The weather may have turned cool and wet this weekend, but that doesn’t mean you have to stay home and mope!
The Pottstown Area Artists Guild Fine Arts Showat our own local museum, the Schwenkfelder Library and Heritage Center (105 Seminary Ave, Pennsburg, PA) opened yesterday. Admission is free, to both the museum and the arts show; hours are 10 a.m – 4 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday, and 1 p.m. – 4 p.m on Sundays. The public is invited to the opening Reception of the Pottstown Area Artists Guild Fine Arts Showon Sunday, May 5th from 2 p.m. – 5 p.m., on the second floor (accessible by elevator as well as stairs) in the Putera Meeting Room. In addition to the art, there will be refreshments, and live music by harpist Betsy Chapman.
Local band Go Commando will be hitting the stage at Pizza Como & PC Pub in Pennsburg, PA tonight, Saturday, May the Fourth, at 9:30 p.m. (and closing down the place, ending at 1:30 a.m.!) GO COMMANDO is a cover band playing hits from the 60’s to today’s radio in our high energy style!
There are two great local music events to choose from tomorrow night, First Friday is back in Upper Perk next Friday – May 3rd, a local art show is opening a week from Saturday, and the annual UPSD Arts Fest showcasing student artists and musicians in Upper Perk School District starts on Tuesday, May 7th, 2024! All this to look forward to and more, along with a reminder that plans are underway for an awesome first day of summer celebrating music throughout the Valley on Friday, June 21st at Make Music Upper Perk.
Friday night, April 26th, Terry Kane is leading and hosting an Irish Session (live music!) at Perkiomen Valley Brewery (101 Walnut Street, Green Lane, PA) the first in a series of 4th Fridays music nights. The music starts at 6 p.m. and runs until 9 p.m.
Tina Faigan will be playing a piano concert –Vignettes: Modern and Retro – at Church of the Holy Spirit in Harleysville, PA (2871 Barndt Road), beginning at 7 p.m. on Friday, April 26, 2024.
A recital featuring short works for the piano—from recent gems to beloved classics—including Claire de Lune, Rachmaninoff’s 18th Variation, Schubert, Chopin, Puccini and more.
Concert pianist, chamber musician, recording artist, teacher and published music-writer, Tina Faigen’s professional music endeavors also include engagements as an adjudicator, master class presenter, workshop presenter, orchestral pianist, instrumental & vocal accompanist, music editor, and even presently as an orchestral violinist serving as Principal 2nd. An active teacher from the age of 14, Faigen has maintained a private studio throughout her life and is a piano faculty member at both University of Pittsburgh and Carnegie Mellon University Music Preparatory School.
Support the Doylestown Library while checking out wonderful crafts this Saturday, April 27, 2024 from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m. at the Friends of the Doyletown Library Arts and Craft Fair. There is no admission charge for this event at the James-Lorah House Auditorium, 100 North Broad Street, Doylestown, PA.
First Fridays are back in East Greenville, starting on Friday, May 3rd! Part of Third Street and Bank Street (right off of Main Street) will be closed for crafts people and vendors. There will be live music and Main Street businesses in town (like the bakery and cafe!) will be open later than usual for this event.
The public is invited to the opening Reception of the Pottstown Area Artists Guild Fine Arts Showat our own local museum, the Schwenkfelder Library and Heritage Center (105 Seminary Ave, Pennsburg, PA) on Sunday, May 5th from 2 p.m. – 5 p.m. Free and open to everyone, held on the second floor (accessible by elevator as well as stairs) in the Putera Meeting Room, in addition to the art, there will be refreshments, and live music by harpist Betsy Chapman. The Fine Arts Show will be on display from Friday, May 3rd – Sunday, May 19, 2024. Admission to the Schwenkfelder Library and Heritage is free.
Celebrate all the artistic and musical talent at our public schools in the Upper Perkiomen Valley, at this year’s UPSD Arts Fest – May 7 – May 10, 2024. With concerts four night that week, and awesome displays of student artwork including paintings, sculptures, mixed media, and more, it’s worth finding some time on your calendar that week to stop by and check it out! Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday evening are the elementary and middle school concerts (Choruses on Tuesday and Bands, and UPHS Jazz Band!, on Wednesday, and Orchestras on Thursday) and the Elementary/UPMS Art Show – all in the Upper Perkiomen Middle School (901 Montgomery Avenue, Pennsburg, PA). Thursday and Friday night one can stop by the Upper Perkiomen High School (just down the street at 2 Walt Road, Pennsburg, PA) to see the High School Art Show and hear High School Recital and High School Jazz Band (Thursday), and the High School Orchestra and Band Concert (Friday).
