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BAZAAR HAPPENINGS

Two church festivals to open on Friday

Compiled by Jackie Flaherty

Fri., July 10 – Sun., July 12

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One more from the Northeast Fair: Keira Long, 3, and sister Courtney, both of Wilkes-Barre, on the Merry-Go-Round.

Photo by Bill Tarutis

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Groove Train will be playing three local bazaars next week and the week after. The bazaar dates are the following: Friday, July 10 - Sacred Heart, Duryea; Saturday, July 11 - Mt. Carmel, Pittston; Thursday, July 16 - St. Mary’s, Avoca. The band members are, from left to right: Dave Chaump, Bobby Bath, Becca Santoro, Bill Walling, and Tony Burns.

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241 William Street, Pittston

654-6902

The annual bazaar will be held from Friday, July 10 through Sunday, July 12.

Entertainment includes “Flaxy Morgan” on Friday, “Groove Train” Saturday night and for Sunday the “Hi-Lites” and “The Cadillacs.”

Everyone can except to leave with a full stomach after sampling the pizza fritta, tripe, potato pancakes, both red and white pizza, and much more of all the Italian specialty foods you can eat.

Games, arts and crafts and specialty basket raffles will also be available.

Sacred Heart/St. Joseph’s

Fri., July 10 – Sun., July 12

529 Stephenson Street, Duryea

457-2253

The picnic will be held at the Sacred Heart of Jesus Church grounds on Stephenson Street in Duryea and will feature ethnic foods and live entertainment.

The entertainment lineup is: Friday night "Groove Train", Saturday night "The Cadillacs" and Sunday night "Shakey Ground".

St. Mary’s Church

Thurs., July 16 – Sat., July 18

715 Hawthorne St., Avoca

457-3412

St. Mary’s Church, Avoca, will hold its annual summer festival Thursday, July 16 through Saturday, July 18 with the festivities beginning at 6 p.m. nightly on the grounds of the former St. Mary’s School, the corner of Hawthorne and Spring Streets, Avoca.

The festival will open on Thursday evening featuring the music of “Groove Train”.

St. Mary’s is also pleased to welcome back “Flaxy Morgan” to entertain picnic attendees on Friday, and local favorites, “The Hometown Boyz”, on Saturday.

As picnic goers sit back and enjoy the live entertainment, they can snack on food items including potato pancakes, pizza fritta, homemade baked goods, chicken cheesesteak hoagies, pizza, and many more of your favorite festival foods! There will be great games of chance for adults and a grand raffle featuring numerous prizes.

There will also be raffles for St. Mary’s famous theme baskets, a basket of cheer, and homemade quilts.

Kids surely will enjoy face painting and the return of the ever-popular Kids Zone featuring many games just for kids!

All are invited to join St. Mary’s Church for the greatest summer party right in downtown Avoca.

St. Anthony’s of Padua

Fri., July 17 – Sun., July 19

28 Memorial Street Exeter

654-2103

The Summer Parish Bazaar will hold its annual summer bazaar on Friday and Saturday July 17 and 18 from 5:30 to 11 p.m. and Sunday, July 19 from 5 to 11 p.m.

The Confirmation class will be hosting a flea market at the bazaar. Any donations, with the exception of clothing, are to be taken to the side door of the Parish, facing the Pride Manufacturing Co.

There will be bands each night, delicious food, flea market, games, rides and bingo

St. Maria Goretti

Fri., July 17 – Sun., July 19

42 Redwood Drive Laflin

655-8956

St. Maria Goretti Church in Laflin will hold it’s annual Summer Festival starting Friday, July 17 through Sunday , July 19.

Festivities will begin on Friday, July 17 with the opening of the Giant Flea Market @ 2:00 pm in the afternoon. This earlier starting time is to provide avid shoppers with the convenience of parking directly in front of the Banquet hall where the flea market is held. An entire year’s worth of donations will provide a treasure trove of goodies including an antique Singer sewing machine, hundreds of books at the cost of 25-50 cents each, many brand new items and the ever popular vintage jewelry section. The flea market will open regular festival hours on Saturday and Sunday. Starting @ 9:00 pm on Sunday, everything will be half price. On Monday, July 20th, a "dollar a bag" sale will be held from 9:00 am - 12:00 pm.

The festival itself will open at 6:00 pm on Friday and Saturday and close at 11:00 pm. Starting time is 5:00 pm on Sunday and the festival will close at 10:00 pm with the announcement of winners from all drawings and raffles.

