The Edwardsville Pierogi Festival, the Plymouth Alive Kielbasa Festival, and the Pittston Tomato Festival will all return in 2021, organizers announced recently.
Jackie Moran of the Edwardsville Hometown Committee, said the 7th annual Edwardsville Pierogi Festival will be held Friday June 11, and Saturday June 12, at John Hopkins Memorial Park on Main Street, Edwardsville.
Moran said the committee is currently seeking pierogi vendors and vendors of all types for the event. She said interested persons should visit the event website — edwpierogi.com — for vendor information and applications.
Moran said the group is also accepting entries for the Annual Pierogi Cook-Off. Cost to enter is $5, and entry forms can be found on the website.
Local churches interested in competing for Best Church Pierogi can enter for free, Moran said, but they must submit an entry form.
Admission to the event is free as is entertainment.
Moran said the event will follow and enforce all CDC COVID-19 guidelines during the event. The event center is located in John Hopkins Memorial Park Edwardsville, and will be spread out over the seven-acre park to ensure the best scenario for social distancing. Hand sanitizing stations will be positioned through the venue.
For more information about the event please contact Jackie Moran at: 570 239-9594, or follow the event on Facebook
Moran offered some history of the festival that can be found on the website:
“In October of 2013, the Edwardsville Hometown Committee 501c3 was formed to promote and revitalize the Borough of Edwardsville by sponsoring fun, family friendly events for our citizens to unite our community once again.”
Kielbasa Festival set
The 17th annual Plymouth Alive Kielbasa Festival will return in 2021 with some changes.
Terry Womelsdorf, chairman of Plymouth Alive, made the announcement Wednesday night at a meeting of Plymouth Alive, held at the Goodwill Hose Co. #2 on West Main Street..
The festival was canceled in 2020 because of the coronavirus outbreak, effects of which will still have an impact.
“The Kielbasa Festival will return on Aug. 13-14, with some changes,” Womelsdorf said. “Due to the COVID pandemic, we had to scale things back a bit.”
Womelsdorf said details will be announced in the near future, but two staples of the festival will be canceled for 2021 — the annual Saturday morning parade and the popular Kielbasa Competition.
Other changes are necessary, he said, such as spacing out vendors and operating one band shell.
“These changes are just for this year,” Womelsdorf said. “But the festival will still be packed with fun and great food.”
Jaynan Temerantz, vice chair of Plymouth Alive, also announced that Plymouth Alive will partner with the Goodwill Hose Co. No. 2 for a wine event, called “Sip to Support.” It will be held on Saturday, May 29 on the Goodwill Fire Company’s grounds at 451 West Main St.
“We hope to raise funds to purchase items for the fire company for safety of our fire fighters,” said Chief Josh Evans.
Rain date for the event will be Sunday, May 30.
Organizers said there will be four wine vendors and four food vendors at the event, which will be split into two sessions: noon to 3 p.m. and 4 p,.m,. to 7 p.m. Cost will be $25 per ticket.
The wineries are Case Quattro, Lucchi Family Wine Cellars, Talerico’s Tropical Winery and Bearded Barrel Brewing Co.
The food vendors will be Uncle Buck’s Barbecue, Polish Connection, Crabby Ron’s Seafood and Michael Mootz Candies.
There will also be live music, raffle tickets and more.
Temerantz said similar events are in the works on behalf of the borough’s two other fire companies.
Tomato Festival also returning
Also canceled in 2020 due to the pandemic, the popular Pittston Tomato Festival is also planning a return in 2021.
The event is tentatively scheduled for Aug. 19-22.
Mayor Michael Lombardo said as of now, it’s a go with some limitations.
“We (committee) systematically went through everything regarding the festival and there will be changes,” Lombardo recently 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.”
Entertainment is a big part of the festival, and it is too early to announce a musical lineup at this time, but organizers said there will be entertainment on all three tiers of the Tomato Festival grounds. The tomato fights will not be held this year.
“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.”
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, Lombardo said.