Youth Festival Information and Observations

 

1954      Nov. 26           Zembo Mosque           9pm to 1am           $1.00 per person           Attendance: ±4,000

This initial event was named the Charity Festival and run in conjunction with the 100th anniversary of the Patriot-News.  Historians agree this was the first Youth Festival, which was later tweaked to improve student involvement in subsequent years.  It was promoted and operated by local businesses and organizations that underwrote most of the costs.  The Harrisburg Patriot-News was deeply involved in reporting and promoting the success of all youth festivals. The Boys' Club of Harrisburg was the primary beneficiary of the proceeds this first year. Tex Beneke's “Music in the Mood” orchestra provided the dance music.  Tex had been a long-time member of the Glenn Miller Orchestra and his music was faithful to that time.  In addition Tom Darlington and his "Music of the Years" Orchestra also provided entertainment.  A couple from the Arthur Murray School of Dance performed an exhibition of several dances, including the new Mambo. 11 high schools presented co-ed representatives during the evening.  In this inaugural event, they were simply described as "special guests" who were introduced by Tom Darlington.  Donna Kean (sponsored by Bowman's department store) was the representative for Catholic High.

note: This was the first of many appearances of Tom Darlington and his orchestra, which would continue until 1974. His orchestra would become known as the "Musically Yours" version by 1959, when they next graced the Zembo stage.

 

1955 There was no festival in 1955. The idea was resurrected in 1956 and the name was changed to the “Youth Festival” with a focus on it being a student driven event with representatives from all of the participating high schools serving on the planning committee, participating in decision making and being involved with the actual production of the event.  Every festival had several corporate sponsors of varying degrees, that helped guide the students, underwrote some of the costs of the production and contributed greatly to the overall financial success of the event. Every Youth Festival was held on the Friday evening following Thanksgiving, primarily to accommodate recent graduates who might be returning home for the long holiday weekend.

 

1956      Nov. 23           Zembo Mosque           9pm to 1am           $2.50 per couple           Attendance: +2,500

Claude Thornhill, RCA-Victor Columbia recording artist with his 14 man orchestra was the featured dancing entertainment.  10 area high schools participated and each would provide some sort of variety entertainment during the evening.  Each school was required to create a themed exhibit in the lower level of the Mosque. Catholic High’s 1956 theme was "The World in a Mirror," which featured a mid-century modern aesthetic focusing on the school’s future.  All of the schools would also present a Police Athletic League (PAL) princess who would be met on stage by Miss Pennsylvania Lorna Malcomson Ringler and Miss Harrisburg Sally Brooks Porter.  Barbara Marrone was the princess for Catholic High. PAL was the beneficiary of the event.

notes: All subsequent festivals would be modeled after this one and have a strong representation of local high school students that provided representatives who actually had much say in how the evening would be conducted, as well as determining the entertainment.

 

1957      Nov. 29           Zembo Mosque           9pm to 1am           $1.00 per person           Attendance: ±5,000

Ray McKinley with the Glenn Miller Orchestra was the featured entertainment.  The event, now called the “Mammoth Youth Festival” benefited The Girls' Club of Harrisburg. The “Mammoth” part of the title later was relegated to just the advertising of the event.  By 1958 and beyond, most only knew it as simply “The Youth Festival.” 16 high schools participated and talent acts from 8 of them would be presented. “Top Teen” female representatives from each school were featured, including Sandra Jayson of Bishop McDevitt.  These girls were also spotlighted at the World Championship Rodeo held at the Farm Show Complex earlier in the month. Miss Pennsylvania Jennie Blatchford was introduced to begin the festivities.

note: Ray McKinley had been in Glenn Miller's "band" as had several of the other musicians. This orchestra had a direct  connection with Glenn Miller himself and engaging them for the evening was quite a coup for the committee.  The fee probably set the organizer's back $1,000 or more, which translates to approximately $12,000 in recent years. 

