About a half dozen guys milled about the Coplay Pavilion last Thursday morning.

Wearing neon green T-shirts marked "Borough of Coplay Public Works" over a left breast pocket, the men handled ladders, cords, tables, banners and a variety of other tools in order to get the grounds ready for the 31st annual Coplay Community Days.

That night, rides would open in the field on the other side of North Second Street. In the meantime, much work had to be done to get ready for the live entertainment, food and other activities to open Friday night.

When 25 volunteers from the American Club showed up midday to put up the tents, public works Director Dan Pavelko, public works supervisor Rick Bundra and their crew moved tables out from under the pavilion to the tents. Stacks of chairs, wrapped in plastic and piled on wooden pallets, had to be unwrapped and set up.

Throughout the day, crew members could be seen standing on ladders, hanging up banners and hiding the electrical cords run for coolers, microphones, lights and other equipment. At one point, one of the crew stood up on a ladder, draping a cord over a tree to keep it out of the way of pedestrians who would be using the walkway below.

"There were so many extras thrown at them this year that they were blindsided," said event chairman Steve Burker. "I put [the festival] together but without these guys, I don't have a festival."

As the morning stretched into afternoon and then evening, the public works crew's efforts continued. It did not stop during the four days of the festival, which ran from Aug. 23-26.

Friday evening, the power went out. It was restored quickly.

"Those guys were off the clock and they fixed it," Burker said. "Even though they were off the clock, they still helped the festival. If people could see how they worked, they'd be impressed."

Volunteer work such as this was central to the success of Coplay Community Days, which drew an estimated 15,000 people over the three days of live entertainment.

Sunday afternoon, before the performance by the Main Street Cruisers began, a water line broke, causing the restrooms to be out of commission for about 90 minutes.

Coplay plumber Dennis Wehr fixed it for the borough and the festival.

"He refused the money that was offered," said Burker. "We're very thankful that we have a friend in Coplay like Dennis Wehr."

A belt broke on the beer truck Friday morning. Someone from Geiger Beverage had to come out and fix it or the beer would get warm and the taps would not work, said Burker.

Fortunately the truck was running again by 2 p.m., in time for the Aardvarks to take the stage at 6 p.m.

"Thank God it didn't happen at 5 p.m.," Burker said. "These are the little things that people don't see, the problems that we face."

Those few problems did not mar the success of the event. With the beer truck up and running and the Aardvarks on stage, the pavilion filled with people enjoying the music. The smell of potato cakes, hot dogs and french fries permeated the air.

Dressed in jeans and a T-shirt, Burker could be seen meandering through the grounds as organizations such as the Coplay Garden Club, Coplay Sports, Coplay American Legion Auxiliary and Coplay Lioness sold various kinds of food and drinks.

Down the paved path toward the rides, children had the chance to perform as kings, princesses, goblins and animals during the Middle Earth interactive show presented by the Coplay Public Library.

The money raised helps different organizations within the community. Those selling food keep 75 percent of the proceeds of what they sell and give 25 percent the Coplay Community Days committee. This money is then used to fund community projects throughout the year.

All the bands drew record crowds. Service Electric cameras set up under the pavilion broadcast the bands, dancing and karaoke and wings-eating contests. Burker and Uncle Jeffrey of WTAP Channel 126 stood under a tent Saturday evening talking about people who commented they'd seen the festival on TV.

Burker said Tuesday morning he did not yet know exactly how much was raised but believed it to be a record. All participating organizations made a profit, he said.

"All the money is going back into the community," he said. "By the time we're done helping everybody, all that's going to be left is a little bit of startup money."

Burker thanked Mayor Joseph Bundra and the members of Coplay Council for their support.

He also expressed appreciation for Coplay Police Chief Vincent Genovese and his staff for their assistance, including extra patrols at night. Despite the crowds and the equipment left at the site overnight, nothing was vandalized. No incidents took place during the event itself.

Although the festival closed Sunday night, the work did not end. American Club volunteers were on site 7 a.m. Monday to take down the tents. Public works crews disassembled food stands. Volunteer Joe Lathorp went around the area taking down the advertising posters that he had hung on telephone poles throughout the area during the weeks leading up to the event.

Planning for next year's festival will begin in September.

"Whether I decide to come back [as chairman] or not, the festival is in good hands ... to continue the tradition and image of the best end-of-summer festival in the Valley," said Burker.