A signature attraction in Walnutport known for celebrating its heritage is set to host its final go-round.

The 42nd annual Walnutport Canal Festival will take place from noon to 5 p.m. Oct. 15, rain or shine.

This will mark the final year for the event, according to festival event coordinator Jeanne Boehrer.

“We have a committee, and we had talked about how difficult it is to make an event this large because we don’t have the manpower,” Boehrer said. “We are a core group of 10 or 12 of us, and we’re just all aging, and we don’t have set up people and people that consistently volunteer; the ones we have had consistently, they are aging the same way we are.

Boehrer added, “It’s a lot of hours of putting it out, running it for the day and tearing it down. We’re all just aging, and we just don’t have the manpower.

“It’s not just us; we stewed about it that ‘should we make this the last one’. We’ve just determined we can’t.

“Everybody is kind of in the same boat,” she said. “That it everybody.”

While it may be on its way out, the festival promises to have something for everyone.

In addition to the various crafters along the towpath, Boehrer said there will be the horse-drawn wagon, a chain saw artist, cakewalk, Seeing Eye Puppy Club, churches, Boy Scouts, Slatington Public Library, the Women’s Club of Slatington, the Lehigh Township Lioness Club, Calliope (musical organ), Lehigh Valley Brass Band, Cub Scout group, and Diamond Fire Company.

“We will have all the nonprofits,” she said. “We would love to have the people come out, see us one last time, come out and have a good time.”

Boehrer noted the event is bittersweet.

“How do you just put 43 years to the side, how do you just stop it; we don’t know anything different,” she said. “It’s just unfortunate that this is the way that life is; people work two jobs, people commute, people have children, it’s sad.

“It’s 43 years of a lot of history and a lot of memories; people always looked forward to it,” she said. “I’m sad to see it go.”

However, while the festival may soon be a thing of the past, the Walnutport Canal Association will remain, Boehrer assured.

“We are not disbanding, we are not closing down,” she said. “We will have events every single month next year; maybe one month we’ll have a band play, we’re going to have a basket auction, we have thoughts.

“It’s not like we’re disbanding; we just can’t throw a big event such as a festival. Next year, we might have food trucks, that kind of stuff; we just realized maybe it’s easier for us to have some small events rather than one big event.”

Boehrer stressed the Walnutport Canal Association is still an active group that is looking for new members and new ideas.

She said anyone with ideas may send them to the Walnutport Canal Association, or contact her at 484-201-1732.