The 17th Annual Heritage Festival was Saturday at Mauch Chunk Lake Park and celebrated all that the area has to offer.

Starting at 10 a.m. and lasting well into the evening, the event offered the public a delightful experience filled with entertainment from a diverse range of bluegrass bands, mouthwatering food options, and an array of craft and gift vendors.

“The Heritage Festival is to celebrate the area’s anthracite history,” according to Missy Miller, Mauch Chunk Lake Park. “Funds raised will be used toward maintaining the park.”

Vince Hydro was present with several of the self-published books on the history of the local area. Hydro is working on a new book on anthracite, to be released at a later date.

Keri Gallagher, secretary of the Jim Thorpe Lions Club, was helping with the table set up by the club, one of the many tents and tables at the festival.

“We are at Heritage Fest selling 50/50 tickets, our Fall Raffle tickets, and we have games set up for the kids with prizes,” Gallagher explained.

There was plenty of foods and snack options for visitors to choose from including Tommy’s, J Rads Wood Fired Pizza, Nesquehoning Boy Scout Troop 209, Pop Pop’s Kettle Corn, Bright Path, Carbon County Veterans Parade Committee, plus other foods such as roasted sweet corn, Hawaiian Shave Ice, iced tea, and lemonade.

Entertainment included bluegrass music by Fiddle Tamers, Pat McGeehan and the Pocono Pickers, Texas Rose, Serene Green, Wood Flower, and Free Range Folk.

The annual Heritage Festival was started as part of the late Frederick “Ricky” Johnson’s love for music.

Johnson, who passed away in 2012, worked as the park’s site manager and came up with the idea for a bluegrass and folk music festival with Pat McGeehan