LUZERNE — If the young artists in your family enjoy visiting downtown Luzerne each year, picking up a pumpkin and crafting a fanciful design, don’t worry.

The Luzerne Merchants Association is prepared with more than 400 pumpkins, spokeswoman Kamri Jacobs said, and children are invited to get creative with the orange pumpkin flesh during LUZERNEFEST, which will take over much of the borough’s Main Street Sept. 17-18.

But the annual event, which last year was known as the 20th annual Luzerne Merchants Association Fall Pumpkin Festival, has a new name for 2016 and an added focus.

“We’re really excited about some live music this year,” Jacobs said, noting the local band Half Dollar will perform from 2 to 4 p.m. Sept. 17 in the parking lot of the Coal City Tavern. “They’re a newer band, a soul rock groove alternative band.”

Mother Nature’s Sons will bring the sound of rock and classic rock to the same space from 3 to 5 p.m. Sept. 18.

“I can’t remember the last time there were live bands here,” Jacobs said. “We are really pumped for this.”

Other highlights of the festival are a parade that begins at 11 a.m. Sept. 17 along Main and Bennett streets and a performance by the Joan Harris Dancers at 12:30 p.m. Sept. 17.

Such family-friendly activities as horse and buggy rides, pony rides, balloon art and face painting will be available and, on the agenda once more, more than 50 vendors are expected to offer food, art, jewelry and crafts.

“The entire street will be filled with vendors,” said Jacobs, who works at Nucleus Raw Foods, adding the brick-and-mortar businesses will have their doors open.

“Main Street in Luzerne gives you some awesome choices in food and art,” she said. “You’ll come back and say, ‘Wow. Main Street is really cool.’ “

Festival hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sept. 17 and noon to 5 p.m. Sept. 18 in downtown Luzerne.

Zoey Sutzko, 5, of Dallas holds a pumpkin she decorated during the 2015 festival in Luzerne. This year’s festival sports a new name — LUZERNEFEST — and live music, but will have pumpkin decorating and other family-oriented activities.
http://www.theweekender.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/web1_luzernefest.jpg.optimal.jpgZoey Sutzko, 5, of Dallas holds a pumpkin she decorated during the 2015 festival in Luzerne. This year’s festival sports a new name — LUZERNEFEST — and live music, but will have pumpkin decorating and other family-oriented activities. Pete G. Wilcox | Times Leader

By Mary Therese Biebel

mbiebel@timesleader.com

Reach Mary Therese Biebel at 570-991-6109 or on Twitter @BiebelMT