SHADYSIDE — The village of Shadyside is preparing to celebrate America’s 250th anniversary.

To celebrate, the village is hosting a parade on July 11 with participants lining up at 3 p.m. before getting underway at 4 p.m.

The parade will start near Defelice Pizza and end near Coffee Central.

Village America 250 committee chairperson Melanie Haswell said that following the parade the historic loop will continue to be closed for traffic to be the location for the village’s America 250 festival.

“We are welcoming fire trucks, marching bands, classic cars, bagpipe players, and residents will have their golf carts and bicycles decorated. We are welcoming veterans, any service members from any branch from both sides of the river. It’s not just like a Shadyside thing, it’s like everywhere, up and down both sides of the river,” Haswell said. “When it’s over, we will all come together and let the festivities begin.”

She added that the festival will have food trucks, vendors, crafters, bouncy houses, slides, carnival games, axe throwing, dunk tanks and a euro bungee which are multiple personal trampolines with bungees strapping people in as they jump and flip.

Haswell said that face painting will be available to attendees.

“We will have bingo going on at the community center. That was a biggie, because everybody misses that from the firemen’s festival that we used to have years ago,” Haswell said.

She added that the Hendershot Building next to the Tiger Pub will be used as a cooling station to provide attendees of all ages that will have drinking water, activities for the children such as coloring sheets.

Haswell said that America 250 memorabilia will be available in the cooling center.

She added that the festival will have a hot dog eating contest sponsored by Central Grille owner Adam Lucci.

“We’re not going to see how many they can eat, like the Nathan hot dog contest, I can’t even watch that. I think we’re going to give them, like, six hot dogs and the person that finishes first will be the winner,” Haswell said. “We are also going to have an old fashioned apple pie contest, so we’re looking for people who would like to make a homemade apple pie and see if theirs can be the winner.”

She added that the contest will be judged by several judges on a scale of one through ten with the winner being whichever contestant receives the highest overall score.

“We are encouraging all of our businesses to decorate the outside of their businesses or any houses that are on the loop in red, white and blue,” Haswell said. “We are still looking for parade participants and I’m hoping that they will all stay after the parade for the festival so we can really have a big crowd there.”

If interested in participating in either the parade or festival, Haswell can be contacted at (740) 391-5015.

“It’s coming up very quickly, so it’s been hectic but I’m sure it will all come together. But I’m just looking forward to celebrating,” Haswell said. “I remember when we did this 50 years ago and it was a large celebration and I just want to continue that.”