PITTSTON — Riverfest is still a few months away, and members of the Greater Pittston Cultural Coalition (GPCC) are working tirelessly to plan the event.
However, they can’t do it alone.
The GPCC is seeking volunteers to help with the event, which will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 16 in the parking lot of Cooper’s Riverfront, Kennedy Boulevard.
“The more people that get involved with it, the more it’ll help our organization,” said GPCC member Bob Price. “The biggest thing we need is help and volunteers. It’s a smaller group that runs it and a smaller group that gets it ready to go.”
Riverfest is a one-day event, so volunteers are needed to help set up the stages and tents, help with crowd control, and then help take everything down at the end of the day.
“We especially need help with break down at the end of the event,” said GPCC President Samuel Washington. “When it gets time to check out, there is usually only four or five of us.”
The purpose of the group is to promote Greater Pittston’s history as the event will include a Civil War re-enactment and presentations from Native Americans.
“The thing that we’ve been trying to do now is try to create awareness for the event so that people can be interested in history,” said GPCC President Samuel Washington. “History is not as big of a deal as it should be or as much as it has been. We’re trying to get more people interested in their history and that’s why we have the re-enactments, presentations, mineral rocks, and all those types of things.”
GPCC Vice President Keith Moss said there will be tractor rides to the site of the Knox Mine Disaster as well as a kayak tour.
The tour will depart from the West Pittston Boat Launch on Susquehanna Avenue at 9:30 a.m. and arrive back at the boat launch at approximately noon.
According to the GPCC members, Riverfest is a free event for patrons and the organization earns some funds for the event through vendors who pay $35 to participate.
All proceeds from vendors are used to cover the cost of the event and to begin planning next year’s. The rest of the money for the Riverfest comes from the GPCC which earn it through donations and soliciting.
The history of the GPCC goes back nine years when it was started by current member Joe Savokinas. Its name stems from the culture and coalition of the Greater Pittston area.
Moss said Savokinas is still a member of the group, but not as active as he once was, and that he is grateful for for the help of fellow founders GPCC Secretary Amy Morris, GPCC Treasurer Al Pesotine and the late John Orlandini.
“We tried to bring the culture, coalition in history back in the area and are trying to keep it going,” Moss said. “It was a great, great idea to do it and I wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for Joe Savokinas.”
“Last year, we were getting a really nice crowd and then all of a sudden, it rained,” said Moss.
“It rained, it stopped, and then it was Armageddon,” added Price.”
