Yuengling Brewery Throws Historic Party in Pottsville

Thousands of people packed Pottsville streets on Saturday for the first ever Yuengling Brewery Summer Celebration.

The event marked America’s Oldest Brewery’s 190th anniversary (since 1829).

And if this is the pre-cursor to the Brewery’s Bicentennial, we’ll mark our calendars now for 2029.

What a sight to see thousands of people in Pottsville all having a good time together.

Yuengling Brewery Museum and Gift Shop Packs Them In

You had the brewery opening its doors to the museum and gift shop in the former Yuengling Ice Cream building. People packed into the gift shop, throwing money at cashiers hand over fist for Yuengling merch.

Others took some time to play some indoor cornhole or check out the historic memorabilia.

Vendors lined Mahantongo Street from a block past the brewery down to the Reading Anthracite building at Second Street.

People packed into the Yuengling beer garden built into the historic brewery garage bays and out onto the street.

Vendors Line the Streets

Craft, art and definitely food vendors lined the streets on Mahantongo, Second, Norwegian, and Progress Avenue.

Vendors ranged from the local to the definite out-of-towners.

The Canary’s go-to spot was the super simple but delicious local beef burgers and cob corn at the Gimbel Farms stand. They’re out of the Tamaqua area and we may be stalking them on the fair circuit. (More from them in a sec)

Better Than Ezra Caps Off the Entertainment

The heat seemed to ease off just in time for everyone to cram in real tight on Laurel Boulevard to see Better Than Ezra on the main concert stage.

It didn’t even really seem to matter that people knew, at most, a handful of their original songs.

Like the reviews of their shows, Better Than Ezra puts on a good show. They’re the perfect non-confrontational 90s alt-rock band that was able to bring the young and old together for the night. (Thanks for covering The Ramones!)

It’s true … the 1990s were an incredible decade.

Here are some shots from the show:

(Coal Region Canary Photo)

Oh Yeah, The Fireworks

The fireworks display that we’d heard would be something to behold didn’t disappoint.

The Canary joined geographically-savvy locals up in the Fifth Ward to take in the spectacle.

After the booming finally subsided from the fanfare finale, you could hear raucous cheers down on Progress way up behind the Courthouse on Second Street.

We don’t know if our photos do them justice. But if these don’t do these epic fireworks justice, check out the video of the finale posted on Facebook by our burger people at Gimbel Farms.

Thanks, Yuengling!

Let’s be honest. Saturday in Pottsville wasn’t happening if not for the success of Yuengling Brewery. The company is clearly thriving right now and its best was on full display in its hometown today.

And, of course, this is a success many of us can claim at least a small part in making happen. It’s the locals that helped the company get through leaner times and then eventually to its first major expansion about a quarter-century ago.

The Yuengling Summer Celebration was fantastic.

It’s easily been more than a decade since we’ve had that good of a time in Pottsville. You rarely get to see the town come together as it did at least for a day.

We don’t rally around Pottsville much these days. But Yuengling is clearly something at least thousands of us rallied around on Saturday.

The people responsible for organizing the event — especially the volunteer staff who helped anyone who may have needed it — deserve a pat on the back, too.

But most of all, congratulations to Yuengling Brewery for reaching the incredible milestone of 190 years in business. That’s no small feat anywhere in America and it’s especially amazing that it happened here in Pottsville.

Thanks for putting on a great show and we certainly hope we don’t have to wait 10 years for the next one!

ALSO READ:

• Yuengling Traditional Lager Review

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