Spring 2026 Newsletter
President’s LetterWow, what a rough winter Edinboro experienced. I certainly welcome spring, as well as looking forward to an exciting summer on Edinboro Lake!
With our mission to Preserve, Protect and Promote Edinboro Lake and its surrounds, ELA has hosted a wide range of events – all geared to beautify the area where we live and work, and to create a sense of community among its residents. We kicked off last summer season with a barn dance, added a spring farmers market and our ever-popular concerts were a hit! We will continue to serve our community and members with more events, partnerships and improvements in Edinboro.
As aways, we welcome your membership, ideas and help so that we can all enjoy Edinboro Lake for years to come ~ Kathy
EDINBORO COMMUNITY NEWS & EVENTS
Dancing Through the Decades In late May, we kicked off summer with a barn dance hosted by our very own DJ Jane spinning the tunes in the Pat Crawford Jukebox!
Summer Beach ConcertsJoin us again this year for six performances at Crawford Beach every other Thursday evening. Bring a chair, a blanket and friends. Our concerts start at 6:00 pm are free. The schedule is located at the end of this newsletter.
Lakeside Farmer’s Market ELA held a Farmer’s Market in June and despite the rain, we had a great turnout and lots of fun! Our September market brought lots of sunshine and 25 vendors offering produce, art, gifts, music and educational booths.
Dynamic Bike ShareEdinboro Lakeside Association, through a shared effort with PennWest University, brought bikes to residents and summer visitors on Lakeside for the second year in a row. By simply downloading the “On Bike Share” App to your mobile device, bikes can be rented at three nearby docking locations: Crawford Beach, John’s Wildwood Pizzeria, and the Borough Building. Hourly, as well as full-day rentals are available at reasonable rates.
If you missed the bikes last summer, look for them again in mid-June. We hope you and your family will take advantage of this fun, convenient, and affordable amenity!
July 3-4 Holiday Lakeside Association will hold its annual Independence Day activities with Chalk Your Art Out and an Ice Cream Social on Friday, July 3. On Saturday, July 4, at the Pat Crawford Beach (Lakeside Drive there’s lots of fun for kids and adults in the following events:
9:30 am—On Lakeside Drive near Crawford Beach Registration for the Across the Lake Swim and Borough of Edinboro Waiver signing for each family
10:00 am--National Anthem---performed by the Westbrook Family
10:05 am-- Bike, Trike & Group Parades begin on Lakeside Drive near Beach
10:30 am-- Across the Lake Swim begins at Mike Onda Beach, Route 99 (separate registration)
10:30 am-- Swim Races for ages 5-12 at Pat Crawford Beach (no pre- registration required)
11:00 am until 12 noon--Greased watermelon battles, sack races, tug-of-war, and the famous water balloon toss!!
We are always looking for volunteers for this fun family event! Anyone interested in helping with these activities should call or text Jane Crawford at 717-903-1205.
Le Dîner en Blanc - Nature’s Outlet Parkwas the secret venue for Lakeside Association’s second Le Dîner en Blanc (dinner in white), a worldwideevent spanning six continents that began in Paris in 1988 when François Pasquier invited a group of friends and friends of friends to an elegant outdoor picnic dinner. He asked them all to dress in white so they could find each other. Since then, the event has grown to over 85 cities.
What a magical evening it was for the over 70 guests who attended! A big shout out to our sponsors, Edinboro Chocolaterie, DJ Nate, Meat & Moss, and Davenport Winery. We hope you will join us this year for this truly memorable event! There is a cap on registration, so register early. The date and more details (except for the secret location, of course) will be posted on the ELA website in the coming months.
Halloween The Lakeside Association handed out almost 200 bags of chips on a windy Crawford Beach. There were so many wonderful children and families dressed up and having fun. We truly enjoyed the evening and loved being a part of such a fun community event!
Christmas 2025 Once again, ELA lit up colorful trees and festive lights woven throughout Crawford Beach. The North Pole added extra holiday magic. We hope you had a chance to enjoy Christmas on Lakeside.
