Reel Fun: Harrisburg to host annual Family Fishing Day at Italian Lake

October 2, 2023 | by Maddie Gittens

Participants at a past Family Fishing Day event

Harrisburg is hoping to hook residents with an upcoming event.

The city is hosting its annual Family Fishing Day at Italian Lake on Saturday, Oct. 7 to bring the community out for a day of fun and education.

The event will welcome both experienced and beginner anglers, with opportunities for those who are new to the sport to learn the basics of fishing.

No fishing license is required, but attendees must attend a presentation by the Pennsylvania Fish & Boat Commission at 10 a.m.

Registration is required for the event and check-in begins at 9:30 a.m. The event takes place until 12 p.m.

Bait and poles will be provided, while supplies last, but officials encourage people to bring their own supplies if they have them.

The lake will be stocked with fish for the day, according to the city. Additionally, there will be a fish fry station to demonstrate how to clean and cook fish.

The event is sponsored in partnership with the PA Fish & Boat Commission and the Civic Club of Harrisburg.

Water and hot chocolate will be available on-site, as well.

Italian Lake is located at N. 3rd and Division streets. To register for the Family Fishing Day, click here. For more information, visit the city’s website.

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Community Comment: It’s time to make State Street better, safer

October 2, 2023 | by Strong HBG

In 2018, State Street was the most dangerous street in the nation. That’s not an exaggeration – that’s statistics. That’s a death rate of 88.64 deaths per 100 million vehicle miles traveled, nearly four times as many as New York City’s infamous “Boulevard of Death” in the 1990s.

State Street: as it is

The reasons for State Street’s dangerous nature are no mystery to those familiar with road safety. In fact, for those familiar with Strong Towns’ philosophy, State Street is a classic example of a “stroad” – a hybridization of a street and a road which fails to accomplish the primary purpose of either, resulting in an inefficient, expensive and incredibly dangerous thoroughfare.

For those unfamiliar with Strong Towns’ body of work, the term “stroad” may be confusing, as well as what we mean by distinguishing “street” and “road” as separate terms. In a nutshell: a road is a connection between destinations, something a step down from a highway. It has wide lanes, high speeds, and, most importantly, few “points of conflict” where a driver may have to stop unexpectedly. It does not have businesses alongside it, or housing, or parallel parking spaces where cars may pull in and out constantly, or foot traffic where pedestrians will routinely cross. It certainly does not have school zones.

These points of interest are the provinces of streets, which are low-speed places with narrow lanes, narrow streets, and destinations on either side. Streets are places where people are meant to live, work and play. They are lined with on-street parking, residences, businesses, shops, libraries, parks, and other attractions. Pedestrians cross regularly, cyclists intermix with the traffic, and children go to schools and playgrounds without fear of cars.

Stroads combine the worst of these attributes. They have wide, highway-style lanes which encourage highway-style speeds. They have a large number of lanes, frequently without so much as a pedestrian median, forcing pedestrians to walk – or often sprint – long distances in order to cross from one side or another. (This is, incidentally, particularly difficult for people with limited mobility, such as elderly individuals, wheelchair and cane users, and so on.) But they also have a number of reasons for pedestrians to cross, because they are lined with parking spaces, parking lots and destinations.

In addition to issues for those outside a car, stroads involve a lot of conflict between vehicles, with frequent intersections, parking spaces and lots (again), and so on. All of this causes vehicles to potentially stop frequently. This results in a nightmare scenario where drivers, driving the speed for the road that ‘feels safe’ without checking their speedometer, reach high speeds due to the wide lanes, only to have to come to a screeching halt because a child ran out into the street. For cars, this is dangerous. For vulnerable road users like pedestrians and cyclists, this is deadly.

State Street is a very clear example of a stroad in action. As you can see above, it has four 12-foot travel lanes, a 12-foot center turn lane, and two 8-foot parking lanes. There is no pedestrian median. There are few pedestrian lights. There are homes, businesses and two school zones on either side. And as a result, there are far too many deaths on State Street each year. And it’s time to do something. It’s time to make State Street a real street. And that means making some changes.

State Street: our proposed redesign.

The first and most crucial change necessary to make State Street truly safe is to narrow the lanes. There is an old school of thought amongst road designers which says that wider lanes are safer. It seems intuitive. Wider lanes keep cars further apart, making collisions less likely and allowing more room for error. And when driving along roads, it certainly feels intuitive, doesn’t it? You feel safer driving in wider lanes than narrower lanes. It’s less stressful. You don’t have to pay as much attention. You can speed up.

