Hello everyone!

The month of June is absolutely jam-packed with big events in Luzerne County, and things kick off on June 5-7 with the return of the annual Wilkes-Barre Cavalcade of Jazz. The event honors and recognizes the fact that the very first jazz festival in the United States, ever, was held in Wilkes-Barre exactly 75 years ago. The Cavalcade begins on Friday night with an opening ceremony and musical event at The F.M. Kirby Center and will feature a live performance by the Indigo Brass Band. Later that night, you can also catch jazz at multiple venues throughout downtown Wilkes-Barre. And on Saturday, the Bill Frisell Trio headlines the Cavalcade with a show at The Kirby. For complete details, visit wilkesbarrecavalcadeofjazz.org

On June 12-13, it’s the 12th Annual Edwardsville Pierogi Festival, which of course will offer lots of different types of pierogis, plenty of other food options, craft vendors, live music, carnival rides, and fireworks. On Saturday, our Executive Director, Alan Stout, will once again be serving as one of the judges at the big “Pierogi Cookoff.” (And we know they never have to twist his arm too much to get him to do that.) May the finest pierogis win!

On June 19, a Juneteenth Block Party will be held on Public Square in Wilkes-Barre, which will commemorate the official end of slavery in the United States and the final enforcements of the Emancipation Proclamation. “Support Community. Celebrate Culture. Build Legacy” is the motto of the Juneteenth event. On June 20 and 21, Eckley Miners’ Village will host its annual Patchtown Days, which features hands-on history, handmade crafts, live music, trade demonstrations, reenactments, and more. And on June 20, America250PA brings its huge “Commonwealth Concert Series” to Wilkes-Barre’s Kirby Park. The free show will feature performances by country giants Lady A and pop/R&B icons En Vogue. Tickets are free through www.america250PA.org. Visit Luzerne County is a proud sponsor of the Juneteenth event, Patchtown Days, and the Commonwealth Concert Series.

On June 26-28, the annual Riverfest will once again celebrate the beauty of the Susquehanna River. The event, which is presented by the Riverfront Parks Committee and takes place at Nesbitt Park, features vendor tables, food, live music and opportunities to kayak on the Susquehanna. And, also on June 28, the annual PrideFest parade and celebration will take place along South Main Street and on Wilkes-Barre’s Public Square. The event celebrates the pride, rights and freedoms of the LGBTQ community and, we feel, helps demonstrate that Luzerne County is a safe and welcoming place for everyone. We are a proud sponsor of both Riverfest and PrideFest.

In addition to the Cavalcade of Jazz, the fabulous F.M. Kirby Center has nine other events on tap this month, including The Indigo Girls on June 7 and the critically acclaimed “Agnes” flood documentary on June 24. At Mohegan Pennsylvania, every Thursday, you can catch “Party On The Patio,” and this month, they’ve got tribute acts to Elton John, AC/DC, Bon Jovi and Zac Brown.

Up for some great regional-rivalry baseball? Our own Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders, the Triple-A affiliate of the New York Yankees, have seven home games in June, including a big homestand with the Lehigh Valley Iron Pigs, the Triple-A affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies. Considering Northeastern Pennsylvania is full of both Yankees and Phillies fans, those games should pack PNC Field.

And finally, we’d be remiss if we didn’t welcome the tens of thousands of NASCAR fans that will be pouring into Northeastern Pennsylvania on June 12, 13 and 14 for what is affectionately known as “Race Weekend.” It’s time for The Great American Getaway 400 at the Pocono Raceway, which takes place at nearby Long Pond, and Luzerne County’s hotels are always full for this huge sporting event. Welcome, everyone!

Enjoy!

Alan, Sheena, Kyle, Gaye, and David

Click on the cover to get your 2026-2027 Visitors Guide!

Click on the images for more details and information.

For a list of all events going on in June, visit the events calendar on our website. Click the picture above for more information.