Ethnic Celebrations
Top Photo
Lithuanian Day Lakewood Park, c. 1927
By 1919, the Lithuanian immigrants to the coal region were so numerous that Mahanoy City, Schuylkill County, was chosen as the site for a national Lithuanian convention.Even earlier in 1914, the Lithuanian community, through its churches, joined to hold the first recorded ethnic celebration in the United States - Lithuanian Day at Lakeside Park. No pictures exist of these outings, but in 1922, Lithuanian Day was moved to Lakewood Park, where it continued until the park's closing in 1984. Pictured here is traffic coming from the west and turning into Lakewood Park. ( Courtesy of Carolyn Smith Maurey)
Bottom Photo
Bavarian Festival, Entrance to Lakewood Park, 1969-1984
The Bavarian Festival was founded in 1969 by Kermit Deitrich, who dreamed of having a beer festival with authentic German food, music,crafts, and atmosphere. He found the perfect spot for his dream when he happened upon Lakewood Park. The huge hall with its vaulted ceiling, the multi-purpose buildings, the lake, and the shaded grounds met his needs perfectly. Pictured here is the entrance to Lakewood during the Bavarian Festival.
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