 

1958      Nov. 28           Zembo Mosque           9pm to 1am           $1.00 per person           Attendance: -5,000

A major snowstorm in the northeast, although not in the immediate vicinity of Harrisburg, combined with cold (25°) may have impacted the attendance. Larry and Les Elgart and their Columbia recording orchestra provided the feature entertainment.  The Boys' Club of Harrisburg was the beneficiary of the proceeds.  16 high schools participated, including their “Teen Queens.”  Patricia Manerie was the representative for Bishop McDevitt.  8 of the schools provided teen acts that performed at various times when the orchestra would take a break.

note: This was the first instance of the "Teen Queen" title.  The one that would be best remembered.

​

1959      Nov 27            Zembo Mosque           9pm to 1am           $1.00 per person           Attendance: +5000

Tom Darlington and his Philadelphia “Musically Yours” Orchestra provided the majority of the dance music.  16 area high schools participated, along with a queen of their choosing.  Al Morrison and his trio were on hand to provide background music for the 8 teen variety acts when they took the stage.  Patricia Fogarty was the “Campus Queen” representative for Bishop McDevitt.  Proceeds benefited the Girls' Club of Harrisburg.  Crusader Grace Goodwin was a committee member.  Fifty-three former Queens who reigned at the four previous Festivals were presented, stepping out to dance, following the Campus Queen's honor dance.

notes:  If you were ever interested in "teen royalty" this was the festival to attend.  In addition to the 16 Campus Queens and 53 former Teen Queens (mentioned above) in attendance, five Susquenita HS Charleston Queens made an appearance in addition to Kathryn Rader from Central Dauphin HS, the 1960 Teen Princess.  Then 24 finalists in the Downtown Harrisburg Assn. and Patriot-News Cover Girl Contest were introduced at some point.  Some have surmised tiaras and crowns were probably sparse for a while at any Harrisburg area stores that carried them, following this particular festival.

 

1960      Nov 25           Zembo Mosque           9pm to 1am           $1.00 per person           Attendance: ≈5000

Local bandleader Al Morrison and his five-man ensemble played during intermissions when the featured entertainment of Ray Eberle and his “Serenade in Blue” Orchestra was not on stage. 15 high schools participated and all brought their own “PAL Princesses,” which included Bishop McDevitt's Sheri Vales. In addition, 8 teen talent acts from various schools, performed during the course of the evening. Bishop McDevitt's 18 member dance band, led by senior James Dolan, was one of those featured. Not surprisingly because of the titles given to the female representatives, the Police Athletic League was the designated beneficiary of this event.

 

1961      Nov 24           Zembo Mosque           9pm to 1am           $1.00 per person           Attendance: +5,000

The number of schools which participated returned to 16 for the 1961 event.  This was also the year that the planning committee settled on the title of “Teen Queen” for the female representatives, ending the annual changes and it finally seemed to stick.  Although when the Police Athletic League would receive the festival proceeds in future years, the title would temporarily revert back to “PAL Princess.”  Martha Alesick of McDevitt was on the planning committee and handled some announcing duties.  Once again there was Al Morrison on piano with his 15 piece orchestra provided the lion's share of dance music for the evening.  As usual, there were teen talent acts, including the vocalizations of Janelle Coppinger from McDevitt.  Crusader Lou Zaydon participated with a combo of other high school members calling themselves the Catalinas.  The Boys' Club of Harrisburg was the major beneficiary of the proceeds.  Arlene Veet was the “Teen Queen” representative for Bishop McDevitt.  This years' version found the queens walking the length of the ballroom on a plush red carpet donated by Pomeroy's and each girl was presented with a commemorative bracelet.  Marty Alesick of McDevitt was one of the presenters of the Teen Queens.

notes: Apparently most, if not all, queens, princesses and eventually “honored teens” were presented with bracelets or charms going back to the original “Charity Festival” in 1954, but this was one of the few to have it mentioned in a newspaper report. It is not known if in some years this tradition was not upheld.

