Enjoy the Arts, Rain or Shine…

Sunny and so very warm today, with cooler temps and rain predicted for the weekend; no matter the weather, there are more than a few ways to spend your some time enjoying the arts in the area (and maybe pick up a few books!)

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The Friends of the Upper Perkiomen Valley Library are holding their semi-annual Used Book Sale starting this weekend, in the lower level of the UPV Library, 350 Main Street, Red Hill, PA. The sale runs today through April 22, 2023; Friday, 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.,; Saturday, 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.; and Monday through Thursday from 9 a.m. – 7 p.m.

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The 2023 Allentown Film Festival opened today, Friday, April 14th, 2023 with an afternoon showing of Short Competition Finalists: K-12, College & LV Filmmakers!

At 5:30 p.m. Friday evening, Family Films and K-12 Shorts Competitions Finalists will be screened in 19th Street Theater while across the street at Theater514 at 5 p.m. one can see the featured documentary, State of the Unity alongside the short films Soil and Inspired.

Later in the evening, two other 90 minute blocks of shorts, short quirky films, and works by Lehigh Valley filmmakers will be shone at the 19th Street Civic Theater and Theater 514, in west Allentown, PA.

What is Art? – WORLD PREMIERE Local Allentown artists and art lovers discuss the meaning of “art” will be on screen at the Allentown Art Museum (31 N 5th Street, Allentown, PA) at 1 p.m., Saturday, April 15th, followed by ten additional short films – FREE ADMISSION (though RSVP’s are suggested due to space limitations)

Bitter Taste of Ginger ; Art House Horror Thrillers begins at 5 p.m. on Saturday, April 15th at Theater514 (19th Street, Allentown, PA). At 5:30 p.m. across the street at Civic Theater aka 19th Street Theater, Documentary Shorts and College Shorts Competition Finalists hit the big screen.

Later Saturday evening, Gory Gory (a group of short films accurately described as “gory”) with a post-screening discussion, starts at 7 p.m. at Theater514, while across the street at 19th Street Theater a different series of short films will be shown at 8 p.m.; Women Take Control – several directors of this series of films will take part in a discussion afterwards.

Sunday, April 16th brings yet more short films at Theater514 at 12:30 p.m., short films and one feature film at 19th Street Theater at 3 p.m., and some live music along with a handful of short films and music videos at a Closing Celebratory Reception at Miller Symphony Hall Lyric Room (23 N 6th Street, Allentown, PA) at 5:30 p.m.

TICKET PRICES ARE $10 (with the exception of What is Art? at Allentown Art Museum) – Tickets may be bought online in advance.

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Boyertown is celebrating Coming Out of Hibernation – Saturday, April 15, 2023 from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. (Rain date is Sunday, April 16, 2023)

Celebrate the arrival of spring and the end of hibernation with this annual fun-filled event for the entire family! Featuring unizue gift and specialty food vendors, delicious food, and fun activities and games, this event is sure to entertain everyone in your family!

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Wunderbarn Weekend, Juneteenth, and MMUP!

The first official day of summer – and Make Music Upper Perk – is still a few days away – Tuesday, June 21st – but that doesn’t mean you have to wait to enjoy good music, art, theater, and more, inside and out!

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Wunderbarn has scheduled a weekend of fun at their marvelous performance arts space in East Greenville (2979 Kutztown Road, East Greenville, PA – by Rainbow Tomatoes). The Only an Hour Variety Hour begins at 6:30 p.m. tonight, Friday, June 17, 2022; this open mic evening is open to poets, musicians, comedians, dancers and writers wishing to share some of their works in progress or in print with the audience. Folks should feel free to bring their own blanket or chair and snacks for this free public event – though some very tasty snacks, baked goods, and beverages will be for sale at the Rainbow Tomatoes farmstand.

Saturday, June 18th, Wunderbarn is celebrating self-declared Social Circus Day, from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m.;

Meet the multitalented circus artists of SpinCo Philly and learn how to juggle, spin poi, hoop, spin plates, and ribbon dance. Enjoy performances on the Wunderbarn stage at 1 p.m., play a game, and make a kazoo. Then go home tired and deliriously happy, ready to start your own circus! This event is free, but donations to SpinCo are welcome. 

Wunderbarn

And on Sunday, June 19th, Wunderbarn is hosting a writing workshop “guided by a wide array of special instruments including handpan, medicine drum and gong.” Sound Immersion with Jen Ryan will be from 1 p.m. – 2:30. Registration is requested, via email (jenniferdunnhill@gmail.com), though drop-ins are welcome. There is a $20 fee.

