Mind Your “P’s”: New Harrisburg gym will personalize your fitness

December 28, 2023 | by Alex Hayes

Noah Parsons

Everyone, it seems, wants to know about the three “p’s.”

Why did Noah Parsons name his new gym Triple P Fitness?

According to the owner, the letters stand for preparation, process and purpose, and these concepts center his team’s work, helping people achieve their fullest fitness potential.

“We all enjoy pushing people and allowing them to see benefits of what personal training can do,” he said.

Parsons’ journey to fitness training began about five years ago when he was forced to overcome a personal setback. The lifetime football player was a member of the Lock Haven University Bald Eagles football team, but a concussion permanently benched him.

For Parsons, football was life. He had played since he was 6 years old, so being forced to face a new reality was jarring. Instead of giving up, he realized he could still feel good while focusing on fitness without contact. He honed in on his own personal fitness and then decided to use his knowledge to help others.

Parsons earned certifications as a personal trainer, strength and conditioning specialist, and nutritionist from the International Sports Science Association. After graduating from Lock Haven in 2021, he returned to his hometown of Harrisburg to share his knowledge.

Personal training is just that—personal. Parsons’ clients appreciate his work, and one even gave him a gift certificate to Sculpt Pilates and Barre for Christmas. Parsons cashed in the gift certificate and soon more than his muscles gained flexibility.

He discovered there was available space adjacent to the studio. A dream of being able to control scheduling, workouts and staffing formed in his mind. He also envisioned a facility with brand new equipment and top-notch cleanliness. Opening his own personal training business had been in the back of his mind, so he seized the opportunity.

“We aim to be Harrisburg’s premier personal training studio, empowering our community through focused, innovative and results-driven fitness training,” Parsons said.

Sessions at Triple P are by appointment only, and no more than five clients are ever in the gym at one time. The other trainers—Adrian Orons, Tyler Freeman, Chris Thompson and Lauren Peterson—are friends, adding to the relaxed atmosphere.

“When a client is working out, we all take time to encourage them and celebrate successes,” Parsons said.

Ultimately, personal trainers are guides. The clients determine their success, Parsons said, with support from the Triple P staff. He encourages everyone new to fitness to start with a personal trainer. Fitness experts, such as those at Triple P, can help clients set and meet reasonable goals and teach them how to properly use equipment while avoiding injury.

Personal training not only assists the body, but the mind. Regular exercise helps people achieve mental clarity and emotional stability, Parsons said. Exercise at any time of the day is better than nothing, but Parsons encourages activity in the morning.

“To set your day up with the hardest part from the start makes your day better,” he said.

The Triple P team is young—all under 26 years old—but Parsons said that they help clients of all ages and abilities, from couch potatoes to athletes.

“We help overcome preconceived notions by throwing them into workouts that relate to their life,” he said.

The trainers also help clients establish healthy eating habits so their diets complement their workouts.

As Harrisburg area residents start creating their 2024 fitness resolutions, Parsons and his team are excited to help them achieve their success.

Triple P Fitness is located at 2609 N. Front St., Harrisburg. For more information, visit www.triplepfitness.com or call 570-502-7957.

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Skin in the Game: As med spas open in central Pa., practitioners talk skin, self care

December 28, 2023 | by Rachel Curry

Carmelia Rameau

If you’ve noticed medical spas popping up in the Harrisburg area at a faster rate than before, it’s not a figment of your imagination.

The med spa industry has grown by 20% year over year, excluding during the first year of the pandemic, according to the American Med Spa Association’s latest state of the industry report.

“It’s becoming more looked at like it’s self care,” says Alicia Stidfole, founder and CEO of Youveau Aesthetics Medspa & Wellness and certified registered nurse anesthetist who still works long hours in that profession. “It’s almost like going to the dentist now.”

Youveau, overlooking the Susquehanna River from Harrisburg’s Front Street, opened in February 2023 offering a range of injections, fillers, non-invasive facial services and other wellness offerings, with more options added on a regular basis.

Alicia Stidfole

“I love to educate, and I think that’s something that makes us stand out,” Stidfole said.

For instance, when asked about a popular procedure—Botox injections in masseter muscles for relief of temporomandibular joint (TMJ) disorder—she quickly rolled off the benefits and risks. Those are nuances that social media resources may not provide.

Across the river in Camp Hill, Revived Medical Aesthetics on Hartzdale Drive offers its own suite of aesthetic and wellness services, ranging from injectables to microblading to vitamin injections.

Holly Drawbaugh, a registered nurse, launched the business as a single mom, still working full-time at a hospital. To add to the whirlwind, she went through chemotherapy, radiation and surgery for breast cancer—all while growing Revived.

Drawbaugh said that there are plenty of nurses looking to get out of the hospital setting and into the medical aesthetics field, but it’s not just playing med spa all day. It’s no small task to educate yourself for your clients’ sake in a field that’s, in many ways, unregulated.

“This business has kind of become my life, and I don’t stop at night,” Drawbaugh said. “Whenever I’m at home after the kids are in bed, I’m still learning.”

According to Stidfole, that gusto is consistent with other med spa owners.

“In injectables, you are as educated as you make yourself because no one’s holding you to a standard,” she said.

santāl skin team. Photo by Kinna Shaffer.

Another owner, Natalie Feaster of santāl skin on Gettysburg Road in Camp Hill, knows firsthand how the industry is constantly evolving, much like any medical environment.

Feaster takes the approach of treating the skin as a whole, whatever modality that may mean.

“It starts with skincare,” she said. “Putting them on a regimen so that their skin is the most healthy and balanced just enhances everything else that we can do in office.”

For people interested in these services, entering a med spa for the first time can feel intimidating. Feaster said that she prioritizes a collaborative approach, “figuring out what your skincare goals are and then how we can go about reaching them together.”

In downtown Harrisburg, C.R. Blooms Wellness Boutique by Carmelia Rameau takes a particularly holistic approach. The boutique combines custom facials and microneedling with pelvic yoga and meditation, among other services. With a Haitian background, Rameau feels her interest in apothecary and herbalism is culturally innate.

“I incorporated my holistic apothecary background with my esthetician title,” Rameau said. “I consider myself a student to the whole industry, and, while I learn, I’m offering the same education and lifestyle tips to my clients.”

Healers & Facilitators

In July 2023, the Harrisburg Regional Chamber announced Youveau received a loan from the Pennsylvania Industrial Development Authority (PIDA), which Stidfole says helped furnish the space.

For the coming year, Stidfole is considering adding services to Youveau like PDO threads—a non-invasive alternative to a face lift—as well as ketamine therapy, which is shown to treat mental health conditions like depression and anxiety, according to a publication from the National Institutes of Health.

Holly Drawbaugh

Over at Revived, Drawbaugh plans to diversify offerings, including hormone and hormone replacement treatments in early 2024.

Rameau of C.R. Blooms recently opened a CBD shop directly next door, called Nesta Hemp Shop, to enhance her holistic approach to wellness. She already used CBD spectrum ingredients on clients in some of her skin care products, and the hemp shop has skin and body products as part of its repertoire as well.

With medical wellness on the rise in and around Harrisburg, professionals want to ensure clients are asking the right questions of their potential practitioners to ensure they get the service they deserve.

When it comes to injections, Drawbaugh said, “If they’re the right injector for you, they’re not going to have any problem answering any questions about their training.”

Rameau said that it’s important to find someone who you feel listens to you and really gets to know you.

“I don’t want to be the only esthetician in the Harrisburg area,” she said. “I want it to be a community filled with healers and facilitators. If you don’t feel like this person is going to know you by your name and really get to know your skin, that should be a red flag.”

Like many professionals in the field, Stidfole believes that all of her clients are already beautiful. In fact, she challenges everyone to tell her something they love about themselves in each consultation. At the end of the day, she views medical aesthetics and other aesthetic wellness services as a way to enhance how you look and feel, as the two are often inextricably linked.

“It’s just on an individual basis what makes you feel good,” Stidfole said. “If it’s going for a walk in the woods, go for a walk in the woods. If it’s getting your nails done, get your nails done. If it’s getting ‘tox on your forehead, get ‘tox in your forehead. Is it self care?”

Face Time

Recently, several med spas have opened around the Harrisburg area. These include the businesses mentioned in this story:

C.R. Blooms Wellness Boutique, 7 N. 3rd St., Harrisburg, www.crblooms.love

Revived Medical Aesthetics, 3300 Hartzdale Dr., Camp Hill, www.revivedmedicalaesthetics.com

santāl skin, 3540 Gettysburg Rd., Camp Hill, www.santalskin.com

Youveau Aesthetics Medspa & Wellness, 2417 N. Front St., Harrisburg, www.youveau.org

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Anchovy Love: Try a rich pasta dish for a cold January evening

December 28, 2023 | by Rosemary Ruggieri Baer

When I was young (long ago), I decided I didn’t like anchovies.

Now, I grew up with a father who was an absolutely devoted “small fish lover.” As an Italian immigrant who grew up on the Adriatic Sea coast, he relished all of his native seafood from clams, calamari and mussels to smelts, sardines and, of course, anchovies. To me, the thought of anchovies on pizza (especially our homemade pizza) was not acceptable. I was convinced they were definitely salty, possibly fishy, and I wanted no part of them.

