{"id":182266,"date":"2026-05-02T17:45:12","date_gmt":"2026-05-02T17:45:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/182266\/"},"modified":"2026-05-02T17:45:12","modified_gmt":"2026-05-02T17:45:12","slug":"55th-annual-west-pittston-cherry-blossom-festival-kicks-off-wilkes-barre-citizens-voice","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/182266\/","title":{"rendered":"55th annual West Pittston Cherry Blossom Festival kicks off \u2013 Wilkes-Barre Citizens&#8217; Voice"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>The\u00a055th annual West Pittston Cherry Blossom Festival kicked off Saturday morning under blue skies as area residents set out to celebrate spring.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThere\u2019s a lot of craft vendors, seven food trucks, face-painting for the kids. There are tons of kids games,\u201d said Lori DeAngelo, president of the festival.\u00a0\u201cWe\u2019re just doing a lot of good things.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The first day of the festival began with the Cherry Blossom Parade at 11 a.m., followed by an opening ceremony. The entertainment continues Sunday starting with a performance by musical act Flaxy Morgan at 11:30 a.m. followed by the Little Miss Cherry Blossom contest at 12:15 p.m.<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Adam, left, 4, and Aberdeen Lowe, 8, both of West...\" class=\"size-article_inline\"   src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/CVC-L-WPCHERRYBLOSSOM-0503-2.jpg\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Adam, left, 4, and Aberdeen Lowe, 8, both of West Pittston, pick up candy during the West Pittston Cherry Blossom Festival Parade on Saturday, May 2, 2026. (JASON ARDAN \/ STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)\n<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Attendees browse the many vendors at the West Pittston Cherry...\" class=\"lazyload size-article_inline\" data- src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/CVC-L-WPCHERRYBLOSSOM-0503-6.jpg?w=620\"  bad-src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/CVC-L-WPCHERRYBLOSSOM-0503-6.jpg\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Attendees browse the many vendors at the West Pittston Cherry Blossom Festival on Saturday, May 2, 2026. (JASON ARDAN \/ STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)\n<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Attendees browse the many vendors at the West Pittston Cherry...\" class=\"lazyload size-article_inline\" data- src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/CVC-L-WPCHERRYBLOSSOM-0503-7.jpg?w=620\"  bad-src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/CVC-L-WPCHERRYBLOSSOM-0503-7.jpg\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Attendees browse the many vendors at the West Pittston Cherry Blossom Festival on Saturday, May 2, 2026. (JASON ARDAN \/ STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)\n<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Pa. State Rep. Jim Haddock tosses out candy to attendees...\" class=\"lazyload size-article_inline\" data- src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/CVC-L-WPCHERRYBLOSSOM-0503-5.jpg?w=620\"  bad-src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/CVC-L-WPCHERRYBLOSSOM-0503-5.jpg\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Pa. State Rep. Jim Haddock tosses out candy to attendees of the West Pittston Cherry Blossom Festival Parade on Saturday, May 2, 2026. (JASON ARDAN \/ STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)\n<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Cooper, left, and Lincoln Feist, 2, of Wyoming, enjoy a...\" class=\"lazyload size-article_inline\" data- src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/CVC-L-WPCHERRYBLOSSOM-0503-8.jpg?w=620\"  bad-src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/CVC-L-WPCHERRYBLOSSOM-0503-8.jpg\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Cooper, left, and Lincoln Feist, 2, of Wyoming, enjoy a corn dog during the West Pittston Cherry Blossom Festival on Saturday, May 2, 2026. (JASON ARDAN \/ STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)\n<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Members of The Young Thunder hand out flowers during the...\" class=\"lazyload size-article_inline\" data- src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/CVC-L-WPCHERRYBLOSSOM-0503-3.jpg?w=620\"  bad-src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/CVC-L-WPCHERRYBLOSSOM-0503-3.jpg\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Members of The Young Thunder hand out flowers during the West Pittston Cherry Blossom Festival Parade on Saturday, May 2, 2026. (JASON ARDAN \/ STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)\n<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"The Wyoming Area Marching Band performs in the West Pittston...