Of course, inattentiveness and speed are not combinations that tend to increase road safety. Which is the factor that the “bigger is better” line of thinking tends to forget — that highway-sized lanes result in highway-sized speeds. On a highway, that’s well and good. On a seven-lane residential road running through two school zones, it’s not. The evidence supports this — as per the WRI Ross Center for Sustainable Cities Health and Road Safety, city roads with lanes wider than 11.8 feet result in much higher fatalities than narrower ones. No number of speed limit signs can fix this. People will drive the speed that the road allows, and no signs or paint will compete with simple physics.

How can we do better? Well, if lanes wider than 11.8 feet are dangerous, what about narrower ones? Our friends at the WRI have data on this, too — specifically, they show that city streets with lanes between 10 and 10.5 feet have the lowest fatality rates. Your widest SUVs in the US tend towards around 7 feet wide. A fire truck is around 8 feet wide. Ten-foot lanes leave plenty of room for even wide vehicles to travel at safe distances, but little room to reach unsafe speeds. This is exactly what State Street needs.

Narrowing State Street’s lanes alone would do a lot to help make it safer. And the extra 10 feet made available by narrowing State Street’s travel and turn lane could easily be used for other improvements, such as a bike lane, a bus lane, or wider sidewalks, all things we’d love to see. But does State Street actually even need to have five (non-parking) lanes in the first place? The analysis of renowned city planner Jeff Speck would conclude that it doesn’t. Granting State Street a generous figure of 12,000 cars per day, more than PennDOT’s estimates for actual traffic volume on State Street, there is no need for more than three travel lanes to handle the volume of traffic: one lane each way and a turn lane. Other cities with comparable roads have done it, with no significant change in commute times. And by removing these two lanes, we dramatically reduce the distance pedestrians have to cross in order to cross State Street – making it substantially safer.

And combining both of these improvements would result in no less than 30 feet of now free space on State Street to do, well, anything else. This is a tremendous amount of room. This is enough room to put a parking-protected two-way bike lane on each side of State Street, with a three-foot curb between the bike lane and parking, an additional three-foot door buffer for parked cars, and still have a full two feet left over to widen the gutter or sidewalk, or to make each parking lane 9 feet instead of 8 (as pictured). That’s enough room to have a one-way parking-protected bike lane on each side with the same other amenities and widen the sidewalks by two feet. That’s enough room to keep the parking the same (plus a three-foot door buffer), add a two-way bike lane on each side, and widen the sidewalk by one foot on each side. That’s enough room to… well, you get the idea. There’s a lot which could be done with the space these changes would free up, and we’d probably support most of them, because as long as State Street is made narrower, it will be made safer.

But we are big fans of bike lanes around here, so we’ll take a moment here to argue for their inclusion in at least some form. At the core of our reasoning is that we like bikes because they’re accessible to a lot of people who cars don’t work for. They’re cheaper to buy and maintain (in fact, local charity Recycle Bicycle, for which several of our members volunteer, helps provide Harrisburg residents with bicycles and bicycle maintenance free of charge.) Even the most luxurious of high-end e-bikes usually cost less than the cheapest of cars.

Bike lanes also benefit many people with disabilities as well, despite the common misconception to the contrary. While some disabilities are best accommodated by car usage, there are a number of disabilities which interfere with driving but permit cycling, including partial vision impairments, epilepsy, sensory processing issues, and so on. Meanwhile, many mobility issues still permit cycling; for example, a Transport for London survey found in 2019 that 70% of disabled individuals living in London were able to cycle. Furthermore, as people age, cycling often remains an option long past the point where reflexes and vision have deteriorated sufficiently to make driving a car, at best, a truly terrible idea; indeed, robust cycling infrastructure often permits people to remain active later in life and to age in place with more independence. (Wheelchairs and mobility scooters, incidentally, can also use bike lanes freely, something which is often sadly needed where sidewalk maintenance is lacking.)

Age can also be a limiting factor in driving in other ways, too; namely, for those under the age of 16. Kids in car-dependent areas often rely on their parents to get them to and from places, something which can stifle the social lives of children whose parents aren’t available to do so and eat into the busy schedules of working parents who can. But even more than that, it’s worth remembering that State Street is the location of two schools, including Cougar Academy, and that Harrisburg School District is unfortunately known to have attendance issues. And one of the main causes of those issues? Unreliable transportation. The ability for a student to cycle themself to school can make a real difference.

All of this is without even getting into the environmental and health benefits of cycling, which are well known enough we hardly need to get into them here. And all of this makes bikes an excellent transportation option for anyone who lives within cycling range of most of their destination, a radius of 10 to 15 miles. (At its widest, Harrisburg is about 6 miles in diameter.)

