By RICK MILLER
Olean Star
ALLEGANY — There will be no Allegany Old Home Days next month, but the Allegany Fire Department is planning to hold a Community Day in August at Firemen’s Park.
The fire company had hoped to line up another carnival, but things did not work out as planned, according to Allegany Fire Department spokesman Gordon Scott.
“Due to circumstances beyond the department’s control, the carnival will not be held as with traditional Old Home Days festivities,” the fire department stated in a press release.
This would have been the 86th annual Old Home Days this year.
“We hope to come up with a day-long community event on Aug. 23,” Scott told the Olean Star. A beer tent will be set up and barbecue will be available from 4-6 p.m. The cook tent will be open from 6 p.m. until midnight.
There will also be a DJ and a band, craft vendors and a dunk tank, Scott said.
“We wanted to do something to bring the community together for a day since we couldn’t have Old Home Days,” Scott said.
There will be the traditional water between area fire departments. A parade is not being planned at this time.
Scott said that the Powers and Thomas Midway that had been a mainstay of the Old Home Days for many years no longer contracts with smaller events.
Old Home Days has been sponsored by the fire department for more than 80 years. There were no Old Home Days from 2020 to 2022 due to COVID-19.
The last two years have featured a smaller carnival with about a dozen rides. Scott said the carnival generally featured between 14 and 18 rides.
Firemen’s Park will host a variety of craft vendors, several bounce houses, an ice cream truck, the “I Got It!” game and more.
The fire department will hold its traditional water fights from 6–8 p.m. at Maple Avenue and North First Street. Their famous chicken barbecue will also be offered from 4–6 p.m.
Scott said the first department hopes to bring back Old Home Days in the future, but this year the plan is to draw the community together for one day of activities.
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