Summer Buzz: Mt. Gretna paints a summer of fun as the revered Art Show turns 50

May 30, 2024 | by Rachel Curry

Photos by Shannon Fretz Photography

What should you do when you turn 50 years old?

This year, the Mt. Gretna Outdoor Art Show reaches that milestone, and the community is taking no shortcuts to celebrate. 

The small Lebanon County borough will teem with special programming throughout the summer months, ranging from special lectures and performances to the inaugural Mt. Gretna International Film Festival.

“We have a really robust artist community here,” said Kerry Royer, director of the Mt. Gretna Outdoor Art Show and board member of Visit Lebanon Valley and Mt. Gretna Arts Council.

Royer and a team of about 300 volunteers put on the event, which takes place in mid-August, transforming Mt. Gretna’s Chautauqua area into an arts spectacle.

“The whole town celebrates. It bursts with creativity,” Royer said. “We have music, we have gourmet food, we have a kid’s art show. There’s really something for everyone.”

The months leading up to the event also will be buzzing.

Art projects will transform the water tower and the main gate by the Chautauqua area, courtesy of community artists Kathy Lindert and Ryan Fritz, respectively. Gretna Music and Gretna Theatre will fill up the Mt. Gretna Playhouse, a covered, open-air stage, putting on performances from award-winning musicians, as well as shows like “The Greatest Love for Whitney” and “Chess” (an ABBA tribute). Visitors can also catch events by Cicada Music at the Playhouse, which shakes things up with oldies and tribute bands.

Suzanne Stewart, executive director of Gretna Music and board member of Visit Lebanon Valley and Mt. Gretna Arts Council, is into arts accessibility, so much so that Gretna Music maintains a pay-what-you-will standard for all of their shows.

“There should never be a financial reason why somebody isn’t exposed to really great art,” Stewart said.

Gretna Music puts on chamber, jazz and world music performances, among other genres. Next year, it will reach its own 50th anniversary, meaning the celebrations will just keep coming.

Sense of Place

During the month of the art show, Mt. Gretna will host its annual “Tour of Homes,” where hundreds or more people take part in a self-guided walking tour of historical cottages and homes with quirky features, such as a decoupaged bathroom floor made of vintage postcards or an aerated home with walls that don’t reach the ceiling. 

Later that month, “International Make Music On Your Porch Day” gives people a chance to go from porch to porch to listen to musical performances in a unique setting.

“Sometimes, I think the most popular room in Mt. Gretna is people’s porches,” Stewart said.

Royer went so far as to say that Mt. Gretna has “front porch culture” (her book, “The Porches of Mt. Gretna,” comes out this summer in partnership with photographer Shannon Fritz).

Overall, Mt. Gretna’s Year of the Arts is a way for the community to amplify its existing way of life, an artistic mindset that seeps into every avenue.

Mt. Gretna’s Chautauqua section, where the art show takes place, is an independent offshoot of the New York Chautauqua Institution, which was founded as a way to bring artistic education into vacation. The Chautauqua movement rests on the four pillars of arts, education, religion and recreation. Visitors to Mt. Gretna can take one or take all.

This summer, the Mt. Gretna Area Historical Society will display all 50 art show posters so that viewers can see the evolution over time. Summer lectures in the Hall of Philosophy will feature two of the show’s founders, Bruce Johnson and Reed Dixon, as well as artists who have been a part of the show since its inception.

At the Mt. Gretna Tabernacle, events like the Mt. Gretna Bible Festival, Heritage Festival and cabaret shows fill up the summer’s calendar of events further.

The first-ever Mt. Gretna International Film Festival is being held on the Sunday of the art show in honor of the late Michael Evan Deitzler, whose dream it was to start a regional film festival.

“This is really a continuation of his spirit,” Royer said.

Taking place in the Playhouse, the film festival will feature multiple short film categories and cash and craft prizes, funded by Deitzler’s family.

As art show director, Royer is entwined in Mt. Gretna’s art scene.

“The arts, especially Gretna Music and the art show, really contribute to our sense of place,” she said.

The art show, she added, “draws people into the woods for this magical experience.”

Stewart said that, in Mt. Gretna, the community really makes it what it is.

“You just breathe a little easier,” she said. “Everything’s a little slower pace.”

Maybe that, plus a sheer dedication to the arts—whether it’s the Year of the Arts or otherwise—is what makes Mt. Gretna such a special place to visit come summertime.

The Mt. Gretna Outdoor Art Show takes place Aug. 17 and 18. Visit www.mtgretnaarts.com for more information. For more information about Gretna Music, visit www.gretnamusic.org. View the Mt. Gretna community calendar at www.mtgretna.org.

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Map Quests: Purple Lizard leads the way to summertime adventures

May 30, 2024 | by Deborah Lynch

Photos courtesy of Mike Hermann and Justine Andronici.

Headed out to a state park this summer for a little adventure?

Sure, you could whip out your cell phone and hit the Google maps app for a potential route—but, how boring.

Alternatively, you could go old school with a physical Purple Lizard map, which is crawling with ideas on everything from a hiking or biking trail to a boat launch ramp to a picnic or campsite area.

Ten different regional Pennsylvania maps and a newly released map of the entire state illustrate the vast nature that makes up Pennsylvania, highlighting the recreational aspects of the land. As State College-based Purple Lizard declares on its smooth-coated, waterproof paper maps: “Your backyard just got a whole lot bigger.”

When traversing the wilds of Pennsylvania, cell signals might disappear, but the Purple Lizard will continue to guide, highlighting features that online maps never imagined. Even downloaded trail maps might not point out details like where boaters must take boats out on creeks or where a wildlife sanctuary is located or how different trails connect.

“Our maps are going to show you things like waterfalls, covered bridges, vistas, cultural features and history, as well as roads and trails,” cartographer Mike Hermann said. “People can discover all these things they never knew were there.”

On his maps, Hermann, who founded Purple Lizard in 1997, features not only obscure land details unlikely to show up on GPS maps, but fun facts and sites. His Pennsylvania map includes 124 state parks, 20 state forests, 114 rail trails and bikeways, 53 mountain bike destinations, 30 long-distance hiking trails, 20 ski areas and 17 water trails and whitewater destinations.

“It’s hard to beat opening up a big map and seeing all of the options in a way you can never see on a phone or a tablet,” Hermann said. “They’re really about taking the most interesting route, where GPS and apps are about taking the fastest route.”