Due to its location, State Street is a prime location for bicycle commuters, but its dangerous nature keeps many of those who have alternate options from cycling along it. Those who choose to cycle along State Street anyway – or who don’t have the luxury not to – are at a very real risk of becoming another State Street statistic. We know these people exist. We’ve met them. Some of our members are them. It’s simply not true that no one cycles along State Street, though it is true that far fewer people cycle along State Street now than likely would if a bike lane were added, just as more people tend to cross a river when there is a bridge than when they have to swim across it.

All of which is to say: a bike lane is not strictly necessary to make State Street safe. But the essential safety improvements to State Street will make room for one anyway, so we think it would be a very good idea.

Ultimately, we will support any changes which make State Street into a true street, one which truly prioritizes the safety of its residents and vulnerable road users. And now that Harrisburg finally has a City Engineer again, we strongly believe it’s time to act. Time is wasting, and lives are at stake.

Strong HBG is a chapter of Strong Towns, strongtowns.org.

The Week that Was: News and features around Harrisburg

September 29, 2023 | by Lawrance Binda and Maddie Gittens

Sprocket Mural Works and Harrisburg Young Professionals officials, among others, cut the ribbon on the newest city mural.

It’s been a dreary, rainy week here in Harrisburg, but a bright spot came yesterday as the October issue of the magazine hit the stands! Make sure you grab a copy this weekend and check out all the fun fall stories we have featured for the month. First, catch up on this week’s news, below.

Dauphin County released a survey about substance use, in hopes of better understanding the issue locally, our online story reported. Officials said that the results will help drive their prevention and educational efforts.

General election mail-in and absentee ballots have been sent out to 15,775 Dauphin County residents. In our story, find more voting information and updates from the county.

Harrisburg presented a mid-year financial report to City Council, in which they stated that Harrisburg is in solid fiscal shape, our reporting found.

The Harrisburg School District appointed a task force to help decide the future of the district’s long-vacant and blighted William Penn building, our online story reported. The group consists of residents, local officials and community members, who will meet for the next three months.

Karen Cullings is retiring as executive director of the Dauphin County Library System after over 30 years with the organization, our online story reported. Under her leadership, the library worked to eliminate barriers to reading, renovate its riverfront location and navigate the pandemic.

Latino Connection announced this year’s winners for its annual Lo Mejor de lo Mejor (“Best of the Best”) awards, our online story reported. Click here, to find out which recipients will be honored at the 10^th annual Latino Ball.

Mayor Wanda Williams shared a positive outlook for Harrisburg at the Harrisburg Regional Chamber & CREDC’s annual “State of the City” address this week, our reporting found. Williams shared recent financial, infrastructure and safety improvements, among other city accomplishments.

The Pennsylvania Gourd Society uses a variety of gourds to make different types of art, including pyrography, painting, carving, jewelry making and more, our magazine story reported. Every year, about 1,940 members come together at the PA Gourd Fest in June.

Our publisher thanks readers for loyally picking up TheBurg and reading online, but encourages them to stay away from accessing news through social media. Lately, he said in his publisher’s note, using social media as a news source has become increasingly unpredictable.

Sara Bozich’s Weekend Roundup includes live music, theater, fall festivals and food. Find all of this weekend’s events, here.

Sprocket Mural Works cut the ribbon on its newest mural, in Midtown Harrisburg, our online story reported. The mural is inspired by artist Suzanne Rende’s own garden and depicts flowers, butterflies and bees.

“The State of Downtown Harrisburg: 2023/2024” was just released and highlights the many businesses, projects and activities in and around the downtown, our online story reported. Within the publication, readers can see all the shops, restaurants and venues that the city has to offer.

Whitaker Center announced that Mary Oliveira will become the new president and CEO on Nov. 6, our online story reported. Oliveira will oversee strategic planning, financial stewardship and community engagement.

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Harrisburg School District appoints task force to help plan future of William Penn

September 28, 2023 | by Maddie Gittens

William Penn

The Harrisburg School District is employing the help of the community to come up with a plan for its historic William Penn School building.

At a school board meeting on Tuesday, Receiver Dr. Lori Suski appointed a task force of residents and city and county officials to discuss what to do with the long-vacant and blighted school building at risk of demolition.

In June, Suski approved the demolition of William Penn, citing the financial burden it has become. However, in late August, Suski announced that she would halt demo plans, give the community another chance to share input on the future of the building and consider alternative proposals.

“We clearly heard that there is a sentiment out there that before we move to demolish a building, that we look at other options. This is our due diligence, good-faith effort,” she said on Tuesday.

The newly appointed task force includes two paid facilitators, Sheila Dow Ford, executive director of nonprofit Impact Harrisburg, and Elan Drennon, an attorney based near Philadelphia, Suski explained.

