Pittston announces summer schedule

PITTSTON – It’s that time of the year where Pittston City officials look toward the summer months of activities, including the annual Tomato Festival. There are even a few new events on the schedule for 2021.

With COVID protocols still in effect, some events will be held with changes and of course, everything is subject to change..

It’s been the mission of Pittston Mayor Michael Lombardo to make Pittston the center of entertainment and arts in Northeastern Pennsylvania. He is always thinking of ways to further the depth of art in the city by infusing more events as time goes on.

There are four new events planned for the summer of 2021, according to Pittston Main Street manager Mary Kroptavich.

Everyone far and wide is familiar with the famous Pittston Tomato Festival and in more recent years, the introduction of the 2nd Friday Art Walk up and down Main Street in the city has been making its own mark. The art walk has been a huge success featuring many local artists.

This year’s art walk will commence on Friday, May 14, running through Oct. 8. Not much will change in the format and Kroptavich is hoping there will be more artists and crafters coming forward to be placed on Main Street in 2021.

The musical entertainment schedule hasn’t been completed for the art walk at press time, but Kroptavich said she hopes to complete the summer line up in the near future.

The biggest question for this summer will be if the Tomato Festival will be held. The mayor said as of now, it’s a go with some limitations.

The 2020 festival was called off due to the COVID-19 pandemic, and this year, Mayor Lombardo will take over the helm on running the event after longtime chair Lori Nocito stepped down at the end of the 2019 festival.

“We (committee) systematically went through everything regarding the festival and there will be changes,” Lombardo said. “From a health prospective, if things are still a little tight (with COVID protocols), we can spread the event out more creating more space.”

As of now, the Tomato Fights will not be held this year as an extra precaution.

“That’s just about the only thing that will be cancelled at this point,” Kroptavich said of the Tomato Fights. “The 5K race, parade, Little Miss and Mister Tomato contest will be held.”

Entertainment is a big part of the festival, and it is too early to announce a musical lineup at this time, but Kroptavich said, there will be entertainment on all three tiers of the Tomato Festival grounds.

“I’d really like the theme of this year’s festival to be ‘We’re back,’” Lombardo added. “I have this crazy (idea) of getting some disbanded bands to have reunion shows.”

In 2019, the Tomato Festival was hit with two major storms with very little in the way of protocol to protect attendees from harm’s way. This year, Mayor Lombardo has a strategic plan in place for shelter for festivalgoers in case of inclement weather.

Also new for 2021 would be some upgrades to the infrastructure, including a compete upgrade to the outdoor electrical system.

A festival grounds wide public address system has been planned and should be in place for August.

The Slope Amphitheater, behind the Pittston Memorial Library, will be gearing up for more activity this summer.

The Summer Movie Series, run by the Downtown Pittston Partnership, will be back at The Slope Amphitheater with at least 10 movies where three of them will be held in partnership with the library.

The three movies – “Beauty and the Beast,” “Ferdinand,” and “Mr. Popper’s Penguins” – will be shown in conjunction with the library’s summer reading program.

Initially, 20 movies were to be shown throughout last summer but due to COVID-19 only a few movies were screened. If all goes well for 2022, it’s possible to bump up the number back to 20 films.

According to Kroptavich, The Slope is also available to rent for events and she added there are several theater groups and bands have been booked the venue for this year.

If interested in booking The Slope, call Kroptavich at 570-299-7543.

A new event for this summer is a Beer & Wine Festival that will take place Saturday, Sept. 18. Details are still in the planning stage, but Lombardo is very excited to bring a wine and beer festival to the downtown.

Lombardo said the beer and wine festival would start off small and slow for the first year and broaden it in year two.

Craft beer as become very popular in recent years and teaming up with many Greater Pittstonians that make their own wine should create a perfect balance with music in producing another great event for the city.

The annual Farmer’s Market will commence on Tuesday, July 6, concluding on Nov. 23. The farmer’s market has been gaining in popularity over the last few years, and Kroptavich said more vendors are interested in getting a spot at the site each year.

The Pittston Memorial Library will be joining the Farmer’s Market for four of the Tuesdays to read stories to the children.

There are three newly created events added to the line up for the summer.

Dinner on the River, tentatively scheduled for Saturday, July 3, will be a collaboration of food establishments on both the east side of the river and the west side.

Details have yet to be worked out, but Kroptavich said she is excited over businesses on both sides of the river teaming up for the project where east side meets west side right over the Susquehanna River.

“This event will be a great way to eat, drink and socialize amongst the two communities,” Kroptavich said.

The Firefighter’s Bridge will be shut down on July 3, so vendors and tables and chairs can be placed on the bridge for dining.

The Greater Pittston Chamber of Commerce will team up with the Downtown Pittston Partnership to hold a Christmas in July with tentative plans scheduled for the fourth weekend in July.

Michelle Mikitish, Greater Pittston Chamber of Commerce executive vice president, said plans for Christmas in July are still being formed.

“We are imagining to mimic our typical Women’s Network holiday party,” Mikitish said. “Instead of the event taking place for one evening, we’d like to extend it over a few days close to July 25.”

Downtown Pittston merchants and the Downtown Pittston Partnership are bringing back would Sidewalk Sales Days to be held once per month. Look for future advertisements regarding those sales days.

One of Mayor Lombardo’s biggest goals is to create a Jazz Festival in hopes of attracting nationally and world-known acts. That goal is getting closer and although it won’t happen in 2021, there is a good chance you can see the inaugural festival as early as 2022 if all the pieces of the puzzle fall in place.

Mayor Lombardo recently announced two more large building murals would be done in the near future. Several locations are being considered for the projects, which will be announced, in the near future according to Mayor Lombardo.

“If anyone is interested in volunteering in any capacity for any of the events mentioned above, they can contact me at 570-299-7543,” Kroptavich said. “Any and all help will be happily accepted.”