Mike Hermann

Highly Curated

A professional mapmaker for 30 years, Hermann and his wife Justine Andronici have worked to turn Purple Lizard into the preeminent recreational mapmaker in the Mid-Atlantic region.

The team of four usually juggles two or three maps at a time with their catalog of up to 18 maps, most of which are updated every two or three years. They spend lots of time on the road, visiting sites, meeting with land managers, driving roads, and noting trail intersections, trail heads and shared use trails.

In addition to the 10 regional Pennsylvania maps and the state map, Purple Lizard has two maps in West Virginia, two in Virginia and one in Ohio. They also have one for Scotia Gamelands in the State College area and one for Rincon, Puerto Rico, which pinpoints the surf spots and beach access where Hermann and Andronici vacation. Next up is their first map of western Maryland, one of Wayne National Forest in Ohio, and expanding the line of maps in West Virginia and the Pennsylvania Wilds.

“Our maps are highly curated specifically for outdoors enthusiasts,” Hermann said. “They focus on everything you need to plan your adventure.”

They do this by meeting with land managers, state forest and state park managers, national forest managers, county managers, local tourism agencies, local hiking and bicycling clubs, outdoors retailers and more.

Jeff Wood, owner of the Whistlestop Bookshop in Carlisle, loves displaying Purple Lizard maps and working with their team. He said that map buyers are equally split between locals in the tri-county area and tourists, and he also sells them on his website to people from all over the United States.

“The maps are special because of the quality of research that goes into them, the accessibility of all the information in one handy place, the excellent packaging, and the reasonable price,” Wood said.

Bruce Hollern’s personal experience with Purple Lizard maps echoes that. Hollern, the Pennsylvania Environmental Council’s vice president for Western PA, said that he was recently in a Trader Joe’s in State College when a woman came up to him asking him about the best places to go outdoors.

“I said, ‘What you should do is go buy a Purple Lizard map,’” he said. “So many people rely on digital platforms to help guide them, but these maps are a tactile way and so visually stunning to look at and learn to understand topographies of very distinct areas.”

Purple Lizard and the PEC have a close working relationship, which includes promoting land stewardship, sharing information and offering feedback on trail projects.

For those not interested in paper maps, Purple Lizard maps are available in digital form on the Avenza platform. Whatever format one chooses, Purple Lizard includes nearly every land detail and invites treasure hunts, as well. Wherever a Purple Lizard logo appears on a map, a surprise like a waterfall or a vista awaits.

“Everybody thought the paper map was dead, the same way they forecast the printed book would be dead,” Hermann said. “That hasn’t really been the case. Though I don’t know if we’re quite as hip as the resurrection of vinyl records.”

Purple Lizard maps are available in bookstores and outdoors stores across the state as well as at www.purplelizard.com. To learn more about the PEC/Purple Lizard partnership, visit www.pecpa.org/news/explore-pa-with-pec-and-purple-lizard-maps.

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Adventure Together: The start of summer offers adventures for kids (& parents!)

May 30, 2024 | by Natalie diSanto

With high-energy summer camps and unlimited recess at daycare, we parents can finally kick back and relax as the easy season rolls in.

For the next three months, our kids will be outside romping around and getting absolutely filthy, creating castles out of sticks, staying way too long at the park, and refusing to put on sunscreen. They’ll spend the long, warm days running around with friends, picnicking in trees, and bouncing from one fallen log to the next, creating adventure after adventure. Don’t get too jealous, parents—there are plenty of chances for us to have fun too!

If you’re searching for a low-key and nearby outdoor experience, the Harrisburg Beach Club on City Island is always a great time. They offer adult beverages for parents (yay!) and have non-alcoholic drinks for the kiddos, as well. You can play cornhole while the little ones roll around in one of the sandboxes scattered along the edge of the water. Heed my advice though and bring your own sandbox toys! There is also a park outside of the roped-off section of the facility, and the walk from The Beach Club to the parking area offers an amazing view of the Harrisburg skyline. Strollers may be necessary depending on your family’s age and preference. It is about a quarter-mile trek from the parking lot to the Beach Club.

For an overnight trip, Gifford-Pinchot State Park in northern York County offers campsites, RV hook-ups and cabins with a lake for boating, kayaking and swimming. There are multiple playgrounds and two beaches with lots of big, shady trees to picnic and cool off beneath. A nearby bait shop sells live worms for fishing, and canoe, kayak and paddleboard rentals are available. Pro-tip: If you have a four-legged friend in your family, make sure to reserve a pet-friendly campsite!

Consider starting a summer Greenbelt relay team with your family. The Capital Area Greenbelt is a 20-mile loop around Harrisburg. There are 12 weeks of summer break for most schools, and, if your family pledges to walk the entire Greenbelt over the summer, that’s only 1.6 miles per week! Print out a map of the Greenbelt, pick a starting point, then mark your progress with your family. Choose a fun reward to enjoy together when you finish for motivation. You may discover areas of our beautiful community that you never knew existed.

While the kids are living their best lives this summer, there are loads of ways for parents to have fun, too. Central PA is surrounded by gorgeous natural areas and is honeycombed with parks, trails and hikes to enjoy. The summertime is meant for everyone, including parents, to soak up the sun, laugh with the good times, and enjoy the blue skies and white clouds while we have them.

For more information on the Harrisburg Beach Club, visit www.harrisburgbeachclub.com.
To learn more about Gifford-Pinchot State Park, visit www.dcnr.pa.gov.
For a map of the Capital Area Greenbelt, visit www.caga.org.

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Arts Uplift: Harrisburg’s creative community deserves more appreciation, support

May 30, 2024 | by Lawrance Binda

Illustration by Rich Hauck

This month, I get to participate in a special honor.

Sprocket Mural Works asked me to introduce them as they receive this year’s Award for Distinguished Service to the Arts in the Capital Region, a high honor bestowed for 30 years by Theatre Harrisburg.

I’m delighted to say some nice words about this wonderful arts organization, which, in a few short years, has literally changed the look of Harrisburg by mounting dozens of large-scale, public art projects.

This occasion prompted me to think more about the arts in Harrisburg.

Our little city is blessed with many great arts venues and organizations, from theater to music to visual arts. These range from the long established (Theatre Harrisburg and the Art Association, both nearly a century old) to the relatively new (Sankofa, Nyeusi) to plenty in-between.

There’s a lot here.

