Bill Cost, seen through prior years’ trophies won by Bosak’s, takes an order for kielbasa during the Plymouth Alive Kielbasa festival in 2019. This year’s festival is set for Aug. 11-12.
Times Leader file photo
With food and music, games and prizes
Central American food, such as empanadas, pork, chicken and rice with beans are ready to serve at the St. Nicholas Church Annual Summer Bazaar in this file photo. St. Nick’s parish bazaar will be July 13, 14, 15 this year.
Times Leader file photo
Edwardsville’s 2023 Pierogi Festival is history now, but don’t worry. The season of bazaars and festivals is just getting started.
You’ll find plenty of opportunities to sample more pierogies — along with potato pancakes, haluski, empanadas, pizza fritta and all sorts of ethnic delicacies.
From Nanticoke to Pittston, Tunkhannock to Hazleton, you’ll find church and community festivals with games and raffles; some of the more unique ones also involve paddling trips on the Susquehanna, a 5K race or even the carrying of a beloved statue through the streets.
And if you decide to travel to Berks County for the Kutztown Folk Festival, you might even find Pennsylvania Dutch dialect lessons and hoedown music to accompany your shoo-fly pie, corn fritters or a complete dinner of “sweets and sours.”
Read on, and make your summer plans:
Patchtown Festival, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. June 17, at Eckley Miners Village, 2 Eckley Main St., Weatherly, with live music, local crafts, Polish and Mexican cuisine and lessons in anthracite heritage. A noon concert will feature Hazleton’s historic Liberty Band. General admission $10, seniors $9, children, $8, younger than 3, free.
St. Leo the Great Summer Festival, 33 Manhattan St., Ashley, begins 6 p.m. nightly, June 23 and June 24, with plant stand, craft beer stand, toy box stand, homemade food. Live entertainment by Strawberry Jam on Friday and by Uncle Sam’s American Band on Saturday.
St. Faustina Summer Festival, at St. Faustina Grove, Old Newport St., Sheatown, 5 to 11 p.m. June 23 with Lance Thomas Band; 5 to 11 p.m. June 24 with Idol King. Also, pierogies, potato pancakes, haluski, bake sale, ice cream stand, bounce house. Saturday Mass at 4 p.m. with music by Joe Stanky and the Cadets.
RiverFest, 5 to 9 p.m. June 23; 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. June 24 and 8:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. June 25, with most activities centered at Wilkes-Barre’s Nesbitt Park. A children’s scavenger hunt will be 5 to 7:30 p.m. Friday and 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Saturday. 5K Color Fun Run/Walk begins at 6:30 p.m. Friday under Market Street Bridge. Native American Teaching Village and 24th Connecticut Recreated Militia will set up educational displays. Musical entertainment by Triple Fret on Friday; The Handsome Devils and Don Shappelle and the Pickups on Saturday. Paddling trips available each day. Register with outfitters at 570-388-6107 or contact@kayaktheriver.com/.
Kutztown Folk Festival, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. daily July 1 through July 9, Kutztown Fairgrounds, 25 North Whiteoak St., Kutztown, with music, craft demonstrations, quilts and a celebration of Pennsylvania Dutch food and culture. Admission $16 for adults, $6 for ages 13 to 17; free for ages 12 and younger.
City of Wilkes-Barre’s Old-Fashioned Fourth of July, noon to 10 p.m. Tuesday July 4 at Kirby Park, Market Street, Wilkes-Barre.
St. Nicholas Parish Bazaar, South Washington Street, Wilkes-Barre, 6 to 11 p.m. July 13-14-15, with American, German and Hispanic food including bratwurst, halushki, potato pancakes, Mexican and Caribbean delicacies, fried dough. Giant indoor flea market opens at 1 p.m. July 13 in school cafeteria. Live entertainment Flaxy Morgan on Thursday, Kartune on Friday and Strawberry Jam on Saturday.
St. Joseph Marello Parish annual summer picnic, 237 William St., Pittston, 5 to 10 p.m. July 13-14-15, with ethnic foods including pizza fritta, indoor flea market, basket raffle. Entertainment by The Taxmen on Thursday, The Luongo Bros. on Friday and Flaxy Morgan on Saturday.
St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish Festival, 116 Hughes St., Swoyersville, 5 to 11 p.m. July 13-14-15. Entertainment by John Stevens Polka Band on Thursday, Sweet Pepper and the Long Hots on Friday and Picture Perfect on Saturday.
Exaltation of the Holy Cross “Big Tent” Bazaar, Main Street, Buttonwood section of Hanover Township, July 14-15-16, hours 6 to 11 p.m. Friday, 5 to midnight Saturday following 4 p.m. Mass; 5 to 11 p.m. Sunday. Music by Souled Out on Friday, by OZ from 5 to 7 p.m. Saturday, followed by Sweet Pepper and the Long Hots, and by Third Degree from 5 to 7 p.m. Sunday, followed by Pop Star Drive.
Our Lady of Mt. Carmel at Lake Silkworth summer festival, Route 29, Hunlock Creek, 5 to 11 p.m. July 14-15, everything is undercover, including huge indoor flea market. Entertainment by Flaxy Morgan on Friday and by Lance Thomas Band on Saturday.
Nativity of Our Lord Parish Festival, at Holy Rosary grounds, Stephenson Street, Duryea, 5:30 to 11 p.m. July 14-15, with John Stevens Polka Band on Friday and The Wells River Band on Saturday. Parking available at Duryea VFW, also on Stephenson Street, with shuttle available.
Tunkhannock River Day, 1 to 7 p.m. July 22, Tunkhannock Riverside Park, with live music, environmental activities, a paddling trip, displays for children and adults, mural painting, food vendors and more.
St. Al’s Bazaar, Aug. 3-4-5 on grounds of St. Aloysius Church, Barney and Division streets, Wilkes-Barre, with music by Triple Fret on Thursday, Flaxy Morgan on Friday and Strawberry Jam on Saturday.
St. John the Evangelist Festival, at Church and Broad streets, Pittston, 5 to 10 p.m. Aug. 10-11-12, with entertainment by The Tax Men on Thursday, Sweet Pepper and the Long Hots on Friday and Flaxy Morgan on Saturday.
Plymouth Alive Kielbasa Festival, Downtown Plymouth, Aug. 11-12. Includes dozens of vendors, live entertainment, with parade and kielbasa tasting competition set for Aug. 12.
Most Precious Blood Madonna del Monte Festival, Fourth and Seybert streets, Hazleton, Aug. 11-12-13, with a bake sale, tricky trays, cash raffle and calendar lottery. Hours are 4 to 9 p.m. Friday, 4:30 to 9 p.m. Saturday. On Aug. 13 a procession with the Madonna del Monte statue will take place after 10 a.m. Mass, followed by take-out pasta dinner 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
St. John the Baptist Bazaar, Nesbitt Street, Larksville, Aug. 11-12-13.
Pittston Tomato Festival, downtown Pittston, 5 to 10 p.m. Aug. 17; 5 to 11 p.m. Aug. 18; 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Aug. 19 and 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Aug. 20, with parade at 11 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 19, preceded by 5K Ultimate Tomato Run at 10 a.m.