The Pottstown Artists Guild is hosting their May Masters of Art Talk on Monday, May 20th, 2024 at 7:30 p.m. Free and open to everyone, Kevin Lynn will be talking about the art of photography – The art of seeing … Opening your mind’s eye to inspiration at the Hill School Center of the Arts, 760 Beech Street, Pottstown, PA.
As photographer, Kevin Lynn, will talk about his ability to see images everywhere. In any situation, any light and in any genre. Living in the moment… Composition that tells a story.
Working in multiple disciplines. Routines and best practices to develop those skills. His photos show a unique ability to see image possibilities that are not always just what the eye sees.
And don’t forget to mark your calendar for the first day of summer – Friday, June 21st – the twelfth annual Make Music Upper Perk! With live music inside and outside at over 20 locations throughout the Upper Perkiomen Valley, starting at 9 a.m. until 10 p.m., this all free, all volunteer, and all open to the public event brings the community together to celebrate music of all types by musicians of all ages!
If you’d like to be a part of this event, sign up to volunteer today and/or come to the first MMUP Volunteer Meeting of 2024 on Saturday afternoon, May 11th at 1 p.m. at New Goshenhoppen Park (618 Third Street, East Greenville, PA), by the bandstand. Learn more about volunteering for this event – volunteers are needed before and after June 21st, as well as on the day of the event itself.
As of Friday night’s sold out performance of Matilda Jr at the Upper Perkiomen Middle School (901 Montgomery Avenue, Pennsburg, PA) there were still 30 tickets left for the final performance on Saturday, March 2nd, 2024. Tickets are on sale now
There are still two more performances to go of Act 1’s staging of Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night, Saturday, March 2nd and Sunday, March 3rd. Get tickets online for this show at DeSales University, Center Valley, PA
Next weekend the pop musical Emma! will be on stage at Upper Perkiomen High School (2 Walt Road, Pennsburg, PA) Thursday, March 7 – Sunday, March 10, 2024. Buy your ticket now, before they sell out!
Part One of CWTAP’s broadcast of Make Music Upper Perk 2023, featuring eight different entertainers is now on YouTube to watch and share with your friends. This great footage, shot live by The Ritters on June 21st, 2023, includes performances by Gravel Pike, Peregrine and the Band of Brothers, Michael Oelschlager, Jeanne Hunsberger and her harp, Lehigh Valley Pops, and Expressions Sax Quartet.
The Celtic Heirs will be performing on Thursday, March 7th, 2024 at 6 p.m. at the Upper Perkiomen Valley Library (350 Main Street, Red Hill, PA). Registration is encouraged (but not required) for this free concert.
Funky Fretsin Boyertown (124 N Chestnut Street) will be celebrating the grand opening of their new Vinyl Store on Saturday, March 16, 2024 with a day and night of workshops and performances, free and open to the public. The Uke Workshop will be from 1 p.m. – 2 p.m., Uke Jam from 2:30 – 5:30, and Open Mic (all instruments welcome) from 6 p.m. – 8 p.m.
In March, Gallery Owner, Caroline Kearney, will talk about “Some Common-Sense Ideas for Honing Your Art Career: A Gallerist’s Perspective”
This talk will be presented by Pottstown Area Artists Guild on Thursday, March 21, 2024 at 7pm. The talk will take place on the 2nd floor above the Gallery in the North Hall of the West Campus of the Montgomery County Community College at 16 E. High Street in Pottstown, PA.
The Pottstown Area Artists Guild has also put out a Call for Artists for their upcoming Spring Open Juried Fine Arts Show, which will be held this year at the Schwenkfelder Library and Heritage Center on May 3 – 19, 2024. The deadline to enter is Monday, March 25th for mail-in entries and Monday, April 1st for online entries.
