PLYMOUTH, Pa. — The 17th annual Plymouth Kielbasa Festival is returning to Luzerne County this weekend after a year away due to the pandemic.
Tents and food trucks are lining Main Street again at the 2021 Plymouth Kielbasa Festival, an event that didn't happen last year because of the pandemic.
"Oh, it was depressing, yes. We were like, 'Oh, there's not a kielbasi fest.' But I'm glad it's back this year, and we're having a good time," Elaine Schovert said.
Schovert is originally from Plymouth but came to this year's festival from her home in Harding. She stopped at Glen Lyon Bros. with her grandson to pick up some smoked kielbasa sticks.
"You have to try every stand, but this is my favorite."
Some opted for cool refreshment on a hot summer day, waiting in line for lemonade. Kids were transformed over at the face painting booth.
Barbara and Joe Staum drove an hour to get to the festival, but it would've been shorter had they not made a few wrong turns.
"We're looking at the GPS, and I said, 'uh oh.' We went for a circle ride around somewhere, and we came back on the right road, and here we are."
The couple made it to Plymouth as planned with help from Joe's nose for perogies. He insisted this was just his first stop.
"I'm going to get some kielbasi too. Delicious."
There's a new option for festival-goers this year; Slate Belt Butchery opened up in Saylorsburg during the pandemic and is slinging sausages. It's the company's first event.
"As soon as we started selling, people were coming up to her stand buying our stuff. Our Philly cheesesteak sausage is a real big hit, so people have been coming by left and right buying it," said co-owner Scott Carey.
Carey grew up in Wilkes-Barre and knows locals can't resist the kielbasa.
"It's so ingrained locally here. People grew up having it. It's Pennsylvania Dutch, it's a coal miner food, and I think it just brings back a lot of nostalgia."
There's still a lot happening in Plymouth. There's live music planned, weather permitting, and of course, the food stands will be open, cooking up some delicious options throughout the evening.