But as the years have gone by and I have learned more about classic Italian cooking, I now know that anchovies play an important role in many recipes by providing a punch of flavor that is not at all fishy but unique. I use Worcestershire sauce in many dishes like summer marinades, meatloaf and crab cakes. Surprisingly, anchovies are an important ingredient in that popular condiment. And what would Caesar salad be without that sharp, pungent taste of the humble little anchovy?

Anchovies are sold in small oval tins, like sardines, or in small clear jars. Sometimes, you can find them wrapped around capers, and all are packed in either salt or olive oil. White anchovies are considered a delicacy and can sometimes be found in specialty food stores. And then there is anchovy paste. It comes in a tube, and you can find it next to the tomato paste in your grocery store. I consider it a magic ingredient as it keeps a long time in the fridge and melts easily in so many pan sauces for pasta (½ teaspoon of anchovy paste equals 1 whole anchovy).

The recipe that follows provides a burst of flavors: tomatoes, basil, anchovies, pine nuts and raisins, reflecting the Middle Eastern influence on the cooking from the beautiful island of Sicily. It is easy to prepare but does require three separate pots on the stove. You can cook the broccoli in the boiling water you are using for the pasta. Or you can steam the broccoli in your microwave. But it is everything you need for dinner in one dish, perhaps ending the meal with a little fresh fruit.

Pasta with Broccoli

Ingredients

1 head of broccoli, cut into florets, large stems discarded
¼ cup olive oil
1 medium onion, thinly sliced
2 cups crushed tomatoes
Freshly ground pepper
1 garlic clove, peeled and crushed
6 anchovies drained or 3 teaspoons of anchovy paste
5 tablespoons raisins soaked in warm water for 15 minutes, then drained
4 tablespoons pine nuts
12 ounces pasta of your choice
¼ cup chopped fresh basil
¾ cup grated Pecorino cheese

Directions

Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and cook the broccoli florets until crisp tender but still bright green. When done, remove from the pot with a slotted spoon and set aside. Save the water for cooking the pasta.
Heat half the olive oil in a heavy skillet, add the onion and sauté gently until golden in color. Add the tomatoes, salt and pepper to taste, and simmer over low heat for about 30 minutes.
In a small saucepan or skillet, heat the remaining olive oil. Saute the garlic until golden but do not allow to burn. Add the anchovies or anchovy paste and mash with a wooden spoon until broken down.
Add the garlic/anchovy mixture to the tomato sauce along with the drained raisins, broccoli and pine nuts. Cook gently for another 5 minutes, stirring frequently.
Bring the salted water back to a boil and cook the pasta until al dente. Drain and pour into a large serving bowl.
Pour the tomato sauce over the pasta and add the chopped basil and Pecorino cheese. Toss well and serve immediately.

This is a wonderful dish for a cold January night. It uses ingredients that are easily found in the dead of winter and is definitely a one-dish meal. And if you are new to cooking with anchovies, see if you can detect that subtle richness they provide to what might be an ordinary pasta dish. You might be on your way to being an anchovy lover!

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Latin Flair: Surprises await as the Dalí Quartet takes the stage with the Harrisburg Symphony

December 28, 2023 | by Phyllis Zimmerman

Carlos Rubio

For Carlos Rubio, playing his native Latin American music is “very close to the heart.”

“That’s what we grew up with, and now we get to share it,” said Rubio, who is scheduled to play with the Dalí Quartet next month as part of the Harrisburg Symphony Orchestra’s ongoing Masterworks program.

For two performances in February, the HSO presents the Dalí Quartet featuring second violinist Rubio and Adriana Linares, viola. Both are Venezuela natives now living in the Philadelphia area who also perform with the Harrisburg Symphony.

Rounding out the Latin-oriented group are Puerto Rico native Jesús Morales, cello, and U.S. native Ari Isaacman-Beck, first violin.

The quartet is premiering a new work for string quartet and chamber orchestra by Anna Clyne, a Grammy-nominated composer, at the Forum in Harrisburg next month. The program also includes a Tchaikovsky composition based on Shakespeare’s “The Tempest” and “Symphony No. 6” by Dmitri Shostakovich.

“This concert has so many levels of ‘feel good,’” said HSO Music Director Stuart Malina.

To begin with, the premier of a new work is always electrifying, he said.

“Second, presenting the Dalí Quartet is very exciting considering the trajectory of their success and their local connections,” he continued. “Finally, and perhaps most satisfying to me, is sharing the stage with Adriana and Carlos, two beloved members of our orchestra and dear friends.”

Adriana Linares

Linares said that she’s “very proud to share our music” with American audiences.

“The music makes me feel very tender,” she said. “I feel its beauty, tenderness or happiness from dance. I feel all kinds of emotions whenever we play.”

Linares likes performing as part of a quartet, she said, because, “I get to play a soloist voice and still have a quartet to fall back on.”

In addition to her work with the Dalí Quartet, Linares is founding president and artistic director of the Arts & Community Network (ArCoNet), a nonprofit organization founded in 2012 and based in North Wales, Pa. Under ArCoNet’s umbrella, Linares has launched several music programs that include a 120-student string academy, a youth and chamber orchestra, solo boot camp retreats and other partnerships and collaborative projects.

Linares holds a master’s degree in viola performance from Temple University, where she studied with violist and Curtis Institute of Music President Roberto Diaz. She also holds a bachelor’s degree from Indiana University where she studied with violist Atar Arad.

Likewise, Rubio said that he likes performing in a group of four because “you get to play in your own voice, and talk to each other and share and combine ideas.”

“I love the ambiance of it,” he said. “We’re four people playing together, and we get to put all of our feelings into it.”

Rubio began his musical career as a member of Venezuela’s Youth Orchestra System. With the Simon Bolivar Symphony Orchestra, he toured France, Japan, the United States, Mexico and Spain. He also was awarded the grand prize in the Spanish and Latin American Music Competition at Indiana University Jacobs School of Music and was distinguished as the Ohio Latino Arts Association’s “Performing Artist of the Year.”

Rubio also performs with the Philly Pops and the Harrisburg and Lancaster symphony orchestras.

“It’s a different audience for us here,” Linares said. “In the U.S., our audiences are a little bit older than what we see in South America. In South America, we see a lot more children and college students and young adults… It’s music that not a lot of the people here would have heard of, so there’s more surprise. Maybe in Latin America, they scream a little more. Here, they just act very surprised.”

The Harrisburg Symphony Orchestra and the Dalí Quartet perform Feb. 10 at 7:30 p.m. and Feb. 11 at 3 p.m. at the Forum, 500 Walnut St., Harrisburg. For tickets, visit www.harrisburgsymphony.org. For more information on the Dalí Quartet, visit www.daliquartet.com.

Images courtesy of Harrisburg Symphony Orchestra.

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Musical Notes: Wintry Mix

December 28, 2023 | by Skye Leppo

I hope you’ve all had a joyous holiday season and found stockings full of concert tickets for 2024. The year’s live music roster is starting off strong with some excellent picks slated for stages around central Pa., many of which are worth driving beyond county lines to hear and groove to.

GET ON YOUR FEET

Low Cut Connie, 1/19, Appell Center for the Performing Arts

If you’ve had a chance to watch Low Cut Connie perform live, you know what an absolute thrill it is to see Adam Weiner command the stage with his ever-evolving lineup of rock ’n’ roll musicians. Hailing from Philadelphia, the band is among Sir Elton John’s favorite emerging rock acts here in the states, and the Jan. 19 show is slated to be a unique performance, following a screening of Weiner’s new hybrid documentary/concert film that shares a name with the band’s 2023 album, “Art Dealers.”

WORTH THE DRIVE

Black Opry Revue Ft. Sug Daniels & King Jester, 1/6, Zoetropolis

Sug Daniels! King Jester! For those of you who love soul and R&B performances, this show should be at the top of your list. Daniels has been one of my favorite musicians to watch over the last year, with her unique fusion of folk and soul influences. Her easy going demeanor and sunny voice bring a jovial playfulness to tracks such as “When I’m Gone” and “Lightning in A Bottle (feat. John Faye).” Similarly, slide guitarist King Jester delivers warmth and lyrics with depth on his songs recorded with the Mighty Acorns, such as “The Game” and “Give It Away,” and takes a much moodier, bluesy shift on “Grandma Said.” This Black Opry Revue show is not to be missed.

POPS OF HARMONY

HU Presents Joseph, 1/26, XL LIVE

The indie group Joseph, comprised of three sisters—Natalie Closner Schepman and her twin sisters, Allison and Meegan Closner—are touring in support of their fourth full-length LP, “The Sun,” released in April. Their pop tendencies and intricately harmonized voices are truly arresting. You may be familiar with their songs “White Flag” and “Green Eyes,” which have enjoyed a bit of commercial success over the last few years.

