City of Pittston Mayor Michael Lombardo, right, opened the 40th Annual Pittston Tomato Festival on Thursday evening at the festival’s main stage. Lombardo introduced his staff as well as tomato festival committee members, Grand Marshal Maria Capolarella-Montante, and Stew, the Pittston Tomato mascot.
Tony Callaio | For Times Leader
Four-day run continues through Sunday
Artist, designer, and creator of the latest art piece, a 12’ guitar, said he was honored and thrilled to be chosen to create the guitar for the City of Pittston.
Tony Callaio | For Times Leader
The guitar art piece titled ‘Some Strings Attached’ was unveiled with artist, designer, and creator of the piece Scott Nichols at the microphone, far right.
Tony Callaio | For Times Leader
2023 Grand Marshal Maria Capolarella-Montante noted she had been on the very first Tomato Festival Committee 40 years ago.
Tony Callaio | For Times Leader
PITTSTON — The 40th Pittston Tomato Festival got underway on Thursday evening with City of Pittston Mayor Michael Lombardo welcoming the crowd and unveiling the newest piece of art that was placed at the Zarra Building stage.
Lombardo introduced his staff as well as Tomato Festival volunteers. He later introduced the 2023 Grand Marshal Maria Capolarella-Montante.
He also introduced the team from T-Mobile who were partial contributors towards the new stage covering, lighting and sound system. In addition, T-Mobile also contributed to the newest art piece that stands at the end of the stage in the shape of a guitar manufactured out of steel.
“I’m very grateful that our staff is so tolerant and supportive of this event,” Lombardo said. “This year marks a great milestone with 40-years of the festival that my predecessor started this back in 1983.”
The mayor acknowledged Capolarella-Montante, a former city councilwoman who was active with Pittston Memorial Library, as well as other committees for Pittston.
Lombardo then placed the Grand Marshal sash on Capolarella-Montante, making the title official.
“I was here for the very first tomato festival, I was on that committee and there was such pride in our very, very first tomato festival.” Capolarella-Montante said. “I am very humble and proud to be named Grand Marshal of the parade. I told the mayor I’m an old-timer, I belong on the shelf. He said ‘no Maria, we cannot forget the people that came before us.’”
Capolarella-Montante went on to acknowledge the people that were responsible for making the City of Pittston great such as the garment workers, coal miners, factor workers, and railroaders.
“My projects always involved those kinds of things that makes me so proud to look back and make me realize how far we’ve come,” Capolarella-Montante added.
Lombardo also recognized Shannon Bonacci, Pittston City Redevelopment Authority deputy director, who did much of the heavy lifting in grant writing in securing the funds to build the $220,000 steel covering over the main stage.
“We are really proud of this stage and all the funding that T-Mobile brought this to life,” Bonacci said. “The stage did not have a cover before and the phase will be outfitting it with lighting and a full fledged sound system.”
Before Lombardo ended opening ceremonies, the new art piece in the shape of a guitar was unveiled with artist and creator Scott Nichols present.
Lombardo has labeled the guitar as “Some Strings Attached.”
“I’m so excited that this day has finally come,” Nichols said. “It’s been months since I received a text from the mayor asking if I could building a 12’ tall guitar. I didn’t know how on earth I could do such a think.”
Nichols said he sketched out the guitar and assembled it on the floor.
The guitar is topped with a red tomato with T-Mobil’s logo in the stem along with date the City of Pittston originated in the body of the guitar.
With the guitar being unveiled, Lombardo declared the 40th festival to begin.
About the Tomato Festival
Hours are: Friday: 3 p.m. to 11 p.m.; Saturday: 11 a.m. to 11 p.m.; Sunday: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Some of the highlights to watch for:
• New this year will be kiddie carnival rides being placed in the parking lot across from the Pittston Fire Hall. Adult carnival rides will remain at the top tier of the festival behind the Pittston Memorial Library.
• A new addition in 2023 is the $220,000 steel structure covering at the Tomato Festival middle tier stage located at the James Zarra Building that extends to cover the window/booths at the front of the building.
• For the 2023 Tomato Festival, there are 30 food vendors to choose from, with plenty of Italian foods as well as plenty of desserts including ice cream and rice pudding. There will be a large assortment of merchant vendors located at the lower and middle Tomato Festival lots for a over 60 food and merchant vendors.
• The Ultimate Tomato 5K will take place on Saturday at 10 a.m. Race check in and bib pick-up begins at 8 a.m. at the Tomato Festival lot in front of the bandshell. Late entry participants may register the morning of the race for the 5K, walk, and youth race.
• The 40th Tomato Festival Parade will step off at 11 a.m. Saturday. Parade lineups are asked to line up at 9:30 a.m. at the south end of the city. The parade route is approximately one mile long and will begin an south end of Pittston on Main Street and process through downtown and around to Kennedy Boulevard, ending on Dock Street.
• The tomato contest will be held at the committee stand on Saturday at 7 p.m. Drop off your tomato no later than Saturday at 5 p.m.
• The Little Miss & Mr. Tomato pageant for contestants ages 2 to 6 will take place on Sunday at 11 a.m. Check in/registration for participants will be 10:30 a.m. Fee is $5 per child. If you did not enter your child/children prior to the contest, feel free to do so by 10:30 a.m., the morning of the contest.
• Another new event for 2023: Hourigan, Kluger, and Quinn law firm will be donating 1,000 bicycle helmets on Sunday from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. through the HKQ Kids program.
