The 12th annual Curt Simmons Day and Egypt Memorial Park Festival, held May 31 at the park, Hillcrest Lane and Curt Simmons Drive, Whitehall, was hampered by intermittent rain most of the day, with the car show canceled. However, the enthusiasm of attendees was palpable. The indoor areas of the festival were nearly full and were pulsating to the fabulous live music.

The fundraising gambling wheel was, at times, swamped with patrons swaying to the upbeat music. A steady stream of patrons purchased tickets for the basket social and placed their tickets into their favorite baskets. Diane Huber and Heather Kern had the important job of staffing the ticket sale table for the basket social.

Egypt Memorial Park board members and volunteers Mark Sise, Shelly Dorn, Ryan Kramer, Ellen Knauss, Robin Mohr and Scarlet Dorn paused for a team picture between hustling around the event selling drinks and assisting wherever needed. The team was impressed with the upbeat tempo and seeing the patrons enjoying themselves.

The event coordinator, Shelly Dorn, of Egypt, was as energetic as her usual self. The hands-on leader served in many capacities to help her team make the festival a success for the patrons.

Despite the inclement weather, there were games, face painting, music, foods, a basket raffle and a few craft vendors.

The festival featured three bands to draw and entertain patrons under the park’s main pavilion: GirlCrue, The Higher Notion and the Aardvarks. Attendees delightfully danced to their up-tempo, quality music.

GirlCrue entertained in the afternoon to an energetic crowd. The band played popular hit songs so well that it was like the original band on the stage.

The Aardvarks, one of the Lehigh Valley’s prominent bands, entertained in the evening.

Lehigh Valley-based band The Higher Notion, with lead singer James Herman, entertained between the two headline bands with their eclectic brand of music.

Megan, Allister and Vincent Anatalio, of Fullerton, enjoyed the music. Vincent and Megan held their infant Allister as the three managed to dance to the music. Allister appeared to enjoy the fun.

Despite the off-and-on rainy weather, the day was a delightful fun mixture of music entertainment, diverse foods, vendors, a basket raffle and more.

This festival honors a giant in the local baseball scene. Curt Simmons was a native of the village of Egypt in Whitehall Township. Simmons spent the majority of his career with the Philadelphia Phillies, where he was a member of the “Whiz Kids” team that won the National League Pennant in 1950. Simmons is touted by Egypt Memorial Park Association as “Egypt’s favorite ballplayer.”

When he was a teenager playing baseball for the Coplay American Legion team, he probably never imagined his grateful Egypt community would one day hold an annual festival in his honor.

Simmons passed in 2022 at age 93.