FRESH AS FOLK

Cinder Well and Cumberland Honey, 1/26, Unitarian Church of Harrisburg

Amelia Baker, who performs under the moniker Cinder Well when joined by a changing cast of other Celtic music mainstays, including different members of Lankum, Blackbird Raum and Vradiazei, makes her central Pa. debut on Jan. 26 (rescheduled from an original performance date in November). Her lovely voice, classically trained in the styles of western Ireland, is complemented by rich music that has haunting undertones of doomfolk and punk, most audible on her earlier works like “The Unconscious Echo” and “No Summer,” though there are still discernible influences of those genres on her most recent effort, “Cadence.” For starters, check out Cinder Well’s song “Overgrown.”

HONORABLE MENTIONS

Battle of the Bands,1/6, Lovedraft’s Brewing Co.

Escuela Grind, 1/12, Lovedraft’s Brewing Co.

Lotus, 1/12, XL Live

Megan Hamilton, 1/12, H*MAC

Jill Barber, 1/19, H*MAC

Sunsquabi, 1/20, XL Live

Fit For A King & Devil Wears Prada, 1/26, H*MAC

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Have Art . . . Will Travel: This month, skate on over to Smith Fine Art

December 28, 2023 | by Bob MacGinnes

Drake Music Conservatory inside Smith Fine Art Gallery

This second installment of “Have Art…Will Travel” takes us to a local landmark just across the river from Harrisburg to the now-arrived hipster borough of New Cumberland.

January travel can be as unpredictable as keeping New Year’s resolutions. But to ensure safe passage on your travels, I decided to play it close to the vest. Mere minutes from Midtown, you will find the destination, the home of The Smith Gallery & Fine Custom Framing. Hop in.

Framing Your Life

When one pulls up to The Smith Gallery, the first impression is “Art”—with a capital “A.”

On the building’s exterior wall, “framing” its entrance, is a picture-postcard collage featuring artwork from a few of the area’s well-known local artists. The subliminal message sent—this is a destination that takes its art seriously—is a personal invitation from proprietress, Debbie Smith.

Socrates, thousands of years ago, shared that “the way to gain a good reputation is to endeavor to be what you desire to appear.” That’s the very foundation that Debbie Smith has built her business on, frame by frame. She has been the sole owner for 25 years, taking over operations after her father passed. What started in 1987 primarily as a frame shop for custom work has since grown into an art mecca under her leadership. The motto above the building’s doorway says it all, “Purveyors of Fine Art, Framers of Distinction.”

Arriving at our destination, we couldn’t deny art’s role in every nook and cranny, never far from mind or reach. By Debbie’s count, the gallery represents 30 artists. Reputation is what she hangs her hat on or, in her case, her signature eyewear.

When meeting Debbie, one of the first things people notice are the stylish specs that frame her face. They dramatically change daily, dependent upon the color choice of her wardrobe. They have become synonymous with her persona that is full of “P’s and Q’s.” She is poised, precise, polished and professional. As for the “Q,” you may need to “queue” up in line as the customer counter can become quite congested for the “quality” service that Smith delivers with each and every order.

That quotidian quality stems from surrounding herself with skilled strategists and tacticians. The team shares an esprit-de-corps, unifying them in a common goal.

Nancy is Smith’s right-hand woman. A trained carpenter, she knows what is required in all aspects, from frame molding, matting, glazing and assemblage. For 10 years, she has carried out Debbie’s vision to a “T.” Assisting them in the gallery shop is Elaine, an artist herself who specializes in working with clients on specific needs. In addition are Mallory, who employs “conservation techniques,” and Mariah, who is “a seasoned custom framing designer.” Lastly is the owner’s mother, confidante and inspiration, Polly Smith. A retired music teacher from New Cumberland, Polly is a fixture at the grand piano for art receptions in the spacious Drake Gallery, the music conservatory room.

Together, they form a team to create a powerhouse presentation, both in the showroom and backstage. The Smith Gallery is all about family and making memories, capturing them forever under glass. Debbie learned the trade and art of framing from her father, her best friend and mentor. Working with the public came as a natural extension of her extroverted personality, just as she mastered the technical end of the business. Clients range from walk-ins like us, sent there by recommendation for small custom work orders, to powerhouse players like the Milton Hershey School, which required a major overhaul of art and pictures placed throughout the students’ homes on campus.

For a business that started solely as a frame shop, Debbie Smith has grown it into two-thirds framing and one-third art, pushing the boundaries of the latter to the foreground. In our area, it has become the go-to shop for archival restoration, preservation and conservation. Customers trust Debbie’s instincts, and artists value her attention to creating the niche appeal that will set their art apart.

The Smith Gallery & Fine Custom Framing is poised for its next quarter century. It is evident that Debbie’s tomorrows hold a horizon waiting to be explored and, in her own words, “I will be eternally grateful to my mom and dad, to my staff and to my customers for wanting to be the best I can be by giving the best product and service there is.” Just like the sign above the door reads, that says it all.

The Smith Gallery & Fine Custom Framing is located at 190 Reno Ave., New Cumberland. For more information, visit www.smithcustomframing.com.

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Shifting Perspectives: “Monster” offers a tender tale, is also a masterpiece

December 28, 2023 | by Sammi Leigh Melville

Photo courtesy of Well Go USA.

It is always a treat to see director Kore-eda Hirokazu return with another film, and this time, it’s his best film yet. “Monster,” written by Sakamoto Yûji, is an artistic masterpiece and a tribute to humanity, a story told three times, each time from a different perspective.

The film presents as a puzzle, offering up little pieces of truth that don’t quite seem to fit together initially, until the following perspective offers more context. There are cues along the way—fire engine sirens, the blaring of brass instruments, etc— to help you keep track of where in the narrative you are, though admittedly it’s easy to get lost. But stick with it—the puzzle is well worth it.

The first perspective almost seems to hint at something paranormal. Saori (Ando Sakura), notices an odd change in the behavior of her son, Minato (Kurokawa Soya), and begins to piece together that his homeroom teacher, Mr. Hori (Nagayama Eita), is being abusive. She is even able to pry some corroborating evidence from Yori (Hiiragi Hinata), Minato’s schoolmate. She begs the school to do something, but no one seems willing to help her remove the monster she perceives Mr. Hori to be from the school.

Then we see Mr. Hori’s version of the events. And then we see Minato’s version. And each perspective provides a shift.

While the title of the film prepares us to seek out a definitive representative at any given moment in the film, by the end, we are struck not by the monster in all of us but the humanity that the story has revealed in each character. The result is a beautiful, tender, heart-wrenching story that resonates so well with the world we’ve all built around ourselves.

There is not a single actor in the film who doesn’t nail their part, though a personal favorite performance was Hiiragi’s nuanced take on the world. And a special note must be made for the musical score, written by Sakamoto Ryuichi, which carries you deep into every moment. Every inch of “Monster” is gorgeously rendered.

This is a film you aren’t going to want to miss. Make sure to catch it at Midtown Cinema this January.

Midtown Cinema is located at 250 Reily St., Harrisburg. For more information, visit www.midtowncinema.com.

January Events At Midtown Cinema

January Film Openings
“Monster”
Friday, Jan. 12

“The Zone of Interest”
“Poor Things”
Friday, Jan 26

Down in Front! comedy riffing
“Curse of the Faceless Man” (1958)
Friday, Jan. 12 at 9:30 p.m.

3rd in the Burg Movie Night
“The Big Lebowski” (1998)
Friday, Jan. 19 at 9:30 p.m.

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Happenings: Our January Calendar of Events

December 28, 2023 | by Missy Smith

Museums & Art Spaces

AACA Museum
161 Museum Dr., Hershey
717-566-7100; aacamuseum.org

“Muscle Cars—Past and Present,” through April 20

Austin-Healey, through April 20

“Legacy Series—Dodge Challengers Then & Now,” through April 21

Art Association of Harrisburg
21 N. Front St., Harrisburg
717-236-1432; artassocofhbg.com

“Nothing Pretty” collective, featuring the artwork of Sean Arce, Tina Berrier, Ted Walke and Krissy Whiski, through Jan. 5

“Figuratively Speaking,” AAH’s longest-running themed show, features artwork celebrating the human form in all shapes, sizes and media, Jan. 12-Feb. 15; reception: Jan, 19, 5-8 p.m.

Arts on the Square
20 S. 2nd St., Harrisburg
717-257-1270; marketsquarechurch.org

“Impressions: Watercolors by Elaine Wilson,” with artist’s reception Jan. 14, 12-1:30 p.m.

The Cornerstone Coffeehouse
2133 Market St., Camp Hill
thecornerstonecoffeehouse.com

January artist of the month

East Shore Area Library
4501 Ethel St., Harrisburg
717-652-9380; dcls.org

“Limelight on Local Artists—Meet & Greet Artist Reception featuring Reshmi Khatun and Spero Lappas,” Jan. 13, 2-4 p.m.

Hershey Area Art Association (HAAA)
hersheyart.org

Backstage Café at the Allen Theater, through Jan. 20

Lebanon Picture Frame & Fine Art Gallery
847 Cumberland St., Lebanon
LebanonPictureFrame.com

“Spaces and Faces,” fine art collages by Katherine Horst, through Jan. 27

Messiah University
One University Ave., Mechanicsburg
717-766-2511; messiah.edu

“Cover Design,” featuring a collection of book cover designs by David Fassett, through Feb. 4; artist talk and reception: Jan. 26, 4:30-9 p.m.

