Another local tradition will not continue this year thanks to the coronavirus pandemic.
La Festa Italiana, held annually over Labor Day weekend on Lackawanna County Courthouse Square in downtown Scranton, has been canceled, the county commissioners and the La Festa committee announced today.
“La Festa Italiana has been a long-standing and very popular tradition in our community, attracting over 100,000 attendees annually since it was initiated in 1976,” the announcement explained. “But unfortunately like other area events, it too has been affected by the pandemic.”
The celebration fills the square with dozens of food stands, live music and other entertainment, with crowds often packed together tightly as they celebrate Italian heritage.
JASON FARMER / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER
La Festa Italiana has a big crowd on Labor Day 2019.
Organizers noted that they “are concerned with the health and well-being of our residents, the many visitors from outside the region, vendors, entertainers, volunteers, workers and public safety personnel who come together to make this large-scale event happen so successfully. We are committed to everyone’s safety and are focused on preventative measures to stop the spread of this virus.”
They added that they “hope to celebrate with everyone again in 2021.”
Caitlin Heaney West is the content editor for Access NEPA and oversees the Early Access blog in addition to working as a copy editor and staff writer for The Times-Tribune. An award-winning journalist, she is a summa cum laude graduate of Shippensburg University and also earned a master’s degree from Marywood University. Caitlin joined the Times-Shamrock family in 2009 and lives in Scranton. Contact: cwest@timesshamrock.com; 570-348-9100 x5107; or @cheaneywest