Wunderbarn is also participating in this year’s Make Music Upper Perk! On Tuesday, June 21st, Wunderbarn is hosting an evening of Poetry, Prose, and Music. Check out Tom Mato’s report from Wunderbarn on Make Music Upper Perk on YouTube.

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Of course, Wunderbarn isn’t the only place having fun this weekend.

Live music at multiple local breweries tonight, Friday, June 17th, including at the brand new Publication Brew Works (at the former Town and Country building) at the intersection of Main Street (Rt 29) and Route 663 aka Pennsburg Square, holding their Grand Opening tonight. Ian Althouse will be providing the live music from 6 p.m. – 9 p.m. Perkiomen Valley Brewery in Green Lane is hosting “Bluegrass with Gabe Delp and Friends” from 7 p.m. -9 p.m. tonight, as well.

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The Stahl Summer Pottery Festival is outside this Saturday, June 18th from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. At this festival there will be over 30 potters displaying and selling contemporary and traditional works, an opportunity to try using a potter’s wheel, and to tour the potting shed and kiln, demonstrations by master potters, an exhibit of historic Stahl pottery, food for sale, and more. Parking is free, there is a $4 entrance fee for adults (children are free). 6826 Corning Road Zionsville, PA

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Celebrations for Juneteenth – now a national federal recognized holiday – are happening all over! Nearby celebrations include A Celebration of Liberty at SteelStacks in Bethelehem, PA;

Join us as we celebrate Juneteenth 2022 on June 18th from 11 am – 7 p.m. at SteelStacks in Bethlehem

There will be a theatrical presentation, a variety of musical bands (Soul, R&B, Jazz, and Reggae), ethnic food trucks and vendors, children’s activities (creative story telling and arts and crafts), relevant cinema viewing with a panel discussion, historical menu tasting, a fine arts display and more.

Juneteenth Lehigh Valley

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Elmwood Park Zoo (1661 Harding Blvd, Norristown, PA) is hosting the Greater Norristown NAACP Juneteenth Celebration from 1 – 4 p.m. on both Saturday, June 18th and Sunday, June 19th, 2022.

This family friendly event will feature live music, animal meet and greets and keeper chats. On Sunday June 19, guests will have the opportunity to connect with local organizations in our community.

Elmwood Park Zoo

Norristown Borough residents (19401) can attend the event (June 18 or June 19) for free by PRE-REGISTERING HERE

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Zydeco-a- Go-Go takes the stage at the Green Lane Park Amphitheater at 6 p.m. on Sunday, June 19, 2022. Bring a blanket or lawn chair, and maybe a picnic or some snacks, and head over to the Green Lane Park to enjoy this free, family friendly, two hour concert of ” Louisiana Zydeco dancehall hits and Cajun blues mixes with vintage New Orleans rhythm & blues” outdoors in the park (not far from the playground and tennis courts). 1960 Snyder Road, Green Lane, PA

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This is the last weekend to catch the stage play Murder on the Orient Express at DCP Theater, just down the road in Telford. Tickets are available online and at the door. 795 Ridge Road, Telford, PA. Masks are recommended but not required.

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This weekend (and all next week), head over to Schwenkfelder Library and Heritage Center to look back at favorite photos, posters, and programs from 2013-2022 – 10 Years of Make Music Upper Perk! – upstairs in the large meeting room with the grand piano (where musical performances open to the public will be happening from 11 a.m. – 6 p.m. on Tuesday, June 21st). The Schwenkfelder Library is open 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. on Saturdays, 1 p.m. – 4 p.m. on Sunday, CLOSED on Monday, 9 -6 Tuesday, June 21st, 9-4 Wednesday, 9-8 on Thursday, and 9-4 on Friday.

And don’t forget to celebrate the first day of summer at Make Music Upper Perk! Tuesday, June 21st, at 19 locations, 130 acts, over 300 musicians, all over the Upper Perkiomen Valley; all free, all day (9 a.m. – 10 p.m.), all types of music, for all ages.

Snow Blast and Virtual Storytelling Workshop

The 15th annual SnowBlast Winter Arts Festival is Saturday afternoon, March 5th, in the Emmaus Triangle, from noon to 4 p.m. There will be live music, art activities, ice sculptures, food trucks, and more.

Fourth through eighth graders are invited to sign up for a Virtual Storytelling Workshop , aka Creating Comics!, which starts on Monday, March 7th, 2022. Angie DeMuro, cartoonist, storyteller and arts educator, will lead this Zoom class in creating their own original comic strip. There is a $40 registration fee.

