Now that Carbon County is in the green phase, the 13th Annual Coal Miner’s Heritage Festival will proceed as scheduled on Sunday from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. The annual event is held on the grounds of the No. 9 Coal Mine and Museum in Lansford.

This event celebrates northeastern Pennsylvania’s Anthracite Coal region history, ethnic heritage, food, music, crafts and customs.

“The Annual Coal Miners Heritage Festival is presented by the No. 9 Coal Mine and Museum in Lansford and is our largest annual event,” said Dale Freudenberger.

Admission to the festival grounds and parking are free and the event is held rain or shine. Exhibitors, crafters, vendors and local organizations will be offering a variety of goods for sale or display.

Visitors can take an underground tour of the No. 9 Coal Mine throughout the day for a nominal charge. The No. 9 Mine is the world’s oldest operating deep mine, having been opened in 1855 by the Lehigh Coal & Navigation Company. It was last mined in 1972 by the Lanscoal company. The guided underground mine tours are available throughout the day. The average temperature in the mine is about 52 degrees so a light jacket or sweater are recommended. Visitors will ride into the mine in the safety of enclosed mine cars pulled by an original mine locomotive.

Everyone must wear a mask on the mine tour or while in the museum. Visitors are asked to practice social distancing on the festival grounds during the festival and a hand sanitizer station will be available.

The nearby No. 9 Coal Mining Museum, housed in the original 1912 brick miner’s wash shanty, houses one of the largest collections of anthracite coal mining artifacts, tools, photographs and memorabilia in the coal region. Many unique and rare items are on display.

In keeping with the theme, the coal miner’s competition is always the most popular event. Anyone over the age of 16 is invited to participate in the coal shoveling competition where competitors shovel a pile of coal in the shortest time. Trophies will be awarded to the winners. The coal shoveling competition will begin at 2 p.m. and is free to enter.

Many interesting and fun exhibits will highlight our Anthracite Coal region heritage and culture. The old time “wash day” demonstrations will show the evolution and chore of washing clothes by hand in the coal patch towns.

Other exhibits include 19th century death, mourning and funeral customs, a display of items that used to be sold in company stores, local historical society exhibits, vintage coal region works of art, mine safety and rescue displays, a restored vintage mine lokie, an operating antique coal screen, a display of old time moonshine making equipment, the miners “bath day” display, antique coal region beer trays exhibit, and original antique coal company signs from more than 80 coal companies from the coal region.

A variety of great music typically found in the coal region will be featured throughout the day. It includes the WMGH Polka Program live broadcast with Polka Joe Manjack. There will be performances and storytelling by the popular Breaker Boys, Stu Richards and Tommy Symon. Mountain music man Dave Matsinko will do strolling performances, and DJ Shawn Frederickson will play other classic coal region heritage music during the day.

Coal region re-enactors will stroll the grounds in their authentic coal patch town outfits. They will perform a special skit at 1 p.m. On display will be several early antique vehicles from the early 1900s, and a traditional modern home delivery hi-lift coal truck. There is no formal car show at this event.

A combination of homemade, coal region ethnic foods as well as other popular summertime festival foods will be available from local organizations and food vendors.

Children’s entertainment will be offered including the popular old time coal sack races with prizes for the winners, bounce house and children’s games, and Buster the Clown.

Anyone who would like to register as a crafter or vendor or has questions, should contact Dale Freudenberger at dalefreud@gmail.com or by phone at 610-597-6722 and leave a message.