There will be 27 members of the task force including Danielle Bowers, City Council president, Gloria Merrick, director of Harrisburg’s Latino Hispanic American Community Center (LHACC), David Morrison, director of the Historic Harrisburg Association and Dauphin County Commissioner Mike Pries, among many other officials and residents. Two Harrisburg High School students, one from the John Harris campus and one from the SciTech campus, will be included, as well as two school board members.

Additionally, five district officials, including Suski, will serve as ex officio members.

According to Suski, the group will discuss various options for the future of William Penn. At a previous press conference, she said that plans could possibly include only preserving the façade of the building, keeping the building and eventually using it for a vo-tech school or job training facility or proceeding with a full demo, among other options.

The task force will meet on Thursday nights from 6 to 8 p.m., twice in October, November and December. Dates have yet to be announced. Meetings will be open to the public, but will not include a public comment period.

Suski expects that the task force will have a final recommendation to present to the district at their first board meeting in January.

For more information, visit the Harrisburg School District’s website.

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Dauphin County releases survey on substance use, with goal to improve prevention, resources

September 28, 2023 | by Maddie Gittens

Dauphin County Administration Building

Following a recent spike in overdoses locally, Dauphin County is hoping to gain better insight into the issue of substance use.

On Thursday, the county released a survey that asks residents about their views on drug and alcohol use, as well as prevention tools and local resources.

Earlier this month, within the span of a few days, nine county residents died of drug overdoses believed to be due to a batch of crack cocaine and synthetic drugs that tested positive for fentanyl. The Dauphin County 911 Center received a total of 29 overdose calls that week.

Shortly after, Harrisburg, Dauphin County and other local officials came together for a discussion on prevention efforts.

According to the county, substance use disorder affects an estimated 36.4% of Pennsylvania’s residents. County officials hope to use the results of the survey to better address the issue locally.

“It is important we have robust participation in this survey through the end of the year, as it will drive our policies toward services going forward,” said county Commissioner George Hartwick, in a statement.

The county will use the information gathered to guide prevention education, treatment opportunities and outreach initiatives.

Fliers advertising the survey will be distributed at local healthcare, wellness and community centers.

“Dauphin County has been devastated with a rash of overdoses and overdose deaths in recent weeks. It is important we connect people to the services they need,” said Commissioner Chad Saylor.

To complete the survey, click here. For more information, visit the county’s website or call 717-635-2254.

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Dauphin County sends out mail-in ballots, shares voting information

September 28, 2023 | by Maddie Gittens

Dauphin County mail-in and absentee ballots

It’s almost time to cast your vote.

Dauphin County announced that mail-in and absentee ballots were sent out on Thursday and should arrive at homes as early as Friday.

The county’s Bureau of Registration and Elections mailed out 15,775 requested ballots in anticipation of the Nov. 7 general election.

Additionally, officials placed a 24-hour ballot return drop box outside of the Dauphin County Administration Building, at 2 S. 2nd St., this week.

The county’s Northern Dauphin County Human Services Center in Elizabethville will also serve as a ballot return site from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, and until 8 p.m. on Election Day. Voters also may submit registration forms and absentee and mail-in ballot request forms at that location.

The Dauphin County Registration and Elections office, at 1251 S.28th St., will extend hours until 6 p.m., Monday through Friday, beginning Oct. 23 and continuing through Nov. 6. On Nov. 7, voters can return completed ballots until 8 p.m.

Voters who need to process over-the-counter ballots can only do so at the elections office.

For those completing mail-in or absentee ballots, the county reminded voters of the following:

Once the voter has marked his or her ballot, insert it in the envelope marked OFFICIAL ELECTION BALLOT, which is called the privacy envelope.
Insert sealed privacy envelope into the return envelope and then make sure to sign and put the date in the space provided on the back of the return envelope under the Voter’s Declaration.
If mailing the ballot to the elections office, make sure to place first-class postage on the front of the return envelope. No postage is necessary if placed into the drop box or hand delivered to the election office.
According to Pennsylvania election law, voters may only return their own ballots. You may not return someone else’s voted ballot, even if it is for a spouse or family member.

The last day to register to vote in the general election is Oct. 23 and the last day to request a mail-in or absentee ballot is Oct. 31. The deadline to return completed ballots is 8 p.m. on Nov. 7.

Sample ballots will be available on the county’s website starting on Monday, Oct. 7.

For those voting in person, the county also recently released information about changes to polling locations.

For more information, visit the county’s website.

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Whitaker Center names new president/CEO, will lead Harrisburg-based nonprofit

September 28, 2023 | by Lawrance Binda

Mary Oliveira

A premier cultural and educational organization in downtown Harrisburg soon will have new leadership.

On Thursday, Whitaker Center for Science and the Arts announced that Mary Oliveira will assume the post of president and CEO on Nov. 6.

