photograph courtesy of Rob Marhefka

For many people, summer time is a great time to relax, enjoy the beautiful weather, and have a great time outdoors with friends and family. Johnstown BMX is a great place to do just that. Nestled in the hillside, minutes from downtown Johnstown, lies a place where people of all ages can come together and enjoy the sport of BMX racing.

BMX racing originated in the 1970s in Southern California where children would race their bicycles on dirt tracks in order to imitate their favorite motocross stars. In 1974, during the rapid growth of this exciting sport, the National Bicycle League formed to bring organization and a point system for racers throughout the BMX community. In the late 1970s, BMX hit the East Coast and Johnstown BMX was born. BMX recently became a full-medal sport during the 2008 Summer Olympic Games.

Johnstown BMX officially opened for business in 1980, accommodating racers of every skill level and age group. Jeff Layton, President of Johnstown BMX, says, “It is our goal to provide a safe and enjoyable facility for family members of all ages and abilities to ride bicycles and compete in organized races.” Being home of one of “the most enduring tracks in the NBL,” Johnstown BMX attracts a fair amount of attention from many higher-skilled BMX riders throughout the BMX community. With different parts of the track dedicated to more advanced riders, Johnstown BMX has something for every skill level of bicyclist.

Holding many events throughout the year, Johnstown BMX relies heavily on their volunteer staff which handles everything from selling food and 50/50 raffle tickets, to keeping the racers safe, organized and checked in. Johnstown BMX draws in around 75 riders weekly. Many of these riders come in from all over the state to take part in the weekly State Qualifiers, held almost every Wednesday throughout the summer months.

Learn more by visiting www.johnstownbmx.org.

Photograph courtesy of Eureka Coal Heritage Foundation

While our nation’s Memorial Day has passed by, our region will be remembering the working class heroes of the coal industry in Windber this month during the 12^th annual Miners’ Memorial Day Festival. The event will take place Fathers’ Day weekend (Friday, June 17 through Sunday, June 19) in downtown Windber.

The festival is completely run by volunteers, who will be working to fill the streets of Windber with family fun all weekend, from food to music to street performances.

The weekend will kick off on Friday evening with a concert at Arcadia Theater by Yo Vinnie and Bronx Wanderers followed by a street dance with live music by The Characters. Saturday will begin with breakfast at the food court and an opening ceremony.

Major features during the Miners’ Festival are the Cruise-In Car Show, the Motorcycle Show, a parade on Saturday morning and fireworks on Saturday night.

Other events planned for the festival include craft and food vendors, a Children’s Area, a free child ID program and more live music. And of course, throughout the weekend, the Windber Coal Heritage Center will be open to the public.

Click here for more information about the Laurel Miners’ Memorial Day Festival visit. Click here to view a map of the Windber area.

This is the third year for the event, which has grown in size with each year. Activities have also been expanded this year, including a morning Memorial Day ceremony featuring guest speaker U.S. Army Lt. Col. James E. White, Jr. and U.S. Army Command Exhibition Parachute Team, “The Silver Wings”.

The afternoon portion of the event will involve activities for everyone in the family. For the kids, there will be inflatable rides and activity tables. For adults, there will be a classic car and motorcycle cruise, as well as military exhibits and demonstrations. And for everyone’s enjoyment, there will be music all day, as well as food vendors.

“We have been planning this event for a year and have included fun activities for every age!” says Renée Daly, Economic Development Coordinator for the City of Johnstown.

The Johnstown Community Event will last, rain or shine, from 10:00 AM until 5:00 PM on May 30^th, 2011 at Sandyvale Memorial Gardens and Dog Park. Click here for a map of the area. The event is free to attend.

For more information visit the event page at CityofJohnstownPA.net or the Johnstown Community Event Facebook page. You can also call Renée Daly at (814) 536-8616 or email her at rdaly@cojtwn.com.

The Johnstown area, with its abundance of hills and acres of forests, provides the perfect landscape for off-road riding. Whether your ride of choice is an ATV, UTV, or a dirt bike, Rock Run Recreation is sure to have a trail that will both entertain and challenge you.

Set atop the Allegheny Mountains in rural Patton, Pennsylvania, Rock Run Recreation is just over a 30 mile drive from Johnstown. Their 70 miles of trails are sure to provide hours of fun for any off-roader, no matter what your skill-level. With warm weather moving in, now is the perfect time to hit the trails and welcome in a new season of riding.

Rock Run is known as one of the North East’s premier ATV recreation parks and has been a destination for ATV and dirt bike riders from all over the country.

