IN Norwin Spring 2014 | Page 22

Irwin Borough Gears Up for Its Big 150 1864 years 2014 BY JENNIFER BROZAK W hen the one-square-mile town of Irwin was first incorporated as a borough in 1864, it was home to a mere 500 residents and just six stores, including a blacksmith shop and a wagon shop. Today, Irwin is home to nearly 4,000 residents, a revitalized downtown and nearly 100 businesses which continue to thrive. This year, Irwin is celebrating its 150th birthday with a series of special events sponsored by the Irwin Business and Professional Association (IBPA), a volunteer group that works to promote and maintain the vitality of Main Street. The yearlong celebration kicked off with a reception for 175 guests at Banquets Unlimited in November. The reception included a birthday cake, a champagne toast and live entertainment by local musicians Dave Cremonese, Thom Book and Gail Macioce, who is also an Irwin councilwoman. 20 724.942.0940 TO ADVERTISE | Norwin “I was very excited about the kickoff celebration. It turned out great,” says Debbie Kelly, an IBPA member and secretary of the Irwin Project, a volunteer group that leads a variety of community development projects. Planned festivities include supersized versions of a car cruise, the Ethnic Food Festival in June, and Art and Jazz nights in the summer. This year’s Ethnic Food Festival will feature more live entertainment, including Junior Tamburitzans and Dick Tady, a Grammy Award winner and legendary member of the Polka Hall of Fame. July’s Art and Jazz Night will feature a supergroup comprised of jazz legends Harold Betters, Kenny Blake and Judi Figel. The sesquicentennial celebration will conclude in August with a week-long series of