Having said that, it strikes me that these organizations are fighting the good fight with one brush tied behind their backs. Currently, there’s no organization in Harrisburg specifically dedicated to promoting and advancing the arts. It’s basically everyone for themselves here, like in nearly every other aspect of life in Harrisburg.

In this regard, Harrisburg is an exception. Most cities, even many towns, have an organization charged with advancing the arts in their communities. Sometimes, the city or county government takes the lead. Sometimes, it’s a consortium of artists or arts groups or a local arts council. Other times, an enlightened private entity makes the arts a centerpiece of a development or business plan.

We have examples all around us.

One county over, the Perry County Council for the Arts is a classic arts umbrella, offering everything from art classes to exhibit space to special events and programs. Heading east, Lancaster is famous for supporting its creative community, transforming the Red Rose City into a thriving, regional arts destination. In Lebanon County, tiny Mt. Gretna is essentially a cultural collective occupying a town.

Recently, York’s scene has picked up steam, thanks to arts-centered development, art consortiums and repeated rounds of strategic planning, which has led to a long-term investment in that city’s creative class. Years of organizing, experimentation and effort are bearing fruit to revitalize York through the arts, even attracting creative types to relocate there.

Sure, all of this artistic talent has led to more beautiful and interesting cities. However, many places embrace the arts, at least as much, because a vibrant arts community is a proven moneymaker. They do it out of self-interest, as the arts can be a significant economic driver.

In 2022, Pennsylvania’s creative sector added more than $30.1 billion to the commonwealth’s economy, employing more than 175,000 full-time jobs, according to the U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) and the National Endowment for the Arts.

“The BEA numbers highlight Pennsylvania’s creative sector contributions to the commonwealth’s economic growth and development, which in turn, enhance the vitality and life of a community, its investors, residents and visitors,” said Susan S. Cohen, chair of the Pennsylvania Council on the Arts, in a recent statement.

Unfortunately, as our neighbors increasingly have embraced the arts for creative dynamism and economic development, Harrisburg has been heading the other way.

When I arrived here, the long-established Greater Harrisburg Arts Council was in the process of fragmenting and dissipating. Likewise, once-robust community art groups like MetroArts (Jump Street) and Danzante soon ceased to exist. Then, about a decade ago, the city created a Department of Arts, Culture and Tourism, but that initiative fell apart quickly.

The result: a vacuum in arts leadership, coordination, advocacy, planning, direction and funding.

There are those trying to step in. Harristown Enterprises has been branding a new downtown “arts district.” Over in Midtown, Millworks’ studios have the vibe of an artist colony. For our part, TheBurg is revitalizing 3rd in The Burg, which is a type of arts umbrella, albeit for one night a month. We would love to do more, but lack the capacity (i.e. funds) to be both a news organization and an arts organization.

In a way, it’s astounding that Harrisburg has such a robust arts scene, given the absence of top-level leadership. Arts groups, such as Sprocket, deserve tremendous credit for succeeding and making such a difference, raising money for their missions and figuring it all out on their own, on the fly.

I admire Harrisburg’s arts groups tremendously for doing so much, with so little. But just imagine what more could be done in this city with more assistance, with a little more coordination, support and guidance.

Lawrance Binda is publisher/editor of TheBurg.

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Double Trouble: Shakespeare’s “Comedy of Errors” lands this month in Reservoir Park

May 30, 2024 | by Francesca Amendolia

Cast members Joel Colvin, Diego Sandino, Jason Samarin & Dom Hernandez. Photo by Brianna Dow.

Imagine you’ve just arrived in a foreign city filled with new sights, new people, new experiences.

Wow, everyone is greeting you warmly, treating you like a friend, calling you by name. They’re even handing you gold jewelry, blowing you fond kisses, and asking you to come home to dinner right this minute. No one listens when you tell them that there must be some mistake, and they’re being very…insistent. Now imagine the same thing is happening to your sidekick—and he’s pretty much rolling with it.

Wonderful or confusing? Enjoyable or terrifying? All of the above? Yes.

Welcome to “The Comedy of Errors.”

One of Shakespeare’s earliest and shortest plays, “The Comedy of Errors” is also one of the fastest—everything that’s happening on stage happens in (more or less) real time. It also shoehorns in several of the playwright’s favorite devices: mistaken identity, shipwrecks, rival cities, unsent messages, identical twins who think the other twin is dead, nuns who know important secrets, and why-not marriages that bring the whole brouhaha to a happy ending.

If the whole thing sounds a bit like a circus where the clowns have taken charge, you’re reading director Kelli Kauterman’s mind.

“Sometimes, a play is just meant to be silly and funny, much like going to the circus,” she said.

Kauterman is excited by how brilliantly costume designer Jen Kilander is leaning into the circus/carnival concept—while making the costumes do the necessary work of helping the audience keep track of which twin is where and why.

“Jen Kilander should win everything,” said Kauterman, adding that she thinks audiences will be delighted by the costumes.

The constant confusion of the twin Antipholuses and twin Dromios that is so central to the action of this play makes it perfect for the park—for more than one reason. While Kauterman was thrilled to find two pairs of actors with similar features, statures and energy, no matter how alike they are, stage twins are always more believably alike when seen from a distance.

“Some plays benefit from the quiet intimacy of indoor spaces,” she said. “This one thrives in the open air.”

“It’s not,” she added with a laugh, “a subtle play. It’s not deep.”

In the park, Kauterman noted, actors can be bigger and louder, bringing the energy to a level of “not-real-life” that suits this action-filled play.

While Kauterman has acted in other park shows (most recently last year’s “Richard III”) and directed at several theatres in the Harrisburg area, this is her first time directing Free Shakespeare in the Park, and she’s excited to take on the challenge.

“I grew up in a really rural part of Pennsylvania, and the year I moved to Harrisburg, the park show was ‘King Lear,’” she said. “I remember feeling so grateful that my new city had such a vibrant arts community. I am glad to be part of that legacy.”

Kauterman describes the park show as “magical,” and she’s not alone in that assessment. Thousands of people come to Reservoir Park every year to sit in the gathering dusk while a small group of actors tell a 400-year-old story that can still make us laugh or shiver or wonder.

“Maybe we’re not going to heal the world with this play,” Kauterman said. “But for a couple of hours, all of us—actors, director, audience—will be together, hearing these words, laughing at these antics. That, to me, is magic.”

