The Pittston Tomato Festival mascot along with Britney Cheskiewicz.
Tony Callaio | For Times Leader
Chris McCabe, No. 129, leads off the Ultimate Tomato 5K race of 385 participants, on Saturday morning.
Tony Callaio | For Times Leader
The Times Leader Media Group led by Publisher Kerry Miscavage is the media sponsor of the 2022 Pittston Tomato Festival.
Tony Callaio | For Times Leader
The Tomato Festival Parade featured floats, police and emergency vehicles, and a whole lot of tomatoes, like the one seen here.
Kevin Carroll | Times Leader
Geisinger got into the spirit of the Tomato Festival not only with their float design, but by handing out tomato-shaped stress balls to spectators.
Kevin Carroll | Times Leader
This year’s parade featured the Pittston Area softball team, winners of the PIAA Class 5A state title in June, as Grand Marshal.
Kevin Carroll | Times Leader
Pittston City mayor Michael Lombardo (back to camera) signals the start of this year’s Ultimate Tomato Run 5K. A total of 385 runners took to the start line to participate in this year’s run, which was followed by the Tomato Festival Parade.
Kevin Carroll | Times Leader
This year’s parade featured the Pittston Area softball team, winners of the PIAA Class 5A state title in June, as Grand Marshal.
This year’s parade featured the Pittston Area softball team, winners of the PIAA Class 5A state title in June, as Grand Marshal.
Kevin Carroll | Times Leader
The 2022 Pittston Area Girls Softball PIAA 5A State Champions served as Grand Marshals of the 2022 Pittston Tomato Festival.
Tony Callaio | For Times Leader
The 2022 Pittston Area Girls Softball PIAA 5A State Champions served as Grand Marshals of the 2022 Pittston Tomato Festival.
Tony Callaio | For Times Leader
The 2022 Pittston Tomato Festival parade was well attended on Saturday, Aug. 20.
Tony Callaio | For Times Leader
Ari Dempsey holds the reign of both the Little Miss Tomato and Little Miss Leprechaun.
Tony Callaio | For Times Leader
Victory Sports float was filled with participating softball players in the league.
Tony Callaio | For Times Leader
Excited crowds watch the parade.
Tony Callaio | For Times Leader
Members of the San Cataldo Society, Pittston, march in the 2022 Pittston Tomato Festival parade.
Tony Callaio | For Times Leader
Spectators at the 2022 Pittston Tomato Festival parade wave to the camera on Main Street, Pittston.
Tony Callaio | For Times Leader
These people were having fun at the Pittston Tomato Festival parade.
Tony Callaio | For Times Leader
Bailey Loyack, left, Lindsey Leppo, center, Olivia Krupski, right, prepare before the Ultimate Tomato 5K race.
Tony Callaio | For Times Leader
Pennsylvania State Police Troop ‘P’ run through the finish line at the Ultimate Tomato 5K race.
Tony Callaio | For Times Leader
Chris McCabe, of Boiling Springs, was the overall winner of the Ultimate Tomato 5K race at Pittston. McCabe is a Wyoming Area graduate.
Tony Callaio | For Times Leader
Lacey Danitovitch was the overall female winner of the Ultimate Tomato 5K race with a time of 18:20.
Tony Callaio | For Times Leader
The 2022 Pittston Tomato Festival truly got off and running on Saturday morning — and for the almost 400 people gathered on Main Street, “running” was a very literal term.
Day three of the annual festival kicked off with the Ultimate Tomato Run and the Tomato Festival Parade, with a big crowd turning out to watch both events, starting at 10 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 20.
This is the first year that the annual run carried the Ultimate Tomato Run moniker, after previously being billed as the Miles for Michael 5K.
Pittston City Mayor Michael Lombardo gave the signal to send the pack of runners off from the start line, located right at the main entrance to the Tomato Festival grounds.
“We’d like to welcome you all here, what a great turnout,” Lombardo said. “It’s a great day for a great race.”
Lombardo introduced the race’s new director, Jenna Strzelecki, and announced to the crowd that this year’s 5K had signed up 385 participants to run.
“It’s crazy,” Strzelecki said of the big number of registrants. “I’m so glad.”
Many of those participants stuck around and joined the crowd of people waiting eagerly as the first vehicles of the Tomato Festival Parade began making their way down Main Street, shortly after the 5K was completed.
One runner, Nina Albertelli, wasn’t just coming back to watch after she finished the race.
“I’m in the marching band so I’ll be turning right back around to join them,” said Albertelli before the race began.
A long-distance runner, Albertelli said that she had run plenty of races before but had never given the Tomato Run a try before this year.
“I wasn’t able to do it last year,” she explained. “I’m hoping to finish in around 20 minutes.”
Heading up the front of the parade lineup this year was the parade’s Grand Marshal (or marshals), the state champion Pittston Area softball team.
The full lineup included almost 60 different groups, including police and first response departments from all over the area, local nonprofits and charitable organizations, entertainment from groups like the Emerald Isle Step Dancers and the Wyoming Valley Pipe and Drum Band and many more.
Most threw candy (some, like Geisinger, got in the spirit of things by handing out tomato stress balls), all waved and honked and smiled at the crowd as they rolled on down the street.
The parade made its way down Main Street to where the road wraps around and down to Kennedy Boulevard, coming to a stop at Kennedy Boulevard and East Street.
From there, the festival officially opened for the day and hundreds of paraders, runners and spectators filed their way into the Festival to see the sights, check out the booths and listen to some live music, which was slated to start at 3 p.m. with the Luongo Brothers.
While the final floats were making their way through downtown Pittston, medals were awarded to the Ultimate Tomato Run’s top finishers in their respective age groups.
The top overall finisher in the 5K was Chris McCabe, a Wyoming Area graduate who now lives in Boiling Springs, outside of Harrisburg. The top female finisher was Lacey Danilovitz, competing in the 17 and under category. Danilovitz finished with a time of 18:20.
In addition to individual medals, the inaugural “Fastest Team” award was given out to the Wyoming Valley Striders Running Club.
Saturday’s run also featured a 1.5 mile Youth Run and a 1.5 mile Fun Walk, offering even more opportunities for the community to participate and have a great day.
Scranton resident Matt McDonough, a Tomato Run first-timer, added the race to his calendar as he said he was looking to get more races under his belt.
“This will be my fifth this year,” McDonough said. “I’ve been doing it just as a hobby.”
McDonough’s plans for after the race? Likely, the same as just about everybody else in Pittston on Saturday.
“I’ll definitely be over there getting something to eat.”
Today, Sunday, Aug. 21, the Little Miss and Mister Tomato Contest begins at 10:45 a.m. and the festival grounds open at 12 p.m.
Entertainment continues all afternoon and evening until the close of the festival at 9 p.m.