Senior Art Educator Exhibition, Jan. 20-Feb. 4

The Millworks
340 Verbeke St.; Harrisburg
717-695-4888; millworksharrisburg.com

New works from Paul Vasiliades, Pat Frese, Marsha Souders, Rachelle Lowe, Judy Kelly and Marjorie Taylor, through Jan. 14

National Civil War Museum
One Lincoln Circle, Harrisburg
717-260-1861; nationalcivilwarmuseum.org

“Greatness Thrust Upon Them,” highlighting veterans of the Civil War, through Jan. 31

“Pursuit of Freedom—The Abolition of Slavery,” highlighting early attempts to abolish slavery in the U.S. and actions that ultimately ended slavery with the 13th Amendment, through June 2

New Cumberland Public Library
1 Benjamin Plaza, New Cumberland
717-774-7820; newcumberlandlibrary.org

“Art in the Stacks,” featuring Ava Neff

Pennsylvania National Fire Museum
1820 N. 4th St., Harrisburg
717-232-8915; pnfm.org

Exhibits dedicated to Pennsylvania firefighting history

Perry County Council of the Arts
Landis House, 67 N. 4th St., Newport
717-567-7023; perrycountyarts.org

“TIME,” featuring historical clocks from the Landis Collection, alongside contemporary artwork, through March 21

Perry County Council of the Arts
PCCA Gallery, 1 S. 2nd St., Newport
717-567-7023; perrycountyarts.org

“Artisan Marketplace of Perry County,” local handmade gifts by local artists, through Jan. 12

The State Museum of Pennsylvania
300 North St., Harrisburg
717-787-4980; statemuseumpa.org

“Art of the State,” an annual juried exhibition open to Pennsylvania artists and craftspeople, through Jan. 7

“Game Changers: Pennsylvania Women Who Made History,” celebrating women from across the state in diverse fields and detailing the contributions they made and challenges they faced in their lifetimes

“Banner Heroes Celebrating Pennsylvania’s African American Veterans,” presented by Beta Pi Boulé, the Harrisburg chapter of Sigma Pi Phi Fraternity (the Boulé)

“Benjamin Franklin & Pennsylvania—300 Years,” through April 2024

Susquehanna Art Museum
1401 N. 3rd St., Harrisburg
717-233-8668; susquehannaartmuseum.org

“Diane Arbus—10 Years,” featuring key images from this famous period of the artist’s work, through Jan. 21

“Shifting Forms—5 Decades of Abstraction” traces radical shifts made by abstract artists over the last 50 years, through Jan. 21

“Far Field,” paintings by Kate Stewart, inspired by brain activity research, through Feb. 11

“In the Grass, With a Baby,” paintings and drawings by Lee Nowell-Wilson through Feb. 18

“The Shop Presents—Essentials,” Shelby Wormley explores barbershops and beauty salons in Black and brown communities during the global pandemic, through a series of photographs, through Feb. 25

“From Mantel to Museum: The Eclectic Legacy of Patricia L. Murray,” through April 7.

The Trout Gallery
Dickinson College
240 W. High St., Carlisle
717-254-8159; troutgallery.org

“Souvenirs of Ruin,” works by Italian artist, archaeologist and architect Giovanni Battista Piranesi, through Feb. 10

“Disruptive,” a diverse selection of prints, sculpture, photographs and drawings that present disruptive combinations of texts and images from the 19th century to present day, through April 6

Wheel of Light Studio
3738 Peters Mountain Rd., Halifax
wheeloflightstudio.com

“Yondering with the Wheelers,” photography by James Wheeler and the pottery it inspired by Robin Wheeler, Jan. 9-Feb. 3

Wildwood Park
100 Wildwood Way, Harrisburg
717-221-0292; explorewildwoodpark.org

“2023 Photo Contest Display” of photographs that feature all of Dauphin County’s parks, through Jan. 27; reception and winners announcement: Jan. 14, 1 p.m.

Read, Make, Learn

Capital Blue Cross Connect
4500 Marketplace Way, Enola
capitalbluecrossconnect.com

Jan. 2, 9, 16, 23, 30: Virtual Yoga for Back Health, 10 a.m.
Jan. 3, 10, 17, 24, 31: Strong & Fit, 4:30 p.m.
Jan. 4, 18: Fit Chicks and virtual, 4:15 p.m.
Jan. 5, 12, 26: Virtual Barre Insanity Express, 9:30 a.m.
Jan. 5, 12, 19, 26: BOOMer Strong, 10 a.m.
Jan. 8, 22, 29: BOOMer Fit, 9:30 a.m.
Jan. 8, 22, 29: Tai Chi, 4 p.m.
Jan. 8, 22, 29: Virtual Pilates, 5 p.m.
Jan. 11, 25: Boomer Fit Zoomer and virtual, 4:15 p.m.
Jan. 19: Virtual Booty Blast, 9:30 a.m.
Jan. 22, 29: Virtual Adult Art Class, 11:05 a.m.
Jan. 22, 29: Virtual Kids Art Class, 12:05 p.m.

Carlisle Arts Learning Center (CALC)
38 W. Pomfret St., Carlisle
717-249-6973; carlislearts.org

Jan. 9-March 12: Advanced Surface Decoration, every other Tuesday, 6-8 p.m.
Jan. 10-Feb. 14: Play with Clay at the End of the Day (ages 10-15), Wednesdays, 3:45-5:15 a.m.
Jan. 15: Pieces of Me Collage Self Portrait, (ages 5-12), 9 a.m.-3 p.m.
Jan. 15: Suicide Loss Survivors, 5:30-7 p.m.
Jan. 17-Feb. 21: Ceramics 102, Wednesdays, 6-8 p.m.
Jan. 19: Craft Beer & Clay, 7-9 p.m.
Jan. 20: Copper Enameling Workshop, 11 a.m.-1 p.m.
Jan. 20: Inspired Mixed Media, 11 a.m.-3 p.m.

East Pennsboro Library
98 S. Enola Dr., Enola
717-732-4274; eastpennsborobranch.org

Jan. 2-Feb. 29: All-Ages Winter Reading on Beanstack
Jan. 4: Woven Owls, 6:15-7:15 p.m.
Jan. 5, 12, 19: Animals Story Time, 11-11:30 a.m.
Jan. 5, 12, 19: Friday Fun, 12-2 p.m.
Jan. 6: Shaggy Dogs Pom Pom Animals, 11 a.m.-12 p.m.
Jan. 9: Felt Bird Bookmarks, 6:15-7:15 p.m.
Jan. 10: Pine Cone Birdfeeder, 6:15-7:15 p.m.
Jan. 13: Raising Readers Story Time, 10-10:30 a.m.
Jan. 13: Tape Town (ages 3 to 8), 11 a.m.-1 p.m.

East Shore Area Library
4501 Ethel St., Harrisburg
717-652-9380; dcls.org

Jan. 6: MLK Volunteer Fair, 10 a.m.-1 p.m.
Jan. 8, 22: Paws 2 Read, 6-7 p.m.
Jan. 9, 16, 23, 30: Zumbini, 9:30-10:15 a.m.
Jan. 16, 30: Around the World in Five Weeks!, 5-6 p.m.
Jan. 21: Escape The Library—The Missing Sermon, 10:30-3:30 p.m.

Elizabethtown Public Library
10 S. Market St., Elizabethtown
717-367-7467; etownpubliclibrary.org

Jan. 4, 11, 18, 25: Fiber Artists, 3-5 p.m.
Jan. 6: Knitter’s Group, 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
Jan. 20: Book Discussion Group, 10 a.m.-12 p.m.

Fredricksen Library
100 N. 19th St., Camp Hill
717-761-3900; fredricksenlibrary.org

Jan. 1-Feb. 26: Winter Baby & Toddler Story Time, Mondays, 10-10:30 a.m.
Jan. 1-Feb. 26: Winter Children’s Story Time, Mondays, 10-10:30 a.m.
Jan. 2: Curl up with the Classics—“The Taming of the Shrew,” 10-11 a.m.
Jan. 2, 16: Plot Twisters Teen Writers Group, 6-7 p.m.
Jan. 2, 16: READ to Dogs, 6:30-8 p.m.
Jan. 4, 11, 18, 25: Meditation to Calm the Mind, 12-12:30 p.m.
Jan. 4, 11, 25: Device Advice, 5-6 p.m.
Jan. 5: Chess Club, 6:30-8:30 p.m.
Jan. 7: Paint with Us, 1-3 p.m.
Jan. 8: Philosopher’s Roundtable, 2-3:30 p.m.
Jan. 8: World Explorers, 6-7 p.m.
Jan. 8: ESL Conversation Circle, 7-8 p.m.
Jan. 8, 15, 22, 29: Book Explorers, 5:30-6:30 p.m.
Jan. 9: Word Basics, 10-11 a.m.
Jan. 12: Peaceful Poses Adult Yoga, 9:15-10 a.m.
Jan. 12: Film Friday, 2-4 p.m.
Jan. 13: Table Top Gaming Day, 1:30-4:30 p.m.
Jan. 14: Pokemon Fest, 2-4 p.m.
Jan. 15: Frederickson Writes on Zoom, 6:45-8:45 p.m.
Jan. 16: Excel Basics, 10-11 a.m.
Jan. 17: Ask a Dietician, 9:30-11:30 a.m.
Jan. 20: Tween STEAM Escape Room, 1:30-2:30 p.m.
Jan. 20: Teen STEAM Escape Room, 3:30-4:30 p.m.
Jan. 21: Tween LEGO Bingo, 3-4:30 p.m.
Jan. 22: Fredricksen Reads—“Wandering Souls,” 7-8 p.m.
Jan. 23: Tween LEGO Club, 6-8 p.m.
Jan. 23: PowerPoint Basics, 10-11 a.m.
Jan. 25: Tween Epic Comic Club, 6-7 p.m.
Jan. 30: Introduction to Google Suite, 10-11 a.m.