“The Comedy of Errors” runs May 31 to June 15 at the band shell in Reservoir Park, Harrisburg, Wednesday to Saturday at 7:30 p.m. Shakespeare in the Park is always free. Gamut Theatre recommends that patrons bring a chair or blanket for seating, remember sunscreen and bug spray, and arrive early to claim a great spot. They will also be accepting canned goods for the Bethesda Mission. For more information, visit www.gamuttheatre.org/fsip.

UPCOMING EVENTS

At Gamut Theatre
www.gamuttheatre.org
717-238-4111

Free Shakespeare in the Park
“The Comedy of Errors”
May 31 to June 15

At Open Stage
www.openstagehbg.com
717-232-6736

Open Stage Gala 
Celebrating Season 39
Saturday, June 8, at King Mansion 

OSHKids Summer presents 
“Winnie the Pooh”
Enrolling now for class starting June 10
Performances June 28 and 29 

Black Newsbeat
June 12 and 26 at 7 p.m.

EFF (Erotic Fan Fiction) LIVE! 
Saturday, June 15, at 7:30 p.m.

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Downtown Revival: One restaurant made a huge difference in the small town of Reedsville

May 30, 2024 | by Deborah Lynch

Chef/owner Quintin Wicks and his dog in the back of Revival Kitchen

Apologies. This article is going to be a tease. That’s because Revival Kitchen, a one-of-a-kind dining gem in Mifflin County, is so special that the first round of reservations for the season were virtually snapped up in just minutes.

Reservations for the first three months of the season (May, June and July) went live on Resy at noon on April 1. By 12:07 p.m., no more were to be had.

Chef/owner Quintin Wicks opens Revival Kitchen on Main Street in Reedsville only from May through October and only Thursday through Saturday evenings, often with just one seating a night, to enjoy his locally inspired, $100-plus-tax-and-gratuity, five-course tasting menu. At most, he prepares 40 dinners a night.

Over the past nine years, diners have raved about his French breakfast radish with smoked butter and morel salt appetizers that don’t even count as one of the five courses—they’re “Chef’s Welcome Bites.”

Wicks has introduced diners to pickled ramps, pawpaw fruit, lovage, carrot butter, squid ink, sea trout roe, morels, and the garlic scapes he found at a farmer’s market in downtown Lewistown being sold by an Amish woman who told him he was the first person to ever buy them from her and the first person to even know what they were.

Chef Wicks talks with a butcher at Wilson’s Meats.

Home Turf

A skateboarder with a passion, Wicks left his hometown of Lewistown immediately after graduation and headed to Pittsburgh, where he earned sponsorships for his boarding and trained at the now-closed Pennsylvania Institute of Culinary Arts. He worked several jobs there, including at the Big Burrito Group at Casbah. The chef, Bill Fuller, “took me under his wing and taught me how to be a real cook,” Wicks said.

Later, skateboarding took him to Portland, Ore., which offered “bigger, faster and gnarlier skating.” Fuller connected him with a chef at Atwater, a fine dining restaurant for the Aramark group. From there, he worked at Denali National Park in Alaska in the summers and eventually landed in Vail, Colo., for the winters.

It’s in Vail that he connected with top chefs at some of the best restaurants, helping to open Larkspur at the base of Vail, then Juniper, where he was a sous chef. Finally, he landed at Splendido in Beaver Creek, “a magical place” that hosts events for Food & Wine magazine featuring some of the world’s top chefs.

Wicks returned to his home turf because of family and the lower cost of real estate and food. Reedsville offered the dream.

“We were really naïve,” Wicks said, of his return. “We thought we would be overseeing a restaurant, not doing everything.”

Lettuce at a Mennonite farm that supplies Revival Kitchen

A Little Respect

From Revival’s first day, Wicks has sought the best local producers he could find, supplementing them with a restaurant supplier. That’s no easy task. It has meant hoofing it to the farms, establishing relationships with the area’s Amish, Mennonite and other farmers, and making weekly trips to pick up the food, all before prepping can start.

He befriended one Amish farmer, helped him get his organic certification then became his biggest customer. That farmer later moved to Maine, but relatives picked up the void across the dirt lane and now supply Wicks with those tasty French breakfast radishes, rhubarb, lettuces, peas, beets, garlic scapes and more.

Wicks visits Peichts Country Store in Belleville to buy spices and seasonings, flours, kitchenware and more. Kish Street Produce is just down the road and can provide rhubarb and strawberries. He’s used the Let-Us-Grow Hydroponic Greenhouse, gets goat cheese from Byler’s Goat Dairy, peaches and apples from Garver’s Orchard, and has claimed an entire asparagus patch from another Amish farm. Brummer Farms in Thompsontown also helps fill gaps, along with corn, melons and flowers from the Kish Park Farmer’s Market in Lewistown.

The butchers at Wilson’s Meats in Lewistown custom cut and keep an eye out for the meats that Wicks needs. They provide the marbled, delicious cuts that his customers love.

“After eight years of buying large quantities of food, I’m finally getting a little respect,” Wicks said with a smile.

Flock In

Reedsville lies just off U.S. Route 322 West, a few exits past Lewistown on the way to State College.
Before Revival Kitchen arrived in 2015, the sleepy downtown had only a few shops, and residents would dump debris on a corner lot in the downtown square. Hence the name, “Revival,” something Wicks and his then-wife Liz were hoping to bring to Reedsville. The Wicks held a burger fundraiser and wrote letters to the state in hopes of getting a streetscape grant that Reedsville eventually was awarded.

“One small restaurant full of passion can make a big difference,” Wicks said.

Rhonda Kelley, executive director of the Juniata River Valley Chamber of Commerce, is quick to credit Revival Kitchen for new vibrancy and economic growth in Reedsville.

“When Quinton and Liz arrived in Reedsville, they found a town in dire need of revitalization,” Kelley said. “The once-overlooked community lacked attractions to draw visitors and investment. However, with the establishment of Revival Kitchen, everything changed.”

Friendship Bookstore opened on the other side of the post office from Revival Kitchen this spring. Across the street, the Reedsville Creamery Ice Cream Stand has done so well that it plans another location in Belleville. Chef Wicks uses beans from the East End Coffee Co. on the corner, which is open six days a week until 2 p.m. serving coffee from locally roasted beans.

Next to the coffee shop, Gritwell offers fine, handmade leather goods crafted locally and coordinates hours to attract Revival customers. A Keller Williams real estate office, Michele’s OIP and Pizzeria, a local drinking hole called the Vault (in a former bank), Seven Mountains Winery and Stonefly Cafe, and a small grocery, Stone House Market, also sit along Main Street.

