The 82nd annual St. Joseph’s Parish festival had something for everyone — food, fun and new friendships.

The event, held over the weekend as the parish’s major annual fundraiser, mixed carnival-style games of chance with homemade ethnic delicacies and even a bake sale, plant sale and Chinese auction to create a fun time for young and old alike.“The festival was an enormous success due to the hard work of so many volunteers, both old and new, who gave of their time, talent and treasure to ensure the event went off without a hitch,” said Nathan Halenar, one of the organizers of the festival. “Incredibly large crowds made for fantastic nights and sellouts of most food items.”This was the first event held since St. Francis of Assisi in Nesquehoning and St. Katharine Drexel in Lansford merged into St. Joseph’s to become St. Joseph of the Panther Valley parish, and volunteers from the two churches could be seen working side by side with the Summit Hill church’s parishioners to make sure the event was a success.Beautiful weather also helped bring the crowds out in force, meaning some popular food items such as bleenies were sellingout nightly.In addition to the nightly events, the parish held its annual St. Gabriel procession Sunday, carrying the statue of St. Gabriel through the west side of town, followed by benediction before the final night of festivities.The festival concluded with the parish’s annual fireworks display, a half-hour display that attracted hundreds from around the area.“The parish family of St. Joseph of the Panther Valley is grateful for all the support and looks forward to continued growth and success,” Halenar said.