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LEHMAN TWP. — A crowd lined the entrance to the Luzerne County Fairgrounds on Ambrose Street, as sirens blared and the parade they came proceeded down Route 118.
Two horses pulling a carriage neared the fairgrounds entrance, followed by the Dallas Township Boy Scouts and an array of emergency vehicles from all over the Wyoming Valley.
The parade officially kicked off the “Dallas Days” old-fashioned firemen’s bazaar and fireworks display Saturday, and is just one of the many events Dallas Township will be hosting throughout the year as a part of their bicentennial celebration.
April 7th officially marked the 200th birthday of the Township, said Board of Supervisors Vice Chair Liz Martin, adding that an event will be held once a month in honor of the momentous occasion.
“We wanted to do something that was significant of our local history,” she said of the decision to hold a firemen’s bazaar.
Following the parade was a ceremony to officially recognize the township’s historical moment. State Sen. Lisa Baker and state Rep. Karen Boback both presented the supervisors with recognitions for being an esteemed community within the state, as well as working to preserve local and state history.
Keeping with the firemen theme, Dallas Township Rotary club members presented awards to various fire departments throughout the area. Categories included best engine, ambulance and aerial apparatus, longest distance traveled and most participation. Kunkle took home four awards, with member Ray Miller accepting the awards.
Roughly 10 different organizations planned to attend the event, but an emergency call came in just before the parade kicked off, causing multiple groups to go from parade duty to emergency response instantaneously.
While patrons walked around the grounds shopping through various vendors and grabbing a bite to eat, children jumped around inside the Francis Ambrose Exhibitors building, bouncing on a variety of inflatables.
Standing on two platforms holding a plush jousting apparatus was 10-year-old Coal Pugh and 11-year-old MaKenna Markham. As the girls bopped, bounced and battled, Melissa Push watched from the sidelines.
“(Pizza Paul) has great fireworks,” she said of why she decided to attend the bicentennial event. “It’s a free event and there’s lots to do, and the kids are having a blast.”
Pugh said the rainy weather didn’t deter her from coming to see the fireworks display, and was hoping it wouldn’t stop others from attending.
As families began to fill the space, Krista and Matt Moss explored what the grounds had to offer with their sons and mother. While the family wasn’t necessarily planning on attending the bazaar, they said the kids enjoyed all of the sights and sounds while waiting for the fireworks display.
“We were already out and about, and when we got here, the skies opened up,” said Gail Yonnetti.
Martin wanted to thank all of the organizations for their support and help in making the event possible, noting that one hasn’t happened in at least 100 years. She also wanted to note that one shouldn’t fret if they missed the bazaar, because there’s plenty more happening in the coming months.
