Hundreds of visitors packed a long-closed former amusement park for a glimpse of the old and a peek at the new.

The Nov. 2 open house of Catalpa Grove Event Venue at Lakewood Park, 26 Park Ave., Barnesville, attracted curiosity seekers who said they couldn’t get enough of the memories.

“I remember all of the rides,” said Mary Karpa of Tamaqua, on hand with husband Steve.

Most were there to recall 1970s glory days of the Bavarian Summer Festival. It ran for 15 years and was one of the largest events to hit the coal regions.

Beginning in 1969, the beer festival quickly grew to a 17-day event, drawing up to hundreds of thousands of visitors every year. Chartered buses brought visitors to Schuylkill County to take part in the German-themed celebration. At the park entrance off Route 54, buses were greeted by youngsters wearing German garb.

“If you lived in this region, the festival was part of life, including the traffic jams that came with it,” said Holly Everett of Hazleton.

For some, it was a matter of revisiting mental images of a glorious 54-acre destination, one that drew millions over its life span from 1916 to 1984. Vince Baiocco of Pottsville was happy to see the park again and refresh a few details in his memory.

“I thought the lake was farther back,” he noted.

The open house provided a day of nostalgia under bright autumn skies and a welcome to an all-new facility.

But what visitors discovered is that the Lakewood Park of old is gone.

Remaining are just some concrete foundations, a water tower, a few smaller block buildings, paved roads, and of course, valuable memories.

Taking the place of the amusement rides is brand-new creekside Catalpa Grove, erected by the Roth family after purchasing the property two years ago. Boasting landscaped gardens and 10-acre lake, the site is hosting weddings, parties, private gathering and corporate events.

It includes an outdoor fire pit, heated floors, indoor gas fireplace, stage and exclusive access via the main road to the park.

Owners Loren and Andrew Roth of Nescopeck said they intend to build cabins and develop the campground to include about 200 sites, maybe less. They said they don’t want it to be too congested, always mindful to protect nature and the history of the property.

Glory days.

For nearly 70 years, Lakewood was a popular regional destination to swim, picnic and camp. It became known as a nature retreat for nearby miners and their families, many of whom traveled by train to spend the day.

The park had it all — a fun house, “Dodge’Em” cars, and other thrilling amusement rides including a large wood-frame roller coaster. But there also was skating, big band dances, boxing matches, celebrations, political banquets and star-studded summer theater at Lakewood Musical Playhouse.

In fact, the place was a veritable home of the stars, featuring: Dick Clark, Frank Sinatra, Doris Day, Eva Gabor, Lawrence Welk, The Everly Brothers, Louis Armstrong, and many more. Guy Lombardo and his band played at Lakewood Park for 27 consecutive years. Rudy Vallee, Vaughn Monroe, and Paul Whiteman hosted live broadcasts from the ballroom.

Lakewood also boasted a 150-yard concrete pool, grand ballroom and hand-carved Spillman carousel. It was sold in 1984 and operates today at a Grand Rapids, Michigan, museum.

The Ryan Township park hosted heritage festivals for many ethnicities, including the longest-running ethnic festival in Pennsylvania, Lithuanian Day, from 1914-1984.

Many say the park’s luster from days gone by will never fade.

Meanwhile, the Roths are hoping the lure of nostalgia will continue to be a selling point for their new and exciting venue.

For more information: 570-285-8026.