Gallery on the Square
Millersburg Area Art Association
226 Union St., Millersburg
Facebook: Gallery on the Square

Jan. 13: Snowy Cabin Painting, 1-3 p.m.
Jan. 14: Wet Felt Landscape, 1:30-4:30 p.m.
Jan. 20: Folk Art Cardinal, 1-3:30 p.m.
Jan. 21: Winter Glass Painting, 1-3 p.m.

Harrisburg Improv Theatre
1633 N. 3rd St., Harrisburg
hbgimprov.com

Jan. 4-Feb. 22: Level 2 Game of the Scene, Thursdays, 7-10 p.m.
Jan. 9-Feb. 27: Level 1 Intro to Improv, Tuesdays, 7-10 p.m.
Jan. 10-Feb. 28: Level 1 Intro to Improv, Wednesdays, 7-10 p.m.
Jan. 24-March 13: Musical Improv 2, Wednesdays, 7-10 p.m.

Hershey Area Art Association (HAAA)
hersheyart.org

Jan. 9-Feb. 13: Oil and Acrylics II, Tuesdays, 10 a.m.-1 p.m.
Jan. 18-March 7: Water Media, Thursdays, 10 a.m.-1 p.m.

Hershey Horticulture
hersheyhorticulture.com

Jan. 8: Four Season Garden—A Photographic Tour, 1 p.m.

Hershey Public Library
701 Cocoa Ave., Hershey
717-533-6555; hersheylibrary.org

Jan. 2, 4, 9, 11, 16, 18, 23, 25, 30: Penn State Hershey—Mothers & Babies, 10:15 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Jan. 2, 9: Hershey Area Pokémon Club, 5:30-7 p.m.
Jan. 3: LEGO Club, 4-4:45 p.m.
Jan. 3: Library Happy Hour, 6-7:45 p.m.
Jan. 3: Open Book Group, 6:30-7:45 p.m.
Jan. 3, 10, 17, 24, 31: Community Crochet Night, 6-7:45 p.m.
Jan. 4, 18: Hershey Quilters, 12:30-4 p.m.
Jan. 6: Chess Tournament, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
Jan. 9: Philosopher’s Round Table Discussion Group, 2-3:30 p.m.
Jan. 9, 23: Silent Book Group, 10 a.m.
Jan. 11: Harrisburg Area Neighbors and Newcomers, 10:30 a.m.-1:30 p.m.
Jan. 16, 23, 30: Girls Who Code, 6 p.m.
Jan. 20: Cocoa Area Fiber Enthusiasts, 10 a.m.
Jan. 22: Play Day for Families, 10 a.m.-1 p.m.
Jan. 29: Books and Babies, 10:15-10:45 a.m.
Jan. 29: Storytime for Everyone, 11-11:30 a.m.
Jan. 30: 1, 2, Whee!, 10:15-10:45 a.m.

Joseph T. Simpson Public Library
16 N. Walnut St., Mechanicsburg
717-766-0171; simpsonlibrary.org

Jan. 2, 9, 16, 23, 30: Tea and Stitches, 10 a.m.-12 p.m.
Jan. 2, 9, 16, 23, 30: Storybook STEAM, 6-7 p.m.
Jan. 3, 10, 17, 24, 31: Toddler Time, 10:45-11:05 a.m.
Jan. 4, 11, 18, 25: Mah Jongg, 10 a.m.-1 p.m.
Jan. 4, 11, 18, 25: Story Time, 10:15-11 a.m.
Jan. 5, 12, 19, 26: LEGO Time, 10:15 a.m.
Jan. 8: English Conversation Club, 6:30-7:30 p.m.
Jan. 8, 15, 22, 29: Rhyme Time, 10:15-10:35 a.m.
Jan. 12: Dungeons & Dragons (grades 6-12), 6-8 p.m.
Jan. 13, 27: Block Party, 10:30-11:25 a.m.
Jan. 13, 27: Puzzle Party, 11:35 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Jan. 15: Monday Night Book Club, 7-8 p.m.
Jan. 27: Trivia at Home—Christmas, 6-8 p.m.

Kline Library
530 S. 29th St., Harrisburg
717-234-3934; dcls.org

Jan. 3, 10, 17, 24, 31: Teen Gaming Club, 3 p.m.
Jan. 18: Escape the Library—The Missing Sermon, 4-6 p.m.

The LGBT Center of Central PA
717-409-5781; centralpalgbtcenter.org

Jan. 3, 10, 17, 24, 31: Common Roads (ages 12-17), 6-8 p.m.
Jan. 6, 13, 20, 27: Passageways, 2 p.m.
Jan. 7, 14, 21, 28: Young Adult Group, 4 p.m.
Jan. 13: QTPOC Advisory Group, 6-8 p.m.

McCormick Riverfront Library
101 Walnut St., Harrisburg
717-234-4976; dcls.org

Jan. 8, 22, 29: Fiber Arts Club, 3:30-5 p.m.
Jan. 9, 23: Around the World in Five Weeks!, 5-6 p.m.
Jan. 10, 17, 24, 31: Light the Way, Lewis Lattimer!, 4-5 p.m.
Jan. 11, 18, 25: Game On! Coding Challenge, 4-5 p.m.

Middletown Public Library
20 N. Catherine St, Middletown
717-944-6412; middletownpubliclib.org

Jan. 2, 9, 16, 23, 30: Storytime & Craft, 10:30-11:30 a.m.
Jan. 4: Booklover’s Book Club, 6-7 p.m.
Jan. 4, 11, 18, 25: LEGO Club, 6:30-7:30 p.m.
Jan. 15: Mystery Book Club, 6-7 p.m.

Midtown Scholar Bookstore-Cafe
1302 N. 3rd St., Harrisburg
717-236-1680; midtownscholar.com

Jan. 17: An Evening with Jon Clinch and Jeffrey Nichols
Jan. 19: An Evening with Amy Jo Burns
Jan. 24: An Evening with Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah
Jan. 27: An Evening with Kaveh Akbar

New Cumberland Public Library
1 Benjamin Plaza, New Cumberland
717-774-7820; newcumberlandlibrary.org

Jan. 1-31: BINGO for Books! (ages 0-18)
Jan. 1-31: January Scavenger Hunt—Cold Climate Animals (ages 0-12)
Jan. 2, 15: Monday Great Books Discussion Group, 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Jan. 3: Kid Builders (ages 3 and older), 4:30-5:30 p.m.
Jan. 4: Ruth’s Mystery Discussion Group, 10:15 a.m.-12 p.m.
Jan. 4, 18: Musical Mornings (ages 2-5), 10:30-11 a.m.
Jan. 5, 19: Block Party (ages 0-3), 10:30-11:30 a.m.
Jan. 6, 20: New Cumberland Public Library Book Sales, 9 a.m.-3 p.m.
Jan. 8-Feb. 19: Winter Storytime & More (ages 2-5), Mondays, 10 a.m.
Jan. 9: Tales for Tails (ages 6-12), 6:30-7:30 p.m.
Jan. 9-Feb. 13: Winter Book Babies (ages 0-2), 11:15 a.m.
Jan. 10, 24: Wednesday Great Books Discussion Group, 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Jan. 11, 25: Movers & Groovers (ages 2-5), 10:30-11 a.m.
Jan. 12: Tumble Tots (ages 0-3), 10:30-11:30 a.m.
Jan. 12, 26: Dungeons & Dragons (ages 13-17), 4-6 p.m.
Jan. 13: Teen Craft Kits (ages 13-17), 10 a.m.
Jan. 16: Cozy Pajama Storytime, 6-6:45 p.m.
Jan. 17-Feb. 21: iPad Class for Adults, Wednesdays, 2-3:30 p.m.
Jan. 19-20: Stuffed Animal Sleepover
Jan. 20: Couponing for Extreme Savings, 11 a.m.-12 p.m.
Jan. 20: Children’s Book Writers Critique Group, 2-4 p.m.
Jan. 24: Kids Paint Party (ages 5-12), 6-7 p.m.
Jan. 24: PennWriters Writing Group, 6-9 p.m.
Jan. 28: Crafty Crafters Club, 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Jan. 31: STEAM Scene (ages 5-12), 4:30-5:30 p.m.