“On behalf of the Whitaker Center board of directors, it is with great enthusiasm and confidence that we welcome Mary Oliveira,” said Marsha Everton, board chair. “She has a proven track record of fostering meaningful community engagement and advancing educational and cultural programs, and we are excited to embark on this journey together.”

In this role, Oliveira will lead the organization in strategic planning, financial stewardship and community engagement. She will also play a key role in guiding Whitaker Center’s mission and vision to expand access to STEAM programming in the central Pennsylvania area, especially to underserved populations, according to the organization.

Prior to this position, Oliveira served as chief operating officer of the Harrisburg-based marketing agency Color & Culture, as well as senior manager of business development at PSECU and vice president of member growth at the PA Chamber of Business and Industry, according to Whitaker Center.

Oliveira replaces Ted Black, who left Whitaker Center in April after six years as president/CEO.

In other personnel news, Heather Woodbridge recently was named vice president of operations for Whitaker Center.

“It’s an honor to be named president and CEO of Whitaker Center for Science and the Arts,” Oliveira said, in a statement. “The Whitaker Center is the unwavering cornerstone of Harrisburg, where science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics come to life in tangible ways. I am dedicated to fostering a dynamic environment, with our purposeful-driven team, that ignites the spark of curiosity, discovery, and innovation in central Pennsylvania and beyond.”

For more information on Whitaker Center, visit their website.

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Weekend Roundup with Sara Bozich

September 28, 2023 | by Sara Bozich

Plan your weekend with my weekly list of things to do around Harrisburg and central PA!

What you’ll find:

For something new: Take your pick! Worth noting: SoMa Block Party and HU Presents Margo Price at XL Live tonight! Here’s how to do both. Harvest Hop in Camp Hill on Saturday. Things on my agenda this weekend: See above, plus football sunday.

For your weekend(ish) planning

SoMa Block Party – TONIGHT
See Margo Price tonight at XL Live
WIN tickets to see Jawny on 10/7
🎧 My latest playlist
The Best Farmers Markets around Harrisburg
How to help the Broad Street Market and its displaced vendors
See what else you missed on the blog

Below are options for your weekend.

A Look Ahead

Harvest Hop in Downtown Camp Hill is this Saturday
Fall Music Syllabus – Harrisburg University Presents September Lineup
Theatre Preview: Oyster Mill Playhouse
Fall Finds at Market on Market in Camp Hill
Submit your events for the Weekend Roundup

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15 Minutes in Heaven: Restoring the city to its authentic state

September 28, 2023 | by Lawrance Binda

Illustration by Rich Hauck.

Picture this.

A family settles into a neighborhood.

The young children don’t need a long ride on the bus because their elementary school is a few blocks away. Similarly, their parents walk to work or maybe bike or hop a city bus for a short trip downtown.

The family buys their essentials at the small grocery in the neighborhood business strip, which also has a few shops where they can get a haircut or grab lunch or a cup of coffee. There’s a small restaurant, a pub and maybe a dry cleaner or a bookstore.

The neighborhood doesn’t have everything the family needs, but, most days, the basics of life are within easy reach—within, let’s say, 15 minutes.

That’s the basic approach of an urban planning concept called the “15-minute city,” which states that residents should be able to access most daily necessities within an easy walk or bike ride.

When I first learned about the 15-minute city, I thought to myself, “Hey, I resemble that remark.”

My house is a five-minute walk to my office, a 10-minute stroll to many restaurants and maybe 12 minutes to the Broad Street Market. Also under a quarter-hour: the YMCA, the river, City Island and all of downtown.

In Harrisburg, 15 minutes goes a long way.

I realize that this lifestyle isn’t for everyone, but it is for me. I like the fact that my survival doesn’t depend on a fragile, 4,000-pound machine, without which I’d be utterly helpless. I find that liberating.

Many urban planners have embraced the 15-minute concept, or something like it (20 minutes, 30 minutes), as a foundational part of their design approach. As we remake our cities, they say, we should emphasize walking over driving, density over distance, mixed over single use.

Livability is at the core of the 15-minute movement: easy access to food, shopping, jobs, friends. Compare that to what most of us now have—gridlocked traffic, vast parking lots and ugly strip malls, which collectively waste our time and eat at our souls.

For Harrisburg, the 15-minute concept makes sense. Much of the city is already very walkable and amenity-rich, but would be even more so with high-density residential development, especially downtown, while slimming and slowing down overbuilt, dangerous roads like Forster, Front and State streets.

Ultimately, though, what wins me over is this—that’s how our cities were originally built. Cities like Harrisburg were designed, more or less, as a collection of interlocking, walkable neighborhoods.