 

1962      Nov. 26           Zembo Mosque           8pm to 1am           $1.00 per person           Attendance: -5,000

This was the first festival to begin at 8pm, allowing for up to 5 hours of dancing before the 1am curfew closed the doors on the evening.  All previous festivals had started at 9pm with 4 hours planned for the evening.  Obviously the growing attendance necessitated a need for more teens to be able to socialize along with hitting the dance floor.  The dance music was provided by Billy Butterfield's orchestra.  Carol Ann Taleff of Bishop McDevitt was the recording secretary for the festival's planning committee.  Again there were several talent acts provided by some of the participating schools.  For the second year in a row, Janelle Coppinger of McDevitt was a soloist during one of the intermissions.  Christine Radanovic of Bishop McDevitt was one of the 16 “PAL Princesses;” a term used each time the Police Athletic League was the primary beneficiary of the festival.  Latecomers who purchased tickets at the door now had to pay $1.25 each.

notes: $1.00 in 1962 was the equivalent of $10.88 in 2026. The $1.25 payment at the door was like adding $2.72 to that cost for a total entertainment investment of $13.60 per person. This two price tariff continued for several years. The actual attendance may have been as low as only 4,500 teens.

 

1963      Nov. 29           Zembo Mosque           8pm to 1am           $1.00 per person           Attendance: ≈4,000

The atmosphere and attendance for this festival was somewhat subdued following the assassination of President John F. Kennedy only 7 days earlier.  Not to mention the weather could have been better, as it provided a mix of snow and ice, along with dropping temperatures.  The US Air Force Band had been scheduled to be the featured music ensemble, but was required in Washington, DC, where the state funeral for the president had taken place only four days prior to the festival.  Once again Tom Darlington's orchestra was on hand along with Al Morrison's orchestra. Both had been scheduled, along with the Milton S. Hershey School's 16 piece orchestra to set the mood for an outstanding evening of music and dance.  The loss of the Air Force component was felt, but it didn't completely distract from enjoyment of the evening.  As usual, there were talent acts provided by several of the participating high schools of which there were 16 once again.  Theresa Hennigan was the Bishop McDevitt “Teen Queen.” Proceeds benefited the Girls' Club of Harrisburg.

note: $1.25 per person at the door.

 

1964      Nov. 27           Zembo Mosque           8pm to 1am           $1.25 per person           Attendance:

This year the number of schools participating increased to 18. Michael Fletcher was the McDevitt school representative to the planning committee.  For the first time, a name act was contracted to be featured and that group was The Lettermen.  They were at the peak of their fame with several Top 40 hits. Acquiring them was considered quite a coup. The committee was busy and also brought in the US Air Force Dance Orchestra along with Miss America, Vonda Kay VanDyke.  Tom Darlington's orchestra was also on stage to share duties with the Air Force “Airmen of Note.”  For good measure, organist Carl Henke was also available for his keyboard ditties.  Carl was the “house organist” for radio station WCMB and frequently a fixture at the Penn Harris Motor Inn.  Among the 18 Teen Queens present for the evening, Joan Philpott represented Bishop McDevitt, while Michael Fletcher was the planning committee member for the Crusaders.

note: This year saw the first ticket price increase since the inception of the Youth Festival, not counting the 1956 per couple charge.  The $1.25 charge for admission was worth $13.62 in current times.

 

1965      Nov. 26           Zembo Mosque           8pm to 1am           $1.25 per person           Attendance: 7,000

Four more schools joined the fun, bringing the number of participating schools to 22 with regard to planning and production of the event.  The Four Seasons recording quartet were selected as the featured performers.  At this time, The Four Seasons with lead singer Frankie Valli, were arguably the only American group capable of facing down the Beatles and the British invasion and probably cost a pretty penny to bring them to Harrisburg.  Additionally, the ever reliable Tom Darlington and his “Musically Yours” Orchestra provided the dance music.  The Milton Hershey “Spartan” Dance Orchestra was also used with some of the Teen Variety Acts and to give the Darlington Orchestra the occasional break.  McDevitt-ites Kathy Matthews and Teddy Felix opened the teen talent portion of the evening with their folk singing.  Patricia DiMartile was the Teen Queen for Bishop McDevitt.  Representing the Crusaders on the planning committee, Kathy DiPietro introduced the 22 Teen Queens.  Proceeds went to the Tri-County Society for Crippled Adults and Children.

note: Based on known information from 1965, The Four Seasons probably commanded a fee in the neighborhood of $2,500 or $26,000+ in 2026.

