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George Washington’s 292nd Birthday Celebration
February 24
$3
CELEBRATE GEORGE WASHINGTON’S 292st BIRTHDAY WITH A HIKE AND SOME CHERRY PIE!
SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. – You can hike through history, stroll through nature, and enjoy some cherry pie on Saturday, February 24, in honor of George Washington’s birthday, and his 1753 journey through the region.
It all happens at Jennings Environmental Education Center, a Pennsylvania State Park at 2951 Prospect Road (Pa. 528) Slippery Rock 16057. There are nine different guided hikes, all are limited in size. The 7-mile Long Hike filled up early and is no longer open for reservations. Of the other eight hikes, two are 45-minute nature walks led by park staff. The other six are history hikes that tell the story of George Washington’s 1753 Mission that took him through western Pennsylvania when Washington was just 21 years old. To reserve a hiking spot, go to events.dcnr.pa.gov, then search “Cherry Pie” or click on https://events.dcnr.pa.gov/jennings_environmental_education_center/calendar/day/2024/2/24 . This will take you to the page to reserve hike times. There is a $3 per person cash donation, collected at the park, to partake in one of the guided hikes and the cherry pie.
The annual commemoration is sponsored by Washington’s Trail 1753, the Butler Chapter of the North Country Trail Association, Historic Harmony, Butler County Tourism and Convention Bureau, North Country Brewing, and Jennings Environmental Education Center.
The day’s festivities honor the 292nd birthday of the first president. Washington was just 21 in 1753 when he volunteered to deliver an ultimatum from Virginia’s governor that French forces withdraw from British-claimed territory west of the Alleghenies. The French, building a line of forts south from Lake Erie, declined, demanding instead that the British stay out of New France. Washington’s 1753 Mission led within months to the outbreak of the French and Indian War.
Photo Caption:
Cherry pie hikers look on as re-enactors portray the near-shooting of young George Washington and his guide Christopher Gist on Dec. 27, 1753 in Forward Township. Harmony Museum photo.
Contact:
Rod Gasch, Washington’s Trail 1753, 724-290-2129 | e-mail RJGasch@msn.com