This year’s planned banana-themed festivities in Latrobe have grown to include a second day of activities.

The Downtown Latrobe Banana Split Celebration will be held from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Friday, Aug. 20. The day will include live entertainment, activities for kids and, of course, helpings of the frozen treat said to have been invented in Latrobe.

It will be a prelude to the Great American Banana Split Celebration, set for the following day, Aug. 21, at Latrobe’s Legion Keener Park.

The additional offerings on Aug. 20 are “a way to encourage people to come downtown for the activities we have planned and then spend the day in the park on Saturday,” said Michael Tusay, executive director of the Latrobe Art Center. On Aug. 20, the center will provide arts and crafts for kids at the former Dollar General building, in the 800 block of Ligonier Street.

Last year, Latrobe’s annual banana split celebration was virtual because of pandemic restrictions.

Entertainment Aug. 20 will include performances in the courtyard of Adams Memorial Library, at 1112 Ligonier St. Steve Haberman will be featured in a children’s comedy and magic show at 11 a.m., followed by Tracy Lynn’s Song and Dance Show at 1 p.m.

DJ Shark will spin tunes at the Latrobe Parklet, at Ligonier and Main streets, and festival visitors will be greeted by roving street performers, including a stilt walker and balloon artists.

Food vendors will include Valley Dairy restaurant of Latrobe, which will serve banana splits.

Participating merchants will welcome shoppers from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Select shops will take part in the “Banana Split Open,” providing visitors the opportunity to play a game of mini-golf for a chance to win prizes.

“With (pandemic) restrictions being more-or-less lifted and construction in the downtown area for the most part complete, it encouraged us to move forward” with banana festivities in the heart of the city, where they had been held in past years, Tusay said.

From 6 to 9 p.m. Aug. 20, the art center, at 819 Ligonier St., will present its annual Yellow Tie Gala for adults in semi-formal dress.

The adjacent street will be transformed into a pop-up night club, with music by Neon Swing X-perience, a banana split bar sponsored by Latrobe Dairy Queen, banana split cocktails, an open wine-and-beer bar and appetizers from Ricolita’s Café.

Gala tickets are $60 or $50 for art center members. Reservations are required by Friday, Aug. 13, at 724-537-7011 or latrobeartcenter.org.

Downtown Latrobe merchants collaborated in planning for the additional day of banana split activities.

“We all decided as a group that we could do something on Friday that would lead into Saturday, with activities to bring people into town,” said Briana Tomack, president of the Greater Latrobe-Laurel Valley Regional Chamber of Commerce that is organizing the Saturday events. “It’s going to be great.”

Activities at Legion Keener on Aug. 21 include a Banana Run 5K race at 9:30 a.m., a car show from noon to 4 p.m., a pie-eating contest at 2 p.m., presentation of the banana split princess at 4:45 p.m. and live entertainment at 6:30 p.m.

A farmers market and food and craft vendors will be on hand.

5K participants can visit bananasplit.run to enter as a runner or walker.

Visit bananasplitfest.com for more festival details.

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