JESSUP, Pa. — Thousands of people typically take to the streets in Lackawanna County for Memorial Day weekend for the annual St. Ubaldo Day festivities.
For the second year in a row, it was canceled due to the pandemic.
However, that did not stop the St. Ubaldo Society in Jessup from celebrating all together.
The festival has been held in conjunction with one in Gubbio, Italy, since 1909. The Italian Festival was first started in the 1100s.
The annual Race of the Saints took place on a much smaller scale on Saturday.
Organizers brought the life-size St. Ubaldo statue for a spin around the borough.
"Everybody looks forward to doing this every year. You know, the last two years we weren't able to do it because of the pandemic but just to have people here, and the passion, and the love that they have for the day and to be part of this that we, this thing that we have in two parts of the world, Gubbio Italy and Jessup Pennsylvania, it's just a great honor and a great feeling," said Scott Hall, president of the St. Ubaldo Society.
A virtual St. Ubaldo Day Mass was also streamed on Facebook for the devout in this part of Lackawanna County.