Times Observer photo by Josh Cotton The Conewango Clippers sing during a previous edition of the Four Flags Ceremony at Crescent Park. This year’s event is set for Saturday at 11 a.m.

Saturday will mark the 54th annual raising of the Four Flags on the south bank of the Allegheny River at Crescent Park.

The event started as Three Flags in 1968 and is aimed at highlighting the heritage of the community — one flag for each of the four entities that have laid claim to what is now Warren County.

The flags include that of the Seneca Nation of Indians, the French Fleur de lis, the English Union Jack and an early version of the American flag.

“These flags are a very visible part of the Warren landscape, and serve a reminder of the rich heritage we have in Warren County,” Don Reed with the Lions Club explained. “Although the flags could easily be raised every year without a ceremony, as they were last year, I think having an annual formal ceremony is important for a number of reasons.”

The first raising took place in 1968 and was a project undertaken by the Kinzua Dam Vacation Bureau.

The event since 1990 has been coordinated by several of the community’s service clubs.

“We generally get between 100 and 150 people attending the program, and I believe that they appreciate the opportunity to learn more about what makes Warren County a great place to live,” Reed said. “The more we recognize and highlight our history and heritage, people in our communities take a greater pride in Warren County. They become stakeholders and true citizens, not just residents.

It contributes to the fabric of our county.

“While it may be just a small part of the life of the County, each piece becomes one brick in a much larger sense of community.”

The event also helps raise awareness regarding the flags themselves.

“I think it would be difficult to continue to provide the flags every year without an annual program,” he said. “The flags keep getting more expensive and it takes a lot of financial support to purchase and raise those impressive flags. Without public participation and recognition, financial benefactors would be unlikely to step up and help.”