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Have you done all your summer activities this year? Have you taken your favorite vacations, eaten your favorite ice cream and visited your favorite pool often enough for relief from the above-average temperatures?
I hope you have.
Summer should be all about doing the things you love most. And if some of your favorite things happen to be annual occurrences, you’re lucky you get to repeat those year after year.
I was fortunate to witness a huge annual repeat affair firsthand last Sunday as a guest at the Patte’s Sports Bar & Restaurant’s 55th annual anniversary cookout and pig roast.
Imagine that. Fifty-five years.
What began in 1969 at the Barn Café and Grove at Mountain Lake by Pat Patte Jr. is now held at the Plains Lion Pavilion in the Plains Township Municipal Park.
Hundreds turn out for the event each year, which is a day filled with friends, family and patrons.
Many of the faces there were and are customers of Mr. Patte’s popular bar and restaurant on West Hollenback Avenue, which is also more than 50 years old.
To me, it just doesn’t get much better than friends gathering together still after 55 years.
We should all be so lucky to make memories – and friends – like that.
Another anniversary to commemorate was Courtyard by Marriott’s fifth anniversary in Wilkes-Barre Township.
Staff opened the hotel and lobby area to local dignitaries and Greater Wilkes-Barre Chamber of Commerce members to come in, take a tour and enjoy a happy hour featuring local beer and wine.
Guests commented on the reception area, which reminded them of a swanky, boutique-style hotel you would find in New York City.
The hotel, which is located right off the interstate, is thriving according to Marriot staffers, so we were thrilled to be able to celebrate with them.
Also last week, the monthly Wilkes-Barre POWER! event and mixer was held at Cork Bar & Restaurant in Wilkes-Barre.
If you read this column regularly, you know I’m a fan of Cork. Its food, ambiance and staff make me smile whenever I stop in, so it was a true treat to plan the August event there.
The POWER! group hadn’t been to Cork in more than two years, so it was high time we returned.
They prepared meatballs, penne pasta, Nashville bites, caprese salad and pulled pork flatbreads for the gathering, all of which the guests raved about.
About 75 members turned out, and some new ones joined too.
Hopefully those new members found it worthwhile and engaging to network with the variety of people there.
And hopefully they make it a regular occurrence.
We’d love for them to keep coming – for another 55 years or so.