The State Museum of Pennsylvania
300 North St., Harrisburg
717-787-4980; statemuseumpa.org

Jan. 3-31: We Are Stars, 11-11:30 a.m.
Jan. 3-31: Two Small Pieces of Glass, 2-2:30 p.m.
Jan. 3-31: Constellations, 1 p.m.
Jan. 5, 20: Storytime, 10:30 a.m.
Jan. 10: Stargazing—Tonight’s Sky Live Chat, 2 p.m.
Jan. 10, 24: Homeschool Program, 10 a.m.
Jan. 12: Curiosity Kids—Liquids, 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Jan. 13: Pennsylvania Rocks!, 10 a.m.
Jan. 13, 14: Stargazing—Tonight’s Sky Live Chat, 3 p.m.
Jan. 17: Candles, 11:30 a.m.
Jan. 19, 20, 26, 27: From Earth to the Universe, 12-12:30 p.m.
Jan. 26: Curiosity Kids—LIGHT, 11:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.

Susquehanna Art Museum
1401 N. 3rd St., Harrisburg
717-233-8668; susquehannaartmuseum.org

Jan. 6, 20: Kids Art Club, 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Jan. 10: Teen Art Lab—I’m Fine Workshop, 6-8 p.m.
Jan. 24: Open Figure Drawing, 7-9 p.m.

Wheel of Light Studio
3738 Peters Mountain Rd., Halifax
wheeloflightstudio.com

Jan. 13: Snow Folk Clay Workshop, 10:30 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Jan. 13: Wine Bottle Lights, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Jan. 20: Winter Trees Clay Workshop, 10:30 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Jan. 20: Build Your Own Gnome Clay Workshop, 1-2:30 p.m.
Jan. 20: Aurora Borealis Painting Class, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Jan. 27: Make a Mug Clay Workshop, 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Wildwood Park
100 Wildwood Way, Harrisburg
717-221-0292; explorewildwoodpark.org

Jan. 4: Winter Edibles Walk at Detweiler Park, 2-3:30 p.m.
Jan. 7: Upcycled Winter Craft (ages 5-10), 1-4 p.m.
Jan. 9, 23: Winter Lecture Series—PA Natural Wonders, 7-8:30 p.m.
Jan. 13: Birds and Coffee with Appalachian Audubon, 10-11 a.m.
Jan. 20: Painting at the Park, 1-3 p.m.
Jan. 21: Kids Discover—Winter Wonders (ages 5-10), 2-3:30 p.m.
Jan. 27: Wooden Wall Hangings, 9 a.m.-2:30 p.m.

Live Music

American Music Theatre
2425 Lincoln Highway East, Lancaster
717-397-7700; amtshows.com

Jan. 12: Marie Osmond
Jan. 20: Elvis Birthday Bash with Mike Albert & Scot Bruce
Jan. 21: Mike Albert’s Elvis Gospel Show featuring The Stamps Quartet
Jan. 28: The Music of John Denver

Appell Center for the Performing Arts
50 N. George St., York
717-846-1111; appellcenter.org

Jan. 5: Jazz in the City
Jan. 20: York Symphony
Jan. 20: Ghost-Note

Blues Society of Central PA
Facebook: Blues Society Of Central Pennsylvania

Jan. 4, 11, 18, 25: Thursday Blues Jams at Champions Sports Bar, Highspire
Jan. 28: Piedmont Bluz at Centennial Barn, Fort Hunter Park

Carley’s Ristorante and Piano Bar
204 Locust St., Harrisburg
717-909-9191; carleysristorante.com

Jan. 3, 6, 27: Chris Emkey
Jan. 4, 11, 25: Andrea Britton
Jan. 5, 19: Ted Ansel
Jan. 10, 17, 31: Mathias Cabbell
Jan. 12, 26: Roy Lefever
Jan. 13: Anthony Haubert
Jan. 18, 20: Dr. Nyce
Jan. 24: Chris Purcell

Greystone Brew House
303 Golf Club Ave., Dillsburg
717.347.0632; greystonebrewhouse.com

Jan. 2, 9, 16, 23, 30: Kirk Weiss

H*MAC
1110 N. 3rd St., Harrisburg
717-441-7506; harrisburgarts.com

Jan. 12: Megan Hamilton
Jan. 13: Hexbelt
Jan. 19: Jill Barber
Jan. 20: Steal Your Face & Cumberland Honey
Jan. 26: Fit For A King & The Devil Wears Prada
Jan. 27: Be Our Guest (the Disney DJ night)

Harrisburg Gay Men’s Chorus
harrisburggaymenschorus.org

Jan. 6: Twelfth Night at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church (new concert date)

Harrisburg Symphony Orchestra
The Forum at 5th and Walnut St., Harrisburg
717-545-5527; harrisburgsymphony.org

Jan. 6-7: Voices & Visions
Jan. 20-21: American Diva

Harrisburg University Presents
concertseries.harrisburgu.edu

Jan. 26: Joseph at XL Live

Hershey Theatre
15 E. Caracas Ave., Hershey
717-534-3405; hersheytheatre.com

Jan. 20: Beyond the Footlights
Jan. 25, 26: Leanne Morgan

Hollywood Casino
777 Hollywood Blvd., Grantville
717-469-2211; hollywoodpnrc.com

Jan. 5, 6: Stonewood
Jan. 12, 13: The Luv Gods
Jan. 19: Katz 22
Jan. 20: Dance Fever
Jan. 26, 27: Funktion

Luhrs Performing Arts Center
1871 Old Main Dr., Shippensburg
717-477-7469; luhrscenter.com

Jan. 12: The Great Love of All Tribute to Whitney Houston

Market Square Concerts
www.marketsquareconcerts.org

Jan. 14: Varshavski-Shapiro Piano Duo

The Susquehanna Folk Music Society
717-745-6577; sfmsfolk.org

Jan. 6: Black Opry Revue w/Sug Daniels and King Jester
Jan. 26: Cinder Well
Jan. 28: Piedmont Blūz Acoustic Dou

Trindle Spring Lutheran Church
14 State Rd., Mechanicsburg
717-766-7091; trindlespringlutheran.org

Jan. 21: Duo Entre Nous

XL Live
801 S. 10th St., Harrisburg
717-409-8975; xlhbg.com

Jan. 12: Lotus
Jan. 13: All You Need is Love
Jan. 14: A Salute to the DJs
Jan. 19: Grateful Dub, Roots of Creation
Jan. 20: Sunsquabi
Jan. 26: Harrisburg University presents Joseph
Jan. 27: The Dave Matthews Tribute Band

The Stage Door

American Music Theatre
2425 Lincoln Highway East, Lancaster
717-397-7700; amtshows.com

Jan. 14: Puppy Pals Live!
Jan 27: Dancing With the Stars: Live!

Appell Center for the Performing Arts
50 N. George St., York
717-846-1111; appellcenter.org

Jan. 12: Studio Stand-Up
Jan. 27: Bill Blagg Family Magic

The Belmont Theatre
27 S. Belmont St., York
717-854-3894; thebelmont.org

Jan. 12-21: “The Great Gatsby”

Dutch Apple Dinner Theatre
510 Centerville Rd., Lancaster
717-898-1900; DutchApple.com

Jan. 19-Feb. 17: “The Mousetrap”

Gamut Theatre Group
15 N. 4th St., Harrisburg
717-238-4111; gamuttheatre.org

Jan. 12, 13, 14: “The Borgias—It Dwells in the Blood”
Jan. 17-27: Popcorn Hat Players presents “Tales From Ancient Greece”
Jan. 26: TMI Improv

Harrisburg Christian Performing Arts Center
1000 S. Eisenhower Blvd, Middletown
717-939-9333; thehcpac.org

Jan. 12: “The Great American Talent Performance”
Jan. 26-28: “Snow Queen”

Harrisburg Comedy Zone
110 Limekiln Rd., New Cumberland
717-920-5653; harrisburgcomedyzone.com

Jan. 5: The Divas Down Under “Lucky 7th Anniversary” Drag Show
Jan. 5, 6: JJ Curry and Farzin Moradi
Jan. 12, 13: Andrew Rudick and Hanna Ljungholm
Jan. 19, 20: Kevin Lee and Irwin Loring
Jan. 26, 27: Mike Harrison and Kyle Ocasio

Harrisburg Improv Theatre
1633 N. 3rd St., Harrisburg
hbgimprov.com

Jan. 5: Level 1 Class Show, Bandito, Rites of Passage, Elderprov, Gingersnaps, REAL Fast Coast Wives of Central PA, All Over the Place
Jan. 6: Kid Friendly Mixer, Solo Sleepover, Clown Car, Love Triangle, Euphoria
Jan. 7: Level 1 Class Show
Jan. 12: Free Mixer, This Show Will Self Destruct, Ham Juice, Barbra, Tiny French Cigarettes
Jan. 19: Free Improv Jam, Bondfire Society, Girlzilla, Team Z, Same Each, Original 6, Holy Moly
Jan. 20: Free Mixer, Next Level, Uncomfortable, Rockstar Goes Supernova, Blackest Thing Ever
Jan. 26: Level 4 Class Show, 4th Cousins, Naïve Scammers, Our Bizarre Adventure, Offbeats
Jan. 27: Free Mixer, Phil’s Arcade, Cosmic Trash, Elderprov

Little Theatre of Mechanicsburg
915 S. York St., Mechanicsburg
717-766-0535; ltmpa.com

Jan. 26-Feb. 11: “Lost in Yonkers”

Luhrs Performing Arts Center
1871 Old Main Dr., Shippensburg
717-477-7469; luhrscenter.com

Jan. 18: “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs”
Jan. 25: “Hairspray”

Majestic Theater
25 Carlisle St., Gettysburg
717-337-8200; gettysburgmajestic.org

Jan. 12: “Dancing with the Local Stars”

Open Stage of Harrisburg
223 Walnut St., Harrisburg
717-232-OPEN; openstagehbg.com

Jan. 11-14: “Mean Girls”

Oyster Mill Playhouse
1001 Oyster Mill Road, Camp Hill
717-737-6768; www.oystermill.com

Jan. 12-28: “And Then There Were None”
Jan. 27: EFF Live!