Many corners had small grocery stores, eateries and bars. A school or a church was a few blocks away. In the neighborhood center, a collection of storefronts housed a variety of shops: cafés, bakeries, boutiques, maybe a doctor, dentist or realtor. Many neighborhoods even had small movie theaters or department stores.

Then came the 1940s and ‘50s car culture and, with it, attempts to retrofit cities into the new paradigm. It was a very, very bad fit.

Old neighborhoods were ripped to shreds by road expansions and highways. Entire blocks were razed for surface parking lots. Service and gas stations popped up nearly everywhere, displacing houses and businesses.

In Harrisburg, you couldn’t drive a block or two without running into a gas station or auto repair. There was one at Front and Verbeke. Two stared each other down across 3rd and Reily streets. Another occupied a prime corner of what’s now part of the Capitol Complex. There were dozens of stations downtown, Uptown, Allison Hill, everywhere.

The urban fabric was torn apart and, not surprisingly, quickly broke down.

Therefore, the so-called 15-minute city isn’t anything new. It’s just remaking what once existed—and worked so well for a long time. It’s putting a city back together, reassembling it, restoring it to something closer to its original state.

Auto-centric planning may work for the suburbs (or may not, I’ll let you argue that one). But cities weren’t designed for huge, movable machines; they were designed for small, movable humans. Cities were created specifically so that people easily could get from point A to point B to point C on foot—maybe aided over longer distances by bike or transit. And, simply put, that’s how they work best.

Lawrance Binda is publisher and editor of TheBurg.

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Community Corner: Notable October Events

September 28, 2023 | by Missy Smith

Climate Convergence
Oct. 1-2: PA Climate Convergence will be held in Riverfront Park, Harrisburg, with speakers, a festival of art, music and theater. Event will include a rally and march on the state Capitol and the installation of a 6-foot Climate Countdown Clock in the East Wing. www.pennsylvaniaclimateconvergence.org

Scavenger Hunt
Oct. 1-31: Through October, hit the trails and explore fall at the Ned Smith Center, 176 Water Company Rd., Millersburg, with a self-guided activity. Pick up a passport at the trailhead and follow the map to find all the exploration stations. www.nedsmithcenter.org

Fall Meet Week
Oct. 2-6: Explore high-performance cars during the Eastern Regional Fall Meet, Hershey’s annual antique car show and festival. View period automobiles, see demonstrations and visit a flea market. On Oct. 3, attend the “Night at the Museum” dinner and reception at AACA Museum, 161 Museum Dr., Hershey. www.hershey.aaca.com

Recovery Program
Oct. 3-Nov. 21: Tri County Community Action offers “Families in Recovery,” a free program that provides support and education to families who have been touched by addiction and are living in recovery. Registration required. www.cactricounty.org/recovery

Business Day
Oct. 6: Wildheart Ministries hosts a Business Day Out at 333 S. 13th St., Harrisburg, 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Bring your business and come help with cleanup projects within the community of South Allison Hill. www.lovethehillpa.com

Harvestfest
Oct. 6-7: Enjoy the fall season at Big Valley Harvestfest at Mifflin County Youth Park, 110 W. Logan St., Reedsville. Event features artisans and vendors that sell crafts, natural products, seasonal items, apples and cider, flowers and food. www.visitbigvalley.com

Rummage Sale
Oct 6-7: Christ Church, 200 S. White Oak St., Annville, hosts a rummage clothing sale, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Oct. 6 and 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. on Oct. 7. Gently used clothing, small household items and used jewelry for sale. www.ccucc.org

Bird House
Oct. 7: Join Wildwood Park, 100 Wildwood Way, Harrisburg, for birdhouse construction and design, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Bring your creativity to construct a bluebird box, paint a natural birdhouse gourd, and design your own songbird ornament. www.explorewildwoodpark.org

Book Fest
Oct. 7: Chocolate Town Book Festival will be held at Hershey Public Library, 701 Cocoa Ave., Hershey, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., to connect readers and local writers. Maria V. Snyder, April Hunt, Patricia Jackson and 50 PA authors will sign and sell books. www.hersheylibrary.org

Craft Sale
Oct. 7: Menkis Works Pottery hosts its annual Pottery Fall Craft Sale and Open Studio at 2401 Arcona Rd., Mechanicsburg, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., with demonstrations, kids activities, refreshments and more. Check out the studio where pots are made and find handmade holiday gifts. www.menkisworks.com

HBG Flea
Oct. 7: Shop the HBG Flea for local art, vintage treasures, curated curios and unique gifts, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., at Midtown Cinema, 250 Reily 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