The park is host to many special events throughout the season including:  Ride until Midnight in July, the Annual Fisher’s ATV World Reunion in August, the Rally at the Rock in September, and many others.

Rock Run opens April 2 for the 2011 season and will be open weekends until June, when they start extended summer hours. You can find more information about hours and upcoming events by visiting their website at http://www.rockrunrecreation.com or calling (814) 674-6028.

Each year the Moxham Renaissance community group helps Johnstown kick off the Christmas season with a two-day holiday event. “People have told me that this gets them started for Christmas,” said Eileen DiBartola, Chairperson for this year’s celebration.

This year’s theme is Disney, with the Russell House featuring 13 Christmas trees, each trimmed to suit a particular Disney character. The trees are wonderfully decorated, often featuring handcrafted ornaments made specifically for the two-day event. Even the exterior trees get the full treatment. According to Ms. DiBartola, she was able to acquire help from Moxham Lumber for this task. “Jimmy cut 100 Mickey Mouse heads, which I then painted and covered with I can’t tell you how many jars of glitter.”

Children will be provided with plenty of opportunities to enjoy themselves. There will be craft projects, as well as a chance to get their last-minute gift requests to a very special guest, Santa Claus. There is also an elaborate model train display set up and running both days. “Some kids will sit for 30 minutes or more just watching that train,” said Ms. DiBartola.

In addition to the Christmas displays, guests will be treated to a host of entertainment, including musical performances throughout both days. Add to that free refreshments, basket raffles to benefit the Moxham Renaissance and a whole lot of Christmas cheer and you’ve got a recipe for a perfect holiday afternoon.

To join in the fun, go to the Russell House (click here for a map to the Russell House, located at 538 Park Avenue, Johnstown PA) on Saturday from 1:00PM-8:00PM or Sunday from Noon until 5:00PM. Admission is free.

This year’s line-up features the Jimmy Adler Band, an outstanding guitar-centric blues band that hails from Pittsburgh, PA. The band is led by Jimmy Adler, whose career has included playing in The Billy Price Band and Jill West and the Blues Attack.

Also performing will be Johnstown’s own Flood City Brass, promising to serve up a performance of rock and rock and rhythm and blues that will set the tone for an entertaining night out.

“Everyone’s in town for Thanksgiving,” said Gary Matolyak, owner of Ace’s Lounge. “We host a party and everyone just has a good time.”

And it’s not just a good time, it’s for a good cause, too. “We use this to raise money for the Johnstown Free Medical Clinic,” said Mr. Matolyak, explaining that money raised through corporate sponsorship and from admission is donated to this all-volunteer organization that provides free medical services to the uninsured across the greater Johnstown region.

Tickets are $12 in advance, $15 at the door and can be purchased at Ace’s Lounge. The cost of admission includes dinner from a menu that includes kielbasa, rigatoni and other fare.

Click here to learn more about the Johnstown Free Medical Clinic.

The annual Madrigal Christmas Feaste is a feast-meets-theater-meets-concert that attracts visitors from all over the region. No doubt, the event has become a staple of the local holiday season in its 40 years of existence. The event features an array of talented actors and performers (all in traditional costumes, of course) from the college and surrounding community, including the director of the event, Ladye Misrule (Michelle McGowan).

From skits to sing-a-longs to dancing, the audience can enjoy the interactive show while chowing down on a hearty Medieval-inspired meal. Think “Renaissance Faire dinner,” but louder!

The feast will take place on two nights this year, Saturday December 5, 2010 at 6:30PM (sold out) and Sunday, December 6, 2010 at 4:30PM at Mount Aloysius College in Cresson, PA.

Click here for more information and reservation information.
Click here for a map of Mount Aloysius College.

Beginning September 2, 2010, the University of Pittsburgh at Johnstown will conduct a scuba diving class that, upon completion, will graduate students with a NAUI (National Association of Underwater Instructors) Scuba Diver certification.

“This is a great opportunity to experience the underwater environment,” said Jamie Hedrick, class instructor. “It’s a lot of fun and you don’t have to be a very proficient swimmer to participate.”

To provide the most comprehensive level of instruction, the course includes classroom, pool and open-water training sessions.

Classes are held at the Zamias Aquatic Center at Pitt Johnstown on Thursdays from 5:30PM-9:00PM and run for seven weeks. Attendance at all classes is mandatory to earn the certification.

Additional details, including price structure and prerequisites, are available on this Scuba Diving Class flyer. Register by calling Jamie Hedrick at (814) 269-2006.