Youghtoberfest aims to raise money for Ohiopyle Borough
Sep. 28—Officials in Ohiopyle, the small Fayette County borough surrounded by Ohiopyle State Park, estimate they need $650,000 to fix the local sewage treatment plant and make related repairs.
State officials say Ohiopyle's sewage system takes in more wastewater than it can handle. But the town has fewer than 30 permanent residents, while the state park which surrounds it sees more than a million visitors per year.
With 20,633 acres, Ohiopyle State Park is the largest in Pennsylvania in terms of acreage and offers whitewater rafting on the Youghiogheny River, a bicycling trail built for short trips and dayslong challenges, and hiking and mountain biking trails hidden in lush green forests.
And while tourists patronize the borough's businesses, their dollars don't go toward sewer repairs.
"There's been a wine festival for the past seven years, and that money is basically what we use to operate the town for the next year," said borough Councilwoman Pamela Kruse.
A second festival, Youghtoberfest, will be held Saturday at 15 Sherman St. to help raise additional money for the borough.
A $20 ticket will buy an afternoon of live music, craft vendors and samples from craft brewers including Yough River Brewing, Trippy Hippie, Stick City Brewing and Laurel Highlands Trailhead Brewing. Similar to the wine festival, it is organized through a nonprofit, which will donate the proceeds to the borough.
"We don't have any other sources of income, which a lot of people don't realize a when they come to visit," Kruse said.
In 2021, Ohiopyle received $2,200 in real estate taxes and $10,275 in wage taxes, according to a state financial report.
"This past spring after the wine festival, the borough received a check for $15,000," Kruse said. "We had a sewage pump to fix and were trying to address a consent order that required us to buy $8,000 in water flow monitors. So as soon as we got the check, it immediately went back out the door toward sewage issues."
Ohiopyle Coffee Roasters owner Abby Greenbaum, who is helping organize Youghtoberfest, said officials and residents are "trying anything" to raise money for the borough.
"They don't have the tax dollars coming in to fix these things," she said. "You see people enjoying all the amenities, but we're not supported by the state park and there is this massive sewage problem that needs fixed."
DCNR Spokesman Wesley Robinson said Ohiopyle is one of the most popular state parks in Pennsylvania's 124-park system.
"DCNR will continue to be a positive partner and work with Ohiopyle Borough to ensure the success of one of the top outdoor recreation destinations in the Commonwealth," Robinson said.
Kruse said more communication would enhance that partnership.
"For a while, DCNR was really interested in what was going on at Ohiopyle," she said. "But you get a new governor, you get a new DCNR head, and sometimes projects get forgotten. But I think it's time for us to move back up the ladder."
Tickets for Youghtoberfest can be purchased at Eventbrite.com — enter "Youghtoberfest" in the search box.
Patrick Varine is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Patrick by email at pvarine@triblive.com or via Twitter .
