Pittston gearing up for annual Tomato Festival

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PITTSTON — The City has been gearing up for the highlight of the year, known far and wide in Northeast Pennsylvania, the Pittston Tomato Festival. Rapidly approaching, city officials have been working hard to finalize and iron out the last details.

This year, there is one surprise; train transportation to Pittston via the Northern Reading Railroad will be available for the first time.

City of Pittston Mayor Michael Lombardo said the Tomato Festival committee is working out details with Luzerne County on the logistics of getting train-riders from the rail yard to the festival lot.

From Thursday through Sunday, Aug. 15 through Aug. 18, more than 100,000 people will visit the Pittston Tomato Festival grounds on Main Street utilizing three tiers.

Kicking off the Tomato Festival will be opening ceremonies at 6 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 15.

Along with three tiers of music, food and carnival rides, there are other events being held.

The ever-popular Tomato Festival Parade will take place at 11 a.m. Saturday, Aug. 17, featuring area civic, social, school organizations, public officials and businesses.

This year forward, the parade will be named in honor of a man who loved everything Pittston — the James Deice Memorial Tomato Festival Parade.

The 2024 parade Grand Marshal is wounded Scranton Police Officer, Pittston native, Kyle Gilmartin.

“For me, the biggest things this year is the renaming of the parade and the Grand Marshal,” Mary Kroptavich, City of Pittston’s Main Street manager, said.

The parade starts right after the last runner of the 25th Annual Tomato Festival 5K Race & Mile Walk is completed starting at 10 a.m. Registration is opened at 8 a.m. at the Open Space Building across from the Tomato Festival lower lot.

On Sunday, Aug. 18, the children take front-and-center, as the Little Miss and Little Mister Tomato Contest will be held at 11 a.m. All contestants are asked to report to the bandshell at the lower lot by 10:30 a.m. Sarah Donahue will be back once again as the host for this judged contest. Entry fee is $5 per child.

What would a Tomato Festival be with a tomato contest?

This contest judges tomatoes for the largest, smallest, ugliest and most perfect at 7 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 17 All entries must be dropped off by at 5 p.m. Saturday. Ribbons will be awarded to the winners.

The Spaghetti Eating Contest has been gaining in popularity over the years where contestants must eat one pound of spaghetti with sauce in three minutes. The catch is, you can’t use your hands.

Contestants must be 18-years-old and older to enter for free. Food donations are an option to be donated to Pittston Meals on Wheels.

The contest takes place at the middle tier at the Main Stage at the James Zarra Building at 1:30 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 17.

The lower lot, nearest to Main St., offers live music every night of the week featuring many local artists and even a few tribute bands such as The Taxman, playing Beatles music and 52nd Street — A Tribute to Billy Joel.

For a complete entertainment schedule and times, go to https://tinyurl.com/yj25d6ek.

The upper tier, located behind the Pittston Memorial Library, carnival rides are provided for the children to enjoy.

The Ferris Wheel is the the featured ride with plenty more to choose from.

Other rides include: Dizzy Dragons, Super Slide, Tornado, Tea Cups, Fire Trucks, Skidster, Baja Buggy, Bungee Bungee, Kiddie Wheel.

Tickets for rides are $1.50 for a single ticket, 20 tickets for $25, 50 tickets for $50 and wristbands are $25.

The rides are open during festival hours but close at 6 p.m. Sunday evening.

Food being sold at the top tier will be Cotton Candy, Funnel Cake, French Fry Chicken Finger and fresh lemonade.

If you go to the Tomato Festival, you better go hungry. There are plenty of food tents featuring all types of food choices including ice cream and desserts.

According to Mayor Lombardo, he is looking in to revamping the lower lot including a new, permanent stage for 2025.

Tomato Festival hours are 5 to 11 p.m. Thursday, Aug. 15; 3 to 11 p.m. Friday, Aug. 16; 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 17; 11 to 8 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 18.

“This year will be spectacular as always and we will exceed 100,000 people like we always do and it’s because we have a great committee that works all year round,” Lombardo said. “They get this thing done and I can’t say enough how good the committee is. This is a very complicated process that really is pretty easy because there’s good people doing and Mary (Kroptavich) has done an outstanding job leading it.”