A beautiful summer day marked the end of the 2026 Coplay Borough Parkway Pool season at Second and Keefer streets. As the summer drifted toward an end and the school year was about to begin, the pool attendance was muted on its final day Aug. 23.

Lifeguard Elijah Fox, of Whitehall, was wrapping up his summer job and preparing for the start of his postsecondary education at Chestnut Hill College. He plans to major in psychology.

Alex Pulel, the second lifeguard on duty, graduated from Whitehall High School with the Class of 2026. His future plans are undecided.

Pool manager Rachael Geiger, of Whitehall, was occupied reviewing the pool season and the report on the pool’s success. Final numbers on attendance and budget reports are forthcoming.

For its final day and an indicator of the closing of the pool for 2026, the concession stand that offered a wide variety food and fun snacks all season was closed. The concession stand was buzzing all season with kids seeking ice cream, candy, hot dogs, cheeseburgers and more.

The Coplay Borough municipal swimming pool has been one of the anchors of the Coplay Parkway system for about five decades. The parkway stretches from Front and Keefer Streets over to Saylor Field adjacent to the Giant Food Store to the basketball court and the new pickleball courts adjacent to the Coplay Fire Department on Cherry Street. It also acts as a boundary to the Ironton Rail Trail.

The swimming pool was well maintained by the borough public works team and under the management of Geiger.

Among the scant patrons at the pool on the closing day were Bill and Alyssa Choinski, of Coplay, with their two children, Loki and Vera. They enjoyed the pool and held a family season pass. They expressed the wonderful time they and their children had all summer.

The community swimming pool along with Coplay Public Library, the Coplay Sports program and the IRT are quality-of-life attributes that make Coplay Borough a pleasant community to raise a family and retire.

Before the construction of the pool, residents clamored for a community pool. At that time, decades ago, Coplay families and youngsters would go to the Northampton and Whitehall pools for summer fun. The more adventurous teens and some adults would swim in the Lehigh River.

The Coplay pool continues to attract families annually for a safe swimming and fun environment.