From the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette: 50th International Village gears up in McKeesport. The event was held last week, from August 18th through the 20th.

Darryl Segina, McKeesport councilman and native and longtime chairman of the city’s much-anticipated International Village, says the event keeps on trucking for a reason: “Because we try to maintain the integrity of the ethnic foods, fun and entertainment. That’s our big secret.”

Not a secret very closely held because, even though it hits mid-week — from 3 to 11 p.m. next Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, the village always draws throngs, as people shuck their workaday selves to eat and dance, celebrating all things ethnic.

This year, a free children’s festival kicks it all off from noon to 6 p.m. Monday in the Renziehausen Park band shell with food, crafts, face-painting, a bouncing activity zone, water balloon toss and more.

This is the 50th year for the event. Mr. Segina has been involved for 27 of those, in charge for 15, and despite the decades, his enthusiasm is clear as he talks about the village to be set up on Renzie’s Stephen Barry Field.

“We’ll have 18 food booths out there. … You’re going to get a different ethnic food at each of them,” he says, noting that the festival celebrates the Old World roots that can be obscured by the years. “The mixing of the nationalities — that’s all lost sometimes,” he notes. “Grandparents pass away and [people] don’t eat that kind of food anymore. Well, we’ll have it out here.”

The expected ethnic participation runs from A to V: African American to Vietnamese, stopping at German, Greek, Lebanese, Polish, Serbian, Slovak, Slovenian — even Hawaiian and English. There will be Hoppin’ John, halushki, pierogies, falafel sandwiches, spinach pie, lamb sandwiches, stuffed cabbage, shrimp or chicken fried rice, tabouleh salad.

There will be enough desserts to make your Yaya cry, from sweet potato pie to baklava to kolachi (fruit or nut-stuff rolls) to apple dumplings to chess pie.

There will be arts and crafts and music galore. Scheduled bands include such favorites as Henry and the Versa J’s, the Lil John Polka Band, I Paesani and Otets Paiisi. See the Duquesne Junior Tamburitzans, Polka Quads and the Lajkoniki Polish Dancers [from Holy Family Polish National Catholic Church]…