“Suddenly, Reedsville found itself in the spotlight as a steady stream of out-of-town visitors began to flock in, eager to experience the culinary offerings of Revival Kitchen,” Kelley said.

Revival Kitchen is located at 64 S. Main St., Reedsville. For more information, visit www.revivalkitchen.com or follow on Instagram at @revivalkitchen.

Reserve Revival

If this story has left you salivating, you may be in luck—there’s still a chance.

Revival is taking reservations 90 days in advance for the rest of the season. Last season, cancellations that created openings also were advertised on Instagram.

For those who miss out, Chef Wicks plans to offer takeout orders of soups—along with Thanksgiving fixings—in November, and Christmas parties in December.

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Pasta Perfect: Add orzo to your side salad this summer

May 30, 2024 | by Rosemary Ruggieri Baer

The time for summer picnics and cookouts has finally arrived.

Time for hamburgers, hot dogs and all the mayonnaise-laden salads as sides. I love all the traditional sides: macaroni and potato salads, baked beans with bacon and molasses, and, of course, corn on the cob. But my family, not so much.

I often make a lovely Caprese salad for a summer meal: sliced tomatoes (heirlooms are nice), sliced fresh mozzarella cheese, with basil leaves scattered on top. Corn salads are wonderful too, especially if made with corn that is first cooked on the grill.

The last couple of years, I have made a very versatile pasta salad with orzo. I found the recipe in an “All Recipes” cooking magazine, and I find myself pulling it out often.

Orzo is pasta that looks like rice, but is a true pasta made with semolina flour just like your favorite rigatoni. It originated in Italy, but is widely used in other Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cuisines. I have been able to find plain orzo as well as whole wheat and tri-color versions, which, when mixed with other ingredients, really all taste the same.

Ingredients

1 16-ounce package orzo (any type)
1 10-ounce package fresh spinach (baby spinach is nice)
½ pound crumbled feta cheese (best to add when the pasta has cooled slightly)
½ red onion, finely chopped
¾ cup pine nuts
½ tsp dried basil
½ tsp salt and ½ tsp black pepper
Vinaigrette dressing to taste (The warm orzo will quickly absorb your dressing. I often add more before serving.)

Directions

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil.
Add 16 ounces orzo and cook until al dente, 8 to 10 minutes.
Drain and rinse with cold water.
Place in a large bowl and add the remaining ingredients: spinach, red onion, pine nuts, dried or fresh basil, salt and pepper.
When the mixture has cooled slightly, add the feta cheese.
Toss with vinaigrette dressing or olive oil and vinegar to taste.
As the salad cools, keep taking a little taste and add more dressing and/or salt and pepper to your liking.
If you refrigerate, bring to room temperature before serving.

My pasta salad is so amenable to substituting different ingredients that almost everyone will like it:

Arugula instead of spinach
Omit the onion and/or the pine nuts.
Add a few cups of frozen baby peas.
Small, diced red pepper adds beautiful color.
If you don’t like feta cheese, cubes of Muenster or Havarti are a mild and less salty alternative.
Chopped fresh basil instead of dried
Vinaigrette dressings work better than creamy ones, but there are lots of different ones to choose from. Plain olive oil and vinegar also work.

This salad can also be converted to a main dish for lunch or dinner by adding some grilled chicken, cut into strips and placed on top. Perfect for a hot summer day.

Orzo in Italian means “barley.” But it’s not barley. It’s pasta and perhaps a new one for you to enjoy.

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June News Digest

May 30, 2024 | by Lawrance Binda and Maddie Gittens

Temporary Market Structure Opens

The Broad Street Market’s temporary tent opened last month, more than 10 months after the market’s brick building was devastated by fire.

On opening day, Leon Glick, owner of Two Brothers BBQ, said that, by 8:45 a.m., he had more customers visit his stand than he did at his old spot in the brick building.

Glick, like many other vendors, waited for months to reopen in the structure that Harrisburg created for displaced brick building vendors, enduring numerous construction delays.

“We’re really excited,” he said. “I think it’s a very good opportunity. Our customer base is great.”

In total, eight vendors are open in the market tent. This includes former brick building vendors Doggie Delights, Lil’s Pretzels, Peach Ridge Produce, Two Brothers BBQ and Fisher’s Delights, as well as new vendors, Cherished Treasures, Diaspora and Taylor Chip.

City and market officials have estimated that a rebuild of the market’s brick building may take two years or more.

Harrisburg communications director Matt Maisel said that he was happy to see customers supporting the vendors who “have been so resilient.” However, he noted the “shadow” cast by the stalled reconstruction of the brick building. Last month, City Council rejected the administration’s choice for construction manager, which could delay the start of the project for months.

And while the fire-damaged building continues to sit untouched, vendors and customers said that they, at least, feel grateful that the temporary structure has finally opened.

Schools Chief to Leave Harrisburg District

The Harrisburg School District will begin the search for a new top official. 

Last month, the district shared that Superintendent Eric Turman was appointed as the superintendent of Central Dauphin School District and will leave Harrisburg.  

In a release, district receiver Dr. Lori Suski congratulated Turman and said that the district would begin looking for a new superintendent. 

“I am committed to a very thorough and transparent search process for a new superintendent that will include a considerable amount of employee, parent and community stakeholder input and involvement,” Suski said.  

Suski also noted that she will consider appointing an interim superintendent while the search process takes place.  

Turman’s leaving may also impact the district’s reconfiguration, which is slated to begin this coming school year and involves closing some school buildings, opening others and shifting some grades to new buildings, Suski said.

“Thank you for your patience and cooperation during this time of transition,” she said. “We are firmly committed to supporting our students and staff and look forward to a positive end to the school year.” 

Top City Official to Depart

A top Harrisburg official plans to leave his post this month.

City Business Administrator Dan Hartman told TheBurg that he has informed city leaders of his intention to leave the job. 

Hartman began in his role when Mayor Wanda Williams took her post in January 2022. He also served as part of Williams’ transition team in the months prior. His hiring was officially approved by City Council that February. 

In Harrisburg, the business administrator is a top position, responsible, along with the mayor, for overseeing the day-to-day operations of the city. His last day will be on June 7. 

According to Hartman, he is leaving the city to go back to working for the state government, from which he received a “fantastic offer.” 

The city has already begun looking for a new business administrator, said Matt Maisel, the city’s communications director. Hartman is aiding in the selection process, as well.

“Dan is making sure whoever fills his large shoes is someone who is capable,” Maisel said. 

