by justin strawser
ELYSBURG - Except for a white sign recording the water level for the Flood of 2011, a visitor might not even suspect that Knoebels Amusement Resort was ransacked by a overflowing creek last month. But, thanks to a major cleanup effort, thousands of people were able to visit the park Saturday for the 30th annual Covered Bridge Festival, and there was an extra-added treat - the opening of the Black Diamond ride.
"Personally, I didn't fear that the festival wouldn't happen, because I know how tenacious the Knoebel family is with flood cleanup," David "Otto" Kurecian, Columbia-Montour Visitor's Bureau exective director, said Saturday afternoon.
The main concern was whether Route 487 between Knoebels and Southern Columbia Area High School would be ready to reopen in time, but it was.
"PennDOT did a tremendous job. They kept to a schedule, and did a fantastic job. It would have been 100 percent worse (if the road had not opened)," he said.
The popular festival, which started Friday and will end today at 6 p.m., attracted a large turnout. The mass of festival-goers clogged Route 487 in both directions, causing a traffic backup lasting up to 50 minutes at one point from Route 487, midway from the Route 54 intersection to the parking lot. At the festival, hundreds of people toured the craft stands and vendors throughout the park and pavilion areas.
A typical year brings in about 70,000 people over three days, and Kurecian said this year's festival was right on course to bring in
similar big numbers again.
"It's turned into the premier craft festival in northeastern Pennsylvania," he said.
Kurecian noted that the apple cider press and Hit and Miss ice cream were back after an absence of several years. However, tours of the area's covered bridges had to be canceled this year because of road conditions from the Flood of 2011.
Many attendees came to the park for the sole purpose of coming to the festival, including New Jersey resident Michele McQuoid.
"I come here every October for this. It's a tradition," she said, noting she's been attending the festival for 12 years.
She grew up in the area, and often visits her mother, Darlene Horne, with her daughters Serena, 9, and Haven, 6.
McQuoid is a big fan of country decor, and loves shopping through the various stands searching for more. She had just purchased a basket with a stuffed lamb in it while her daughters were enjoying lollipops that taste like cotton candy.
To top it all off, the Black Diamond opened Saturday to the delight of ride enthusiasts, who were seen clapping as they exited the ride.
The dark roller coaster is a three-story haunted ride through coal mines, including Centralia.
"We busted our butts to get it open today," park co-owner Dick Knoebel said. "It was a lot of hard work and dedication by staff members."
They were eager to have it open by the time the festival happened, as well as the Knoebels Phoenix Phall Phunfest, a coaster enthusiast event that is held each fall in conjunction with the larger festival.