The August heat couldn't keep residents away from Slatington's first Day in the Park event on Saturday. The event was held in the underused Victory Park located on Grove and Second streets.

Four food venders and five bands all donated their time and resources to the fundraiser in hopes of gathering enough support and money to make this year's Northern Lehigh Parade a success.Under the direction of Northern Lehigh Committee Chairman Russell Hallman, the sound technician, bands and food stands started setting up for the event over five hours before the 2 p.m. start time. Brolenzinger started even earlier, two days earlier."It's a two-day process to make the pulled pork and smoked beans. That's what we are known for," said Mike Brogan, the day's grillmaster. "The homemade dry rubbed chicken is roughly a two-hour process just to get the rub right. We were here for the 150th celebration and they asked us to come back," he said. "It's for a great cause."Everyone who donated time agreed that the Northern Lehigh parade is a great cause. Most of the volunteers remember going to the parade themselves when they were kids. "We do it for the kids. People were falling over each other to donate. We want to make this annual. If it gets bigger, we'd like to build an amphitheater," Hallman said."It's a good chance for people to come out and mingle," he said.Jackie's Fries, Wittman's BBQ and Charlotte Fay's Main Street Dinner also provide hamburgers, cold water and hot fries. A 50/50 raffle tickets were sold at the BYOB event to help raise funds. My Metals Creation donated a hand painted parade sign to use for all fundraising events.Five bands took the stage for the Day in the Park, opening with local band Beautiful Oblivion. Katie Moudy, the mother of singer and guitar player Alex, sat with family and enjoyed the band's set."It's for a really good cause. It's definitely something you want to get out and support," she said.Four more bands followed the girls: Line of Fire, Greystone, Mail to Michigan and The Grove closed the show. Mike Peters, a Slatington resident and member of Greystone, worked the sound for the event. "It's for the kids in the parade, it's a big thing," he said.Peters, John Ortiz and Dave Lear have worked in the area for over 30 years as musicians and talent acquisitionists."This is really for a good cause. Russ is really trying to revive the parade," he said.The parade will be held Oct 31 this year with rain date scheduled for Nov. 1. The next fundraisers will be a coin toss and basket raffle, both held in September.