Come One, Come All to a Church Bazaar!

Every summer in Northeastern Pennsylvania, hundreds of residents flock to church grounds and put down their money for luck games, games of skill, mouth watering food and drinks, flea markets, and a variety of other activities. However, this isn't just an assortment of activities one can find across the Wyoming Valley. All these activities come together to contribute to the success of our traditional church bazaars.

Similar to a carnival, bazaars are held by different churches across the Valley as a way to raise money for their congregation. In order to put together a successful bazaar, church volunteers run different food stands, game booths, and even recruit local bands. All of this draws large crowds and keeps people wanting more. Some residents even tour different bazaars around the region and rank the best ones. Their personal opinions are based on the quality of food and other activities going on.

Among the traditional bazaar food are pierogies, funnel cakes, pizza, French fries, and snow cones. In order to purchase food, you normally go to a separate booth and purchase tickets to redeem for your food. Each food selection has a different price you pay for the tickets (for example, soda may cost $1.00 worth of tickets) and then you go to the stands and hand them in. Some festivals even feature a beer tent, which of course is only for those over 21 years of age.

Once you are done enjoying the food, you can take in many different games. Here is a breakdown of some of the most popular ones:

Instant Bingo: When you pay to play Instant Bingo, you are hoping to get lucky from a random process: You get to draw a certain number of tickets based on how much you pay. Open up your tickets and hope that the number ends in "00". If it does you are a winner. Some stands will have different prizes corresponding with each number (a prize if you get 100, a prize if you draw 200, etc.) while at others you will get to pick what you win.

Bingo: Self-explanatory. Bingo prizes can either be cash prizes or different door prizes such as household items.

Gift basket lottery: Sometimes bazaars will have different gift baskets available for you to enter and win. The baskets usually have a theme for them. Some of the themes include a movie package, lottery tickets, cash baskets, and a picnic theme. You will buy a strip of tickets in a set amount, fill out your tickets, and then put them in the container next to the basket you're hoping to win. If you are selected as a winner, you will find out within the next couple days.

Wheel games: When you go to a wheel game, you have to put your money on a space on a table that corresponds to a number on a wheel. Sometimes the winner will win something such as a stuffed animal; other times they are playing a cash wheel and win whatever amount of money is on their space. Again, you have to be lucky to win a prize but they are still fun to play.

There are also different games for kids, such as picking a duck from a pond with a number or colored dot on the bottom. The marking on the bottom corresponds to whatever prize they receive. There is also a lollipop tree that is similar to a duck pond game.

Some churches will even book local talent for their festivals. Local bands of all kinds cater to the crowds, including polka, jazz, and cover bands. People can either take a seat to enjoy the music or they can dance along (with a partner or solo.). These bands play in an outdoor stage set up called the band shell and you can even hear their entertainment while walking around the bazaar.

No matter what your age group, you will be sure to find fun if you are from Northeastern PA and choose to attend one of the many bazaars happening this summer. Bazaars are a place to try new foods, press your luck, and listen to talented musicians. Some people even meet up with old friends or spend more time with their families. It all comes down to having an unforgettable time and giving your money to a good cause.