Storytelling Workshop

Festive First Fall Weekend!

The first fall weekend of 2019 promises to be filled with music, art, theater, and sunshine.

The  Bethlehem Celtic Classic – a free three-day festival featuring multiple stages with live music, indoor and outdoor, Irish crafts and food, dance, fiddle contests, caber throwing events, bagpipe bands, children’s events, theater, and more – begins Friday night, September 27 and continues through Sunday, September 29, 2019.

The Allentown Arts Fest, at Cedar Beach Park, reminds me a bit of the original May Arts Festival – an all free long weekend event (Friday, Sept 27, 4 pm – 11 pm; Saturday, Sept 28, noon to 11 pm; Sunday, Sept 29, 11 am – 8 pm), with three stages for over 60 musical performances, an art vendors area, graffiti murals, children’s activities, interactive electronic music, screening of indie and short movies, and more. And Upper Perk’s own Tom Cooney will be playing at Martin’s Guitar Songwriters’ Showcase on Saturday afternoon (4 p.m. – 7 p.m.), and as part of the Acoustic Blues Project on Sunday from noon to 1 p.m. – both Tom and the Acoustic Blues Project are popular musicians, known for drawing a crowd at our own Make Music Upper Perk, as well as playing all around the area throughout the year.

Several performers that we’ve been lucky enough to hear at Make Music Upper Perk (including Mark Hannig, Bill McConney, Ralph Pagano, and Acoustic Blues Project) will be making music in Easton, PA on Sunday, September 29th as part of the wonderfully walkable free second annual College Hill Porchfest.  Musicians play from 2 p.m. – 6 p.m. on 24 porches, followed by a Second Line Parade starting and ending at College Hill Presbyterian (with a pot-luck supper in the church yard).

 All musicians and groups (professionals, amateurs, and everything in between) volunteer to perform at designated times and locations. Attendees stroll from porch to porch with blankets or folding chairs in hand ready to enjoy their preferred musical groups.

The music will vary broadly from jazz to blue grass to classical to all kinds of rock with the number of musicians in any performance ranging from one to 40. The grand finale will be the band, Big Easy Easton Brass, leading a Second Line parade through the neighborhood bringing a New Orleans tradition to the streets of Easton. A Second Line parade is not one you just watch go by, it’s one you participate in: Walk along, Dance along, Sing along, Shake a tambourine, Fill the streets with bubbles or even learn to play an instrument and jump on in. This band wants to blur the line between spectator and participant.

An all women cast takes the stage with Oscar Wilde’s  classic comedy The Importance of Being Earnest at Muhlenberg College, Baker Theatre, Trexler Pavilion for Theatre & Dance, 2400 Chew Street, Allentown, PA, with performances scheduled for September 26-29, 2019.

Following the adventures of two stylish young bachelors leading double lives to win hearts (or maybe break them), the play rollicks from London to the English countryside, with secret identities, capacious handbags, a controversial supply of cucumber sandwiches, and a sparklingly posh but surprisingly deep search for the “vital importance of Being Earnest.”

Two plays are ongoing in Souderton and Skippack; The Outgoing Tide– September 12 – October 6, 2019 – at Montgomery Theater, 124 N. Main Street, Souderton, PA and See How They Run – September 19 – October 5, 2019 – at The Playcrafters, 2011 Store Road, Skippack, PA (one block off Main Street).

Have a Musical Weekend!

Enjoy Broadway By Request, Saturday evening, February 10, 2018, in Harleysville at the Church of the Holy Spirit (2871 Barndt Road). Proceeds from the free will offering following the concert will go to the choir’s Lincoln Cathedral Pilgrimage fund.

The evening will also feature a silent auction, festive appetizers, desserts, and beverages throughout the evening.
Beverages sponsored by: Speakeasy Coffee Company and Weyerbacher Brewing.
Food sponsored by: Thrivent Financial

Enjoy Sunday brunch while listening to one of Make Music Upper Perk’s favorite musicians, Tom Cooney, who will be  playing an eclectic mix of folk, blues, and jazz music on February 11, 2018, from 11 a.m. – 1:30 p.m. at Diehl’s Real Teas, 239 Main Street,  East Greenville, PA.

This is also opening weekend for Civic Theater’s first theatrical production of 2018, the musical, Rock of Ages, which will run from February 9 – 25, 2018. Due to the major renovation project going on at the 19th Street home of Civic Theater, performances will be held in the Cedar Crest College Alumnae Hall Auditorium, 100 College Drive, Allentown, PA.

