Regardless Of Weather Saturday… Recycling Scrap Metal & Tires Is On At The Althouse Arboretum!

Saturday, June 27th, 9 am to 1 pm
Copper, aluminum, brass, steel and more.
No fee, all donations appreciated
(Please drop off only during recycling hours)

Volunteer Day
will be cancelled Saturday in case of rain. Come Sunday instead!

Anytime between 10am and 3pm
We can use your help trail blazing!

Library Storytime and Nature Hike – Rocks are Lively

Monday, June 29th 11am to 12:30pm
All Ages       Donation: $5
The Pottstown Library and the Althouse Arboretum will team up for this special program. Leslie Stillings, Director of Youth Services, will be our guest storytime reader. Afterwards, children will enjoy a short hike, guided by our staff, where they will climb rocks, explore the boulder field, and try their hand at “rock” experiments!  You can register here

Also…
We’re celebrating INTERNATIONAL MUD DAY this TUESDAY!
Free! You are sure to get messy on this day! Come anytime. Several activities will be set up for kids who like to get muddy. Build a castle in the wet sand or try out our mud walk! Warning to Parents: Be prepared for the ride home!

Althouse Arboretum In the News

Connecting trail to Sussel Park is done! Now for your walking pleasure you can enjoy not only the Arboretum but Sussel Park too all in one walk. Lovely ponds at Sussel and good exercise walking the hill.

We now have a shed!Thanks to an Eagle Scout project the shed is finished and already being put to good use by our student interns. Lots going on!

Have you seen our ID Garden across from the shed? Created by student interns the garden will give you the names and show you the native plants you may see in the Arboretum.

Plant Sale. Next to the shed you’ll find a plant sale of mostly native, locally grown plants. If you want a quantity of any one plant contact Nancy. Prices are below what you find at the garden center and 100% of the proceeds go towards funding Arboretum projects.

Mark Saturday, September 26th in your calendar now. You’ll be glad you did. It’s the Arboretum’s Grand Opening Celebration and you’ll be amazed as what we have planned!

There’s a classroom in the woods. Can you find it?

Last chance to sign up for June’s Summer Camp! Starts Tomorrow!
Summer Camps 2015

Children grades K through 4th
June 22-26, 9am to 12pm –Nature Explorers
Learn about nature by exploring it! Campers become detectives looking for clues to reveal each day’s nature mystery and wonder.

July 13-17, 9am to 12pm – Wildlife Week
Looking closely you can find wildlife everywhere in our nature center! Campers will see, collect and identify familiar and quite strange creatures in our woods, fields and ponds.

(8am arrival available) Click on the picture for more info and registration.

Recycling ScrapMetal & Tires

Saturday, June 27th, 9 am to 1 pm
Have you been meaning to clean out the garage? Get rid of the broken tools? Copper, aluminum, brass, steel and more.
No fee, all donations appreciated
(Please drop off only during recycling hours)

Volunteer Weekend

June 27th & 28th, 2015,
The last Saturday and Sunday of each month,
Come any time in between 10am & 3pm
Much of what you see at the Arboretum has been done by volunteers. Join in! We’ll be doing a little of everything! Planting, weeding, moving, building, clearing, choose your favorite activity, meet your neighbors and have fun! A great family activity! No experience necessary! No preregistration required!

Wilkes-Barre Announces Annual Christmas Parade, Tree Lighting

Map of Pennsylvania highlighting Luzerne County (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

WILKES-BARRE, PA — The City of Wilkes-Barre has announced plans for this year’s annual Christmas Parade and Tree Lighting Ceremony.

The city will kick off the holiday season on Nov. 22 with a full day of downtown events, concluding with the arrival of Santa in the annual parade, followed by the lighting of the Christmas tree on Public Square.

“The City of Wilkes-Barre’s Christmas Parade and Tree Lighting ceremony is the perfect way to bring the holiday season to life in downtown Wilkes-Barre,” Mayor Thomas M. Leighton said in a news release. “We are thrilled to offer many free family friendly activities for the young and young-at-heart to enjoy throughout the day.”