School District Buys Administration Building

The Harrisburg School District soon will have a new home base for operations. 

Last month, the district purchased the former Penn State Harrisburg Eastgate Center for $3.1 million.

Previously, receiver Dr. Lori Suski had approved the purchase of the 48,704-square-foot building at 1010 N. 7th St. for use as the district’s new administration building. 

In February, the district decided to reconfigure several of its school buildings, moving some grades to different buildings and closing others. As part of the plan, the current Lincoln Administration Building on State Street will become an elementary school. 

Separately, Suski has approved an agreement with local nonprofit Ngozi, Inc. to serve as the fiduciary for a new program aimed at helping to improve student behavior. 

In March, Suski approved a proposal to create a new Safe Passages Program that will be operated by local nonprofit Concerned About the Children of Harrisburg (C.A.T.C.H.) at the Harrisburg High School-John Harris Campus. As part of the program, nine adults will be present in the school during lunch and school dismissal to help diffuse student behavioral issues. 

Participants will be paid, through Ngozi, Inc., an hourly rate of $15 for up to three hours per day. 

Stallions Nightclub to Become “Karma”

A longtime Harrisburg nightclub will get a fresh remix as new owners plan to make substantial updates. 

Stallions nightclub downtown will become “Karma” as a Harrisburg couple is purchasing the club, which has for decades served as a hub for nightlife in the LGBTQ+ community. 

“We want to bring to Harrisburg more of a diverse and dynamic nightlife experience,” said Nelson Mena, who will be the managing partner of Karma and co-owner with his partner, George Fernandez, CEO of Harrisburg-based Color & Culture and Latino Connection. 

Mena, who is a Dominican Republic native, is hoping to bring new life to the club, which has operated on N. 3rd Street since 1985, while also preserving it as a community establishment.  

“We are aware that it has become a fixture in Harrisburg,” he said. “They’re iconic, and we don’t want to erase the legacy. But we want people to receive a breath of fresh air.” 

Stallions will remain open as the club transitions leadership and names, with a planned opening as Karma in July, Mena said. The club will at no time be closed. 

Mena said that Karma will offer an “elevated” experience with dancing, live music, DJs, cocktails and entertainment.

The couple plans to freshen up the building with light renovations to modernize the style. They will begin by keeping the first floor and basement space open, while doing work on the second and third floors and in-house chef’s kitchen.  

“People are going to walk in and see amazing updates,” Mena said.  

More Pizza for Midtown

Two long-time Harrisburg restaurateurs are joining forces on a new pizza and sub shop in Midtown.

Judd Goodman of Federal Taphouse and Ozzie Cabrera of Niko’s Pizza and Tonino’s Pizza plan to open Slice of Midtown at 1100 N. 3rd St., according to the pair.

The shop, slated to debut this month, will offer pizza, cheesesteaks, hoagies, grinders, wings and some Italian dinner entrees, Goodman said.

“The void of pizza, cheesesteaks and salads at an affordable price to that area was the deciding factor (in opening),” he said. “We are also catering to the late night crowd on Friday and Saturday to satisfy the live music and late night enthusiasts.”

Another positive is the restaurant’s proximity to major employment centers in Harrisburg, such as the state Capitol Complex and the federal courthouse, Goodman added.

The building is located at the corner of N. 3rd and Herr streets, which last housed Sushi Yatta, a short-lived business that closed in 2022. Before that, a convenience store and various shops occupied the first-floor retail space.

Slice of Midtown will build on Cabrera’s recipes, with all breads, rolls, pizza dough, sauces and dressings made from scratch, according to the owners.

The eatery will be takeout-only, as the snug space doesn’t permit seating, Goodman said. There also will be delivery and pick-up options via an app.

Home Sales, Prices Higher

Harrisburg-area home sales and prices both moved higher in April, according to the latest report on previously owned houses.

In the three-county region, 496 homes sold in April, compared to 448 in April 2023, as the median sales price rose to $255,000 from $245,000 over the period, according to the Greater Harrisburg Association of Realtors (GHAR).

In Dauphin County, 227 houses sold, a drop of six from the year-ago period, though the median price increased to $230,000 from $213,900, GHAR stated.

Cumberland County had 227 home sales versus 193 a year ago, while the median price rose slightly to $287,600 from $285,000, GHAR said.

In Perry County, 35 houses changed hands compared to 19 in April 2023, as the median sales price inched up to $220,000 from $219,000, according to GHAR.

The pace of sales picked up in April, as “average days on market” dropped to 26 days versus 34 days the prior April, GHAR said.

So Noted

Angie Singer Keating has been appointed board president of Ben Franklin Technology Partners of Central and Northern PA. According to the State College-based organization, Keating has over two decades of experience in information systems, project management and engineering.

Goodwill Keystone Area, Reworld and the PA Department of Environmental Protection last month announced a new, free e-waste recycling program at the Goodwill Keystone Area Store and Donation Center, 1200 Market St., Lemoyne. This initiative is set to increase electronic waste recycling capacities across 22 counties in central and southeastern Pennsylvania, ensuring no-cost disposal options for residents.

Knead Pizza is reopening, nearly two years after shuttering amidst a controversy over an employee unionization effort. The small pizza shop, located at N. 3rd and Boas streets in Harrisburg, plans to open only on Thursdays and Fridays, operated only by Knead’s owners.

Ryan McCrory last month was named the new executive director of the Dauphin County Library System. McCrory holds an MLIS degree from Clarion University and has over 25 years of library experience, according to DCLS. He replaces Karen Cullings, who retired last year.

The Foundation for Enhancing Communities (TFEC) last month received the Platinum Seal of Transparency from Candid, a nonprofit dedicated to improving philanthropy transparency and effectiveness. The award helps assure donors and community members that their contributions are managed with integrity and are used to drive substantial, measurable impact in our region, according to TFEC.

Tri County Housing recently received the Pyramid Award for “Best Affordable Housing—Multi-Family Project” from the Home Builders Association of Metropolitan Harrisburg. The Harrisburg-based housing nonprofit received the award for its Hummel Street revitalization project, which includes 10 new affordable townhouses over the past two years.