Music for Magical Mallets is happening tonight, Friday, February 9, 2024 at the Church of the Holy SpiritEpiscopal (2871 Barndt Road, Harleysville, PA). Starting at 7 p.m. with Jeffery Uhlig on the piano and Mark O’Kain on the marimba and xylophone, the evening’s performance features Classics, Tangos, Ragtime, and Broadway music. The concert is free, with a suggested donation of $25.
A new two woman play, Mrs. Harrison, is playing for the month of February at Montgomery Theater in Souderton (124 N Main Street, Souderton, PA).
Running time is approximately 75 minutes with no intermission.
May not be suitable for children under the age of 17
At their 10-year college reunion, Aisha and Holly meet by chance. Is this the first time or has it just been a long time? They can’t agree. Aisha is a Black, successful playwright; she’s on the cover of the alumni magazine. Holly is a White, struggling stand-up comedian; she’s here for the free drinks. They both have a story that they’ve been telling themselves about what happened all those years ago and they’re both willing to fight for the truth in the present.
If you are in the mood for “a delicious new comedy,” head over to Pottstown’s SteelRiver Playhouse for The Cake which opens this weekend and plays through February 18th, 2024 (two weekends only!). Some performances are already sold out, so buy your tickets online now, if you can!
A delicious comedy: Della’s North Carolina bakery is legendary! She is overjoyed when her best friend’s daughter returns from New York to get married and asks Della to make her wedding cake. Della, a sweet-natured Christian, is forced to re-examine her deeply held beliefs and her own marriage when she realizes there is not one bride, but two. Faith, family, and frosting collide in this timely new play by Bekah Brunstetter, writer for the NBC hit This Is Us.
February is also the start of the season of high school musicals!
The Addams Family is the first high school musical playing in our area, on stage at the Perkiomen School (200 Seminary Ave, Pennsburg, PA) on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, February 15-18, 2024. There is no admission charge – the show is open to the public. Doors open at 7 p.m. and the curtain is scheduled to rise at 7:30 p.m. While you are there at Keh’s Theater, take a look at the art gallery in the lobby of the theater. The Addams Family is a Tony nominated musical based on the cartoon and many tv and film adaptations.
The winter musical at The Hill School (860 Beech Street, Pottstown, PA) this year is Prom, on the main stage February 23-25, 2024. Open to the public, with no admission charge, this Broadway musical comedy has also been made into a film, and has recently become a popular stage show for high schools and community theater (Perkiomen Valley High School will be staging the show in March and SteelRiver Playhouse in May).
Charlie Zahm is one of the most popular soloists at Celtic music festivals, Maritime, and American Traditional music events anywhere east of the Mississippi. With a baritone voice some have described as “coming along once in a generation,” Charlie has become one of the most successful performers on the Celtic festival circuit, weaving magical moments of Scottish and Irish history for the listener and viewer, with passion for the performance and a chosen repertoire pleasing to all members of the family. A master of the guitar as well, Charlie brings an authentic love and respect for the music he sings-and with dashes of humor and a light in his eyes, he will draw you into the stories of his songs!
“St. Andrew’s UCC in Perkasie is hosting An Evening Of Music with Charlie Zahm on February 17th at 7:00 pm. The charge is $15.00 with proceeds going to mission activities and the capital campaign. There will be refreshments, a raffle and a 50/50 at intermission. We encourage reservations by calling Karen at 267-664-0231or email kapcharlkp@gmail.com. Checks can be made out to St. Andrew’s and mailed to the church” (address above).
Bring the whole family to the Greg Funfgeld Family Concert, Dancing with Bach at the Zoellner Arts Center on the Lehigh University Campus (420 E. Packer, Bethlehem, PA) on Sunday afternoon, February 18th, 2024. Blending music and dance featuring performers from the Lehigh Valley Charter High School for the Arts and the Bach Choir of Bethlehem, this event is for children and adults of all ages. The music starts at 3 p.m. (doors open at 2:30) This is a general admission seating ticketed event – call the box office 610-866-4382 extension110 or buy online.
