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A beloved Franklin County tradition has come to an end. The Marion Festival, a community gathering that brought families together in Marion, Pennsylvania for more than a century, will no longer be held after 102 years, organizers announced this week.
According to ABC27, the Marion Festival and Town Committee broke the news in a Facebook post on Tuesday (March 17), calling it a difficult moment for the community.
"After 102 years, it is with great sadness that the hard decision has been made to end the Marion Festival," the committee wrote in the post.
No reason was given for the decision to end the festival. Organizers did not explain what led them to close out a tradition that had run for more than a century.
Despite the somber announcement, the committee took time to express gratitude to everyone who showed up and supported the event over the decades. "To all of you who have been faithful and regular supporters of the festival over these many years, we say THANK YOU," the festival wrote on Facebook. "We loved having you come and share all those Saturday evenings with us."
The Marion Festival served as more than just a community celebration. It was a key fundraising event for several local organizations, including the Marion Town Committee, the Marion Athletic Association, and Marion Volunteer Fire Company 8. With the festival ending, those groups now lose a longtime source of community support.
As reported by the Franklin County Free Press, organizers are urging residents to keep supporting the Marion Athletic Association and Marion Volunteer Fire Company 8 by following their social media pages, sharing their events, attending future gatherings, and donating when possible.
Organizers said they hope to still see familiar faces out in the community, so that the fond memories made over 102 years of Saturday evenings together can live on.