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X-WR-CALDESC:Join us at the Lincoln Highway Experience on Saturday\, April 
 29 at 1 p.m. for our second Lincoln Highway Talk of 2023! Our guest speake
 r\, Jennifer Sopko\, will be presenting her talk\, 'Idlewild Park: History
  and Memories of a Lincoln Highway Landmark.' A longtime Lincoln Highway l
 andmark\, Idlewild Park has charmed folks across Western Pennsylvania and 
 beyond since the late 19th century. Nestled among the Allegheny Mountains 
 and along the Loyalhanna Creek\, this historic amusement park was founded 
 by the Mellon family in 1878 as a scenic picnic grove designed to boost pa
 ssenger traffic on the Ligonier Valley Rail Road. When the Macdonald famil
 y took the helm in 1931\, electrically powered rides\, entertainment and o
 ther attractions came to Idlewild\, along with the adjacent Story Book For
 est. After the Kennywood Park Corporation acquired Idlewild in the 1980s\,
  the park saw the additions of a rootin’ tootin’ Wild West town\, Mister R
 ogers' Neighborhood of Make-Believe\, plus a giant water park complex\, an
 d developed a reputation as an award-winning children’s park. The end of t
 he railroad in 1952 did nothing to curb Idlewild’s popularity for group pi
 cnics and summertime fun\, as guests continued to reach this roadside attr
 action by automobile via the Lincoln Highway. As the oldest operating amus
 ement park in Pennsylvania and the third oldest in the United States\, tod
 ay’s Idlewild and SoakZone has delighted generations of families with its 
 classic amusement rides\, themed areas and natural beauty. Writer and hist
 orian Jennifer Sopko will share the fascinating story of Ligonier’s belove
 d amusement park\, plus vintage images gathered during research for her bo
 ok\, Idlewild: History and Memories of Pennsylvania’s Oldest Amusement Par
 k.\n\nCost: $5 admission per person. No reservation required.\n\nCoffee & 
 cookies will be provided for a suggested donation of $1.\n\n \n\nAbout Jen
 nifer Sopko:\n\nJennifer Sopko is a Pittsburgh-based writer and historian 
 with a love of local history\, especially amusement parks. She holds a Bac
 helor of Arts degree in English from Saint Vincent College in Latrobe\, Pe
 nnsylvania. Since 2003\, Jennifer has covered the Ligonier Valley\, Westmo
 reland County and Western Pennsylvania as a freelance writer and journalis
 t for several regional publications\, including the Latrobe Bulletin\, The
  Ligonier Echo and Westmoreland History magazine. She is the author of two
  History Press books: Idlewild: History and Memories of Pennsylvania’s Old
 est Amusement Park and Ligonier Valley Vignettes: Tales From the Laurel Hi
 ghlands. She is currently seeking stories and images for her next book\, w
 hich will cover lost amusement parks across Western Pennsylvania. A season
 ed guest speaker\, Jennifer also serves as editor of the Westmoreland Hist
 orical Society’s Westmoreland History magazine and as a board member and s
 ecretary for the Ligonier Valley Rail Road Association\, the National Amus
 ement Park Historical Association\, and Tube City Community Media\, Inc.\,
  among other historical affiliations. Follow her at www.jennifersopko.com.
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DTSTART:20221106T020000
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RDATE:20231105T020000
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DTSTART:20230312T020000
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BEGIN:VEVENT
UID:8f3c301b-c31c-4c6b-8a17-1c4bc6eda7a2
DTSTAMP:20260412T081546Z
DESCRIPTION:Join us at the Lincoln Highway Experience on Saturday\, April 2
 9 at 1 p.m. for our second Lincoln Highway Talk of 2023! Our guest speaker
 \, Jennifer Sopko\, will be presenting her talk\, 'Idlewild Park: History 
 and Memories of a Lincoln Highway Landmark.' A longtime Lincoln Highway la
 ndmark\, Idlewild Park has charmed folks across Western Pennsylvania and b
 eyond since the late 19th century. Nestled among the Allegheny Mountains a
 nd along the Loyalhanna Creek\, this historic amusement park was founded b
 y the Mellon family in 1878 as a scenic picnic grove designed to boost pas
 senger traffic on the Ligonier Valley Rail Road. When the Macdonald family
  took the helm in 1931\, electrically powered rides\, entertainment and ot
 her attractions came to Idlewild\, along with the adjacent Story Book Fore
 st. After the Kennywood Park Corporation acquired Idlewild in the 1980s\, 
 the park saw the additions of a rootin’ tootin’ Wild West town\, Mister Ro
 gers' Neighborhood of Make-Believe\, plus a giant water park complex\, and
  developed a reputation as an award-winning children’s park. The end of th
 e railroad in 1952 did nothing to curb Idlewild’s popularity for group pic
 nics and summertime fun\, as guests continued to reach this roadside attra
 ction by automobile via the Lincoln Highway. As the oldest operating amuse
 ment park in Pennsylvania and the third oldest in the United States\, toda
 y’s Idlewild and SoakZone has delighted generations of families with its c
 lassic amusement rides\, themed areas and natural beauty. Writer and histo
 rian Jennifer Sopko will share the fascinating story of Ligonier’s beloved
  amusement park\, plus vintage images gathered during research for her boo
 k\, Idlewild: History and Memories of Pennsylvania’s Oldest Amusement Park
 .\n\nCost: $5 admission per person. No reservation required.\n\nCoffee & c
 ookies will be provided for a suggested donation of $1.\n\n \n\nAbout Jenn
 ifer Sopko:\n\nJennifer Sopko is a Pittsburgh-based writer and historian w
 ith a love of local history\, especially amusement parks. She holds a Bach
 elor of Arts degree in English from Saint Vincent College in Latrobe\, Pen
 nsylvania. Since 2003\, Jennifer has covered the Ligonier Valley\, Westmor
 eland County and Western Pennsylvania as a freelance writer and journalist
  for several regional publications\, including the Latrobe Bulletin\, The 
 Ligonier Echo and Westmoreland History magazine. She is the author of two 
 History Press books: Idlewild: History and Memories of Pennsylvania’s Olde
 st Amusement Park and Ligonier Valley Vignettes: Tales From the Laurel Hig
 hlands. She is currently seeking stories and images for her next book\, wh
 ich will cover lost amusement parks across Western Pennsylvania. A seasone
 d guest speaker\, Jennifer also serves as editor of the Westmoreland Histo
 rical Society’s Westmoreland History magazine and as a board member and se
 cretary for the Ligonier Valley Rail Road Association\, the National Amuse
 ment Park Historical Association\, and Tube City Community Media\, Inc.\, 
 among other historical affiliations. Follow her at www.jennifersopko.com.
DTSTART;TZID=America/New_York:20230429T130000
DTEND;TZID=America/New_York:20230429T150000
LOCATION:3435 State Route 30 E\, Latrobe\, PA 15650 US
SUMMARY:Lincoln Highway Talk - 'Idlewild Park: History and Memories of a Li
 ncoln Highway Landmark' by Jennifer Sopko
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