Greater Harrisburg's Community Magazine

Community Corner: Notable March Events

March Community Corner

Guest Sermon
March 1: Unitarian Church of Harrisburg, 1280 Clover Lane, hosts special guest preacher Rev. Lee Barker, 10:30 a.m. In 1978, he was the church’s full-time minister. A coffee hour and reception will follow. Contact office@Harrisburguu.org or call 717-564-4761.

Maple Sugar Festival
March 1: Enjoy the annual Maple Sugar Festival at Fort Hunter Park, 5300 N. Front St., Harrisburg, 12 to 4 p.m. Learn the mysteries of maple syrup making and have fun with tree tapping and children’s activities. Taste syrup and shop for Pennsylvania maple products. www.forthunter.org

Soup Cook-Off
March 1: AKT Foundation will host its 11th annual Soup Cook-Off, benefiting children with cystic fibrosis. Held 12 to 4 p.m. at the Carlisle Expo Center, 100 K St., the event gathers about 40 local chefs to showcase homemade soups, with attendees voting for their favorites. www.TheSoupCookOff.com

Candidate Forums
March 1, 8: Capital Region Stands Up (formerly Capital Region Indivisible) will host candidate forums at Camp Hill Borough Hall, 2145 Walnut St., March 1, 3 to 4:30 p.m., with a candidate forum for the 10th congressional district, and March 8, 3 to 5 p.m., with a PA General Assembly candidate forum. www.crstandsup.org

Blood Pressure Screenings
March 2: 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. www.shopharrisburgmall.com

Decisions 2019
March 2, 16: 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. Cost is $10 per session. www.fredricksenlibrary.org

KIDZ Wednesday
March 4, 18: Toddlers and young children and their families are invited to have fun learning with educational hands-on activities at free KIDZ Wednesdays, Harrisburg Mall, 3501 Paxton St., Harrisburg, 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. www.shopharrisburgmall.com

Curiosity Kids
March 5: Kids ages 3 to 6 and their families are invited to “Feed the Birds” at the State Museum of PA, 300 North St., Harrisburg, 11:30 a.m., during its monthly Curiosity Kids program. Learn about birds and make your own bird feeder. www.statemuseumpa.org

HBG Flea
March 7: Shop the HBG Flea for local art, vintage treasures and curated curios, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., at Strawberry Square, 320 Market St., Harrisburg. www.hbgflea.com

Ice & Fire
March 7: Harrisburg hosts its third annual Ice & Fire Festival downtown near city hall on N. 2nd Street, 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Enjoy ice sculptures, an ice-skating rink, fire dancers, food trucks, music, children’s activities and more. www.harrisburgpa.gov/iceandfire

Charter Day
March 8: Celebrate the commonwealth’s 339th birthday on the 20th annual Charter Day with free admission to the State Museum of PA, 300 North St., Harrisburg, 12 to 5 p.m. View the original 1681 charter that granted the land of Pennsylvania to William Penn. www.statemuseumpa.org

State Murals
March 8: State Museum of PA, 300 North St., Harrisburg, hosts Prof. Patricia Likos Ricci in a talk about Violet Oakley’s first commission for the state Capitol, 2 p.m. Ricci served as special advisor to the museum’s current Oakley exhibit. www.statemuseumpa.org

Open House
March 8: Drop in at the Circle School of Harrisburg, 727 Wilhelm Rd., 2 to 4 p.m., for an open house to learn about the school. Bring the family to learn about self-directed, democratic education. There will be a student Q&A panel at 2:30 p.m. Light refreshments will be served. www.CircleSchool.org

Library Auction
March 8-22: New Cumberland Public Library is hosting an online auction to raise matching funds for a new roof, gutters and flooring for the kids’ area. Bids accepted starting on March 8 until March 22. Items can be viewed in the library’s first-floor showcase and online. www.newcumberlandlibrary.org

Soup & a Bowl
March 9: The 26th annual Soup & a Bowl fundraiser will be held at the Radisson Hotel Harrisburg, with seatings at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. Enjoy soup, bread, dessert, music, pottery throwing and a raffle. Locally crafted Central PA Food Bank bowls can be ordered in advance. Tickets are $30 in advance, $35 at the door. www.centralpafoodbank.org

Homeschool Day
March 11: Join the State Museum of PA, 300 North St., Harrisburg, for Homeschool Day, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., with hands-on objects and crafts and presentations from curators, archivists and educators. Cost is $10 per person; members are free. Admission includes all special programs and planetarium admittance. www.statemuseumofpa.org

Spring Fishing
March 13-29: Bass Pro Shops Harrisburg, 3501 Paxton St., hosts its annual Spring Fishing Classic. Take in fishing and boating seminars, food demos and youth programs and talk to local community partners about their services. www.basspro.com

Spring Wreath
March 14: Decorate a wreath with natural materials at Wildwood Park, 100 Wildwood Way, Harrisburg, 10 a.m. and 11 a.m. Natural materials like cones, nuts and seed pods will be supplied. Participants may bring additional items. Sip tea or coffee while adding finishing touches. Workshop fee is $15 per wreath. www.wildwoodlake.org

Volunteer Work Day 
March 14: 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 provided. Refreshments available. www.wildwoodlake.org