Festivities will begin at 11:30 a.m. with storytelling by Mrs. Claus at Barnes & Noble on South Main Street.

Read more: http://www.timesleader.com/news/local-news-news/50673067/

“Summer Textile Workshops for Kids” At Pottsgrove Manor‏

Pottstown Regional Public Library Offering GSK Science In The Summer Program

Homeschool Day At Pottsgrove Manor

Pottstown, PA – On Friday, October 5, from 10:00am to 2:00 pm, bring homeschoolers out to historic Pottsgrove Manor for a fun-filled and educational field trip that will let them explore the skills, trades, and pastimes of the 18^th century.

Around the grounds, children will be able to participate in hands-on activities led by Pottsgrove Manor’s staff and volunteers, including candle-dipping, quill pen writing, historic toys and games, laundry, and colonial dress-up.  Guests will get to visit with farm animals like sheep and rabbits and learn how their hair would be spun into yarn.  Participants will also see demonstrations of 18^th-century crafts, open-hearth cooking, and food preservation.  The first floor of the Pottsgrove Manor mansion will be open for self-guided tours, with volunteers stationed in the rooms to share the house’s history and answer questions.  The museum shop will be open for the purchase of books, games, souvenirs, and more.

This program is ideal for elementary-aged students and is open to individual homeschool families, homeschool groups, and small school and church groups.  The cost is $5 per child.  Call 610-326-4014 to pre-register or for more information.  Activities will be ongoing throughout the day; allow at least two hours for the visit.  As most activities will be outdoors, this program will be held weather-permitting.  Limited parking and handicapped spots are available in the Pottsgrove Manor parking lot.  Visitors may also park directly across on King Street in the Quality Inn parking lot.

Pottsgrove Manor, home of John Potts, colonial ironmaster and founder of Pottstown, is located at 100 West King Street near the intersection of King Street and Route 100, just off Route 422, in Pottstown, Pennsylvania.  Pottsgrove Manor is operated by Montgomery County under the direction of the Parks and Heritage Services Division of the Assets and Infrastructure Department.

Regular museum hours are Tuesday to Saturday, 10:00am to 4:00 pm and Sunday, 1:00pm to 4:00pm.  Tours are given on the hour.  The last tour of the day begins at 3:00pm.  Groups of 10 or more should pre-register by calling 610-326-4014.  For more information and a full calendar of events, visit the website at http://historicsites.montcopa.org/pottsgrovemanor.  Like Pottsgrove Manor on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/PottsgroveManor.

“Come To The Fair!” – Annual Colonial May Fair At Pottsgrove Manor

Pottstown, Pennsylvania – Celebrate spring at the Annual Colonial May Fair held at historic Pottsgrove Manor on Saturday, May 5^th from 11:00am to 5:00pm.

This yearly event is a fun-filled day with activities for all ages—games, music, dancing, and crafts. New to the fair this year is colonial conjurer Levram the Great, who will perform colonial magic shows and entertain visitors with pocket magic tricks throughout the day. Tuckers’ Tales Puppet Theatre returns again this year to perform the puppet shows St. George and the Dragon and their brand-new adaptation of the classic Cinderella. They will also provide festive historic music around the grounds during the event. Members of the Tapestry Historic Dance Ensemble will demonstrate authentic country dances and will lead visitors in dances around the Maypole to open and close the fair. 

In addition to the entertainment, a variety of Early American crafters and demonstrators will be on hand to display historic skills and trades and sell their wares. Young visitors can compete in hoop races, play with colonial toys and games, help churn butter, and more! The first floor of colonial ironmaster John Potts’ 1752 manor house will be open for self-guided tours during the fair. Historic foodways expert Deborah Peterson of Deborah Peterson’s Pantry will be demonstrating open-hearth cooking in the Pottsgrove Manor kitchen. Visitors can also shop at the Manor’s museum shop for colonial games, books, and unique gifts. 

