MONROE UNFILTERED: THE DAILY BUZZ | July 31
A Tragic Spin Out at Mount Airy, Five Places to Beat the Heat, and Your Ticket Out of the House This Weekend
Friday, July 31, 2026
☀️ WEEKEND WEATHER
Friday is about as good as it gets this week: mostly sunny, a high near 85°F, a low around 61°F overnight, and only an 8 percent chance of rain, with light winds out of the northwest around 5 mph. Saturday holds onto the heat — another high near 85°F — but with mostly cloudy skies and a 19 percent shot at a stray shower. Sunday eases further toward gray: cloudy, a high near 83°F, low around 69°F, and a 22 percent rain chance.
Front-load your outdoor plans for Friday and Saturday. Monday looks to be a real washout to start the week — rain likely, a high near 83°F, and a 66 percent chance of showers.
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A TRAGIC SPIN OUT: DICKSON MAN DIES AT MT. AIRY CASINO
An 82-year-old Dickson City man is dead after his car went airborne into a retention pond outside Mount Airy Casino Resort in Paradise Township Wednesday afternoon. According to Pennsylvania State Police, the vehicle struck a small rock curb around 3:45 p.m. and became airborne before landing in the pond and sinking. The driver, identified by the Monroe County Coroner's Office as John Radzikowski Jr., was found dead inside the submerged car and pronounced dead at the scene at 6:11 p.m. A woman riding as a passenger was rescued and taken to the hospital; her condition has not been released. An autopsy was scheduled for today.
🌊 FIVE BEST OF MONROE: LOCAL PUBLIC SWIMMING & LAKE BEACHES
With highs holding near 85°F all weekend, Monroe County is offering exactly one universally correct answer to “what should we do this weekend?” Get in the water.
🎢 Camelbeach Outdoor Waterpark (Tannersville). Over 37 slides built into the side of a mountain, a wave pool, and a lazy river. The newest addition, Rival Racer, is an eight-lane slide perfectly built for settling family arguments. It's ticketed, not free, but it's open and running for the weekend.
🏖️ Smithfield Beach (East Stroudsburg). The Monroe County side of the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area's swimming beaches, managed by the National Park Service. The current is generally calmer here than many stretches of the Delaware River (though the currents can still be strong, particularly after the rains we’ve been having). The swimming area is roped off, but there are no lifeguards, so swim at your own risk. There's an entrance fee through early October.
🏞️ Tobyhanna State Park Beach (Coolbaugh Township). A sandy, unguarded beach on the 170-acre Tobyhanna Lake, free and run by the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. Open 8 a.m. to sunset through mid-September. Bring adult supervision — again, there are no lifeguards.
🏊 Dansbury Park Pool (East Stroudsburg Borough). Running since 1938 and renovated in 2004–05, with heated water, zero-depth entry, three slides, and a dedicated lap lane.
🤿 Stroudsburg Borough Pool (Stroudsburg Borough). The deepest well in the county — literally, 12 feet at the diving tank — plus a separate 1-foot kiddie pool. Operating via the borough and StroudRec directly.
🗺️ GET OUT: THE WEEKEND ITINERARY
🔥 S'mores 'n Stargazing — Friday, July 31, 8 p.m., Waterfront Park, East Stroudsburg. Free, family-friendly evening program: campfire, s'mores, a bug safari, and a look at the summer sky. Bring your own chair or blanket.
✈️ Pocono Mountains Flight Fest — Saturday, August 1, 11 a.m. to 5 p.m., Pocono Mountains Regional Airport, Coolbaugh Township. Airplane and helicopter rides, a touch-a-truck setup, and food trucks. Parking runs about $10 a car.
🎸 Robin and Beth Music Festival — Kicked off Thursday and runs through Saturday, August 1, Peaceful Woodlands Family Campground, Blakeslee. Three days of Americana, folk, blues, and bluegrass acts, plus morning yoga and kids' activities. Day passes are available if you're not camping.
🎹 Elton vs. Billy — Saturday, August 1, 8 p.m., Sherman Theater, Stroudsburg. A dueling tribute show covering Elton John and Billy Joel catalogs — “Rocket Man,” “Piano Man,” and everything in between. Tickets run $32 to $60.