LANCASTER, Pa. — After being postponed in June, Celebrate Lancaster returned on Friday to highlight everything the city has to offer.
The event showcased Lancaster's vibrant cultures, residents and everything else that makes this city one-of-a-kind. From food, music, local vendors and so much more, the city brought its best and brightest all together for the entire community to enjoy.
"It’s a great community event to bring everyone in Lancaster together," said Lancaster resident Alex Rorbaugh.
Organizers say it was a great opportunity for the community to enjoy and appreciate the city’s diverse culture.
"The culture is a huge part of this event. We have all different walks of life coming to this event from guests coming to attend to vendors," said Kate Wright, special events and programs manager for the City of Lancaster. "We are excited to have everyone come together, boost morale and just celebrate Lancaster."
For business owners, it’s an impactful event that helps them connect with the community.
"When we come out, it’s always great because people say, ‘We smelled you three blocks away,’ and when they come through, they smile and they say, ‘Man I’ll be back.’ It’s a sense of community. It’s a sense of unity," said Art Brinson, owner of A. Lee's Sauces and Rubs.
Unity is what this year’s Celebrate Lancaster is all about. Originally scheduled for June 16 to acknowledge Juneteenth, organizers say it was important to stick with the original theme “Honoring Umoja” which in Swahili means unity.
"We are partnering with Crispus Attucks to bring awareness to the community about Juneteenth and what the meaning behind it is," said Wright.
With a celebration that brought people together, it highlighted how special the Lancaster community really is.
"It’s such an amazing experience to live in a downtown that feels really small but still really connected and diverse," said Taylor Roosevelt of Lancaster. "Just having something like this where you can bring out so many people and still feel like it’s your community is really special."
It also reminded people that there’s no place really like it.
"Celebrate Lancaster is really just a culmination of recognizing how special the place [and] the city really is," said Rorbaugh. "There are just so many great things happening in this community, and I don’t think there are many places like Lancaster."