Hannah Kasko named the 2015 Pittston Tomato Festival Queen

By Jimmy Fisher

jfisher@timesleader.com

Last year’s Pittston Tomato Festival Queen, Courtney Richards, of Dallas, crowns Hannah Kasko as the 2015 Pittston Tomato Festival Queen on Saturday, Aug. 22.
https://www.mydallaspost.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/web1_RGB_Tomato-Queen.jpg.optimal.jpgLast year’s Pittston Tomato Festival Queen, Courtney Richards, of Dallas, crowns Hannah Kasko as the 2015 Pittston Tomato Festival Queen on Saturday, Aug. 22.

Hannah Kasko always dreamed of winning a pageant, but she never imagined it would be on her first try.

Kasko, of Shavertown, was named the 2015 Tomato Queen at the 32nd Annual Pittston Tomato Festival on Aug. 22.

The 14-year-old said it was the first pageant in which she’d ever participated and got the itch after years of watching other girls partake in similar events.

“My dad has been organizing pageants for a few years,” Kasko said. “I’ve always seen the girls with their crowns and banners and I was motivated to join them.”

Kasko said she’d heard of the Pittston Tomato Festival Queen Pageant through friends at the David Blight School of Dance in Wilkes-Barre, where she is a student.

On top of answering questions in front of a panel of judges consisting of former tomato queens, Kasko tapped her experience at the David Blight school by dancing to a rendition of “Can’t Buy Me Love” by Michael Bublé.

“That was one I’ve been doing for a few years and I felt really comfortable doing it and showcasing my talent for the judges,” she said.

During her dance routine, Kasko said she had a few difficulties — her shoe laces came undone on her right shoe, and she said it was hard to make the tap dancing sounds dancing on the parking lot pavement.

After the talent portion of the contest concluded, Kasko said she was already preparing herself to try again next year.

“I was actually very skeptical about winning because I thought my talent went badly,” she said. “I was (upset) thinking I’ll try next year, and I guess it went well.”

When the pagaent master of ceremony Michael Lombardo announced Kasko the queen, her face lit up with excitement and she fought back tears of joy.

She returned to the Pittston Tomato Festival the next day, she said, to mingle with city residents and be there for the naming of other competitions such as the Little Miss/Mister.

Kasko said she is unsure at the moment of what her queen obligations for the Greater Pittston area will include, but is willing to do whatever is asked of her.

“I’m just going to wait to hear back but try and do as much as I can for Pittston,” she said. “I love making people smile, and it’s what I do best — spread happiness.”

With the Pittston Tomato Festival Queen Pageant done, Kasko said she is looking forward to starting her freshman year at Lake-Lehman Jr./Sr. High School, where she is involved in the theater program.

She said she;s also interested in interior design. She plans on redoing her own bedroom while also coming up with designs for other people.

Somewhere in between, Kasko said she will continue her pageant career and that earning the title of Pittston Tomato Festival Queen was just the tip of the iceberg.

“In October there is a local pageant I’m going for,” said Kasko. “It’s the NEPA Scholarship Pageant Organization at the Mohegan Sun Casino. They’re giving away a couple titles, so if I don’t win that, I’m not sure what I’ll do next.”

Reach Jimmy Fisher at 570-704-3972 or on Twitter @SD_JimmyFisher