\" class=\"lazyload size-article_inline\" data- src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/CVC-L-WPCHERRYBLOSSOM-0503-1-1.jpg?w=620\"  bad-src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/CVC-L-WPCHERRYBLOSSOM-0503-1-1.jpg\"\/><\/p>\n<p>The Wyoming Area Marching Band performs in the West Pittston Cherry Blossom Festival Parade on Saturday, May 2, 2026. (JASON ARDAN \/ STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)\n<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"Attendees fill Susquehanna Ave. for the West Pittston Cherry Blossom...\" class=\"lazyload size-article_inline\" data- src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/CVC-L-WPCHERRYBLOSSOM-0503-9.jpg?w=620\"  bad-src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/CVC-L-WPCHERRYBLOSSOM-0503-9.jpg\"\/><\/p>\n<p>Attendees fill Susquehanna Ave. for the West Pittston Cherry Blossom Festival on Saturday, May 2, 2026. (JASON ARDAN \/ STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)\n<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" alt=\"The Cino Paci Band performs in the West Pittston Cherry...\" class=\"lazyload size-article_inline\" data- src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/CVC-L-WPCHERRYBLOSSOM-0503-4.jpg?w=620\"  bad-src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/CVC-L-WPCHERRYBLOSSOM-0503-4.jpg\"\/><\/p>\n<p>The Cino Paci Band performs in the West Pittston Cherry Blossom Festival Parade on Saturday, May 2, 2026. (JASON ARDAN \/ STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)\n<\/p>\n<p>Show Caption<\/p>\n<p>1 of 9<\/p>\n<p>Adam, left, 4, and Aberdeen Lowe, 8, both of West Pittston, pick up candy during the West Pittston Cherry Blossom Festival Parade on Saturday, May 2, 2026. (JASON ARDAN \/ STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)\n<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"#\" class=\"icon-enlarge mng-gallery-fullscreen-expand\" aria-label=\"Expand fullscreen slideshow\">Expand<\/a><\/p>\n<p>Lisa Jones, who was working at the stand for Gouldsboro-based Sherri\u2019s Crab Cakes on Saturday, said she was looking forward to a good turnout.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe do this event every year,\u201d Jones said. \u201cIt\u2019s nice weather, so we\u2019re hoping for a good crowd.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Sandy Murphy, of Murphy\u2019s Bee Farm in Newton Twp., was setting up a variety of honeys, including the farm\u2019s popular hot honey, along with skin cream and chapstick products made from beeswax.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWe\u2019ve been doing this probably six or seven years,\u201d Murphy said. \u201cIt\u2019s always been a great festival. Everybody\u2019s so kind, and the music\u2019s great \u2014 the entertainment. We have a great time.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>This year, a special bike raffle is taking place to help raise money for the memorial fund for Raeann Rose Merlino, a 10-year-old West Pittston resident who died of flu complications.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAll of the proceeds from that will go to Raeann\u2019s memorial fund,\u201d DeAngelo said.<\/p>\n<p>Festival organizers were also paying tribute this year to grand marshals Sam and Mary Ann Polit, whose land has played host to the event for decades.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThey\u2019ve been graciously letting us have this festival on their land for 55 years or more,\u201d DeAngelo said, noting that while the festival will continue, the location may change.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThis may be our last year on these grounds, because West Pittston did acquire some land up the road that they\u2019re thinking we could move the festival to because it\u2019s a bigger space,\u201d she said. \u201cSo this might be bittersweet. We\u2019re not sure yet, but this could be the last time it\u2019s here.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>The festival concludes at 6 p.m. Sunday.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The\u00a055th annual West Pittston Cherry Blossom Festival kicked off Saturday morning under blue skies as area residents set&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":182267,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[15],"tags":[182,803,28,178,180,179],"class_list":["post-182266","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-scranton","tag-local-news","tag-luzerne-county","tag-pennsylvania","tag-scranton","tag-scranton-headlines","tag-scranton-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/182266","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=182266"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/182266\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/182267"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=182266"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=182266"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=182266"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}