And now might be a good time to take a look at the schedule of some of the upcoming musicals and start buying tickets before they sell out!

 

St. Patrick’s Day Fun – starting now!

The Crowded Kitchen Players present a farce set in Ireland, Pints Pounds and Pilgrims, at the Unicorn Theater, 417 Front Street, Catasauqua, PA, this weekend, March 10-12, and next weekend, March 17 – 19, 2017.

-A humble Irish arts festival on a tiny island off the coast of Connemara finds itself in the cross-hairs of competing theater companies and their feuding stage directors from London, England and Hoboken, New Jersey.

-When the Inishbofin Arts Festival finds that the play it has commissioned, “A Bad Year for Potatoes”, is a dismally skewed portrayal of Irish family life, and when the director of that play threatens to sue if any attempt is made to brighten the show’s bleak outlook, the Festival director reaches out to an American dinner theater that specializes in bawdy bedroom farce, such as the perhaps excessive ly racy “Don’t Dress for Dinner”

.-And when the two companies find themselves scheduled to perform their respective plays at the Festival at the same place and hour, dramaturgical warfare breaks out on the cramped stage of the Bayside Public House, Island of Inishbofin, County Galway.

-And when the two companies find themselves scheduled to perform their respective plays at the Festival at the same place and hour, dramaturgical warfare breaks out on the cramped stage of the Bayside Public House, Island of Inishbofin, County Galway.

The Bethlehem Parade of Shamrocks (Bethlehem, PA) begins on Saturday, March 11th at 1 p.m. at Tenth Avenue and West Broad Street, continuing east on Broad to Main Street and ending under the Hil-To-Hill Bridge.

We are honored to have your favorite local high school and middle school bands, community groups, pipe bands, dancing groups, local dignitaries, and businesses participate in the parade.  Enjoy the festive celebration, then stay after the parade to enjoy some of the great restaurants and shops Bethlehem has to offer.

This month is a great time to check out McCarthy’s Red Stag Pub, 534 Main Street, Bethlehem, PA. The food is wonderful, and the live music will be extra special this month. And just down Route 100, for the 43rd year, live Irish themed music will be featured March 16-19, 2017 as part of the Bally Hotel Irish Wake. Sunday is set aside for families with children’s activities, food, dancers, and free kids’ arts and crafts, ending with “kids karaoke.”

On Friday, March 17 (St. Patrick’s Day!), the public is invited to the annual Grace Notes Studio Piano Party, 7 p.m. at Keh’s Hall, Perkiomen School, 200 Seminary Avenue, Pennsburg, PA. No tickets are required to enjoy some celtic songs, among other music, that will be played by the students. The wearing of green is encouraged (although no green beer will be served on this occasion!).

Harleysville’s own Burning Bridget Cleary will be celebrating St. Patrick’s Day by giving a concert at ArtsQuest Musikfest Cafe, 101 Founders Way, Bethlehem, PA. Tickets may be purchased in advance, or at the door before the 7:30 p.m. performance. Doors open at 6 p.m., for those who wish to enjoy dinner before the show.

Perkasie’s St. Patrick’s Day Celebration begins with a parade, which steps off at 11 a.m. on Saturday, March 18, 2017 at Pennridge South Middle School, Fifth Street, Perkasie, PA adn ends at the Sellersville Fire Company Picnic Grove behind the firehouse.  Following the parade, in the park, between noon and 4 p.m., there will be Celtic games, live music by McGirr & Alberts, a “Celtic Kids Corner,” Irish dancing, Men in Kilts contest, a Soda Bread Bake-Off, and a beer tent.

Allentown’s 60th annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade is scheduled for Sunday, March 19th, 2017, beginning at 1:30 p.m. at the Allentown Fairgrounds (17th and Chew Streets, Allentown, PA), going through the west end of town; west on Liberty, north on 19th, west on Tighlman, south on 25th Street and then circling back via Liberty Street to the Fairgrounds.

 

Planning for Make Music Upper Perk 2017 Has Begun!

Actually, we started talking about and planning for the 2017 version of  Make Music Upper Perk  on June 22, 2016 – the day after Make Music Upper Perk 2016. But the serious work, with the help of all our partners and volunteers, begins this month.

The first meeting with representatives from the many places that serve as venues for musicians for Make Music Upper Perk (MMUP) is scheduled for Friday morning, January 27, 2017. We will be speaking with them about what times, and what genres and size groups, will best suit their locations this year.

