LARKSVILLE – 39,156 pierogies.
That is how many dumplings parish volunteers at Saint John the Baptist Parish in Larksville made and sold during this year’s annual summer bazaar.
If that number seems impressive, it is, but it is only part of the story!
Across northeastern and north central Pennsylvania, summer weekends have long been marked by parish picnics, bazaars and festivals – gatherings where the smell of ethnic food fills the air, familiar music plays and families reconnect.
While the festivals certainly help support parish ministries and expenses, if you ask those who volunteer and attend, it quickly becomes clear that these events are about much more than fundraising.
They are about coming home.
In Larksville, the 82nd annual bazaar once again brought parishioners and visitors together for food, prizes, music and plenty of fellowship.
“It is a community gathering,” Father Thomas Augustine, Pastor, said. “People like to come here to have the ethnic foods, and it is also faith oriented. We can see how people are coming together and having a good time.”
Judy Lucchino, who helped oversee the bake sale and 67 raffle baskets, said the bazaar has become a reunion of sorts, attracting former parishioners and families from near and far.
“It’s a community parish and we all get together and make friends and see old friends that come in from all over the northeast,” she said. “People also come in from Virginia, South Carolina, and they come home just for this bazaar.”
The same spirit could be found in Pittston, where Communion of Saints Parish recently held its second festival of the summer – Summer Fest ’26 – following the consolidation of three historic Pittston parishes.
Father Joseph Elston, Pastor, said the festival gives parishioners an opportunity to build relationships that might not otherwise develop.
“Even though our three churches are in close proximity, a lot of people don’t know each other,” he explained. “But they come together – working together here at the picnic in various places.”
For Stephanie Lynch, who was busy preparing fresh chicken wings with homemade sauce, Summer Fest provides a rare chance to meet the people who sit nearby at Mass each weekend.
“In church, you don’t really get a chance to talk to anybody,” she said. “But for these three days in the summer, whether it’s hot or raining, we all come together and enjoy feeding the community.”
In Throop, Saint Carlo Acutis Parish celebrated its annual Family Festival with food, music, raffle baskets and bingo.
Father Scott Sterowski, Pastor, described it as a celebration of “our oneness in Christ,” while parishioner Joseph Butash called it a time for sharing stories, laughter and memories.
“It’s a very relaxed atmosphere,” Butash said. “It’s fun to get to know people in the community. It is showing how vibrant our parish community is.”
That vibrancy may be the greatest gift of the festival tradition that takes place in many parish communities.
While the work is considerable – planning, cooking, setting up, cleaning up and relying on countless volunteers – it is all about community.
“It’s about sharing stories, sharing laughter, sharing time together,” Butash added.