 

1966      Nov. 25           Zembo Mosque           8pm to 1am           $1.50 per person           Attendance: +6,500

Once again 22 schools were involved with the festival.  The Highwaymen were selected as the featured group.  The group consisted of four guitar playing male folksingers and had a super hit single with "Michael, Row the Boat Ashore."   Tom Darlington and his orchestra were once again in the mix to provide dance music.  “Red” McCarthy and his orchestra handled intermissions and assisted some of the teen variety acts.  Proceeds were earmarked for the Girls' Club of Harrisburg.  For Bishop McDevitt, jazz musicians Cedric Lawson and Dennis Hunter opened the “tile room” entertainment, while Patricia Long was the school's “Teen Queen” and Don Hunsicker was the Crusaders' representative on the planning committee.

note: $2.00 per person at the door.

 

1967      Nov. 24           Zembo Mosque           8pm to 1am           $1.50 per person           Attendance: +7,000

Harrisburg's own top recording group, The Magnificent Men, were featured to perform to the delight of most area teens.  The Mag Men (veterans of the Raven Teen Club) was a seven-man group composed of mostly local musicians from John Harris and Cedar Cliff high schools.  They had just finished a record breaking run at the Apollo Theater in NYC and were poised to break into the national scene.  Their two sets on stage were one of the most enthusiastically received performances in Youth Festival history.  Maintaining tradition, there were several teen talent acts interspersed throughout the evening.  Plan B was the always available “Red” McCarthy Orchestra, which played during intermissions and for some of the student acts. 24 area high schools now participated in the festivities. Miss Pennsylvania Doris Ann Lausch sang 2 or 3 songs.  The Boys' Club of Harrisburg was the primary beneficiary of proceeds for the event.  In addition to the 24 Teen Queens from the participating schools, 20 local homecoming queens were honored as well.  Cindy Smith was the Homecoming Queen from Bishop McDevitt and Linda Torchia was the Teen Queen representative for the school.

notes: Tom Darlington and his “Musically Yours” Orchestra were frequently on hand to provide dance music. This orchestra played so much in the vicinity of Central PA that their office was moved from Philadelphia to Harrisburg at some point. The orchestra would play at 15 of the Youth Festivals and was often referred to by some as the “House Band.”

 

1968      Nov. 29           Zembo Mosque           8pm to 1am           $1.50 per person           Attendance: ±7,000

The 14th and most ambitious festival to date.  The newspaper failed to announce an attendance figure.  It simply stated “Jammed to Capacity.”  In this case it is probable that 7K was the approximate capacity without a fire marshal deciding to shut down the event.  Scheduled for five hours (8pm to 1am) the festival actually began 30 minutes prior to that with the early arrival and admittance of a huge throng. The “Red” McCarthy orchestra began playing immediately to greet the early birds.  Richard Kief of Bishop McDevitt was the planning committee chairman and welcomed everyone with his opening remarks.  Jay and the Techniques were a featured act.  Miss Pennsylvania Susan Robinson made an appearance.  Tom Darlington and his “Musicially Yours” 15 man orchestra played much of the music for dancing with a cameo by vocalist Al Alberts. “Red” McCarthy's orchestra made several more appearances during the evening.  Once again, 24 high schools participated. Each school provided a female dancer who appeared in a first ever attempted production number that was a hit with the attendees.  Vickie Laucks of Bishop McDevitt was one of the 24 Teen Queens. Proceeds went to the Tri-County Society for Crippled Children.  Rich Kief was elated the festival raised $5,200 for that charity as he had a family member who had suffered from polio.

note: Jay & The Techniques were a pop-soul group best known for their 1967 million-selling debut hit "Apples, Peaches, Pumpkin Pie" (No. 6 Billboard Hot 100) and the follow-up hit "Keep the Ball Rollin'" (No. 14).  The $5,200 raised for charity was equal to over $49,000 in 2026.  This particular festival was the best or most attended by members of the 1969 Bishop McDevitt Senior Class.

