STROUDSBURG, Pa. – With four music stages, 170 vendors, and mountains of food, Stroudfest will attract more than 20,000 people this year.
Stroudfest organizer Sarah Collier calls it one of the best family attractions in the Poconos.
“I think it really brings everybody together. Everybody knows that when Labor Day weekend is coming around, that means StroudFest is coming as well,” Collier said.
But last weekend, hundreds gathered for a different reason. It caused the borough to declare a state of emergency that temporarily banned large gatherings between 10 p.m. and 5 a.m.
A blue Corvette was recorded doing donuts. The car was reported stolen from a car dealership in Rhode Island and was later found abandoned in New Jersey. Days later, the skid marks were still visible in the street.
“It was horrifying, and I was embarrassed for the people involved, and I hope that something like that never happens again. It’s youthful exuberance, and I wish people would think before they act,” said Mayor Ellen Currie.
“We’ve also been working very closely with Stroud Regional and the borough. We also have our own security team as well, so there will be a presence, and we are working on keeping everything safe,” Collier said.
The Mayor called the ban a temporary measure to get things back to normal, and because the ban on large gatherings was only for the overnight hours and has now expired, Collier says Stroudfest 2026 is a go!
“We’re getting some local people, but we also get people from out of town. It’s really good exposure for Stroudsburg,” Collier said.
StroudFest runs Saturday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., in the heart of downtown.