March Community Corner
Open Houses
March 1-2: Harrisburg Catholic Elementary will host open houses for 2018-19 registration, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., on March 1 at the Cathedral campus, which houses pre-school and 5th through 8th grades, and March 2 at the Holy Family campus, which houses kindergarten through 4th grade. Visit hbgcathelem.org for more details.
Diabetes Dining
March 1-31: Penn State Extension will offer a “Dining with Diabetes” class from 12:30 to 3 p.m. at Messiah Village, Mechanicsburg. Classes will be held March 1, 8, 22 and 29, with a follow-up on May 31. Dining with Diabetes is a nationally accredited program for adults with or at risk of developing Type 2 Diabetes. Visit extension.psu.edu.
Winter HBG Flea
March 3: Explore the HBG Flea, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., at Strawberry Square, 320 Market St., Harrisburg. Shop for local art, handmade gifts and vintage wares. For more details, visit hbgflea.com.
Maple Sugar Festival
March 4: Head to Fort Hunter Park, 5300 N. Front St., Harrisburg, for the Maple Sugar Festival, 12 to 4 p.m. Kids and adults can have hands-on fun with tree tapping, eating real maple syrup on ice cream and shopping for PA maple products. Visit forthunter.org.
Soup Cook-Off
March 4: The AKT Foundation will host the 9th Annual Soup Cook-Off for children with cystic fibrosis. Held from 12 to 4 p.m. at the Radisson Hotel in Camp Hill, the soup cook-off gathers about 40 local chefs, both professional and amateur, to showcase homemade soups, with attendees voting for their favorites. Visit TheSoupCookOff.com for details and tickets.
Red Carpet Evening
March 4: Join Midtown Cinema, 250 Reily St., Harrisburg, to celebrate the best films of 2017. Dress to the nines and gather your best guesses for winners on the big night. The red carpet begins at 7 p.m.; show starts at 8 p.m. Admission of $35 includes themed buffet and beverages. Visit midtowncinema.com for details.
Blood Pressure Screenings
March 5: Stop by the food court pavilion at Harrisburg Mall, 3501 Paxton St., 8:30 to 10:30 a.m., for free blood pressure screenings offered by UPMC Pinnacle. For more information, visit shopharrisburgmall.com.
Decisions 2018
March 5, 19: The World Affairs Council of Harrisburg will host “Great Decisions,” a program on world affairs organized by the Foreign Policy Association. Sessions are held every other Monday at 1 p.m. at Fredricksen Library, 100 N. 19th St., Camp Hill, through May 14. Cost is $10 per session. Visit fredricksenlibrary.org for additional information.
Choreo-Poem
March 8-11: The Capital BlueCross Theatre at Central Penn College, in partnership with The Harrisburg Chapter of The Links, will host “Reclaiming My Time: An American Griot Project,” a staged poetic form production by award-winning central PA poet, performer and professor Maria James-Thiaw. The choreo-poem presents Civil Rights era experiences through the eyes of women and girls who lived it. Visit centralpenn.edu.
Railroad Show
March 10: National Railway Historical Society Harrisburg Chapter will host the 32nd annual Railroad Show & Collectors Market at I.W. Abel Union Hall, 200 Gibson St., Steelton, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Donation at the door is $5; kids under 12 are free. Call 717-439-9744 or email sloan@auchincloss.com.
Volunteer Work Day
March 10: Enjoy the outdoors and help with continuing park and habitat enhancement projects at Wildwood Park, 100 Wildwood Way, Harrisburg, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Snacks, tools and work gloves will be provided. To reduce plastic usage, bring a water bottle. Refreshments will be available. Visit wildwoodlake.org.
Kids Club Event
March 10: Fit4Mom offers a class for moms with kids in strollers, incorporating the strollers into the workout, at the Harrisburg Mall, 3501 Paxton St. Kids Club events are the second Saturday of each month, 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Free admission. All kids and families are welcome to attend. For more details, visit shopharrisburgmall.com.
Handbell Fest
March 10: The 14th Central PA Handbell Festival will be held at Lebanon Area Evangelical Free Church, 600 Shepherd St., Jonestown, 3:30 p.m. Eighteen bell choirs from Pennsylvania and New Jersey will ring under the direction of Dr. Kimberlee Strepka. A good will offering will be received. For details, contact centralpahandbellfestival@gmail.com.
Celtic Bal Masque
March 10: The Art Association of Harrisburg will host its Celtic Ceilidh Bal Basque, 6 p.m. to 10 p.m., at the House of Music, Arts and Culture (HMAC), 1110 N. 3rd St., Harrisburg, with proceeds supporting Art Association exhibits, education and programming. For event details, visit artassocofhbg.com.
Sports Card Show
March 10, 31: Head to Harrisburg Mall, 3501 Paxton St., Harrisburg, for the CC Collectibles Sports Card Show, held during mall open hours. Hundreds of sports cards and collectibles will be available for purchase throughout the lower level of the mall. For more information, visit shopharrisburgmall.com.
Ducks and Geese
March 11: The Ned Smith Center, 176 Water Company Rd., Millersburg, will host its annual “Ducks and Geese of the Susquehanna River,” 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. Learn about waterfowl and seasonal migration patterns with Scott Bills, retired land management group supervisor at the PA Game Commission. Stay for the annual Waterfowl Watch. Visit nedsmithcenter.org.
Free Community Day
March 11: Hershey Gardens will offer free admission from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Browse the gardens, the Milton & Catherine Hershey Conservatory and the indoor butterfly atrium. Between 10 a.m. and 3 p.m., enjoy presentations from local gardening and horticultural organizations. Visit hersheygardens.org.