While visitors can’t try the food cooked in the colonial kitchen, they will be able to purchase food during the event, including a variety of tasty baked goods from the Milkman Lunch Co. and Cake Shoppe of Pottstown.

A donation of $2 per person is suggested for this event. Visitors are asked to park at the Carousel at Pottstown building, 30 West King Street. Visitors can also stop in to the Carousel and see the progress that is being made there. Pottstown’s restored trolley will be giving FREE rides during the fair between the “First Saturday” activities downtown, the Carousel at Pottstown, and Pottsgrove Manor. Handicapped parking is available in the museum’s parking lot.

Pottstown Manor is located at 100 West King Street near the intersection of King Street and Route 100, just off Route 422, in Pottstown, Pennsylvania. Pottsgrove Manor is operated by Montgomery County under the direction of the Parks and Heritage Services Department. For more information, call 610.326.4014, or visit us on the web at http://historicsites.montcopa.org/pottsgrovemanor.

Last Pottstown Classics Nostalgia Night Of The Season, Saturday, September 3rd!

Image via Wikipedia

Saturday September 3, 2011— On High St.

•  Car Trophy Show sponsored by Shoes2share.org

Donate new & like new shoes for the needy!

• 2nd Annual Match Box Car Race ! Bring your car and drag race on our new track. Win a trophy!

All Shows 5—9 PM
Newer cars now welcome. Bring any year car or light truck !

Park anywhere! Bring out those modern muscle cars, custom rides and more !

Sorry..no motorcycles.

$ 10.00 Vehicle Entrance fee applies for all show vehicles.

Spectators: FREE

Hershey Chocolatefest This Weekend! A Chocoholics Paradise!

Image via Wikipedia

Imagine a chocolate festival in Hershey, Pennsylvania.  That took some serious thought, LOL!

On January 15^th and 16th, Chocolatefest will take place at the Hershey Lodge located at Chocolate Avenue and University Drive in Hershey.  Festivities start at 6 p.m. on Saturday and continue on Sunday morning, starting at 11 a.m.  Doug Allen, from WGAL TV in Lancaster, will host the events.

A ChocolateBall will begin the festivities at 6 p.m. on Saturday evening.  The theme is Jamaica.  The black-tie affair includes a reception, silent auctions, a raffle, dancing and music by Class Act featuring Rita.  The cost is $100.00, per person.

On Sunday morning things continue with a reception of champagne, wine, hors d’oeuvres and a cake competition at 11 a.m.  The reception is $50.00.  The reception will be followed by two tasting sessions of confectionary samples from local restaurants, retailers, hotels and caterers.  The first session will start at 1 p.m., followed by a second session at 3:15 p.m.  Both sessions will last 1 hour and 45 minutes.  Tickets are $20.00 in advance or $25.00 at the door. (Tickets are limited)  Children ages 5 – 12 are $5.00 (there will be children’s activities) 

What is the best part of Chocolatefest?  It is a fundraiser for Keystone Human Services, a family of nonprofit organizations which provides comprehensive community-based services for children, young people, adults and families in the areas of intellectual disabilities (mental retardation), autism, mental health, early intervention and children and family services.  You can learn more about this organization by clicking here http://www.keystonehumanservices.org/

Tickets can be purchased by calling 717-232-7509 or directly from Boscov’s, The Hershey Lodge, Giant Food Stores and Metro Bank.

Schuylkill River Festival – Pottstown

Image via Wikipedia

 

The Schuylkill River Festival will be held here in Pottstown next Saturday from 11 am to 4 pm in Riverfront Park near the West Campus of MCCC.  Arts, crafts, kids activities, music and food will abound.  Best of all, it’s free! 

The river should be back to normal by then! 

For more details: 

http://www.schuylkillriver.org/ or http://www.mc3.edu/schuylkill-river-festival/