Kids Club Event
March 14: Head to the Harrisburg Mall, 3501 Paxton St., for Kids Club on the second Saturday of each month, 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., for a free, fun-filled event. Each month may feature shows, crafts, interactive activities and more. All kids and families are welcome. www.shopharrisburgmall.com

Trivia After Hours
March 14: Join Fredricksen Library, 100 N. 19th St., Camp Hill, for trivia night—“Food TV Challenge”—7 to 9 p.m. Popcorn, corkscrews, bottle openers and prizes are provided. Ages 21 and older, BYOB. Cost is $5 per team. www.fredricksenlibrary.org

Networking Meeting
March 17: Career Professional Executive Networking Group hosts a meeting every third Tuesday at Penn State Harrisburg’s Student Enrichment Center, 777 W. Harrisburg Pike, Middletown, 6 to 8 p.m. Members can hone networking skills, meet peers, share job leads and develop opportunities. www.cpengroup.org

Seed Starting
March 17: Penn State Master Gardeners of Cumberland County hosts “Gardening with Nature” seed-starting workshops at Fredricksen Library, 100 N. 19th St., Camp Hill, 7 p.m. Learn to create a beautiful garden while preserving a healthy environment. Workshops are $5 each. www.extension.psu.edu

Puppies and Pints
March 18: Join Harrisburg Young Professionals at Midstate Distillery, 1817 N. Cameron St., Harrisburg, 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., for “Puppies and Pints,” benefiting Homeward Bound Animal Rescue. Homeward Bound will bring several dogs that need a home. www.hyp.org

Nature Lab
March 19: Learn about archaeology, geology and paleontology through hands-on examples at the State Museum of PA, 300 North St., Harrisburg, 11:30 a.m. This presentation is for general audiences, 7 and older, and is included with museum admission. www.statemuseumpa.org

Benefit Gala
March 19: CONTACT Helpline of Central PA hosts its annual gala at the Radisson Hotel Harrisburg, 1150 Camp Hill Bypass, Camp Hill. The evening will begin at 6 p.m. with a silent auction and reception. Dinner will be served at 7 p.m. www.facebook.com/contact211

Insect Invasion
March 19: Join Penn State Extension Perry County, 8 S. Carlisle St., New Bloomfield, for a spotted lanternfly meeting, 7 to 8:30 p.m., to learn how to recognize the invasive insect and what you can do to help stop its spread. www.extension.psu.edu

3rd in The Burg
March 20: 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. www.thirdintheburg.org

Bike Summit
March 21: Bicycle South Central PA’s fifth annual Regional Bike Summit will be held at HACC, Lancaster campus, 1641 Old Philadelphia Pike, 8:30 a.m. to 2:45 p.m. The focus is on successful programs designed to serve the disadvantaged and those that attract young riders. www.bicyclesouthcentralpa.org

Seed Swap
March 21: Winters Heritage House Museum, 47 E. High St., Elizabethtown, hosts its fourth annual Heirloom Seed Swap, 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Vegetable, herb and flower seeds collected from the museum’s 2019 garden will be on hand for this community-sharing event. Bring seeds to swap or make a donation. www.elizabethtownhistory.org

Spring Hike
March 21: Join Harrisburg Young Professionals for their first hike of 2020 at Detweiler Park, 1451 Peters Mountain Rd., Dauphin, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. The 4.5-mile hike has easy terrain and minimal elevation gain. Meet at the trailhead at 10 a.m. www.hyp.org

St. Patrick’s Parade/Run
March 21: Harrisburg Downtown Improvement District hosts the annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade, starting at 2 p.m. and featuring bands, Irish dance groups and more. “Lucky Charm” 5K/10K precedes the parade, beginning at noon. www.harrisburgstpatricksday.com

Fundraiser for Hope
March 24: Take your family and friends to Friendly’s, 4601 High Pointe Blvd., Harrisburg, to support Hope Loves Company, a nonprofit dedicated to providing support for children and young adults who had or have a loved one battling Lou Gehrig’s disease (ALS), 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. www.hopelovescompany.org

Books on Tap
March 26: Dauphin County Library System hosts “Books on Tap” book club at Zeroday Brewing Co., 250 Reily St., Harrisburg, 5 to 6 p.m. Dive into new genres and forms while getting to know other readers in a social setting. The club will discuss Michael Chabon’s “Moonglow.” www.dcls.org

Women of Excellence
March 26: YWCA Greater Harrisburg hosts the 31st 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 25 outstanding women who dedicate time and talent to making a difference locally. Cost is $100 per seat. www.ywcahbg.org

National Defense
March 26: Foreign Policy Association hosts David Ochmanek, former deputy assistant secretary of defense, to discuss U.S. national defense strategy. The free talk is at 7:30 p.m. at the West Shore Country Club, 100 Brentwater Rd., Camp Hill. Dinner precedes the talk.  www.fpaharrisburg.org

Art Auction
March 27: Join Harrisburg Habitat for Humanity for their 15th annual Art Auction at the Hershey Country Club, 1000 E. Derry Rd., 6 p.m. The reception includes two free drinks, heavy hors d’oeuvres, tastings, a silent auction and a dessert buffet. www.harrisburghabitat.org

Job Fair
March 28: Spend the day at Dauphin County’s free annual One Stop Shop Job and Resources Fair at the Harrisburg Mall, 3501 Paxton St., 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Visit a variety of vendor tables to get connected with employment opportunities, resources and programs. www.shopharrisburgmall.com

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