Book/Movie Event
March 11: Join the Harrisburg Young Professionals book club for a book/movie event from 12 to 3 p.m. at Regal Great Escape, Harrisburg Mall, 3501 Paxton St. This month, the club will enjoy the classic, “A Wrinkle in Time.” Visit hyp.org for more details.
Charter Day
March 11: Celebrate the commonwealth’s 337th birthday with free admission to the State Museum of Pennsylvania, 300 North St., Harrisburg, 12 to 5 p.m. Through March 16, view the original 1681 charter that granted the land of Pennsylvania to William Penn. Visit statemuseumpa.org for details.
Train Talk
March 13: National Railway Historical Society Harrisburg Chapter will host “Reading and Northern in the Anthracite Region,” an illustrated presentation by Oley Taremae at Hoss’s Restaurant, 743 Wertzville Rd., Enola. Business meeting and speaker begin at 7 p.m., with a meal available as early as 5 p.m. Call 717-439-9744 or email sloan@auchincloss.com.
GreenCon 2018
March 14: GreenCon, central PA’s annual Green Building Conference & Expo, will be held at Dickinson College, 28 N. College St., Carlisle, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Co-hosts of “Sustainability Defined” podcast, Jay Siegel and Scott Breen, will be the keynote speakers. Visit usgbc-centralpa.org for more event details.
Climate Change Talk
March 14: Dr. Robert D. Bullard, known as the “Father on Environmental Justice,” will kick off Temple University Harrisburg’s new speaker series, “Social Justice Innovators: The Value of a Healthy Community,” at Gamut Theatre, 15 N. 4th St., Harrisburg, at 7:30 p.m. Register for this and other programs in the series at Harrisburg.temple.edu/speakers.
U.S.–Iran Talk
March 15: Iranian-born Trita Parsi, president of the National Iranian American Council, will address the hostile relations between the U.S and Iran in a free talk hosted by the Foreign Policy Association of Harrisburg at the Radisson Hotel Harrisburg, Camp Hill, 7:30 p.m. A dinner precedes the talk. Visit fpa-harrisburg.org.
3rd in The Burg
March 16: Enjoy the best of Harrisburg during 3rd in the Burg, the monthly arts and culture event at galleries, restaurants and art spaces throughout downtown and Midtown. Check out all the action at thirdintheburg.org.
Job Fair & Fitness Fest
March 17: Spend the day at the annual One Stop Shop Job and Resources Fair with Fitness Fest at the Harrisburg Mall, 3501 Paxton St., 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Visit a variety of vendor tables to get connected with employment opportunities, resources and programs. Free admission. Visit shopharrisburgmall.com for more details.
Soup Cook-Off
March 18: East Shore Area Library, 4501 Ethel St., Harrisburg, will host the 2nd Annual Soup Cook Off, 1 p.m. Bring your soup in a crock pot, visit the tables and sample the soups. Pick a favorite soup and find out who wins. A trophy bowl will be awarded to the winner. This program is for adults. For more details, visit dcls.org.
St. Patrick’s Parade
March 18: The Harrisburg Downtown Improvement District will host this year’s parade, which steps off at 2 p.m. and features pipe and drum bands, marching bands, Irish dance groups and more. For details, visit harrisburgstpatricksday.com.
New Member Social
March 20: Join Harrisburg Young Professionals for its new member social at 6 p.m. at Café 1500, 1500 N. 6th St., Harrisburg. This event is for new and prospective members who would like to learn more about HYP. Please RSVP to attend. A cash bar and full menu will be available. Visit hyp.org.
MLK Speeches
March 20: Kline Library 530 S. 29th St., Harrisburg, will host “Words Have Power: The Speeches of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.,” 6:30 p.m. Discuss their meaning and the impact they have on you and on society. This program is for adults. Registration is requested. Visit dcls.org for details.
Women of Excellence
March 23: YWCA Greater Harrisburg will host the 29th annual “Tribute to Women of Excellence” awards dinner at the Hershey Lodge, 325 University Dr., Hershey, 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. The tribute will honor 33 outstanding women who dedicate time and talent to making a difference in central Pennsylvania. Cost is $100 per seat. Visit ywcahbg.org.
Easter Event
March 24: Enjoy an Easter performance by the Pennsylvania Regional Ballet at Harrisburg Mall, 3501 Paxton St., 12 to 12:30 p.m. Kids can also enjoy crafts, live puppet shows, face painting and photos with the Easter bunny. Visit shopharrisburgmall.com for event details.
Built in the Burg March 28: Harrisburg Young Professionals hosts its bi-monthly “How It’s Built in the Burg” with Jason Webb, founder of Soccer Shots, at the Abbey Bar at Appalachian Brewing Co., 50 N. Cameron St., 6 to 8 p.m. The series is based on the NPR Podcast “How I Built This” about innovators, entrepreneurs and idealists, and the stories behind their companies. Visit hyp.org.
Art in the Wild
March 31: Meet the artists as they finish up their trailside art installations for “Art in the Wild,” Wildwood Park’s annual outdoor art exhibit, on display from April 7 to Oct. 31. From 1 to 3 p.m., take a self-guided, three-mile trail walk to meet the artists and observe the inner workings of creating outdoor art. For more information, visit wildwoodlake.org.
Blue Moon Hike
March 31: Join a park naturalist at Detweiler Park, 1451 Peters Mountain Rd., Dauphin, for a 1.5-mile hike and to enjoy the night sky, 7 to 9 p.m. Learn about moon folklore and look at constellations, stars, planets and possibly shooting stars that may be visible. Bring a blanket and a flashlight. Visit wildwooodlake.org for more details.
