Former Miss Tomato Queen and Wyoming native Britney Cheskiewicz, poses with the 2019 Tomato Festival mascot. After looking at the most recent data and a resurgence in coronavirus cases, Mayor Michael Lombardo announced Tuesday that the 37th annual festival is being canceled for 2020.
Tony Callaio | For Times Leader
PITTSTON – When COVID-19 shutdown the Commonwealth in mid-March of this year, Pittston City Mayor Michael Lombardo felt he had enough time to decided if the city’s biggest event, the Pittston Tomato Festival held in August, would go on.
After looking at the most recent data and a resurgence in coronavirus cases, Mayor Lombardo announced Tuesday that the 37th annual festival is being canceled for 2020.
“I’ve been deliberating and doing my due diligence as it relates to the festival and I don’t think in consideration to what’s right in public safety we can have the event, it’s too much of a risk,” Mayor Lombardo said this morning. “We can’t control enough of the variables and we’re going backwards in (COVID-19) cases and nothing trumps public safety.”
In April, Mayor Lombard told the Times Leader’s sister newspaper, the Sunday Dispatch, there was a lot of time to have a wait and see approach before a decision would be made regarding cancellation.
“You need to make good decisions and not jump right into it,” Lombardo said in April. “We’re going on our fourth decade and the committee are responsible people and in the end they will make the best decision on behalf of the health and welfare of the people.”
Lombardo and the Tomato Festival committee recently walked the grounds in an effort to come up with a solution to hold the festival, but came to a conclusion over the weekend to halt the festival.
“We’ve been walking through the lot and talking to our vendors and even some of our vendors that are risk tolerant are being nervous,” Lombardo said. “It’s a big investment for vendors and I don’t want to see vendors already struggling with high hopes and maybe nobody will show up. There’s too much to control.”
Mayor Lombardo had high hopes a month ago when Luzerne County’s virus numbers began to level off.
“A month ago we were in a better spot but we’re rolling backwards a little bit with our cases and the last thing we need to do is set a bad example,” Lombardo said. “In addition to the canceled festival we are cancelling the 5K race, Tomato Fights, and all the pageants associated with the festival.”
According to Mayor Lombardo, Pittston City will still continue to hold the Second Friday Art Walk beginning this Friday, July 10.
“I feel comfortable with holding the Art Walk,” Lombard said. “There’s enough people on the committee to police it and we had the farmer’s market today and I felt better about my level of comfort while walking the grounds at the farmer’s market.”
The farmer’s market is held ever Tuesday from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the site of the lower Tomato Festival lot closest to Main Street.
“COVID-19 seems to be hitting the 20 to 40-year-old range now and we have an older crowd that usually attends the Art Walk, so with all the art vendors separated by ample distances, I don’t foresee issues.”
Mary Kroptavich, Pittston City’s Main St. manager, confirmed the 8th annual Second Friday Art Walk would take place this Friday, July 10 from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.
“As per Gov. Wolf’s COVID-19 regulations, everyone is required to wear a mask outside and to remain socially distanced from each other,” Kroptavich said. “We will have entertainment by Eddie Appnel and his partner and there will be a few acts at the Pocket Park (next to Napoli’s Pizza).”
Kroptavich said in the past, the Art Walk is usually suspended during the month of August due to the Tomato Festival being held, but that will change this year.
“We’ve put the Art Walk on the schedule for August, the September event will be held as usual, and we’ve added an Art Walk in October because the first few of the summer were canceled due to COVID-19,” Kroptavich added.
Mayor Lombardo and Kroptavich said they are looking at the possibility of holding an Octoberfest celebration in the fall, but will plan accordingly depending on the pandemic’s status.