 

1969      Nov. 28           Zembo Mosque           7:30pm to 1am           $2.00 per person           Attendance: 7,000

As the 1968 version of the festival became an impromptu 5.5 hour extravaganza; this one was scheduled that way. This festival set a new record with 27 participating schools.  Featured entertainers were two nationally recognized recording groups: The Peppermint Rainbow and The Bar-Kays.  Tom Darlington and his “Musically Yours” Orchestra provided the dance music.  “Sing Out, Carlisle” opened the festivities with their100 voices singing a production number.  Keeping with tradition, there were also some teen talent acts provided during orchestra intermissions . There were also dancing acts that involved as many as 54 teens along with some professionals.  Mary Ann Hirschmann from McDevitt was the Mistress of Ceremonies.  The Carlisle and Harrisburg Police Athletic Leagues shared proceeds from the evening.  Trudy Ralph of Bishop McDevitt was one of the 27 “Teen Queens” in attendance.

note: Another bump to the price of attendance.  $2.50 per person at the door.  The $2.00 charge for admittance was the equivalent of $17.95 in 2026 currency.

 

1970      Nov. 27           Zembo Mosque           8pm to 1am           $2.50 per person           Attendance: 7,000

Another big act was secured when “Blues Image” agreed to play the Youth Festival.  With their hit “Ride Captain Ride” (that alluded to the story of the USS Pueblo and its capture by North Korea) they were near the top of the charts and at the peak of their national popularity.  Also Central PA's own locally popular “Hydraulic Peach” was on stage as well.  Both were well received when they performed their sets.  Once again, Tom Darlington and his “Musically Yours” Orchestra was available to provide much of the dance music.  Continuing with tradition, there were eight teen talent acts that were interspersed throughout the evening. Miss Pennsylvania Maggie Walker made an appearance. This year represented the record for participating schools when 27 joined the cause, bringing their prerequisite Teen Queens. Dennis Sheehe of McDevitt was on the planning committee and Tina DiMartile was the school's Teen Queen representative.  The Boys' Club of Harrisburg and the Tri-County Council on Addictive Diseases split the event's proceeds.

note: Another increase to admittance.  $3.00 per person at the door; which was equivalent to $25.42 in 2026.

 

1971      Nov. 26           Zembo Mosque           8pm to 12am           $2.50 per person           Attendance: 5,000

The participation level dropped to 22 schools for this year.  This was also the last year for the festival to showcase any queens or princesses.  Also, this was the first time prospective attendees were told in the newspaper ads that dressing up wasn't necessary.  In addition, the overall time for the evening was cut to 4 hours – last done in 1962.  The New York Rock Ensemble was the featured entertainment with what was described as hard rock, mixed with classical interpolation.  Local favorite Rich Clare and Pentagon rocked the building with their high energy show band style.

In addition, Saturday (out of Baltimore) appeared. To this mix, as per tradition, eight schools brought Teen Queens to the event.  Miss Pennsylvania Maureen Victoria Wimmer received a rousing ovation for her rendition of a song from the Broadway play “Oliver.”  There were several well received teen talent acts as well.  The Girls' Club of Harrisburg and the Tri-County Society for Crippled Children split the proceeds.  The cover of the program was designed by Gerald Anderson, a sophomore at McDevitt.  Mary Ann Torchia was the Teen Queen representative for the Crusaders.

note: $3.00 per person at the door.

 

1972      Nov. 24           Zembo Mosque           8pm to 1am           $2.00 per person           Attendance: -3,000

Tom Darlington and his “Musically Yours” Orchestra were present to play the dance music.  Featured groups were Big City Music Band, The Legends and The 5-cent Bag. Patricia Carey of Bishop McDevitt was named the teen chairman.  Once again, 22 schools were in the committee mix to produce the festival and 8 provided teen talent acts. There were no longer any Teen Queens - only Honored Teens.  These were primarily the girls who represented their respective schools in the planning phase and were tasked with talking up the event and selling tickets to it.  One might consider these teens as the original precursors to the modern "influencer" phenomenon.  In the week prior to the festival, all of the female “Honored Teens” were invited to participate as models at a fashion show held by Pomeroy's Department Store.  Instead of gowns and elegant attire, the girls wore more casual outfits for the evening of the festival.  Nancy Griffie was the Honored Teen for Bishop McDevitt.  The committee selected the Central Pennsylvania Hemophiliacs as the recipient of any proceeds.

