HARRISBURG, Pa. (WHTM) — The 107th annual Kipona Festival is set to return to Harrisburg this weekend.
Scheduled to run from Saturday, September 2 to Monday, September 4, the long-time Labor Day weekend event was first held in 1916.
The festival began as a celebration of the completion of the Harrisburg Dock Street Dam and river steps as well as other city improvements that were done through the “City Beautiful Movement.”
This year the event will include a Multicultural Celebration, Native American Pow-Wow, fireworks, live music, Family Fun Zone, Art in the Park, tightrope walkers above the Susquehanna River, food trucks, beer/wine garden, and more.
On Saturday and Sunday, the festival will go from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. with fireworks scheduled at 8:15 p.m on Sunday. On Monday, Labor Day, the festival will run from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.
Street parking will be free on Sunday and Monday. On Saturday, those parking in the downtown area will be able to get 4 hours of free parking using the code LUVHBG in the Parkmobile app. There will also be $5 parking on City Island and $10 parking at
the Market Square Garage from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. each day of the festival courtesy of Park Harrisburg.
Standard parking rates will apply at the River Street Garage.
Recycle Bicycle will also provide free bike parking along Front Street near Market & Forster Streets.
More information about scheduled festival activities is available on the City of Harrisburg’s website.
Festival Road Closures:
Harrisburg’s Front Street will be closed from Forster to Walnut between from 9 a.m. on Friday, September 1 to midnight on Monday, September 4.
Between 7 p.m. and 9 p.m. on Sunday, September 3, West Shore traffic will be able to enter and exit the City Island parking lot but will not be able to access Front Street via the Market Street Bridge. During the same hours, East Shore traffic will also not be able to access Market Street from 2nd Street to the West Shore. Traffic will also not be able to get to Front Street from Walnut Street from between 8:15 p.m. and 9 p.m.
