Check out crafts (and strawberries, and funny cake) at New Goshenhoppen Strawberry Festival, Saucon Creek Arts Festival, and the Artisan Pop Up Shop at Steel Stacks – all this weekend!

Strawberries and ice cream, a home-made funny cake cake-walk, crafts, an auction, and so much more will be on hand, ending with an early evening concert by the Red Hill Band (5-7 p.m.)  – all happening Saturday, June 1, 2019, at New Goshenhoppen Park (3rd Street, East Greenville, PA) as part of the Annual Strawberry Festival . The gates open at 8 a.m. when the flea market and crafts open to the public (donuts, coffee, and breakfast sandwiches will be for sale in the dining hall in the park) – no admission fee. At 10 a.m. the “new item” auction in the bandstand kicks off. Rides, petting zoo, balloons, stilt walkers, and more children’s activities take place from noon to 6 p.m. Juli Kell’s Dance Center will be performing starting at 1:30 p.m.

The 5th annual Saucon Creek Arts Festival will be held rain or shine at Heller Homestead Park, 1890 Freidensvill Road, Bethlehem, PA from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. There is no admission charge. There will be live music, 50 juried artists, food trucks, and a kids activity area.  Tours may also be taken of the Heller Homestead House and Herb Garden.

SteelStacks in Bethlehem (101 Founders Way) is hosting an Artisan Pop-Up Shop on Saturday and Sunday this weekend, June 1 and 2, 2019, from 10 a.m. – 5 p.m. Attendance is open to the public and free.

Concentration is on artisans whose work concentrates on the outdoors and nature. This includes but is not limited to: garden arts, pet items, pottery, outdoor recreation, photography, herbal crafts, glass, recycled materials, nature art, jewelry, paper making, and sculpture.

 

Free admission this weekend for: Museums, Festivals, Concerts…

International Museum Day is this Saturday, May 18th, which means admission is free (!) to many museums and cultural institutions, like the Philadelphia Museum of Art and the Rodin Museum, 

Head over to Harleysville for COHS Fair Day and Pie Festival starting at 9 a.m. on Saturday morning, May 18, 2019. Over thirty local crafters and vendors will be set up at the Church of Holy Spirit, 2871 Barndt Road (corner of Sumneytown Pike and Barndt Road), Harleysville, PA, from 9 a.m. – 3 p.m. There will also be a car wash, children’s games, plant sale, food, “attic treasures,” and, of courses, a pie contest and pies for sale.

Enjoy live music, jugglers, kids crafts, strawberry-themed food, and the works of 50 artisans at Peddler’s Village 41^st Annual Strawberry Festival on Saturday and Sunday, May 18 and 19 from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.!  Pie-eating contests for adults and children will be held on both days at 3 p.m. Peddler’s Village shops will be open until 8 p.m. on Saturday. Admission and parking are free. Event is rain or shine.

The Valley Choral Society is singing on Saturday, May 18 and Sunday, May 19, 2019. Their concert, Words of a Soul, will take one on a musical journey incorporating religious music, Marlowe’s poetry, text by Chief Seattle, and a piece or two from contemporary musicals, including; All That Hath Life and Breath Praise Ye the Lord, What a Wonderful World, Make Them Hear You (from the musical Ragtime), We are Made for Music, and Al Shlosha D’varim. Saturday’s concert begins at 7 p.m. at St. John’s Lutheran Church, 1565 Sleepy Hollow Road, Spinnerstown, PA. Sunday’s concert starts a little earlier, at 4 p.m. in Perkasie at Trinity Lutheran Church, 19 S. 5th Street. Tickets are not needed for either concert. There will be a free will offering collected during intermission.

The Red Hill Band’s 119th Annual Spring Concert starts their 2019 season on Sunday, May 19th at 4 p.m. in the Upper Perkiomen High School Auditorium, 2 Walt Road, Pennsburg, PA.  Admission is free.

The 2019 Make Music Upper Perk Schedule for June 21st is Here!

In just a few minutes, the files for the 2019 Make Music Upper Perk program and venue  map for Friday, June 21st will be dropped off at the printers and by the end of this week copies will be available at the local library, senior center, Red Hill Band Concert, Valley Arts Society Concert, and all around the Upper Perkiomen Valley.

But, if you can’t wait….here it is!

Looking for Make Music Upper Perk 2019 Schedule?