notes: $2.50 per person at the door. No actual attendance figures could be located, although it is believed the number might have been in the 2,800 to 3,000 range. It's assumed the dwindling attendance, despite attempts to improve the experience; such as returning to a 5 hour format and lowering ticket prices fell short. The decision to stay with comfortable clothing for attendees, even the Honored Teens, may have proved a little counterproductive to that effort. Additionally, the flood that accompanied the unexpected visit by Tropical Storm Agnes five months earlier, may have impacted attendance more negatively than many realized at the time.

 

1973      Nov. 23           Zembo Mosque           8pm to 1am           $2.50 per person           Attendance: -3,000

That year's version of the festival presented “Law” as the principal act, along with “Saturday.”  Tom Darlington and his “Musically Yours” Orchestra was once again on hand to provide dance music.  This festival now had 24 schools participating and they provided several teen talent acts during the evening in addition to each school's Honored Teen being feted.  Allen Williams from Bishop McDevitt was the teen chairman.  He presented each Honored Teen with a rose when they were introduced and strode across a special runway built for the event.  Linda Strausser was the Honored Teen for McDevitt.  The 1973 committee was a powerhouse of innovation.  Under their direction, the festival raised a record amount of $11,500 (the equivalent of $85,000 in 2026) which was presented to the United Way of the Tri-County Area.  It is noted here that the "Honored Teens" were increasingly viewed as serious student leaders, as the program continued to transition away from the beauty queen aspect of former years.  During the first week of November they attended a dinner at Schindler's Restaurant in Camp Hill, where the Deputy Commandant of the U.S.Army War College in Carlisle, Brigadier General Calvert P. Benedict provided the keynote address.

notes: $3.00 per person at the door. The 1973 festival is famous in local lore because it was the year sometimes referred to as the "Suburban Surge."  Unofficial estimates suggest that CD East brought roughly 400 to 500 students that year. This was achieved through a tremendous push by the "Honored Teens" and the chartering of approximately 8 to 10 school buses that departed from the Rutherford Road campus. Meanwhile, the Cedar Cliff contingent was equally massive. Because of their proximity to the Penn Harris  (where many planning meetings were held), their "Honored Teens" were highly mobilized. They matched CD East with an estimated 450+ students. Why 1973? This was the year the committee began offering "Attendance Trophies" or special recognition to the school with the highest ticket-to-enrollment ratio. This competitive marketing is what drove the record $11,500 donation that year.

 

1974      Nov. 29           Zembo Mosque           8pm to 1am           $2.50 per person           Attendance: -3,000

Tom Slick and the Converted Thunderbolt Grease Slappers were brought in to be the headline act for the festival in an effort to build up enthusiasm and ticket sales.  Another group called The Showmasters was featured as well.  The ever dependable Tom Darlington and his orchestra were on hand for their 15th and final Youth Festival appearance. Another group known as The Showmasters was also featured.  24 schools answered the call to plan and produce the festival.  In retrospect, this 20th iteration of the Youth Festival was the turning point for the success of the event.

Once again a relaxed attire expectancy directive in ads for the event was a key indicator that attendance was slipping and the times were changing.  Proceeds went to the National Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.  Toni Taverno was the Honored Teen from Bishop McDevitt.

notes: The actual attendance is purely an estimate, based on previous numbers. For not the first time, The Patriot-News failed to provide a tally.  Tom Slick and group started locally in 1973 and had build some regional recognition in the immediate area, but little in comparison with other acts that had graced the stage at the Zembo Mosque in previous years.  This lack of star appeal was probably another factor in the decreasing attendance. 