Registration for music makers of all ages and forms will go live online in February (check back later this month for exact date), and will remain open until April 20, 2017.

Our first volunteer meeting is scheduled for Saturday morning, February 18, 2017. We are always happy to welcome new volunteers, so mark your calendar and check back later this month for more details. Volunteers are needed in the weeks and months leading up to June 21st, as well as on the day itself. read more about volunteer opportunities here

We also have some ideas and plans for yarn bombing as part of our 5th annual celebration of music. If you crochet or knit, or have a bag of yarn you’d like to get out of your closet or attic and donate to a good cause, watch this spot for information on how you can be a part of this creative endeavor.

(New to Make Music Upper Perk? Check out MMUP FAQs)

Marvelous Music Outdoors

Now that the weather is a little bit cooler (by a few degrees, at least), and better in the evening, it might be worth heading outside for some wonderful music playing in our area this week and weekend – most of it free!

The Philadelphia Folk Festival starts today, Thursday, August 18th, and continues day and night through Sunday, August 21st – day passes as well as weekend passes may be bought at the gate in Schwenksville at the Old Poole Farm, 1323 Salford Station Road. Wonderful artisan crafts, foods, and instruments are also for sale at the event.

Each year, we transform an 80-acre working farm located a mere 35 miles outside of Philadelphia into a magical, musical sound park. For 4 days, we present superstars and rising stars on 8 stages and invite you, our musical family, to join us. We are so proud to be the longest continuously running outdoor musical festival in North America. No other event has captivated the hearts of their volunteers, where three and four generations work side by side to create what is arguably the best summer festival ever! Here, you will never meet a stranger and our hearts are always open.

Check out the four day schedule on their recently redesigned website (the new timeline looks pretty cool, too). Tickets can be bought at the gate or online.

The High and Mighty Brass Band takes the stage at the outdoor Levitt Pavilion SteelStacks, 645 E. First Street, Bethlehem, PA. The free concert begins at 7:30 p.m., Thursday night, August 18, 2016. Air Traffic Controller (indie pop duo) plays at the Levitt Pavilion on Friday night, and the Paul Thorn Band (“roots music – bluesy, rocking and thoroughly southern”) takes over on Saturday night – all concerts are free (as is parking) and begin at 7:30 p.m. Refreshments are available for sale, or you can bring your own. There is some seating but you might also consider bringing a lawn chair.

There will be plenty of music, along with peaches and ice cream, at the annual Pennsburg UCC Peach Festival this Saturday, August 20, 2016, from 2 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. Gene Galligan’s Musical Puppet Show will perform from 2 p.m. – 3 p.m., followed by Patrick McGovern playing from 3:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m., with The Red Hill Band closing out the night from 5 p.m. – 7 p.m. All outside on the lawn next to the Pennsburg UCC, 775 Main Street, Pennsburg, PA.

Sunday night, August 21st, Philly Rock and Soul plays Motown, oldies and R&B at Green Lane Park Amphitheater, 2298 Green Lane Road (off of Route 29) beginning at 7 p.m. Bring a lawn chair or blanket, and some goodies to eat and drink, and enjoy this free concert under the setting sun and stars.

 

Coventry Summer Con (think mini “Comic Con”)

Enjoy air conditioning , cosplay, comics, sci fi, games, and more at the Coventry Summer Con over at Coventry Mall (351 W. Schuylkill Road, just off Route 100) in Pottstown, PA on Saturday, August 13, 2016, from 1 p.m. – 8 p.m. This family event will also be hosting artists, vendors, special guests, and “all things pop culture.” Tickets are $10 online and $15 at the door.

Calling All Musicians!

All music makers, of all ages and abilities, are invited to perform on the first day of summer, Tuesday, June 21, 2016, as part of an all day, free, fun, public celebration of music in the Upper Perkiomen Valley, known as Make Music Upper Perk (MMUP).

Performers will sing, and play their instruments, in local green spaces, parks, coffeehouses, libraries, businesses, and non-profit community areas throughout the day and into the evening on June 21st.

Now is the time to sign up to be a part of this event – musician registration is open from February 1 – April 20, 2016.

If you don’t play an instrument, or sing outside of the shower, you can still be a part of MMUP, behind the scenes (or in front, introducing the music makers).  Volunteer registration will remain open until June 20th (although sooner is better than later). Bands, singer-songwriters, a cappella groups, bagpipers, drummers – all are welcome.

All photographs above were taken by Kristi Morris of Littlewing Studio, Pennsburg, during Make Music Upper Perk 2015.