The Winter Light Spectacular at the Lehigh Valley Zoo (5150 Game Preserve Lane, Schencksville, PA) is open now through December 30th; 5 p.m. – 10 p.m. One could have a grand time going from local to zoo to local zoo, looking at the lights, and tasting and comparing hot chocolate this year. Elmwood Park Zoo in Norristown is hosting Wild Lights, starting Friday, November 17th through December 30th, 2023, 5 p.m. – 9 p.m., and LumiNature at the Philadelphia Zoo (the oldest zoo in the country, and just an hour away from the Upper Perk Valley) runs November 17th – December 31st. Advanced timed tickets must be bought for these events, though some have more flexible options, if you aren’t sure of your plans.
Riverview Early Music will be giving a concert on Saturday evening, November 18th, 2023, beginning at 7 p.m. at the Church of the Holy Spirit in Harleysville, PA. All are welcome and the concert is free (there is a suggested donation of $25).
Riverview Early Music will be coming to Church of the Holy Spirit to perform a program of love songs and instrumental dances from 16th and 17th – century Europe. Entitled If music be the food of love…, the program will take the audience on a trip through time and space, starting in Elizabethan England and ending in Baroque Italy, with stops in Renaissance France and the Iberian Peninsula. Love is universal, it’s part of the human condition, and so it seems is the expression of love through song.
The Upper Perkiomen Valley Library is hosting the Indian Valley Dulcimer Society on Saturday, December 9, 2023. The group will be playing on the main floor of the library from 11 a.m. – 12 noon. If you’ve missed hearing them play at Make Music Upper Perk (they are perennial performers and favorites) or if you have heard them play and can’t wait until next June to hear them again, this is your chance! This performance is free and for the whole family.
The Upper Perkiomen High School A Choir will be joining the Valley Choral Society in singing Festive Carols in the King’s College Tradition at 3 p.m. on Sunday, December 10th at New Goshenhoppen UCC (1070 Church Road, East Greenville, PA). This concert is free and open to the public – no tickets required.
This weekend is the start of holiday bazaars and craft fairs of all shapes and sizes, from juried high end artwork and craft events to those featuring homemade cookies and handmade scarves, hats, decor, and pins.
New additions this year include the Holiday Teen Craft Show at the Upper Perkiomen Library (350 Main Street, Red Hill, PA) on Saturday, November 18th from 10 a.m. – 3 p.m., in the lower level of the library. These crafters range in age from 12 – 18 and this is a chance to catch the artists before they take over the world – Drop by for hand-made crafts, ornaments, knick-knacks, and more! All items made by our local teens. Free and open to the public.
Palm Schwenkfelder Church’s annual Holiday Bazaaris also this Saturday, November 18th, from 9 a.m. – 2 p.m. (833 Gravel Pike, Palm, PA). In addition to crafts and holiday baked goods and treats, there will be a Lenape Native American Artifact Display. The organizers of the bazaar, the Palm Schwenkfelder’s Ladies’ Aid Society, are also collecting non-food items and non-perishable food items to donate to Open Link, at the event.
Not to be forgotten is the 36th annual North Penn Holiday Craft Market, opening at 9:30 a.m. and closing at 4:30 p.m. this Saturday, November 18th, at the North Penn High School (1340 S. Valley Forge Road, Lansdale, PA). Admission is $6 ($5 with coupon)
These craft shows include over 95 artists and feature fine and unusual pottery, jewelry, fiber, dried flowers, fraktur, tinware, baskets, folk art, theorem, quilts, appliqués, furniture, painted scissor cuttings, ceramics, scherenschnitte, embroidery, children’s clothing, dolls, rug weaving, decoys, calligraphy, leather, band boxes, iron work, toys, wood carvings, wooden spoons, and much more.
It’s not too late to decide to play a tune at tonight’s open mic at Wunderbarn’sOnly an Hour Variety Hour. Tonight’s theme is Circus Arts and features special guest performers from Philadelphia’s SpinCo. This Friday night event, held outside and open to the public (feel free to bring your favorite chair and family friendly beverage), begins at 6:30 p.m.
Tomorrow, Saturday, September 16th, enjoy anAfternoon of Music with Ian Althouse, from 4 p.m. – 6 p.m., once again at Wunderbarn – 2979 Kutztown Road, East Greenville, PA
Bring a picnic blanket to spread out on the lawn and enjoy a relaxed afternoon of music! Ian Althouse is an acoustic performer/songwriter with the stylings of rock, reggae, pop, and funk. Ian has played all around the Philadelphia and Lehigh area with his original band INDEPENDENCE DRIVE and as a solo acoustic artist. Specializing in 90s and 80s alternative music, Ian throws in some modern and classic songs too, so everyone can appreciate his wide range of selections. With a steady voice and crafty guitar playing, you are sure to get a quality show anytime you see him. Donations will be gratefully accepted at the event.
