Many flocked to Palmerton Park this weekend to take part in the 31st annual Palmerton Community Festival.

With warm and sunny weather, the festival took place Friday through Sunday at the park with free admission and parking for the public.

After skipping last year’s event due to COVID-19 concerns, the festival came back in full swing with a variety of local organizations selling food, bingo, a lunchbag raffle, craft vendors, musical entertainment, games and rides.

Many local nonprofits participated in the festival, some who were new to the festival and some who have been participating for many years.

It was Slatington Volunteer Fire Company’s first year at the festival after taking over for the Palmerton Fire Company.

Deputy Chief Randy Schmoyer said they were selling pizza, iced tea, and water at their stand and that business had been going well. He noted that profits from the event would go toward equipment for the fire company.

Schmoyer said he enjoyed participating.

“It just brings the community together and affords us opportunities we don’t have otherwise.”

The Holy Trinity Lutheran Church was also in attendance at the event selling desserts such as their famous molasses tongue cookies as well as their mini cheesecakes.

The Rev. Michael Frost said that although he had only been a part of the church for six and a half years, members of Holy Trinity had been attending the event for a long time. This year was no different, and business was as busy as ever, Frost said.

Despite the impact COVID-19 has had on worship services, he said the church was back to being in-person, with a Zoom option still available.

Frost said the money raised from the event would go toward the church congregation, roof repairs at the church and the Family Promise organization.

“Every community needs that kind of annual morale boost and coming together where all of the organizations, churches, school groups, Scout groups, everybody gets a chance to be together to celebrate what we have in common here in Palmerton,” Frost said.

Bierman said they had enjoyed a lot of the festival food, including a blooming onion, bacon on a stick, cheesecake and pineapple with chocolate and sprinkles.

She also said that her son had braved the mechanical bull ride at the festival and that they were planning on playing more festival games after their lunch.

Bierman said she and her family attended the festival yearly with the exception of last year.

Her favorite part was eating all of the delicious food and interacting with the community. Cacace said her favorite part was seeing friends.

Bierman said she enjoyed the event and hoped to attend again next year as well.

“We hope they keep having it and we’ll keep coming and enjoying it,” Bierman said.

Chairwoman Susie Arner said organizers couldn’t have asked for a finer outcome.

“Everything was fabulous, from the weather to the attendance to the food, the entertainment,” Arner said. “It was a great event with great volunteers, great supporters; we couldn’t have asked for better.”

Arner said attendance was at a feverish rate throughout the event.

“By the size of the crowds in the entertainment area, and continued crowds on the walkways, it was obviously one of the larger crowds that we’ve had over the past five years.”

While there were a multitude of highlights, the rededication ceremony for the newly renovated bandstand on Saturday was chief among them.

Terry Ahner contributed to this report.