The parking lot was filled, and the nearby lawn and street were lined with parked cars all around the Schwenkfelder Library and Heritage Center (105 Seminary Street, Pennsburg) yesterday, as people came from near and far to attend the Penn Dry Goods Market Show and Sale. There is no entrance fee to see the display of antique and vintage textiles and quilts; needlework, linens, baskets and clothing. There will also be workshops, lectures and classes throughout the day. This event is for two days only, and the first day has already passed, so don’t miss your chance today, Saturday, May 16th; 10 a.m. and 3 p.m.
Month: May 2015
So many concerts to choose from!
There are concerts for nearly every taste and budget to choose from this weekend (and a few to mark on your calendar for future reference).
Tonight, Friday, May 15th, is the last night of May Arts Week at the Upper Perkiomen High School. The art exhibits in the school gym and lobby will be open to the public from 6 p.m. – 9 p.m. tonight. A student music recital will be held in the Audio (across from the auditorium) at 6 p.m., before the UPHS Band and UPHS Orchestra concert, which begins at 7 p.m. in the auditorium.
Live music can be heard at Quakertown’s outdoor festival, Arts Alive , which takes place on Saturday, May 16th, from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. (rain date Sunday, May 17th, 2015).
Arts Alive! will bring Broad Street alive Saturday, May 16 (raindate: May 17), 10am – 4pm. Broad Street in downtown Quakertown will be transformed into a festival of artists, crafters, jewelers, musicians, food vendors, activities, and so much more. This free, annual festival, now in its 15th year, features over 100 juried exhibitors and has something for everyone of every age.
Saturday evening you’ll have to make a choice between the Celtic band, Burning Bridget Cleary taking the stage on Saturday, May 16, 2015 (where they will be debuting their fifth CD) at Landhaven (1194 Huff’s Church Road, Village of Huff’s Church, Barto, PA), the The Poetry of Song – Words of famous poets set to music, sung by the Valley Choral Society at First United Church of Christ (151 S. 4th Street, Quakertown, PA) on Saturday, May 16th, beginning at 7 p.m., and From Star Wars to Harry Potter: Off to the Movies with John Williams performed by the Pennsylvania Philharmonic Pops at 7 pm at The Stanley I. Davenport Performing Arts Center, Pottstown Senior High School (750 N. Washington Street, Pottstown, PA). All three events require tickets.
(If you truly can’t decide, and have a flexible schedule, the Valley Choral Society will be holding a second concert on Sunday, May 17th at 4.m. at Trinity Lutheran Church, 19 S. 5th Street, Perkasie, PA. Off to the Movies with John Williams can also be heard on Sunday, May 31, 2015 at 2 pm in Baker Hall at Zoellner Arts Center on the campus of Lehigh University, Bethlehem, PA.)
The Red Hill Band performs their 115th Spring Concert Sunday afternoon, May 17th, from 2 p.m. – 5 p.m. at the Upper Perkiomen High School, 2 Walt Road, Pennsburg, PA. Their first outdoor concert is scheduled for Saturday, May 23rd at at the Green Lane Park amphitheater (Green Lane Park, 2144 Snyder Road, Perkiomenville, PA.), 7 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. Both concerts are free.
Free Summer Concert Series at Levitt Pavilion SteelStacks (ArtsQuest Center at SteelStacks · 101 Founders Way · Bethlehem, PA 18015) begins on May 22nd through September 12, 2015. 52 shows are scheduled for Thursday, Friday, and Saturday evenings, with music ranging from gospel, to rock, to country, to mambo, to kids music, to big band, to a hip-hop violin/viola duo The concerts take place at the Levitt Pavilion nestled at the base of the iconic Bethlehem blast furnaces on the SteelStacks arts and culture campus.
Next weekend is Memorial Day weekend, and once more Allentown is holding their annual Mayfair Festival of the Arts, Allentown Fairgrounds (17th and Chew Streets) – May 22 – 25, 2015. This gated festival features music (jazz, bluegrass, country, Celtic, rock, blues, and folk) and performances on stages inside and outdoors, as well as an Artist Market (glass, painting, sculpture, jewelry, photography, pottery and so much more) and juried fine arts show. There will also be dancing, theater, hands-on crafts and activities for children, food and drink, and probably a few surprises.Tickets are just $5 for one day or the entire long weekend, while there is no charge for children 10 and under.
Upper Perk School District Celebrates the Arts!
May Arts Week in the Upper Perkiomen School District celebrates the creativity and musical ability of students in elementary, middle and high school. The gym and lobby in the Upper Perkiomen High School will be filled with a wide range of artwork, including paintings, sculptures, and woodwork, by students in grades K-12. These displays can be seen by the public from 6 p.m. – 9 p.m. on Thursday and Friday, May 14th and 15th. Concerts begin at 7 p.m., Tuesday through Thursday, May 12-14, and at 6 p.m. on Friday, May 15, 2015, at the Upper Perkiomen High School, 2 Walt Road, Pennsburg, PA.