Changing Hands

Balm St., 144: D&L Development Group Inc. to E. Sanchez, $149,900

Bellevue Rd., 1920: KMZ LLC to JG Family Trust, $100,000

Bellevue Rd., 1942: KMZ LLC to G. Valera, $89,900

Benton St., 627: D. Myers to D. Darden & C. Sepulveda, $195,000

Benton St., 704: First Choice Home Buyers LLC to V. Okuneye, $125,000

Briggs St., 1824: S. Zunun to I. Yushawu, $145,000

Burchfield St., 315 & 317: Greenbrook Enterprises LLC to Zook Rentals LLC, $240,000

Chestnut St., 1607: H. Hoffman & D. Yorty to Meridian Realty Holdings LLC, $110,000

Crescent St., 455: Val de Vie Estate Investments LLC to C. Scott, $112,000

Croyden Rd., 2927: L. Harris to J. Bosley & M. Wesolowski, $142,000

Cumberland St., 214: C. Anderson to Z. Hoopes, $210,000

Derry St., 1333: Paramount Sol LLC to S. Flores, $1,470,000 ?????

Derry St., 2711: R. Tonkin to Vertical Capital LLC, $110,000

Division St., 609: M. Della Porta to 6th Street Liquor LLC, $2,700,000

Emerald St., 219: M. Goldthwait & L. Witmer to B. Pardoe, $230,000

Emerald St., 226: HBG Rents LLC to L. Miller, $265,000

Evergreen St., 121: 101 S. 17th Street LLC to Bloom Estate Investment LLC, $275,000

Forster St., 2025: Laurel Associates LLC to MAT Holdings LLC, $80,500

Fulton St., 1704: E. Hummel & B. Higgins to L. Young, $224,500

Fulton St., 1723: S. DeLong to J. Polanco, $210,000

Green St., 1318: G. & E. Gibeau to O. Pierce, $142,000

Harris St., 220: R. Perez to LA Squared Rental LLC, $274,900

Harris St., 443: Green Book Enterprises LLC to Keystone Properties Solutions LLC, $206,000

Herr St., 1727: M&N Prestige LLC to C. Burgos & R. Gutierrez, $101,000

Hoerner St., 129: C. Early to C. Smith, $102,000

Howard St., 1321: M. Nichole to Mau Properties LLC, $50,000

Kensington St., 2237: C. Tran & H. Lan to K. Dieu, $95,000

Kensington St., 2239: R. Cash to C. Koehn, $130,000

Lexington St., 2614: S. Washington to G&W Rentals LLC, $62,500

Liberty St., 1404: R. & D. Requa to Balaci Properties LLC, $95,000

Logan St., 1627: Toolbox of Life Inc. to Culcay Remodeling Guagua Remodeling LLC, $62,000

Mercer St., 2423: E. Green to S. German, $146,000

Mercer St., 2428: W. Fisher to K. Guerrero, $132,000

Mercer St., 2465: M. Mast to S. Esayas, $78,000

North St., 1912½: E. Hevner to Berger 1912 LLC, $92,000

N. 2nd St., 2321: R. & P. Higdon to Central PA Investment Group LLC, $54,500

N. 2nd St., 3105: J. Long & A. Carr to E. Knerr, $215,000

N. 3rd St., 1906: C. Chapman to C. Spoonhour, $170,000

N. 3rd St., 2336: L&C Holdings LLC to Sri Balaji LLC, $675,000

N. 4th St., 2319: Berrospi Properties LLC to Prime Realty Solutions 4U LLC, $115,000

N. 5th St., 1600: C. Henson to First Choice Home Buyers LLC, $58,500

N. 5th St., 3014 & 3016: L. Busko to A. Jackson & A. Nornhold, $202,000

N. 6th St., 2101; 2120, 2124, 2128, 2130 Jefferson St.; 606, 608, 610, 612 & 620 Maclay St.; 2119 Elizabeth Alley: Mighty Group Holdings LLC to Pennsylvania Social Equity Land Trust Inc., $14,500,000

N. 6th St., 2667: SPG Capital LLC to NFN LLC, $175,000

N. 12th St., 60: A. Bouhach to T. Kea, $110,000

N. 14th St., 63: P. Sisemore to E&R Realty Legacy LLC, $144,000

N. 16th St., 912: C. Van Den Hazenkamp to J. Lopez, $180,000

N. 17th St., 803: Rosaruth Properties LLC to R. Pollard, $185,000

N. 18th St., 902: Old Cellar Creek Ventures LLC to D. Ward, $75,000

N. 18th St., 917: R. & D. Requa to MAT Holdings LLC, $80,000

N. Front St., 1121: R. & A. Kinch to Cummings Real Estate LP, $475,000

N. Front St., 1335 & 1309 Bartine St.: PA Chiropractic Association to LE Trust, $350,000

Park St., 1929: First Choice Home Buyers LLC to Mau Properties LLC, $80,000

Paxton St., 1801: MMLM Realty LLC to Nilkanth Real Estate LLC, $170,000

Penn St., 1405: C. Halpert to Gallick Redevelopment Group LLC, $62,000

Penn St., 1922: A. Hibbard to A. Geise 2005 Trust, $285,000

Penn St., 2329: R. Memmi to Twelfth Roof LLC, $109,000

Pennwood Rd., 3125: J. Ritchey to New Ventures Investments LLC, $145,000

Reel St., 2456: D&F Realty Holdings LP to A. Abubakari, $155,000

Reel St., 2713: M. Rodriquez to Y. Luna, $140,000

Regina St., 1845: M. Lehman to Mau Properties LLC, $80,000

Reily St., 213: E. Brantner to L. Bennett & M. Reutinger, $192,000

Reily St., 215: Big Leaf Properties LLC to Calders Street Development LLC, $265,000

Rudy Rd., 2155: C. Lopus to J. Keating, $210,000

Rumson Dr., 2856: S. Aiken to K. Deininger, $135,000

S. 15th St., 11: J. Shaulis to S. Cyprys, $135,000

S. 15th St., 25: 1822 Park LLC to Anneliese Enterprise LLC, $85,000

S. 17th St., 427: B. Debeljak to D. Villanona, $145,500

S. 18th St., 1235: Glanzair Properties LLC to R. & E. Nartey, $220,000

S. 29th St., 726: T. Schiffhauer to M. Madrid, $127,800

S. Front St., 547: B. Ward to 2nd Level Management LLC, $90,000

Spencer St., 1837: E. Ayala, L. Hernandez & N. Vogt to J. & C. Peterson, $85,000

State St., 1340: R. & D. Requa to Kermon Home Solutions LLC, $100,000

State St., 1404: M. Henson to C. & M. White, $110,000

Swatara St., 1519: Tri County HDC Ltd. to Y. Feliz, $99,900

Swatara St., 2123: L. Brown to R. Washington, $110,000

Verbeke St., 212: L. Fee to A&W Homes LLC, $147,000

Verbeke St., 232: M. Meyer to A. O’Brien, $229,000

Walnut St., 1420: D. Pittman to 1420 Walnut LLC, $157,500

Whitehall St., 1851: Best By LLC to YT Harrisburg LLC, $265,000

Woodbine St., 526: S. Ratliff & J. Grier to C. Asong & R. Folefac, $69,000

Yale St., 217: J. & G. Proctor to Q. Demiri, $50,000

Zarker St., 1910: Z. Wiest & PA Deals LLC to Crummel Insurance Agency LLC, $124,900

Harrisburg property sales, April 2024, greater than $50,000. Source: Dauphin County. Data is assumed to be accurate.