Theatre Harrisburg
513 Hurlock St., Harrisburg
717-232-5501; theatreharrisburg.com

Jan. 26-Feb. 11: “Next to Normal”

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Community Corner: Notable January Events

December 28, 2023 | by Missy Smith

Penguin Plunge
Jan. 1: Welcome the New Year by taking a plunge into the Susquehanna River with hundreds of other supporters of the Humane Society of Harrisburg to help give animals homes in central PA. The 27th annual event begins at 10 a.m. on City Island beach in Harrisburg with the actual plunge at noon. www.humanesocietyhbg.org

Scavenger Hunt
Jan. 1-31: Kids ages 0-12 are invited to New Cumberland Public Library, 1 Benjamin Plaza, for a month-long scavenger hunt to locate cold climate animals hiding inside the library to keep warm. Find all the cold climate animals around the children’s room and win a fun prize. www.newcumberlandpa.org

Winter Discovery
Jan. 1-31: Visit the Olewine Nature Center at Wildwood Park, 100 Wildwood Way, Harrisburg, to see special exhibits and activities that highlight some of Wildwood’s animals in winter, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Follow self-guided signs along the Towpath Trail and learn the natural history of the park and animals in winter. www.explorewildwoodpark.org

Photo Display
Jan. 2-26: View photographs entered in Friends of Wildwood Park’s annual contest in the Olewine Nature Center, 100 Wildwood Way, Harrisburg, during business hours. Vote for your favorite photos. Winners will be announced at the reception on Jan. 14 at 1 p.m. People’s Choice Award winners will be named at the show’s conclusion. www.explorewildwoodpark.org

Get Fit
Jan. 2-29: Start the New Year right with Capital Blue Cross Connect, 4500 Marketplace Way, Enola, for a series of in-person and virtual wellness and fitness classes. Sign up for a variety of classes including yoga, barre, Pilates and tai chi. Find a full list of classes on their website. www.capitalbluecrossconnect.com

Freedom Exhibit
Jan. 2-June 2: “Pursuit of Freedom—The Abolition of Slavery” is now on display at National Civil War Museum, One Lincoln Circle, Harrisburg. This exhibition highlights early attempts to abolish slavery in the United States and actions that ultimately ended slavery with the 13th Amendment, only after a devastating Civil War. www.nationalcivilwarmuseum.org

Winter Edibles
Jan. 4: Join a Wildwood Park naturalist for a hike at Detweiler Park, 1451 Peters Mountain Rd., Dauphin, 2 to 3:30 p.m., with a focus on trees and edible winter foods. Become familiar with a variety of common species and a few recipes you can try at home. Dress for the weather. Cost is $5 and space is limited. www.explorewildwoodpark.org

Calm the Mind
Jan. 4, 11, 18, 25: Start the New Year learning short, easy 15-minute calming meditations at Fredricksen Library, 100 N. 19th St., Camp Hill, on Thursdays, 12 to 12:30 p.m. www.fredricksenlibrary.org

Volunteer Preview
Jan. 6: In support of Martin Luther King, Jr. National Day of Service, join the East Shore Area Library, 4501 Ethel St., Harrisburg, to learn more about volunteer work being done by members of the local community, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Explore area agencies and organizations, and learn how to volunteer for your community. Giveaways and snacks will be provided. www.dcls.org

HBG Flea
Jan. 6: Shop the HBG Flea for local art, vintage treasures, curated curios and unique gifts, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., at Strawberry Square, 320 Market St., Harrisburg. The mission of the HBG Flea is to create a platform for community growth by bringing artists, small businesses and patrons together. www.hbgflea.com

Book Sale
Jan. 6, 20: Friends of the New Cumberland Public Library, 1 Benjamin Plaza, will hold pre-owned book sales on the first and third Saturdays, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. in Foundation House, across the shared parking lot from the library. Find books, vintage items, jewelry, DVDs, CDs, kids’ books, vinyl records and more. www.cumberlandcountylibraries.org

Farm Show
Jan. 6-13: The PA Farm Show, the largest indoor agricultural show in the nation, returns to the PA Farm Show Complex and Expo Center, N. Cameron and Maclay streets, Harrisburg. Milk a cow, enjoy a Farm Show milkshake, learn firsthand the science and skills used in agriculture, and discover some new events and features. www.farmshow.state.pa.us

Art Show
Jan. 7: Visit the State Museum, 300 North St., Harrisburg, on the closing day of the “Art of the State” annual juried exhibition. At 2 p.m., meet artists Kirsten Olson and Joseph Opshinsky and explore their unique styles. www.statemuseumpa.org

Coffee Talk
Jan. 7: Local musician Doug Morris will share a public presentation about “What Actors Can Teach Us About Society” at Cornerstone Coffeehouse, 2133 Market St., Camp Hill, 2 to 4 p.m. www.thecornerstonecoffeehouse.com

Photo Tour
Jan. 8: Hershey Horticulture Society hosts “Four Season Garden: A Photographic Tour” with Kevin Kelly, Penn State Master Gardener, at Brownstone Lodge, Hershey, at 1 p.m. The program is free and open to the public. www.hersheyhorticulture.com

Winter Stories
Jan. 8-Feb. 26: Take the whole family to Fredricksen Library, 100 N. 19th St., Camp Hill, 11 to 11:30 a.m., for the Winter Children’s Storytime series. Storytime engages kids, ages 2 and older, in fun, dynamic early learning activities with books, songs and movement. www.explorewildwoodpark.org

Lecture Series
Jan. 9: Save the date for Wildwood Park’s “PA Natural Wonders” at 110 Wildwood Way, Harrisburg, 7 to 8:30 p.m. Join Marci Mowery, president of the Pennsylvania Parks and Forests Foundation, for an in-person lecture to learn more about these special places in the keystone state. www.explorewildwoodpark.org

Computer Basics
Jan. 9, 16, 23, 30: Join Fredricksen Library, 100 N. 19th St., Camp Hill, for a series of beginning computer classes. Learn Microsoft Word on Jan. 9, Microsoft Excel on Jan. 16, Microsoft PowerPoint on Jan. 23, and Google Suite on Jan. 30. www.fredricksenlibrary.org

Evening Mixer
Jan. 11: Network with area business professionals at West Shore Chamber of Commerce’s evening mixer at Healthy You Café, 4500 Marketplace Way, Enola, 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. The event is free and open to chamber members. www.wschamber.org

Food Rally
Jan. 11: Enjoy fresh, savory foods at the New Cumberland Food Truck & Restaurant Rally every second Thursday of the month, 5 to 8 p.m. Grab dinner from area food trucks or New Cumberland restaurants, and enjoy shopping and special promotions at local businesses. www.newcumberlandpa.org

Film Friday
Jan. 12: Fredricksen Library, 100 N. 19th St., Camp Hill, will show “Gonzo: The Life and Work of Hunter S. Thompson” at 2 p.m. Watch the film at the library and stay for a moderated discussion. www.fredricksenlibrary.org

Curiosity Kids
Jan. 12, 26: Kids ages 3 to 6 are invited to the State Museum of Pennsylvania, 300 North St., Harrisburg, to learn about gooey and oily liquids on Jan. 12 at 11:30 a.m. and about light on Jan. 26 at 11:30 a.m. Curiosity Kids events are included with museum general admission, but space is limited. www.statemuseumpa.org

Birds & Coffee
Jan. 13: Stop by the Nature Center at Wildwood Park, 100 Wildwood Way, Harrisburg, for a cup of coffee, tea or hot cocoa, 10 to 11 a.m. Join a naturalist and Appalachian Audubon to observe and count common feeder birds as part of Project FeederWatch. www.explorewildwoodpark.org

PA Rocks
Jan. 13: Explore rocks of Pennsylvania at the State Museum, 300 North St., Harrisburg, 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. Trace the path of sedimentary, igneous and metamorphic rock through the rock cycle and experiment with rocks to discover the qualities that make them unique. Then make a “kindness” rock to take home or share. www.statemuseumpa.org