Fundraiser
Oct. 7: Veterans Outreach of PA hosts the annual SPC David “Mikey” Crawford Memorial Fundraiser to combat veteran suicide at Steelton American Legion Post 420, 1860 S. 19th St., Harrisburg, 1 to 6 p.m. Enjoy food, music, raffles and more. www.veteransoutreachofpa.org

FAB Night
Oct. 7: Help celebrate LGBT Center of Central PA’s work and honor leaders at FAB 2023 to mark 30 years of Common Roads. Event is at Hershey Lodge, 325 University Dr, Hershey, 6 to 9 p.m. www.centralpalgbtcenter.org/FAB

Pumpkin Fest
Oct. 7-8: Pennsboro Pumpkin Fest marks its 20th year, bringing thousands to Adams-Ricci Park in Enola. This year, the festival will feature around 180 vendors, including community groups, businesses and craft vendors. www.eastpennsboro.net

Food Rally
Oct. 12: 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 food trucks or New Cumberland restaurants and enjoy shopping and special promotions. www.newcumberlandpa.org

Over the Edge
Oct. 13: Rappel from the rooftop of 200 N. 3rd St. in downtown Harrisburg, 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Raise funds and awareness for Big Brothers Big Sisters of the Capital Region’s one-to-one youth mentoring programs. www.capbigs.org

Curiosity Kids
Oct. 13, 27: Kids ages 3 to 6 are invited to learn about dinosaurs on Oct. 13 and about portraits on Oct. 27 at the State Museum of PA, 300 North St., Harrisburg, 11:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. Curiosity Kids events included with museum general admission. www.statemuseumpa.org

Stargazing
Oct. 13: Join a naturalist for an evening exploring the night sky at Detweiler Park, 1451 Peters Mountain Rd., Dauphin, 8 to 10 p.m. Learn the myths of constellations and discover the basics of astrophotography. www.explorewildwoodpark.org

Cornhole Tournament
Oct. 14: Veterans Outreach of PA invites the community to its Cornhole Tournament to benefit veterans experiencing homelessness. Event will be held at Scottish Rite Cathedral, 2701 N. 3rd St., Harrisburg, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. It includes a raffle, silent auction and 50/50. www.veteransoutreachofpa.org

Volunteer Day
Oct. 14: Enjoy the outdoors and help with park and habitat enhancement projects at Wildwood Park, 100 Wildwood Way, Harrisburg, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Tools and work gloves provided and refreshments available. www.explorewildwoodpark.org

Bus Tour
Oct. 14: Historic Harrisburg Resource Center, 1230 N. 3rd St., hosts its annual “Bus Tour of Local Landmarks,” featuring Dauphin County historical sites, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. www.historicharrisburg.org

Riverboat Fundraiser
Oct. 14: Boatoberfest, the fall fundraiser for the Pride of the Susquehanna riverboat, sets sail from City Island, 4 to 8 p.m. Enjoy a traditional Bavarian Oktoberfest celebration, complete with drinking, dancing, live music and dining. www.hbgriverboat.org

Spaghetti Dinner
Oct. 14: Central PA Womyn’s Chorus hosts its annual spaghetti dinner at Colonial Park United Church of Christ, 5000 Devonshire Rd., Harrisburg, 4:30 to 7:30 p.m. Enjoy all-you-can-eat pasta, salad, beverages and dessert. www.cpwchorus.org

Choctoberfest
Oct. 14: Choctoberfest returns to ChocolateTown Square Park, Hershey, with food, live music, beer and chocolate, with activities for all ages. The day includes the Chocolate Cake Baking Competition, which also allows chocolate-lovers to taste-test for a fee. www.downtownhershey.com.

Dinner & Concert
Oct. 14: Susquehanna Folk Music Society hosts its Harvest Dinner & Concert with Kevin Neidig, Henry Koretzky and Aaron Blouin at Beshore Hill Farm, New Cumberland Collective, 5 to 9 p.m. www.sfmsfolk.org

Army Expo
Oct. 14-15: U.S. Army Heritage and Education Center, 950 Soldiers Dr., Carlisle, hosts Army Expo ’23, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Event features a Black Hawk helicopter, soldiers and equipment displays, historic reenactors, drone demonstration, live music, food trucks and more. https://ahec.armywarcollege.edu

Art Tour
Oct. 14-15: Fifth annual Hershey Hummelstown Art Studio Tour features 10 Hershey/Hummelstown artists who open their spaces to the public. Visitors can tour studios, watch demonstrations and purchase art on Oct. 14, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Oct. 15, 12 to 5 p.m. www.hersheyhummelstownartstudiotour.com

