The 10th annual St. Patrick’s Parade will step off on March 4. Look for information on the Little Miss and Little Mister Leprechaun contest, the Pub Crawl and the 5K Leprechaun Loop race at www.pittstonstpatricksparade.org.
The annual Pittston Tomato Festival returns on Aug. 17 through Aug. 20.
The Pittston Tomato Festival will add additional carnival rides for 2023.
Pittston Prohibition will return for year three on Saturday, June 11. Look for the entertainment lineup in months to come.
The Pittston Farmer’s Market will hold Kid’s Day on Tuesday, July 18 and on July 22. The farmer’s market will commence on Tuesday, July 11 and continuing each week on Tuesday through the end of the fall.
The 2nd Friday Art Walk and returns on May 12, according to Pittston’s Main St. Manager Mary Kroptavich. Art Walk times are from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. and will run each month, with the exception of August through September.
PITTSTON – 2023 is shaping up to be another banner year for the City of Pittston as Mayor Michael Lombardo and Main Street Manager Mary Kroptavich outlined the entire year chock-full of events – many already in place over the years and a few new surprises.
Back again starting with the St. Patrick’s Parade, 2nd Friday Art Walks, movies at the Slope Amphitheater, Farmer’s Market, Pittston Prohibition, and of course, the nationally known Pittston Tomato Festival.
Starting out the year is the 10th annual St. Patrick’s Parade on March 4. Sarah Donahue will once again coordinate the parade as she’s done since the beginning. Look for some new surprises this year.
St. Patrick’s Parade day is always a huge event starting with the 5K Leprechaun Loop Run/Walk race at 10:30 a.m. and at the completion of the race, the parade will begin at approximately 11:30 a.m.
A week before parade day, look for the annual St. Patrick’s Pub Crawl on Friday, Feb. 24 at 6 p.m. The crawl will start at The Red Mill from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m. The Knights of Columbus at 7:15 p.m. to 8:15 p.m. followed by the Tomato Bar at 8:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.
For further information or to register for any of the St. Patrick’s events, go to their website at www.pittstonstpatricksparade.org.
Little Miss and Mister Leprechaun contest will take place on Saturday, Feb. 25 at 1 p.m.
A summertime favorite will take place on Friday of each month when the annual Second Friday Art Walk will return celebrating a different theme each month beginning May 12, according to Kroptavich. Art Walk times are from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.
The themes each month is as follows: May 12, carnival; June 9, 90s theme; July 14, Christmas; Aug. no event due to the Tomato Festival; and Sept. 8, autumn.
Movies at The Slope Amphitheater will be back with at least five movies dates on the schedule and Kroptavich said it’s possible more could be lined up in the future.
The first screening will take place on May 20 with the movie to be announced in the future. Kroptavich said there would be additional screenings each month in June, July, August and September.
Future announcements on the movie titles and times would be placed on the Downtown Pittston Partnership’s Facebook webpage of their website at www.downtownpittston.com.
Introducing new this year, on Saturday, Apr. 22, the NEPA Outdoors Arts and Crafts Festival in conjunction with the Lu Lacka Wyco Hundo presented by Trek Bike Company from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. with a rain date of Sunday, Apr. 23.
Kroptavich said approximately 1,000 bikers will be taking park in the bike trek in the city.
“We are seeking 80 crafters and artists for outdoor arts and crafts booths in the lower and upper Tomato Festival lot,” Kroptavich said. “Many of the 1,000 bikers will be bringing in their families, and we wanted them to have something to do, so we decided to hold the arts and crafts festival as well as food trucks, music and other events planned.”
Artists and crafters will be allowed to erect their own 10-foot-by-10-foot tent.
What’s become a new fan favorite is Pittston Prohibition, which has been featured in September or October. This year, the event is being moved to Saturday, June 11. Acts to be announced in the next few months.
The Farmer’s Market will gear up starting Tuesday, July 11, and continuing each week on Tuesday through the end of the fall.
“We will have Kid’s Day on July 18 and a second day scheduled for July 25,” Kroptavich added.
The Tomato Festival will be taking place from Thursday, Aug. 17, through Sunday, Aug. 20.
This year will hold a new wrinkle with the success of the carnival rides in place in 2022 at the upper lot behind the Pittston Memorial Library.
Kroptavich said additional carnival rides would be placed across from the City of Pittston’s Fire Station adjacent to the middle Tomato Festival lot.
If the Firefighter’s Memorial Bridge is opened by summer and the city gets an approval, Kroptavich said another Restaurant on the Bridge would likely take place due to the success of the inaugural event prior the bridge being closed in 2021.
Trick or Treat Main Street will be back in Saturday, Oct. 21. This is a hugely successful event where Main St. merchants take part in a massive Halloween celebration as children and their parents or guardians trek along both sides of Downtown Pittston receiving treats along the way.
Entertainment will be provided at the lower Tomato Festival lot and at the end of the evening, costumes will be judged.
Another new event for 2023 will be a Pittston 5K Race Trifecta running events staring with the St. Patrick’s 5K race (March 4) followed by the Tomato Festival 5K race (Aug. 19) ending with third leg on Nov. 4. Point your browser to www.downtownpittston.com/pittstontrifecta for more information on the trifecta.
Shop with a Cop Gala will take place, for the second year, at some point in October, according to Kroptavich. The date hasn’t been firmed up at this point in time so look to the Facebook page or website for that future announced date.
Tentatively, a Christmas Ball is in the works after the Shop with a Cop event. Details have to iron out but look for the ball to be conducted under the huge, heated tent used for the Shop with a Cop event on the middle Tomato Festival lot.
Possible dates for the ball are Friday, Dec. 1 or Sunday, Dec. 3, the day before or the day after the Shop with a Cop event.
Kroptavich said stay tuned to a new sporting event announcement coming on Wed., Feb. 1, for an event-taking place on Sept. 3.