If you are here looking for this year’s scheduled performances for Make Music Upper Perk (MMUP) on Friday, June 21, 2019, don’t despair – you are at the right place!

While we put out a rough draft of the schedule last week (those who were at May Arts Week at the Upper Perkiomen High School were able to pick one up before heading into the auditorium and hearing one of four nights of concerts), we have been busy tweaking and fine tuning the latest version of the schedule that we plan on taking to the printer this week. That schedule will be posted on this site sometime this week – so keep checking back!

However, today you can take a look at the roster of musicians and groups who have signed up to play this year, and learn where and when you can find them on Friday, June 21st at MMUP. You can also take a look at the map of 20 venues who will be hosting the day of music this year.

How are you spending this sunny weekend?

Yes, some people will take advantage of this seemingly rare sunny day by mowing the grass, planting flowers, washing windows…. but here are a few other ideas on how to spend the weekend (or celebrate once the chores are done).

Over 80 juried artists and skilled craftsfolk are expected to line up along Main Street, in Historic Bethlehem, PA to showcase and sell their wares over Mother’s Day weekend; from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Saturday, and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Sunday, May 11 and 12, 2019 – 54th Fine Art and Craft Show in Historic Bethlehem

And what a beautiful day to drive over to Doylestown for the Spring into the Arts Festival at Bucks County Free Library, 150 Pines Street, where there will be live dance, vocal and musical performances, arts, crafts, food trucks, and more (and books! it is a library, after all….) Two stages, all free. Saturday, May 11, 2019 from 11 a.m. – 3:30 p.m.

This is the final weekend for the play, The Enchanted Bookshop – May 3 – 12, 2019. What’s not to love about the title of this play?! Intended for the entire family, shows on Saturdays and Sundays are held at 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. at DCP Theater, 795 Ridge Road, Telford, PA

A Likely Story looks like any old bookstore, but at dusk, the story book characters residing on the shelves inside come to life! Dorothy Gale, Robin Hood, Pollyanna, Sherlock Holmes, Heidi, and Tom Sawyer are determined to help the store owner, Margie, and protect their home from thieves in search of a necklace concealed inside a book.  However, being seen by a human could cause them to lose their magic and vanish. Together these beloved fictional characters will have to face this challenge and save the store!

This is the next to last weekend for the Tony award-winning Broadway musical, Fun Home playing at Civic Theater, 19th Street, Allentown, PA, which runs through May 19, 2019. Performances are held in the Civic’s newly renovated Historic 19^th Street Theatre. This show is recommended for those 14+ due to mature language and themes.

Busy First Weekend in May! Especially for MMUP2019!

The weather is getting warmer, and the days (and nights) are getting even busier! Which is all the more reason to take some time out to enjoy the arts, music, theater, and outdoor festivals that are starting now that the days are longer. And don’t forget about May the Fourth, of course! (How about signing up to make a Star Wars Terrarium in Bethlehem!   Or going to the free Star Wars Concert, beginning at 7 p.m., with the DelVal Symphonic Band, Chorale, and Jazz Band. Delaware Valley University, 700 E. Butler Avenue, Doylestown, PA)

But first thing you should consider doing on Saturday, May 4th, is heading over to the Volunteer Meeting for this year’s Make Music Upper Perk!

If we haven’t said this enough, MMUP only happens with a boatload of volunteers. Can you get on that boat with us? We have a 9:30 a.m. meeting on Saturday May 4th, at Pennsburg U.C.C. (775 Main Street, Pennsburg, PA), in the social hall. You can get a sneak peek of jobs available at this link and/or sign up online.  Not sure of your plans for June 21st? Never fear! If you are out of town on June 21st, but would still like to be a part of the 7th Annual MMUP, we can still use your help!  There are a bunch of behind-the-scene, before-the-event things that need to happen, and we’ll happily tell you all about them. BONUS – in addition to coffee and breakfast treats, those attending the volunteer meeting will get a chance to be among the first to see this year’s performance schedule for Make Music Upper Perk 2019!

And in celebration of Upper Perkiomen District Arts Week and Mother’s Day, and anything else you need to celebrate, the annual MMUP Fashion Week is next week, ! For one week, and one week only (May 5 – 12) all T-shirts are $10 each! Normal price is $20 each, but $15 for musicians and volunteers. Stock is limited….let us know now!