Hazleton, PA (1984)
This article from the Standard Speaker was published 40 years ago today. It describes the sixth annual Funfest street fair which began in 1979 and continued to be held in downtown Hazleton on the weekend after Labor Day every year until its cancellation in 2020 due to the Covid-19 pandemic. It has not returned since the pandemic ended.
I was four years old during Funfest '84. I remember watching the parade with my parents and grandparents, but I don't think that my grandfather took any pictures that day. This video of the Funfest Parade on Broad Street on September 9th of that year was recently shared by Rotogravure.
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| Standard Speaker - Hazleton, PA (September 8, 1984) |
This giant Philly Phanatic balloon stood at the intersection of Broad and Laurel Street during Funfest '84. It was three stories tall and 45 feet in diameter.
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| Standard Speaker - Hazleton, PA (September 10, 1984) |
The above clipping is the continuation of the story by Natalie Purak at the top of the page. The clippings below appeared in the Standard Speaker on September 8th and 10th.
