Plymouth Alive Kielbasa Festival marking 20th year of good food and fun

Aug. 9—PLYMOUTH — The 20th annual Kielbasa Festival, which starts today and continues into Saturday, will not only be a celebration of two decades of the iconic event, but a celebration of Plymouth's past as well, according to Alexis Eroh, president of Plymouth Alive.

"There will be plenty of traditional Polish foods to celebrate our heritage, but also the essential Polka bands playing on the main stage as well as in the parade," Eroh said. "The festival would not happen without the assistance of the dedicated group of volunteers from Plymouth Alive. All of our members have been working tirelessly since last year to plan this event, bringing their ideas and creativity to each meeting and collaborating on how we can improve and evolve."

Eroh said the Plymouth Alive Board of Directors — John Z. Thomas, Janet Dixon and Adam Morehart — have been leading and troubleshooting with her every step of the way.

"We are a fun group who loves this town and we hope that others will see that dedication reflected in the festival," Eroh said. "This past May we took a group trip to the Shenandoah Kielbasa Festival to network with their organizers, vendors and businesses. Since January, our members visited every kielbasa maker in a 2-hour travel radius to introduce ourselves and invite them to the festival in a effort we nicknamed 'Operation Fresh Links.'"

Eroh said the festival efforts expand past the committee's 25-plus members and into the borough with all of Council, Mayor Frank Coughlin, the Police Department, the Department of Public Works and all three fire companies providing invaluable support in the lead-up to the festival.

"Each of these groups has gone above and beyond to help us put on a great festival and they have all let me know that they are here to support us and will help however they can," Eroh said. "It will be a safe event with the full Police Department scheduled for the weekend. We cannot thank them enough for keeping the event and parade secure. All three fire departments will be present at the festival. Plymouth Fire Company No. 1 runs a First Aid Station centrally located next to the Dollar General."

Eroh said the vendors are all scheduled and excited for the festival and the organizers are happy to have them.

"New vendors keep coming in past the deadline, so we are now at 100!" Eroh said. "We are all crossing our fingers that we have nice weather and all vendors have a successful year."

Eroh said the bands feature returning favorites and some new ones by request.

"Wear your cowboy hats on Friday night," Eroh said. "We have had many requests in previous years for country bands so 'Lost at the Rodeo' will be headlining Friday night 9 p.m. to 11 p.m., following Eddie Day & TNT. Saturday night features two returning crowd favorites, Shaken at 6:30 p.m. (an Eddie Money tribute Band) and The Lance Thomas Band. We appreciate all our entertainment for the weekend"

As always, Eroh said the Plymouth Alive crew will be located by the bandshell in the center of town selling raffle tickets and T-Shirts to raise money for local causes. Shirts are $15 for XS-XL and $20 for 2XL and 3XL.

"Stop by and say hello to us," Eroh said. "We hope that everyone is able to enjoy the food and festivities with their friends and families as we continue on into the next 20 years!"

Eroh said the annual Kielbasa Festival is the marquee event for Plymouth Borough each summer. The festival starts Friday, Aug. 9, and and runs through Saturday, Aug. 10, and will feature 100 vendors, great food, great entertainment, a parade, a kielbasa contest and the first anniversary celebration of Mr. and Mrs. Kielbasa.

"Plymouth Alive is ready to welcome kielbasa lovers to town," Eroh said. "This will be a festival to remember."

She added, "The 100 vendors are a testament to the popularity of this festival and the support of the community."

Eroh went on to say that the Kielbasa Festival provides Plymouth the chance to show off its heritage, history and hospitality for two days each August.

"For many of the bars and businesses on Main Street, it is their busiest weekend of the year," Eroh said. "Our fire departments, churches and community organizations take advantage of the crowds to promote their fundraisers."

Eroh said the festival allows families to come out and enjoy Main Street, have some good food, listen to live music and spend some quality time together in August.

"For Plymouth Alive, the Kielbasa Festival is our opportunity to raise as much money as possible to support our community organizations for the entire year," she said.

"The festival is two short days in August, but has a lasting year-long effect for the Borough of Plymouth," Eroh added.

Reach Bill O'Boyle at 570-991-6118 or on Twitter @TLBillOBoyle.