On Saturday, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., several thousand spectators and event attendees gathered for the 2025 Warren Touch A Truck event, held at the expansive 56.7-acred Clifford R. Betts Memorial Park, commonly referred to as Betts Park, located at 100 Ludlow St. This event proved to be a significant benefit for the municipality and a real boon.

“I didn’t think there would be this many people here,” said Jocelyn Laemmershirt of Warren, Pa. “I mean, I knew it would be heavily attended, but this is shocking.”

A brief survey of the parking lot at Betts Park revealed that only a few parking spaces were available. As a result, many program participants had to park on the grass or alongside streets, squeezing their cars into any available space before walking to the event.

“We’re here with my two grandkids and my daughter,” said Laemmershirt. “There’s really no wait time to get on any of the vehicles or to do any of the events, so this is a win-win situation – the kids aren’t complaining, so I’m happy.”

Participants in the Touch A Truck program explored a patrol cruiser from the city of Warren Police Department at Betts Park on Saturday.

Sophiea Decker, 6, of Jamestown, a first-grade student at Clinton V. Bush Elementary School, added, “The bubble machine, the school buses, and the food were my favorite parts.”

The Touch A Truck event showcased a diverse collection of vehicles including those from the Warren Fire Department, Warren Police Department, Erie County Sheriff’s Office, Pennsylvania Game Warden, Pleasant Volunteer Fire Department, Pennsylvania State Patrol, Casella Waste Management, United Refining Company, Cameron Energy Company, Koebley Towing, JMI of Jamestown, along with several race cars and other vehicle static displays representing both private corporations and governmental agencies.

The event featured several themed attractions, including appearances by Chase and Marshall from the animated series Paw Patrol. Attendees enjoyed the Shriners International Go-Karts and a truck showcasing a refurbished, operational 1912 organ mounted on the back of a Shriner’s pickup truck. Additionally, the Ghostbusters of Pennsylvania presented a version of the iconic Ecto-1 vehicle, a 1959 Cadillac Miller-Meteor Sentinel limousine-style combination car (originally an ambulance) famously used in the 1984 film Ghostbusters and its subsequent sequels. Other highlights included a bubble-making factory area, remote control cars available for rent, and a variety of food vendors.

“I can’t wait to come back next year,” said Decker

The event is free and open to the public.

Sophiea Decker, a 6-year-old first-grade student from Jamestown, took a picture with Chase, a character from the animated series Paw Patrol, at the city of Warren's Touch A Truck event.

At the recent Touch A Truck event held at Betts Park in the city of Warren, Shriners International featured a refurbished, operational organ from 1912, which was mounted on the back of a Shriner's pickup truck. The event took place on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., allowing attendees to experience this unique piece of history.