 

1975     Nov. 28         Penn-Harris Motor Inn       8pm to 1am        $2.50 per person        Attendance: 2,500

The Youth Festival changed venues; one more indicator that things weren't going well.  22 schools participated in the planning and production of the event.  Three groups provided the entertainment; White Rose (a small orchestra, the last vestige of the earlier festival's connection), Saturday (a high energy band that played primarily top 40 hits) and The Sidemen (a show band like Rich Clare and Pentagon, but with a decidedly lower cache).  Ma'Linda Parise of Bishop McDevitt was chairwoman for the program planning committee and probably the Honored Teen for the Crusaders, although that determination is a little murky.  Proceeds were made available to the Harrisburg Area Chapter of Juvenile Diabetes Foundation.

note: The $2.50 price for admission equated to $15.29 in 2026. By the mid-1970s, the cost of booking nationally known music groups had begun to skyrocket, outpacing the festival's traditional funding model. There was also a notable push to keep the focus on the "Youth" aspect - featuring high school bands and local to regional performers.  To this mix there was the Bicentennial of the nation looming on the horizon, which also diverted attention and money from the festival.  A combination of these forces probably impacted attendance once again suffering

 

1976     Nov. 26        Penn-Harris Motor Inn        8pm to 1am        $2.50 per person        Attendance: 500-1,000

23 high schools participated in the final Youth Festival. Blame it on the counter-culture movement, but for whatever reasons this years event would be the last hurrah for the Youth Festival.  The beneficiary selected was the Harrisburg-Hershey Hemophilia Center at the M.S. Hershey Medical Center.  Once again the festival was held at the Penn-Harris Motor Inn on the West Shore.  It had now devolved into a mix of low fashion with little interest in a theme. Three acts returned to provide similar entertainment as the previous year: White Rose, Saturday and The Sidemen.  There were 23 Honored Teens of which Lin Altavilla was the representative from Bishop McDevitt.

notes: No price could be found for tickets in their ads. It is assumed the cost was the same as the previous year(s) of $2.50 per person, which would have represented a discount from previous years as this was equivalent to $14.46 in 2026 currency.  Unfortunately the plummeting attendance figures spelled doom for this once "Mammoth" event. Despite all of the bad news, $6,100 was raised for the Hemophilia Center.

 

High schools that participated in the festival from its inception to the last event in 1976:

Big Spring                               (33 miles from the Zembo Mosque)

Bishop McDevitt                     (4 miles from the Zembo Mosque, known as Catholic High until 1957)

Boiling Springs                       (24 miles from the Zembo Mosque)

Camp Hill                                (5 miles from the Zembo Mosque)

Carlisle                                    (24 miles from the Zembo Mosque)

Cedar Cliff                              (6 miles from the Zembo Mosque, formed in 1959)

Central Dauphin                      (8 miles from the Zembo Mosque)

Central Dauphin East              (9 miles from the Zembo Mosque, formed in 1962)

Cumberland Valley                  (15 miles from the Zembo Mosque)

Dauphin County Technical      (10 miles from the Zembo Mosque, formed in 1970)

East Pennsboro                        (5 miles from the Zembo Mosque, built in 1961)

Enola                                       (6 miles from the Zembo Mosque, merged into East Pennsboro School District in 1961)

Greenwood                              (30 miles from the Zembo Mosque)

Halifax                                     (16 miles from the Zembo Mosque)

Harrisburg                               (4 miles to the Mosque, formed in the 1971 merger of John Harris & William Penn)

Harrisburg Academy               (4 miles from the Zembo Mosque, moved to Wormleysburg in 1959, ¾ mile originally)

Hershey                                   (20 miles from the Zembo Mosque)

Hummelstown                         (15 miles from the Zembo Mosque, became Lower Dauphin in 1960))

John Harris                              (4 miles from the Zembo Mosque, absorbed into the new Harrisburg HS in 1971)

Lemoyne                                 (5 miles from the Zembo Mosque, absorbed by Cedar Cliff HS in 1959)

Lower Dauphin                       (16 miles from the Zembo Mosque, formed in 1960)

Lower Paxton                          (8 miles from the Zembo Mosque, absorbed by the CD Jointure in 1955)

Mechanicsburg                        (16 miles from the Zembo Mosque)

Middletown                             (16 miles from the Zembo Mosque)

Milton S. Hershey                   (22 miles from the Zembo Mosque)

