Tony Callaio | For Times Leader
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Triple Fret performs at the Best of the Best reception at the Woodlands in Plains Township on Monday.
Winners took home framed certificates.
Tony Callaio | For Times Leader
Times Leader Media partners Rachel Malak, left, Chris Bohinski, center, and Paola Giangiacomo, of WBRE were winners on the night.
Tony Callaio | For Times Leader
Ray Zavada and his wife, Corrine, accept awards for Best Accounting Firm (Platinum) and Tax Preparer (Silver).
Tony Callaio | For Times Leader
Dave Ferrey of Dave Ferrey Contruction was a three-time winner of the 2023 Best of the Best.
Tony Callaio | For Times Leader
Times Leader Meda Group Publisher Kerry Miscavage, right, along with Advertising Director Diane McGee, left, address approximately 300 attendees at the Woodlands Inn & Resort on Monday night for the Times Leader’s Best of the Best Awards.
Tony Callaio | For Times Leader
PLAINS TWP. – A dinner was held Monday evening at the Woodlands Inn and Resort in Wilkes-Barre to honor the winners of the Times Leader’s annual Best of the Best contest.
The platinum, gold and silver winners from a variety of local businesses and organizations gathered together inside the Woodland’s to enjoy an evening filled with food, drinks and entertainment.
According to Times Leader Media Group Publisher Kerry Miscavage, it was a record breaking year for the reader’s choice contest, with a whopping 250,000 votes cast.
Readers were invited to vote for their favorites in more than 100 categories, from Arts and Entertainment to Finance, with the top nominees advancing to the final round of voting.
Miscavage said that it’s important for the Times Leader to support local businesses and that the Best of the Best “is one of the best ways to do that.”
“It’s an award they (the winners) can share with their customers and something that they can use to help drive traffic to their business,” Miscavage added.
Attendees were treated to buffet style dining, with food catered by the Woodlands.
Sponsors of the event were Avenue Diner & Catering, who donated T-shirts to the winners, and CityMark, who donated yellow, reusable tote bags.
Entertaining the crowd was local band Triple Fret. Later in the evening, laughter filled the space as Mike Peters, a comedian from Binghamton, N.Y., took the stage.
Winners were able to pick up their framed certificates at the event and were invited to take photos at the roaming selfie stations that circulated through the ballroom.
Jason Welles, of Pittston Township, won Gold for Best Barber and said the evening was an “awesome” way to honor the winners. In addition to getting his framed certificate and a sticker, Welles was excited to also “get a free meal out of it.”
As far as Welles was concerned, it doesn’t get much better than that.