We’ve rounded the corner of summer and August means it’s Tomato Festival month.
As summer church bazaars wind down, the end of summer has slowly crept up on us. Back to school sales will begin shortly, fall sports teams will begin practicing, the sun’s shadow is getting longer as we lose about three minutes of sunlight each day.
This year’s Tomato Festival will take place from Thursday, Aug. 15 through Sunday, Aug.18.
A third tier has been added to the festival which will make the festival even larger.
The top level will be behind the Pittston Memorial Library where the festival will utilize the parking lot and the new amphitheater.
If you enjoy the 2nd Friday Art Walk on Main Street in Pittston, you will love the third tier at the festival. Along with art for sale, there will be food vendors, including wood-fired oven pizza, baked goods, Pittston Popcorn goods, face-painting for the children and adults, if they so choose, and plenty of music.
The third level is a game-changer and yet another metamorphosis to improve the festival.
Pittston officials have been transforming the city into a gigantic piece of art. Two enormous murals adorn Main Street; smaller murals are also seen about town, fire hydrants were decorated a few years ago, an art gallery opened this past year and, if you haven’t noticed, art sculptures are springing up everywhere.
As you march your way from the second tier of the Tomato Festival behind the fire hall to the top tier, you will see newly laid art sculptures along the way.
Toni the Tomato Mule (I’ve been calling it a horse for years) has returned to its resting spot on the corner of Dock and Main Streets, looking vibrant once again.
The stage platform has been built to the left of the James Zarra Tomato Festival Headquarters building and it’s ready for action
It’s been decided the festival opening ceremony will take place at that location instead of at the bandshell.
During the four days of the festival, you may be able to hear acoustic music being played at the new stage in between band shell acts tearing down and setting up.
With the stage concrete deck poured, the next stage will have metal framing custom built and installed for lighting and overhead cover. That will be done at a later date but will be ready for next year.
The City of Pittston has plans for that yet-to-be-named stage. One use will be the much talked-about Jazz Festival. A Wine Festival will be coming our way, as well. Dates for both events have not been announced but, as soon as I know, you’ll know.
Pittston will be known as the city of art, for sure.
From spring to fall, the city could be jammed packed with events starting with the St. Patrick’s Day Parade in March to the Paint Pittston Pink fundraiser in October.
When you throw in art walks once a month, 5K races, the Tomato Festival, a future Jazz Fest and Wine Fest and a busy Art e Fekts Gallery, Pittston will be very active in a nine-month period.
Gripe of the week
Well, I have two gripes of the week. The first is my summer rant about Montage Pavilion and the lack of top entertainment coming to town.
I can’t tell you how many years in a row the talent coming through the pavilion just is not what other concert sites get.
Maybe it’s a demographic thing, maybe the management overseeing entertainment doesn’t believe our 17,000-seat pavilion can support current acts.
Yes, we still have a few concert festivals that are well attended but, other than that, we have too few shows during the summer.
August actually has five shows on the schedule, including one this past week featuring Train and the Goo Goo Dolls.
My beef is 20% with the pavilion and 80% with Ticketmaster. Ticketmaster has ridiculous fees that are just crazy.
For example, if you wanted to go to the Train concert the other night buying two tickets at $60 each for a subtotal of $120, Ticketmaster added a surcharge of $37 to the sale for a grand total of $157.
Come on Ticketmaster, why in the world would you need to charge $37? The best part is, they don’t even print tickets anymore as you can print your own ticket from a computer.
My second beef of the week has to do with cigarette smokers.
I’ve seen it several times in the last few weeks where people tossed their cigarette butt out the window of their car.
Just this past week, I went to the supermarket where a guy got out of his car with a cigarette and, as he walked to the store entrance, took one last puff and threw the butt behind him. He didn’t even step on it to put it out. Why? Are not both scenarios littering?
I don’t get it. I don’t get how it’s perfectly okay to toss a cigarette butt to the ground.
Okay, end of rants. Have a great week everyone and get set for the end of summer Tomato Festival.
Quote of the week
“You know you’re in love when you can’t fall asleep because reality is finally better than your dreams.” – Theodor Seuss Geisel, better known as Dr. Seuss
Thought of the week
“No one can make you feel inferior without your consent.” – Eleanor Roosevelt, former First Lady
Bumper sticker
“It’s better to be hated for what you are than to be loved for what you are not.” – Andre Gide, French author