Education, Fundraising and Community SupportThis year, ELA partnered with the Edinboro Lake Watershed Assoc., the Regional Science Consortium in Erie (HAB-lab) and Penn State Watershed Stewards in hosting events to increase community awareness of the fragility of our Lake.
ELA also makes yearly donations to the Edinboro Volunteer Fire Department and the Edinboro Food Bank to support their important work in our community. Our events and projects require funding and your continued annual membership to Edinboro Lakeside Association helps defray some of these costs.
In 2025, ELA established an on-going partnership with Lake Erie Variety to offer Edinboro related gifts for purchase on-line. You will enjoy beautiful gifts, and a portion of each purchase is given back to ELA to fund its projects. How do you shop? Go to lakeerievariety.com and select “Fundraising” tab at the top of the home page. Enter password LEV2025 and select “Edinboro Lakeside Association”. Once your purchase is complete, you can have your gift sent to you or directly to your family/friends.
Edinboro Lake Watershed Association (ELWA) A Study Committee has been formed to begin the process of updating the Edinboro Lake Watershed Conservation Plan. With representatives from the Borough, Washington Township, PennWest Edinboro University, Goodell Gardens, the County YMCA and ELWA, the committee first met in late January to begin the planning process which will include a thorough review of the 2009 Edinboro Lake Management Plan and the 2000 Edinboro Lake Watershed Study.
A community questionnaire for public input will be distributed soon for residents and anyone interested in the environmental health, well-being and recreational use of Edinboro Lake.
Watch for an upcoming notice on the availability of the Edinboro Lake Watershed Conservation Plan public survey and related updates. Everyone’s thoughts are welcome and needed.
ELWA generally meets the first Thursday of the month, 7 pm at the Borough Hall. Anyone interested is welcome to attend.
Edinboro Lake Dam Update-Neil Fratus, Borough Manager The Borough of Edinboro wishes to update the Edinboro Lakeside Association on the status of the Edinboro Lake Dam following the recent submission of the 2025 Annual Inspection Report and the Department of Environmental Protection’s acknowledgment of the updated Emergency Action Plan (EAP). As noted in the inspection conducted on November 5, 2025, the dam continues to remain in generally good condition, with ongoing phased improvements enhancing its operational safety and resiliency. Recent work—including improvements to the bypass culvert, installation of a sluice gate and stop logs, and continued embankment monitoring—supports the Borough’s efforts to maintain safe water levels and structural integrity. The inspection also highlights several priority maintenance needs, such as repairing deteriorated concrete pedestals, addressing minor cracking near the sluice gate, and continuing vegetation management, all of which the Borough is actively working to address. The updated EAP, acknowledged by DEP and PEMA for distribution and implementation, outlines coordinated procedures for surveillance, public notification, and emergency response to ensure public safety within the watershed. Overall, the Borough remains committed to responsible stewardship of Edinboro Lake and the continued protection of downstream communities by maintaining the dam in accordance with state regulations and professional engineering guidance.
2026 ELA Dates to Remember
April 25 Boro Spring Clean Up
May 14-16 Edinboro Art & Music Fest
June 11 *Beach Concert 6:00 – 7:30 p.m.
June 25 *Beach Concert 6:00 – 7:30 p.m.
July 3 *Sidewalk Chalk Art & Ice Cream
July 4 *Holiday Events
July 9 *Beach Concert 6:00 – 7:30 p.m.
July 11 Annual Lakeside Yard Sale
July 19 Kayak Poker Run (Boro Women)
July 23 *Beach Concert 6:00 – 7:30 p.m.
August 6 *Beach Concert 6:00 – 7:30 p.m.
August 20 *Beach Concert 6:00 – 7:30 p.m.
October 5 *Pumpkin Promenade 10:00 a.m.
October 31 Trick or Treat at the Beach 6:00
Holiday trees will be lit Thanksgiving week
*Takes place at Crawford Beach