The rock band Wicked Alibi will be performing at Emmaus’ Triangle Park, as part of Saturday’s Farewell to Summer Festival.The festival is taking place from 11 a.m. – 3 p.m. – Saturday, September 16, 2023 – at Triangle Park and at various spots throughout the borough (including the marvelous indie bookstore, Let’s Play Books) Activities include chalk painting, kid’s events, dance performances, craft vendors, free tie dye station, free movie at Emmaus Theater, and more.
Make sure to block out some time next weekend for the 2023 Celtic Classic Festival in Bethlehem, with five stages of music (all free!) starting on Friday evening, September 22nd, 2023. The event – Friday, September 22 – Sunday, September 24, 2023 – includes a pipe band competition and a fiddle competition, Irish dancers, border collies, poetry, haggis, crafts and vendor tents, food and drink (including 21 and over selections) tents.
The nights have been cooler, the days beautiful, and school buses are once again on the road as the month of August (and summer) comes to a close. But that just means that fall, in all its glory, is just around the corner. And the First Friday in September is tomorrow!
And once again East Greenville and local businesses are hosting live music as part of First Friday on September 1st. Bank Street and Third Street (just off Main Street, East Greenville, PA) will be closed for local vendors (and maybe some food trucks?) The Timoteo Blues Implosion – a regular at Make Music Upper Perk – will be performing his music from 5:30 p.m. – 8 p.m. on Third Street, near the Owls’ Nest. Simple Days Beer Brewery is hosting live music performed by Catfish & Jo with Lobster Mobster food truck onsite, 4 – 9 p.m. And across the street, Frank Porter will be making music on Abella Specialties’ front porch.
The 100th Annual Allentown Band Concert and Picnic is this Saturday, September 2nd, 2023, at New Goshenhoppen Park – Third Street, East Greenville, Pa. The event opens at 3 p.m. with an hour of Piano in the Park, featuring Grace Notes Piano Studio students (Susan Royer, instructor), along with special surprise guest vocalist, Ann Fogler!
If you’d like a bite to eat while waiting for the 5 p.m. start of the hour and a half Allentown Band concert (and would rather not leave the park or pack your own picnic basket), the folks at New Goshenhoppen UCC have prepared an Ala Carte Menu: – (Food priced separately) Hamburgers, Hot Dogs, Turkey BBQ, Baked Beans, Pickled Cabbage, French Fries, Tomato Salad, Applesauce, Homemade Desserts, Ice Cream & Beverages.
Green Lane Park Amphitheater is closing out their Summer Concert Series by hosting two free Sunday concerts this month (one making up for a rained out event last month); tonight, Sunday, August 13th,The Ashbury Fever Band will be celebrating the music of Bruce Springsteen and the “E” Street Band, along with other rock classics from the 70’s and 80’s, from 6 p.m. – 8 p.m.
Next Sunday, August 20th, the Billy Joel cover band, We May Be Right starts the music at 6 p.m. and closes out the night, and the summer series, at 8 p.m.
Both concerts will take place at the amphitheater; parking is by the tennis courts (2298 Green Lane Road, Green Lane, PA). Folks are encouraged to bring blankets or lawn chairs, and maybe a picnic dinner!
Winners of Wunderbarn’s all ages Story in a Poem Contest have been invited to read their poems at the Friday night, August 18th Only An Hour Variety Hour and Open Mic. That night’s featured poet will be Dawn Leas. A limited open mic will follow Dawn Lea’s reading, which starts at 6:30 p.m. Dawn will have books for sale and signing. The event is free; donations are always welcome and accepted.
Cameras & Postcards; an exhibit of 43 cameras dated 1900 to 1968, and 900 postcards, primarily scenes of Bucks County, along with Montgomery, Philadelphia, Northampton and Lehigh Counties, is on display for the public through September 30th, at the Richland Library Company(44 S Main Street, Quakertown, PA). While there, you might also take a look at one room of the Upstairs Gallery, which contains the works of Calvin Ruth, a local art teacher and former librarian of the Richland Library Company. Calvin’s watercolors are of the Upper Bucks County and the Perkiomen Valley. This research library is open to the public on Wednesdays from 1 p.m. – 4 p.m. and on Saturdays from 9 a.m. – 12 noon.
