The 35th annual Palmerton Community Festival had stellar attendance, with several vendors having sold out of their products by midday Sunday.

After a sea of spectators swarmed the borough park on opening night Friday, a solid turnout ensued on both Saturday and Sunday.

“Saturday, although Mother Nature tried to put a monkey wrench into things, the sun popped out and the night was absolutely awesome,” said Susie Arner, president and co-chair of the festival. “Everybody was able to get out and show their community support.”

Known perhaps just as much for its popular musical performances as its food selections, Arner noted there was “lots of great feedback on the new entertainment.”

“They really liked having different entertainers that they can’t see at other local events,” she said. “But they also greatly enjoyed the old standbys of the local bands.”

There were also plenty of critiques on the food, as many spectators commented on wide assortment of foods to choose from, Arner said.

“We saw lots of people eating and eating and eating, long lines,” said Arner, who cited taco salads, potato pancakes and empanadas, along with Caribbean Noodles among some of the crowd favorites.

“A few of the vendors sold out midday Sunday, which was definitely a plus,” she said. “And those who still had food at the end told me that their sales were higher compared to some of our previous years.”

While Friday was most definitely the busiest of the three-day event, Saturday and Sunday also held their own, Arner said.

“Saturday night was great,” she said. “Sunday was great early in day; once the temperatures went down, the cool temps and the first full day of school (today in the Palmerton Area School District) sent families home earlier than it would have otherwise if it was warmer.”

A minor glitch Arner pointed out was the presence of pets in the borough park.

“One thing I can never reinforce enough is absolutely no pets in the park; that is truly just a safety issue for everyone in attendance,” she said. “We are not trying to be unreasonable, but we are stressing that because of all the safety hazards it can bring.”

Arner said all the vendors who were a part of this year’s festival will be invited back again for next year’s event.

“Anyone interested in being a vendor, we will consider nonprofit groups first, and fill in any spots that become available,” she said. “We are always open to new entertainment, and any request to be an entertainer can send their material to our (Palmerton Festival Corp) P.O. Box 266 (Palmerton, PA 18071 address).

Arner said the fortunes of this year’s event wouldn’t be possible if not for the efforts of many.

“Everyone in the community should take a look around and see what those participating groups do throughout the year,” she said. “And they’ll understand how valuable it is to support the festival overall because of the work that you see these groups doing out in the community until the festival comes around again.”