Entertainment will be provided by Fancy Dancer on Friday, July 17, The Polka Partners on Saturday, July 18 and the Poets on Sunday, July 19.

Fabulous ethnic food will be available nightly including potato pancakes, pierogies, porketta sandwiches, pizza, Cheese steaks, hot dogs and burgers, sausage and pepper sandwiches, Pork Barbeques, french fries and manhattan clam chowder.

For those with a sweet tooth, be sure to sample our homemade baked goods, pizza frita, strawberry shortcake, brownies a la mode, fresh watermelon and ice cream.

A rafflefeaturing $3400 in cash prizes along with theme baskets, baskets of cheer, Big 6, Big 9, Instant Bingo, Fill a Bucket , Bingo and 6 more booths of games of chance will be available should you want to try your luck.

There will be plenty of things for the children to do including Pony Rides on Saturday and bring your camera on Sunday from 6:00 pm - 7:00 pm to have your picture taken with TUX, the Wilkes Barre Scranton Penguins mascot. Featured nightly will be Water Wars,Face Painting, Duck Pond , Lollipop Tree,45 Wheel, Hook’s Treasure, Tic Tac Toe, Tailgate Toss, Hole-In-One Mini Golf and Speed Pitch.

All Stands are under the cover of tents so the Festival at St. Maria Goretti will be held rain or shine. Hope to see you there!

Sacred Heart of Jesus

Thurs., July 30 – Sat., August 1

215 Lackawanna Ave. Dupont

654-3713

Bazaar will be held Thursday, July 30 and Friday, July 31 from 6pm to 11pm, and Saturday, August 1, from 5 to 11pm. Expect home cooked fresh never frozen Polish food and refreshments.

There will be tons of games and prizes to win and lots of family fun.

Entertainment will be provided by “Joe Lastovica and the Polka Punch” on Thursday, with “John Stevens and Double Shot” playing Friday and Saturday.

Germania Hose Company

Wed., Aug. 5 to Sun., Aug. 9

430 Foote Ave Duryea

457-4160

Carnival is scheduled to be held Wednesday August 5 to Sunday August 9.

Live entertainment food and games will be present. Sponsors are needed; please call 388-2116 for more information.

Germania Hose Company website: http://www.germaniafire.net.

St. John the Evangelist Parish Community

Thurs., Aug. 13 – Sat., Aug. 15

35 William Street Pittston

654-0053

Celebrations for the 10th Anniversary for St. John’s will be held from Thursday, August 13 through Saturday August 15. Festivities began at 5:30 pm and continue until 10pm, in the corner parking of Broad and Church Streets across from City Hall. Many booths including Polish, Italian, German and American foods will be offered.

There will also be a clown on Saturday night with a special magic show.

Children’s games and a large craft booth hosting large baskets for raffle will be up for winning. The baskets filled with laundry items, pet supplies, beach themed, books etc. are priced at about 100 dollars a piece.

One major raffle will be available with the first prize awarding $1000, second prize $250. Other cash prizes will also be given away.

Entertainment will be “Polka Punch” Thursday, “Somethin’ Else” on Friday night and “Flaxy Morgan” on Saturday.

They will also be hosting one massive flea inside the former Seton Catholic auditorium during picnic hours including a book and video sale.

Pittston Tomato Festival Pittston

Thurs., Aug. 20 – Sun., Aug. 23

Downtown Pittston

The 26th Annual Pittston Tomato Festival has all the food, fun and tomatoes you can consume.

Located in downtown Pittston, this year-long-awaited festival is home of some of the most well known tomato contests. Over fifty thousand people are expected to attend the annual gathering.

The ‘Tomato Fights,’ will be held on Saturday, August 22, at 1:30 p.m. in the parking lot of Cooper’s on the Waterfront Restaurant, 304 Kennedy Blvd., Pittston. The entry fee is $5, which includes use of protective eye goggles. All proceeds from the tomato fights benefit local charities.

Besides the endless home-grown Pittston tomatoes, lots of delicious food, a variety of live entertainment, a parade, 5K run, games, rides, arts and crafts and bingo will be swarming the rest of the festival grounds.

All information can be viewed at the festival website at www.pittstontomatofestival.com.

If your bazaar or picnic celebration was not listed in this publication, please send information including dates, entertainment and details to jsmiles@psdispatch.com.