New Cumberland                    (6 miles from the Zembo Mosque, absorbed by Cedar Cliff in 1959)

Northern                                  (18 miles from the Zembo Mosque)

Red Land                                 (11 miles from the Zembo Mosque, formed in 1964)

Steelton-Highspire                  (12 miles from the Zembo Mosque)

Susquehanna Township           (5.5 miles from the Zembo Mosque)

Susquenita                               (10 miles from the Zembo Mosque)

Swatara Township                   (5 miles from the Zembo Mosque, absorbed by the CD Jointure by 1955)

Trinity                                      (7 miles from the Zembo Mosque, cleaved from Bishop McDevitt and formed in 1962)

West Perry                               (29 miles from the Zembo Mosque)

William Penn                           (700 ft. from the Zembo Mosque, absorbed into the new Harrisburg HS in 1971)

 

It should be noted that 50,000 to 65,000 teenagers were able to enjoy the Youth Festival during its run as the preeminent social event for youth in Central Pennsylvania.  Many more high schools were represented throughout the years than those that participated in the planning (listed above) when couples and dates from outlying school districts and probably some border states attended.  Catholic High/Bishop McDevitt participated in every one.  The Youth Festival provided for as much as $200,000 in charitable donations over the course of 22 events, which translated to about $1.1 million dollars in 2026.

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Despite its name, the festival was never a "kids only" proposition.  Many adult couples also attended.  Most of these had a connection via the sponsorships or other commercial interests that were part of the venture.  Although some of them were occasionally seen on the dance floor, the vast majority were content to occupy the side tables or upper tier seating of the mosque and simply enjoy the energy and spectacle of the evening. 

 

All attendance figures provided are estimates that appeared in the newspaper.  Here are some very loosely connected factors that effected the growth and eventual decline of the Youth Festival.  During the early years many schools chartered busses, especially those coming from a distance, for their students to attend the event.  This was a galvanizing moment for those schools which undoubtedly built some team spirit and provided an enjoyment facet of the festival that others might not have realized.

 

The distance away from the Zembo Mosque is given for most schools (above) to provide an indication of the driving times for many students and the probable concerns of their parents.  This helps illustrate why the event was eventually moved to the West Shore in an attempt to stem attendance from hemorrhaging further, but the disparity probably had more to do with the changing culture.

 

The downward spiral of the Harrisburg population was in full swing by the mid-seventies, with new homes and developments popping up in the suburbs of the East and West Shores. Racial tensions were growing by the mid-1960s thru the 1970s and the impact this fomented cannot be dismissed.  For a variety of reasons Harrisburg was in free-fall, losing 25K to 30K residents during the years of the event. Flight from the city was real. The merger of John Harris and William Penn in 1971 is indicative of how the city was impacted by the population drain.   One final data point: The I-81 exchanges between Carlisle and Colonial Park weren't completed until about the time the Youth Festival ceased to exist.

 

The demise of the Youth Festival was in the cards.  Originally, the festival thrived because Harrisburg was a collection of distinct, small neighborhood high schools (like John Harris and William Penn).  As these schools merged and "Suburban Sprawl" took on a life of its own, students identified more with their specific large districts (CD, Cumberland Valley, West Shore) rather than a "Greater Harrisburg" youth identity.

 

The logistics of coordinating with 20+ massive districts became a nightmare for the parent and civic committees that attempted to advise the students.  The change of venue to the West Shore probably resulted in an exodus of teens from the East Shore, although figures to support that hypothesis are not available.

 

The students decision to double the number of representatives on the planning committee in 1974 provided the classic example of a well intentioned, but wrongheaded idea.  This resulted in as many as 48 people in the room trying to make decisions; bringing to mind an old axiom: “If you want to kill any idea in the world, get a committee working on it.”

 

Regardless of any stop-gap measures, the festival's final years were in a tailspin.  The undertaking simply collapsed of its own weight and the changing times that few could appreciate or understand.  There was no requiem for the Youth Festival.  Not even a mention in the newspaper. It simply disappeared, but not from our memories.

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Test: The photos are small, but does anyone recognize the two groups shown at the top?

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