History
The event began in 1953 and became the first recognized Autumn Leaf Festival to be held during the Clarion State College homecoming. Businesses were asked to decorate for the occasion, with Ruth Neiger from Brockway serving as Homecoming Queen.[3]
In 1954, there were two parades to attract more people to the area. The first included Veterans of Foreign Wars, Girl Scouts, volunteer firemen, the Lions Club, the Autumn Leaf Queen’s float, and seven Clarion County bands. The second parade, the Clarion State Teachers College homecoming parade, was held two and a half hours later. It included floats made by local fraternities, and local sororities joined the parade.
In 1956, the annual “Tournament of Leaves” parade was part of the Clarion State Teachers College Homecoming. Clarion businesses donated monetary prizes for the float competition, which was themed after movie titles.[3]
In 1958, the Autumn Leaf Festival became a permanent event, and the Chamber implemented a committee to organize the annual festivities. The Miss Teen Autumn Leaf Festival scholarship pageant, which started out as a homecoming queen riding in the parade, became a permanent event in 1977.
The Farmers and Crafter's Day usually occur on the last Friday of the nine-day festival. That event started in 1977 and was originally called the Farmers and Merchants Day Craft Show. On this day, 10,000-plus patrons and students come out to observe, buy from, or promote, the craft stands that lined both sides of the main street in Clarion. PennWest Clarion gives its students a "mid-semester break", so they can attend the Crafter's Day the following day.[4]
The annual fair welcomes turnout from High schools and Colleges, which work together to produce floats for the festival parade. With bands, cars, horses, marching units, and drill teams joining the floats, the 2009 parade lasted an hour and 15 minutes and was described by the Clarion Republican that year as the “Best Autumn Leaf Festival Yet”.[3]