Lansford welcomed the fall season on Saturday with a fun-filled day in the borough.

The ninth annual Fall Festival was held on Ridge Street and featured live music, pumpkin painting, baked goods, an assortment of food including hamburgers and homemade soup, a car show, craft vendors and plenty of socializing.

Hundreds of people filled the three-block area for the all-day festival that was co-sponsored by Lansford Alive and Grace Community Church.

Many of the vendors utilized fall themes. Delacruz Delites of Coaldale was among those that made their debut at the yearly event, bringing a large assortment of homemade baked goods that included pumpkin bread, pumpkin cupcakes, apple turnovers and the usual baked fare. The Panther Valley Elementary PTO had a bake sale in addition to selling seasonal candles.

Andrea Delacruz, owner of Delacruz Delites, said, “I like it here. It’s very crowded and I’m sure I’ll be back next year. It’s a nice festival.”

Jennifer Staines, a member of Lansford Alive, said of the large patronage throughout the all-afternoon event, “It’s an amazing turnout. A lot of people are coming out. There’s a lot of variety; some things we didn’t have last year.”

She said there were several new vendors in addition to returning ones.

Lansford Alive provided free pumpkins to youngsters for painting. Joe Stemetski of Lansford Alive said about 100 pumpkins were available for decorating. The children were permitted to take the pumpkins home.

Staines said the great weather - sunny skies and temperatures in the upper 60s - contributed to the attendance.

Other activities for youngsters included a 40-foot bounce house and face painting.

The car show was staged by members of the Jukebox Cruisers Car Club, based in Jim Thorpe.

The cruise featured an array of vehicles, ranging from a 1947 Plymouth to a new Corvette. BelAirs, Camaros, Studebakers and off-road vehicles were all among the models shown.

Visitors admired the flawless shine on the vehicles, the pristine clean engine compartments and the immaculate interiors.

All the entertainers had crowds of people watching their performances, with the bandstand set up in front of Grace Community Church.

The musicians included the Grace Community Church Band, Reilly Bauer, Joe Krushinsky (recalling Elvis), Angela Nardini, The Local Boys and The Villagers polka band. People sang along with the Local Boys who played a variety of classic hits. The Villagers have been playing together for decades and attract fans no matter where they play.

Marj Jenkins of Pottsville said she was impressed with the festival. “This is great for a little town,” she said. “I came to see some old friends and was pleasantly surprised by all the food and the great music that they had. I loved hearing the Villagers playing that coal-region polka music.”

There was a food tent selling hamburgers and hot dogs, and further down the road American Legion members were also selling burgers made on grills in front of the post. T-shirts, perfumes, decorative license plates and fall-themed decorations were among the items sold by vendors.

The Lansford Police Department also participated in the festival.