On Tuesday, the Elementary and Middle School Choirs take the stage in the UPHS auditorium for their spring concert. The Elementary and Middle School Orchestra Concert is the next evening, Wednesday, May 13, 2015, while the Elementary and Middle School Band Concert begins at 7 p.m. on Thursday, May 14th. A Music Recital by students in the Upper Perkiomen High School will be held in the Audion (across from the auditorium in the high school) at 6 p.m., before the 7 p.m. Upper Perkiomen High School Band and Orchestra Spring Concert scheduled for 7 p.m. in the auditorium.
And keep your eye out for a photo display of Make Music Upper Perk musicians, and the first chance to get the program schedule for this year’s Make Music Upper Perk, which will take place on Sunday, June 21, 2015 all around the Valley.
Last Minute Ideas for Sunday
Rain or shine, this is a good day for outdoor arts and music.
The 50th Annual Bethlehem Fine Art and Craft Show, this weekend only, takes place from 11 a.m. – 5 p.m. today, Sunday, May 10, 2015 in historic downtown Bethlehem.
Main Street will be filled with over 80 fine artists and craft artisans displaying and selling their art. Street music, an artist-in-residence, a raffle with chance to win a piece of fine art, and a children’s art area will add to the festivities. As always, there is no admission charge!
Recent works in stone (very large for a park or your yard, to small enough to fit on a bookshelf) are on public display at the 17th Annual Spring Art Show at Cedar Maze.
Cedar Maze is the sculpture garden and studio of Steven Snyder. Inspired by his experiences living, working and raising a family in Bucks County, Pennsylvania, Steven uses local stone as well as natural and found objects in his work.
Steven’s works include the wonderful sculptures, fountains, benches, bird baths, water tables, and more. This free show takes place rain or shine, May 9, 10 and May 16, 17, 2015 from 11 am. to 6 p.m. at 252 Cafferty Road, Pipersville, PA 18947 (Use Pipersville 18947 for GPS). Check out the website for a hint at to how beautiful these pieces are; they must be seen in person to be fully appreciated. 610-294-9106
If the weather cooperates, there will be a free outdoor concert, An Afternoon on Broadway, beginning at 3 p.m. on Sunday, May 10th at West Park, 16th and Linden, Allentown. This will be the Pioneer Band of Allentown’s first concert of the 2015 summer season.
Two plays opened recently in our area; Gypsy is onstage in Quakertown at McCoole’s Arts and Events Place, 10 S. Main Street, Quakertown, PA; 2 p.m. performance today and next Sunday, May 17th. On Friday, May 15th and Saturday, May 16 the curtain will rise at 8 p.m. Tickets may be bought online or at the door.
A stage adaptation of Breakfast at Tiffany’s is in the middle of its run at the Civic Theater, 19th Street, Allentown. There is a 2 p.m. matinee today, and performances on Thursday, May 14, Friday, May 15, and Saturday, May 16 at 7:30 p.m.
On the Upper East Side of New York in 1943, as World War II rages abroad, Fred, a subdued young writer from the South, meets the vivacious, wild and popular Holly Golightly, who is a BLONDE, and is quickly and quietly fascinated by her charms. This Breakfast is about friendships that may be a blip in a lifetime but that are utterly unshakeable. Produced by special arrangement with the adapter Richard Greenberg and the Capote estate, Civic’s Breakfast at Tiffany’s will be the only production of this play produced anywhere this year.
Tickets are available online, at the box office, and by calling the box office at 610-432-8943.
Celebrate spring and sunshine with festivals and music
Uwishunu has listed 12+ major festivals in Philadelphia, and the surrounding area , all happening this weekend- including Rittenhouse Row Festival, South Street Spring Festival, and the Philadelphia Science Festival Carnival on the Parkway.
You’ll have to wait a week or two for festivals closer to home, but there are a few concerts happening in the Upper Perkiomen Valley that you can check out if you’d rather not go for too long a drive this weekend.
The Bel Canto Children’s Chorus starts singing at 4 p.m on Saturday, May 2, 2015 at St. Mark’s Lutheran Church, 81 Main Street, Pennsburg. Tickets are available at the door for this concert featuring music ranging from the classics to jazz and blues.
This is a good month to head to Barto for one (or more) of the Landhaven Concerts. Tonight’s concert, beginning at 8 p.m. Saturday night, while the doors open at 7:15, finds Rhythm Road with Ken Gehret on stage. Tickets are $20 and may be purchased online.
We are so happy to welcome Rhythm Road back to Landhaven for their annual spring date! This band just gets better and better as they perform new arrangements of some favorites, bring forth new songs and even more intruments and keep us enthralled. A decided plus is the multi-instrumentalist Ken Gehret, who will be in attendance plus a few musical surprise guests spots!
Jonathan Byrd and Sally Barris will be playing modern folk music on Friday night, May 8, 2015 at Landhaven, and the Celtic band Burning Bridget Cleary take the stage on Saturday, May 16, 2015 (where they will be debuting their fifth CD). Landhaven is BYOB; light refreshments are served and Concert Cuisine in a Box little meals are available (call in advance to order 610.845.3257). Landhaven, 1194 Huff’s Church Road, Village of Huff’s Church, Barto, PA
Valley Art Scene 