Tonight’s Sky
Jan. 13, 14: Join the planetarium director at the State Museum of PA, 300 North St, Harrisburg, at 3 p.m. to explore what you can see in the night sky. Learn about the basic motions of the sky, visible constellations and planets and special celestial events. www.statemuseumpa.org

MLK Service Day
Jan. 15: Save the date for the annual Central PA MLK Day of Service, with projects taking place throughout the Harrisburg area. Visit the Central PA MLK Day of Service website for details about the opening ceremony and this year’s events. www.mlk-365.org

Girls who Code
Jan. 16, 23, 30: Hershey Public Library, 701 Cocoa Ave., Hershey, hosts Girls Who Code, a program for girls in grades 6 to 12 to use computer science to impact their community, 6 to 7:30 p.m. Girls will build skills in teamwork, confidence, time management, communication and more. www.hersheylibrary.org

3rd in The Burg
Jan. 19: Explore the best of Harrisburg during 3rd in the Burg, the monthly arts and culture event, where you can visit and enjoy galleries, restaurants and art spaces throughout downtown and Midtown, 6 to 9 p.m. www.thirdintheburg.org

Painting at the Park
Jan. 20: Join Friends of Wildwood for the sixth annual “Painting at the Park” to create a moonlight boardwalk piece at Wildwood Park, 100 Wildwood Way, Harrisburg, 1 to 3 p.m. Cost is $25 per person, with proceeds going to Friends of Wildwood. Materials provided; pre-registration required. www.explorewildwoodpark.org

SnowFest
Jan. 21: Kick off the new year at Juniata Valley YMCA’s 13th Annual Snow Fest and Polar Plunge at Greenwood Furnace State Park, 15795 Greenwood Rd., Huntingdon, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. www.jvymca.org

Discover Winter
Jan. 21: Young explorers ages 5 to 10 are invited to Wildwood Park, 100 Wildwood Way, Harrisburg, 2 to 3:30 p.m., for Kids Discover to explore life in winter at Lykens Glen Park. Discover wildlife still active in winter, go on a scavenger hunt, and attempt some fun winter science experiments. www.explorewildwoodpark.org

Legislators’ Forum
Jan. 24: Harrisburg Regional Chamber and the West Shore Chamber of Commerce host the 2023 Legislators’ Forum, featuring area members of the state House of Representatives, at the Hilton Harrisburg, 1 N. 2nd St., 8 to 10 a.m. Cost to attend is $70 or $50 for members. www.harrisburgregionalchamber.org

Author Talk
Jan. 25: The Center for Holocaust and Jewish Studies at Penn State Harrisburg will host a virtual book talk by historian Rebecca Erbelding about her book, “Rescue Board: The Untold Story of America’s Efforts to Save the Jews of Europe.” The webinar will begin at 12 p.m. and is free and open to the public. www.jewishharrisburg.org

Burns Night
Jan. 27: Scottish Society of Central Pennsylvania will host the 68th Annual Burns Night Supper, a celebration of the life, poetry and music of the Scottish bard. Enjoy dinner, Burns poetry, bagpipe music, haggis procession, live entertainment and an opportunity to wear a kilt. A social hour will be held 5 to 6 p.m., followed by dinner. www.pennscots.org

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Year in Review: The most popular stories of 2023, click by click

December 27, 2023 | by Lawrance Binda

Over the past year, we’ve spent an enormous amount of time writing about two topics: the Broad Street Market fire and homelessness.

You may not know that, though, judging from your clicks.

Our readers always surprise us, and 2023 was no exception. Sure, you read our hard news, eat-your-broccoli-type content. But you were just as likely (maybe more) to click on less-serious stuff like restaurant and business stories.

Hey, that’s why we serve up a varied menu here at TheBurg. Local news should reflect the wide range of what’s happening in a community.

So, as we wrap up 2023, here’s our annual review of the top-10 most-read stories of the past year, as tallied by your page views from our website.

No. 10. Governor’s Islands. Back in 2022, our most-read story came as a big surprise to me. In August of that year, we reported that two large mudflats in the middle of the Susquehanna River—Independence Island and Bailey’s Island—were up for sale after more than a century in the same family. Everyone wanted to know: who would buy these unbuildable mosquito nests? In 2023, we found out. In early February, we broke the news that the commonwealth, specifically the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources, had purchased the pair for $160,000 in order to conserve the land and keep it public. This island news was not No. 1 again this year, but it still ranked highly, clocking in as our 10^th most-read story of the year.

No. 9. Sip on This. Every year, one story vastly exceeds our expectations. Often, this is a rather basic item that we think will have only smallish community interest—and then, to our total surprise, it blows up. In 2023, that story was our March online article about the first-ever SoMa Sips Beer, Wine & Spirits Festival. The story was a brief, just-the-facts-ma’am preview of a booze-based block party slated for late April in downtown Harrisburg. Why did the story prove to be so popular? Your guess is as good as mine, though my guess is, well, all the booze.

No. 8. Friends & Family. Each year, our online-only stories, as opposed to our print magazine stories, dominate the most-read list. Likely, this is because readers have just one option for our web-only content—it’s online or nothing. But, also each year, one or two magazine stories slide into the most-read list online. In 2023, that story was our November feature on Pal’s Apparel, a Harrisburg streetwear shop. In it, our city reporter Maddie Gittens told the story of how family and friends stepped in to run Pal’s after the sudden death of the store’s beloved owner, Moe Rammouni. On a personal note, this may be my favorite Burg story of the past year.

No. 7. Pizza Pass. After all these years in journalism, I still get a little thrill when we beat other news outlets to a story. It actually happens quite a lot, often because we’re out there walking the streets everyday—and we notice things. For instance, one day last March, I was strolling by Cork & Fork downtown when I saw something in the window—a PA Liquor Control Board sign indicating a change of ownership. After a couple of calls, we learned that Millworks owner Josh Kesler was buying the business and the building. This little bit of news about a very popular restaurant came in hot, claiming a top spot on our most-read list.

No. 6. Danger Zone. Unfortunately, our most-read list this year had several bleak spots. In late December 2022, a bicyclist was struck and killed at the intersection of Cameron and Paxton streets, marking the fourth pedestrian or biking death near that intersection over a three-year period. As a result, the local biking community held a vigil for the victim and deployed a “ghost bike” to mark the fatality, which was the basis of our news feature. To be honest, this wasn’t technically a 2023 story. We published it on Dec. 28 of last year, a day after we posted our most-read list for last year. That last week of 2022 proved to be unusually busy news-wise, as the same fate befell our No. 2 story.

No. 5. No Soup for You. Seemingly forever, a classic American diner stood near the corner of Herr Street and Arsenal Boulevard. In fact, when I came to Harrisburg, I ate one of my first meals there. A few years ago, the diner changed ownership then closed and then stood empty. Last September, we reported that a new property owner planned to remove the diner to expand a nearby gas station and convenience store. I guess I’m not the only person in the area with memories of the former American Dream Diner, as our brief story about the project zipped up the charts to land at No. 5 for the year.

No. 4. Restaurant Rebrand. When a business lasts long enough, it becomes part of the fabric of a neighborhood. Such was the case with the Vietnamese Garden at 3^rd and Reily streets in Midtown, which opened about 20 years ago. So, when we saw a new sign go up on the building, we had to find out what was happening. As it turned out, the news wasn’t so much a change of ownership as a change of generations. The owners’ son had taken over, in the process updating the interior and changing the name to The LA Squared. Our May story gained a ton of readers and social media shares, showing that the restaurant, in fact, had become a local favorite.

No. 3. Up in Smoke. In 2023, we wrote dozens of stories about the Broad Street Market following the devastating July fire, covering everything from the temporary market to the fate of the vendors to the community impact. Many of these stories were widely read, but only our first, brief, early-morning article about the fire itself made the top-10. If I had one New Year’s wish for Harrisburg, it would be that, in 2024, the negative market news reverses, with the good making the bad a distant memory.

No. 2. Another Slice. So, this has never happened before—two stories on essentially the same topic made our top-10 list for 2023. As mentioned above, the sale of the Harrisburg location of Cork & Fork was our seventh most-popular online story of the year—well, the west shore location did even better. We also broke this story, that the Cork & Fork ownership group had sold the “Osteria” in Hampden Township to Harrisburg restaurateur Brian Fertenbaugh. This news was sliced just right and became the year’s No. 2 most popular story—well sort of. Technically, this also was a 2022 story, as we published it on Dec. 30, several days after we (mistakenly) thought we were done for the year and posted our top-10 list.

No. 1. Night News. For the past few years, restaurateur Justin Browning has been on a tear. He first opened his downtown alt-pub, JB Lovedraft’s, then his brewery/restaurant/venue on the west shore, then his Broad Street Market stand and, finally, his 2nd Street nightclub. It was the last one, deemed “Nocturnal,” that became our No. 1 most-read story of the year. Would I have predicted this? Well, business-opening stories tend to do well, especially when we break them. But 21,000-plus page views? Total surprise.

For a different take on 2023, I will have my annual list of top local news stories in the January magazine, which drops on Dec. 28. Does my list differ from that of our readers, who voted with their clicks? Return on Thursday to find out!

Lawrance Binda is publisher/editor of TheBurg.

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