OLA festival committee members, from left, first row: Karen Rolka, Monica Wilga, Patricia Mould, Nikki Weisenfluh, Liz Dempsey, Jerry Aschenbrenner, and Andrea Walsh. Second row: Michael Mould, Bob Haleski, Cathy Rist Strauch, Arlene Haleski, Lucy Ziman, Maureen Mahoney, Fr. Arbogaste Satoun, Andy Singletary, Bruce Weisenfluh, Chris Stivala, Faith Flemming, Dominic Stivala, Barbara Williamson, and Tracey Singletary.
Submitted Photo
Our Lady of the Abingtons to host annual event
Father Arbo poses with a young parishioner at last year’s festival.
Courtesy of NEPACatholic
Sunday will feature a chicken barbecue from noon until 6 p.m. or until sold out.
Courtesy of NEPACatholic
Scranton-based folk rock and Celtic band The Quietmen will provide entertainment on Sunday, Sept. 20.
Courtesy of NEPACatholic
Our Lady of the Abingtons will host its annual Fall Festival on Sept. 19 and 20.
Courtesy of NEPACatholic
The arrival of autumn means it’s time for falling leaves, pumpkin-flavored everything and, most recently in our region, fall festivals. As one of the original fall fairs in the Abingtons, Our Lady of the Abingtons’ annual fall festival has long led the way in September celebrations.
Slated for Sept. 19 and 20 at the church grounds in West Abington Township, the 2026 Our Lady of the Abingtons Fall Festival promises to be filled with food, fun and plenty of chances to win prizes.
“Year after year, I hear from people who tell me how much they look forward to our fall festival,” Nikki Weisenfluh, who co-chairs the festival with her husband, Bruce, said. “It has become a cherished tradition — an opportunity to enjoy our beautiful setting, share a delicious meal, take a chance on the raffles and, most importantly, spend time together.”
“There is something very special about seeing old friends reconnect, welcoming new faces and watching our community come alive,” she added.
Now in its 33rd year, OLA’s fall festival regularly garners support from the surrounding community through volunteering with food and raffles and providing entertainment.
Saturday, Sept. 19, will feature a pork barbecue dinner from 5 to 10 p.m. or until sold out, with live acoustic music from Megaband Duo. Sunday, Sept. 20 will have a chicken barbeque from noon until 6 p.m. or until they are sold out. Live music will be provided on Sunday by The Quietmen, a Scranton-based band that specializes in folk rock and Celtic folk music.
Fairgoers will have the opportunity to win prizes at the festival’s white elephant and silent auction raffles, as well as a basket raffle. Younger members of the community can enjoy activities like games, face painting and more.
“Although the Fall Festival is our parish’s largest fundraiser, it truly means so much more to us than simply raising money,” Weisenfluh said. “It is a special time when our parish family and the surrounding community come together in fellowship, generosity and stewardship.”
The festival also continues to seek volunteers for a variety of roles. Additionally, they will continue to accept donations for the bountiful baskets, dining out restaurant gift certificates and chest of cheer adult beverage prizes up until Sept. 18, and will accept donations for cans of soda and water, too.
“The volunteers are what makes our festival the success that it is year after year,” Weisenfluh said. “We have a great team that comes together to make this event work. But extra hands are always welcome. We can always use help setting up the tents, manning the food lines or keeping the tables and garbage cans clear.”
Our Lady of the Abingtons has long been a fixture in the greater Abington community. Purchased from the Sweeney estate after World War II by the Diocese of Scranton, Our Lady of the Abingtons originated as a summer home for the Bishop William J. Hafey. According to NEPACatholic.com, Hafey began holding Sunday mass for local farm-hands and neighbors of the estate. He built a chapel on the site in 1950 and named it Our Lady of the Abingtons. The church officially became its own parish in 1967, and will celebrate its 60th anniversary next year.
In 2022, Our Lady of the Abingtons joined St. Patrick’s Church in Nicholson and St. Mary of the Lake at Lake Winola to comprise a shared Catholic community under the current pastor, Father Arbogaste Satoun, known affectionately by his parishioners as Father Arbo.
The fall festival came from a long tradition of gatherings on the church’s 286-acre property. According to NEPACatholic.com, several get-togethers held by well-known Dalton families at the end of the 1960s developed into an annual tradition of chicken barbecues. In 1993, those annual dinners were expanded to the current incarnation of a fall festival that promises fun for all.
“The Fall Festival reminds us that a strong parish is built not only through our generosity, but through the relationships we share and the memories we create together,” said Weisenflu. “It is a celebration of our parish, our community and the spirit of fellowship that makes this event so meaningful each year.”
For information about Our Lady of the Abington’s Fall Festival, visit facebook.com/NEPACatholic. To volunteer or donate items for the event, contact Bruce and Nikki Weisenfluh at 570-335-8135.