Back to the Future is now a new musical on Broadway, and the focus of a new exhibit at Boyertown Museum of Historic Vehicles (85 Walnut Street, Boyertown, PA). Where We’re Going We Don’t Need Roads;
A DeLorean time machine tribute car is the centerpiece of an exhibit full of Back to the Future memorabilia, screen-used props, concept artwork, and more. This exhibit is on display now through Labor Day Weekend.
Join us on Saturday, July 22 at 1:00pm for a special screening of “88MPH: The Story of the DeLorean Time Machine,” a feature-length documentary chronicling the history of the original hero car from the internationally renowned Back to the Future film franchise. Q&A with Tom Quigley, Director of the film, to follow its screening. PLUS we’ll have a second tribute car parked in the Museum. A donation to the Michael J. Fox Foundation will get you a chance to take a fan photo IN the car!
The museum is open from 9:30 a.m. – 4 p.m. daily. There is an admission charge.
The Red Hill Band continues their summer season with a concert at the Pennsburg UCC Annual Peach Festival (775 Main Street, Pennsburg, PA) on Saturday, August 19th, 2023. The Peach Festival (featuring fresh cut peaches and ice cream, along with dinner options and baked goods, all for sale) starts at 4 p.m., while the band plays from 5 p.m. – 7 p.m.
You don’t have to wait until fall to see the Upper Perkiomen High School Marching Band Field Show (or at least part of this year’s show). Thursday, August 24th, 2023, folks are invited to stop by the Upper Perk Kick Off Pep Rally between 5 p.m. and 9 p.m. the UPHS Marching Band will preview their 2023 field show at this outdoor event, at the high school football field (2 Walt Road, Pennsburg, PA).
Enjoy an afternoon or evening of community theater – and air conditioning! – at DCP Theater in Telford; Nana Does Vegas, from August 11 – 20, 2023, and/or at Skippack Playcrafters; Little Women, from August 18th – September 9, 2023. Tickets are sold online and at the box office.
The first, UPVFirst Friday is tonight, Friday, August 4th, on Main Street and Bank Street in East Greenville, PA. Businesses and cafes will be open between 5:30 p.m. and 8 p.m. tonight, and many will host musicians for an evening of live music, along with special food and sales, and vendor and crafter stands outside along Third Street and Bank Street (which will be closed to cars during the event). Some familiar musicians, who have previously played at Make Music Upper Perk, are among those who’ll be sharing their talents; Fran Mayville will be performing on the front porch at Abella’s Specialties, and Ian Althouse will be at Java and Friends, playing with Douglas Nestler and Friends.
Enjoy An Evening of Music with David Antonio, Saturday evening, August 5th, beginning at 6:30 p.m. at Wunderbarn, 2979 Kutztown Road, East Greenville, PA.
Bring a picnic, spread out a blanket, enjoy a relaxed evening of music in a beautiful outdoor setting…David grew up in the Upper Perkiomen Valley and has been playing music for nearly 50 years. He plays both standard acoustic guitar as well as steel slide on Weissenborn Style guitar, and didgeridoo. Suggested donation of $10 – all money goes to the musician.
Wunderbarn
Wunderbarn’s Story in a Poem Contestis an all ages contest with no fee to enter. The deadline for submissions is midnight, Sunday, August 6, 2023. Judges are poets Dawn Leas and Jennifer Hill. You may send up to three poems for consideration – given the deadline is this weekend, your best bet is to email your poems – thewunderbarn@gmail.com Prizes: First Place is $75 plus publication of poem in Town and Country, Second Place is $50 and Third Place is $25. Winners will be announced on August 11th and will be invited to read their poems at the August 18th Only An Hour Variety Hour and Open Mic. That night’s featured poet will be Dawn Leas.
The theme for the 2023 event season at The Wunderbarn is STORIES. We love a good story around here, and poems that tell a story, narrative poems, are a favorite. We’re looking for narrative poems about people, events, favorite places, and memorable moments. We’re happy to read any other storied poems you want to share too, just keep them 40 lines or under (no epics, please!) There is no fee to enter. Categories for the contest are:
Rhymed Poems
Unrhymed Poems
This is an all ages contest. Good poems are written by five year olds as well as 85 year olds…..