Pumpkin Fest
Oct. 14-29: Rockhill Trolley Museum and East Broad Top Railroad, 421 Meadow St., Rockhill, hosts the Great Pumpkin Patch Express. Enjoy Peanuts-themed activities on a vintage trolley, pick out a pumpkin, shop with vendors and more. www.eastbroadtop.com

PBCC Conference
Oct. 17: PA Breast Cancer Coalition celebrates its 30th anniversary at the 2023 PA Breast Cancer Coalition Conference at Hilton Harrisburg, 1 N. 2nd St., 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. PBCC will turn the State Capitol East Wing fountain pink and offer milkshakes at 11 a.m. www.pbcc.me/conference-2023

Memorial Vigil
Oct. 17: Save the date for PA Coalition Against Domestic Violence’s Memorial Vigil, 6 to 8 p.m., at the state Capitol in Harrisburg. Remember the lives lost to domestic violence over the past year, honor resiliency of survivors, and recognize domestic violence advocates. www.pcadv.org

Garden Celebration
Oct. 18: Harrisburg Peace Garden Association celebrates the life of James E. Jones, MD, who co-founded the Peace Garden in 1990. Reception will be held at West Shore Country Club, Camp Hill, 5 to 7 p.m. Proceeds support garden maintenance. [email protected]

3rd in The Burg
Oct. 20: 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

Cold Cases
Oct. 20: Historic Harrisburg Association, 1230 N. 3rd St., rings in the spooky season with a bone-chilling exhibit, “Harrisburg’s Historic Cold Cases,” 6 to 9 p.m. Grab a free refreshment and chat with exhibit curators as you make your way through cold cases in Harrisburg’s true crime history. www.historicharrisburg.org

Organ Spooktacular
Oct. 20: Market Square Presbyterian Church, 20 S. 2nd St., presents its Organ Spooktacular, with two organs, singing and dancing, starting at 7:30 p.m. Hear Bach’s famous “Toccata in D minor.” Dress in your masquerade ball finest or just wear an eye mask. www.marketsquarechurch.org

Art Show
Oct. 20-22: Paxtang Art Association hosts its annual art show and sale at Paxtang Firehouse, 3423 Derry St., 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Sunday. Explore more than 500 pieces of original art in many mediums. Meet the artists on Oct. 20, 6 to 8 p.m. www.paxtangartassociation.godaddysites.com

Harvest Fest
Oct. 21: Central Penn College, 600 Valley Rd., Summerdale, celebrates fall with food trucks, live music, face painting, children’s games, vendor booths and more at its annual Fall Harvest, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Admission is free, with many activities offered at no cost. www.centralpenn.edu

Block Party
Oct. 21: Enjoy Wildheart Ministries’ Fall Block Party at The Hill Farm, 213 S. 18th St., Harrisburg, 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Come out and help at the farm, while having fun with neighbors in Allison Hill. www.lovethehillpa.com

Nature at Night
Oct. 21: Take an after-hours walk through the Olewine Nature Center at Wildwood Park, 100 Wildwood Way, Harrisburg, to watch exhibit hall critters come to life, 5:30 to 8 p.m. Make s’mores and sip apple cider and enjoy a Halloween story. Dress in costume and bring a trick-or-treat bag. www.explorewildwoodpark.org

Murder Mystery
Oct. 22: Scottish Rite Theatre presents a Murder Mystery dinner for guests 18 and older at Harrisburg Consistory, 2701 N. 3rd St., 4:30 to 9 p.m. Dress for the night is 1950s theme. www.valleyofharrisburg.org

Art Show & Sale
Oct. 27 & 28: Hershey Area Art Association presents “Under the Colors” art show, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., at the Hershey Public Library, 701 Cocoa Ave., Hershey. Fine art and 3D art for sale. hersheyart.org

Rock & Roll Halloween Party & Fundraiser
Oct. 29: Pine Street Presbyterian Church & Downtown Daily Bread present Rock & Roll Halloween Party and Fundraiser at The Englewood from 5-9 p.m. Live Music by Tom Slick. For more information and to purchase tickets Click here.

Treat Trek
Oct. 29: Ghosts and ghouls ages 12 and younger are invited to Fort Hunter Mansion and Park, 100 Fort Hunter Rd., Harrisburg, in costume for the Trick or Treat Trek, 2 to 5 p.m. Come dressed in costume, then follow clues to keep your search on track and get goodies at stops along the way. www.forthunter.org

Spooky Storytime
Oct. 31: Have family-friendly Halloween storytime fun at the New Cumberland Public Library, 1 Benjamin Plaza, 10:30 a.m. Kids ages 2 to 6 are invited to celebrate the spookiest holiday with stories, rhymes and song. www.newcumberlandlibrary

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Plan your weekend with my weekly list of things to do around Harrisburg and central PA!

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For your weekend(ish) planning

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