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June Publisher’s Note

May 30, 2024 | by Lawrance Binda

It’s not every month that our magazine cover serves double duty.

For June, our cover image is a photo that we took last year during the annual Juneteenth celebration, showing several performers from the Legacy Drip Dance Team.

We love the composition, the movement, the sheer joy evident in this photograph by John Bivins.

We saved this fantastic image for an entire year because we wanted its publication to coincide with the next Juneteenth. And here we are!

Once again, Young Professionals of Color will hold Juneteenth HBG, a massive celebration this month featuring music, art, vendors, education, etc, etc. There are too many events and activities to list here, in this word-limited introduction, so please visit www.ypoc.org for all the details.

But, like I mentioned above, our cover actually serves two purposes.

We also selected this photo to coincide with a new section that we call “Family Time.”

Over the years, we often have been asked to include more content for families and children in TheBurg. We developed Family Time to meet that need, as we always try to be responsive to our readers and our community.

Each month, Family Time will include one or more feature stories, puzzles and games and a new activities/events column by our very own Natalie diSanto. If you have any suggestions for stories or future events, please contact Natalie or our newly promoted assistant editor, Maddie Gittens, who is overseeing the section. You’ll find their emails in the masthead to the right.

Otherwise, the June issue is chock full of summertime features and events here in the Harrisburg area. There’s a lot going on, so please take our content as just a jumping-off point for things to do in our rapidly growing region.

In my opinion, June is when our area truly shines. Baseball is in full swing on City Island, the Pride of the Susquehanna plies the river, al fresco dining spills out onto downtown sidewalks, music rings throughout Riverfront Park.

Welcome to the warm outdoors, Harrisburg. Your summertime awaits!

Lawrance Binda

Publisher/Editor

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Reservoir Art: Harrisburg area residents, by the hundreds, contributed to the new mosaic at the Chutes and Ladders playground

May 30, 2024 | by Tony Gilbert

Mosaic details

“Everyone can be creative in ways they don’t expect,” said Jessica Liddell, lead artist of a unique mosaic at Harrisburg’s Chutes and Ladders playground at Reservoir Park.

Built into the hillside are snaking slides and play equipment invoking the board game of the same name. The mosaic represents the collective artwork of unnamed neighbors who share a story through stone and glass tiles, complementing the park with handmade pieces from a thousand volunteers.

“There’s something special about it, and it fosters community pride when someone passes by a project they worked on,” Liddell said. “We wanted to incorporate as many people as we could.”

The mosaic’s pieces were crafted by volunteers during the 2023 Memorial Day weekend at the Artsfest booth overlooking the Susquehanna River. Incorporating local clays from Pennsylvanian sources, the mosaic now stands as a permanent reminder of the creativity of a community.

“Jessica knew we wanted a colorful design that depicted elements of ‘play’ and nature, which we felt tied in with the park,” said Cortney Ranck-Cameron, Harrisburg’s manager of special events and marketing. “Jessica and volunteers showed (Artsfest) attendees how to create their own ceramic tile.”

Artist assistant Heather McCord and volunteer installing the mosaic

By the end of the event, they had over 1,000 tiles, which then were glazed and fired, and, finally, assembled into the mosaic.

Peggy Spellman was one of the volunteers who worked under Liddell’s direction to assemble and install the tiles in the Chutes and Ladders mosaic. Spellman crafts mosaics at home and volunteered on other community mosaics, including at the Coexist Gallery in Steelton.

“I enjoy using broken glass to create something beautiful,” Spellman said. “I love the idea that broken things, situations, people can be restored.”

Spellman started working with stained glass when she inherited her father’s stained glass and tools.

“I’m drawn to doing mosaics because it’s easy to do,” she said. “I can use stained glass pieces, stones, shells, beads and small objects to create something unique. Also, I can create mosaics on a wall, window, table top, bowls, bird bath.”

In addition to contributing to the creation of the park mosaic, Spellman was one of the first to use the Chutes and Ladders playground, when she brought her 3-year-old grandson Omar to play by the newly constructed mosaic.

“I love the project at Reservoir Park because it involved the community from the creation of the tiles to the creation of the wall,” Spellman said. “While we were working on the wall, all kinds of people were invited to help, including children, moms and grandparents. They were all so excited that they were able to help create something that will be able to be enjoyed for years to come.”

Jessica Liddell

Making a mural that will last “for years to come” is a challenge for the artist. Liddell observed that mosaics meant for the outdoors must have an especially dense clay to keep moisture out of the tile.

“Outdoor projects are more technically complicated,” she said. “They have to withstand the elements, like snow, and special tiles are fired to a high temperature.”

For Liddell, mosaics are more than background art—she has built a career through the medium. Inspired by a visit to Gaudi’s “La Sagrada Familia” in Barcelona, she started her foray into the art world in San Francisco’s Mission District, a neighborhood famous for its vibrant murals. Her husband, a Pennsylvania native, brought her east, where she made a name for herself on the Philadelphia art scene with hundreds of celebrated public mosaics and murals made through her business, Bella Mosaic Art.

“I love working in this way,” she said. “From far away, you might notice something. I invite people to take a closer look. I try to make projects with interactive details.”

The mosaic at Chutes and Ladders helps beautify the park, adding charm and character to the community in a way that only art can do.

“I love to see art projects such as the one at Chutes and Ladders or the 40-plus murals throughout the city add a pop of color in a space,” Ranck-Cameron said. “It takes what would have been an empty wall, or in the case of this project, a standard bench, and adds something with more meaning that people can connect to. It helps enhance the character of a space.”

The Chutes and Ladders Playground is located at Reservoir Park, Harrisburg.

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