Summer is a fine time to give in to your artistic impulses! And Jenny Hill at Wunderbarn (2979 Kutztown Road, East Greenville, PA) has a myriad of events and opportunities for just that.
If you like the circus, register for Whirled of Wonder at Wunderbarn on either Friday morning, July 7th, or Saturday morning, July 15th (fun starts at 10 a.m.)
A hoop-centric, interactive show, Whirled of Wonder is energy filled and mesmerizing! Join Jenny to discover the powers of centripetal force and balance with various objects. A short playshop will follow the performance for audience members to play and experiment with newfound circus skills. The weather needs to be good for this performance to run, so if it’s rainy that day, it’s cancelled. But hey, don’t pout, just check the schedule for future shows! Bringing a big group? Call Jenny at 570-328-8658 for group rates.
Wunderbarn
If storytelling and vaudeville are more your speed;
Join Spaghetti Van Halen for Stories for the Stage! Come listen to stories of amazing or perilous fortune. Then we will harness the mystical powers of our voices and bodies to conjure up the characters and stories waiting for their futures to be told. Be prepared–this work will require imagination, play, silliness, and an adequate or even less than adequate singing voice.
Wunderbarn
Vaudeville Storytime : Stage Stories with Spaghetti Van Halen starts at 10 a.m. on Saturday, July 8, 2023, and runs for 90 minutes. Folks are asked to book in advance, but walk ins are welcome! Free event, donations gratefully accepted at the event.
Our good friend Steve Walker is leading a Songwriting Workshop on Sunday, July 16th, at 2 p.m. – reserve your spot now (just $20)
Bring your guitar, original poetry (or favorite poem), dance moves, harmonica, or joyful voice to The Only an Hour Variety Hour Open Mic on Friday, July 21st, starting at 6:30 p.m. If you prefer to remain in the audience, there will be refreshments for sale at the Rainbow Tomatoes farmstand, and maybe bring your favorite lawn chair or blanket to spread on the lawn.
And closing out July at Wunderbarn is An Evening of One Acts : Matthew Hinton, staged readings of three one-act plays, on Friday evening, July 28th, 2023. The curtain rises at 6:30 p.m. for this outdoor performance. Book tickets in advance, or pay $10 at the gate.
It might be hard to keep from singing along at this year’s Green Lane Park’s Summer Concert Series, Great Music Through the Decades, which continues with two free concerts in the month of July. The 1970s will be represented with performance by The Mystic Rituals on Friday night, July 7th, 2023 from 6 p.m. – 8 p.m. On Sunday evening, July 16th, The Ashbury Fever Band will be celebrating the music of Bruce Springsteen and the “E” Street Band, along with other rock classics from the 70’s and 80’s, from 6 p.m. – 8 p.m. Both concerts will take place at the amphitheater; parking is by the tennis courts (2298 Green Lane Road, Green Lane, PA). Folks are encouraged to bring blankets or lawn chairs, and maybe a picnic dinner!
It’s the night of the royal ball and Cinderella must get to the palace if she is ever to meet her one true love, Prince Charmfull. But when she calls for her Fairy Godmother, it turns out that some bad potato salad has given all the Fairy Godmothers food poisoning. Enter Lucretia Fossilwart, scented candle saleswoman and Substitute Fairy Godmother. This will not end well. (Or will it?)
Ethel Merman and Mary Martin were off-stage friends, theatre royalty, and iconic personalities. Sarah J. Gafgen and Meredith Beck take you on a journey in concert to peek behind the Broadway curtains at their personal lives and the challenges of friendship, especially as women in their time, while celebrating an acclaimed song list, including “I Got Rhythm,” “The Sound of Music,” “Cockeyed Optimist,” “Hello, Dolly!” and more.
Together Off-Broadway: Merman & Martin has been developed with the support of the Philadelphia Women’s Theatre Festival and Act II Playhouse.
Montgomery Theater
And of course there are more than a few shows to choose from at the annual Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival, held on DeSalles Campus (2755 Station Avenue, Center Valley, PA)
Valley Art Scene 