Tamaqua’s Summerfest won’t be held on West Broad Street as it has for years.

The annual street fair organized each Father’s Day by the Tamaqua Historical Society will be moved to South Railroad Street.

The change should help with accessibility issues that were aired last year, but will mean that a car show won’t happen in conjunction with the June 16 event.

“What we decided, starting this year, is we will not close down West Broad Street. We will reconstruct everything on South Railroad,” explained Dale Freudenberger, society president.

Despite the move, train rides will be held from the historic Tamaqua Train Station, which will be open for the event. The society’s museum and annex, Hegarty Blacksmith Shop, Tamaqua Train Station, Tamaqua Anthracite Model Train Club, Tamaqua Public Library, Tink’s Antiques and many restaurants and shops will open their doors as they have for past festivals.

Freudenberger noted that South Railroad Street will be closed between West Broad and Spruce streets to host the event.

“All the crafters and street vendors will be assigned spaces all along South Railroad Street,” he said. “The food vendors will be mixed in as well. They’ll be in the street, people can walk down the center of the street because there will be no vehicular traffic.”

Freudenberger said all vendors who participated in the past will be invited.

“We’re not cutting back on the vendors,” he said. “We will be able to accommodate everyone we had before as a crafter and vendor.”

Amusement games, giant slide, bounce house and kiddie train ride will also return. Polka Joe Manjack of WMGH will broadcast live from the event, where attendees will also be entertained by a host of strolling entertainers, including Buster the Clown.

Freudenberger noted that vendors will park at the St. Luke’s Hometown Primary Care lot at 34 S. Railroad St., the site usually reserved for the festival’s car show.

“We will not have the car show due to limited room with this new format, but may create a separate event with the car show at a later date,” Freudenberger said.

The new setup will also impact the Tamaqua Heritage Festival, which is held on the second Sunday of October.

Registration forms and a letter explaining the change will be sent out to all crafters, street merchants and vendors in the coming weeks.

Freudenberger said everyone who has participated in the past is welcome and will receive a registration form. For more information, email dalefreud@gmail.com.

The festival site change was made to address accessibility and overcrowding concerns voiced by a resident last year. With vendors setting up on West Broad Street sidewalks and parking on the street, the resident said navigating the festival in a wheelchair is difficult or impossible.

The society had planned to ask the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation for permission to close Broad Street, which is also state Route 209, for future Summerfests and Tamaqua Heritage festivals.

“I can’t do as much as I used to and we are looking to make things easier. For those reasons, and personal and health reasons, we will not be on West Broad Street,” Freudenberger said.