FRACKVILLE — An impressive collection of costumes, outfits and accessories will be presented in an epic fashion show on April 26 spanning some 150 years of Frackville’s history.
A fundraiser for the borough’s upcoming sesquicentennial celebrations in 2026, the event — called Fun, Food and Fashion — is set for 5 p.m. April 26 at First United Methodist Church, at 25 S. Balliet St.
At the show, residents will model original costumes spanning various styles of men’s, women’s and children’s fashion from 1876 to the present. It will consist of outfits stored in the Frackville Museum, which is hosting the event in partnership with the Frackville Sesquicentennial Committee.
The committee has conducted several fundraisers to support the borough’s plans for a 150th anniversary celebration, which will feature a parade on June 27, 2026, along with other events during the week of June 26 to July 4.
Tickets to the fashion show are $20 for adults and $12 for children ages 3 to 12.
Tickets will include a barbecue or hot dog meal, which comes with two side dishes, a beverage and dessert. The food will be prepared by the church’s volunteer kitchen staff.
The dinner will begin at 5 p.m., followed by the show at 6 p.m.
Those who want to skip the meal but still attend the show can buy tickets at $10 (for adults) and $5 for children and will be admitted at 5:45 p.m.
To purchase tickets, call museum volunteers Tina Liem at 570-874-0195 or Kathy Kraft at 570-874-3531. Only a limited number of tickets will be available at the door, Liem said.
Styles
Liem, who is also a member of the sesquicentennial committee, said the idea for a fashion show arose when members brainstormed ways to get the Frackville Museum involved in a fundraiser.
“Somebody brought up the idea of what the museum could do, and then somebody said, ‘Well, a fashion show would be nice,’” Liem said.
The fashion show — which will feature about a dozen Frackville residents acting as models — will begin in the mid-Victorian era, with a doll modeling a dress from the First Bustle Era.
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That will segue to the late Victorian fashion of the late 19th century, followed by the Edwardian styles of the 1900s.
Those periods will be interspersed with dresses and menswear created for the borough’s centennial celebration in 1976, as well as military outfits from World War I and WW II, Liem said.
Also represented will be flapper fashion from the 1920s and Classic Hollywood styles from the 1930s to ‘50s.
Also included in the program will be various pieces of Frackville-area clothing — including a Knights of Columbus fourth degree cape and sword; a 1952 Frackville Mountaineer shirt; a 1972 Cardinal Brennan football jacket; a Frackville Biddy basketball uniform; and even a white jumpsuit worn in the 1970s by Lewie Jordan, a member of the famed Frackville band the Jordan Brothers.
There will be popular clothing styles from the pop culture movements of the past 60 or so years, such as ‘60s counterculture, disco and grunge. The show will end with contemporary fashion styles from Boscov’s.
Liem, who will emcee the event, will also present photos of certain clothing items not represented physically in the show.
A dress rehearsal will be held at the church at 6 p.m. April 22.
