October News Digest

September 28, 2023 | by Lawrance Binda and Maddie Gittens

Youth Curfew Enforced

The Harrisburg Police Bureau has pledged to strengthen enforcement of a longstanding curfew for youth in the city.

Last month, the city announced that it would reinforce a 2007 ordinance that mandates a curfew for people until 18 years of age.

“We need to do a better job by our kids. This ordinance is to benefit them,” said Mayor Wanda Williams. “There is no reason why children should be out at night, disrupting neighborhoods and getting involved in fights.”

Over the years, enforcement of the curfew has fluctuated considerably.

The “after hours” curfew states that youth under the age of 18 may not be in a public place between the hours of 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. from Sunday through Thursday nights, and 12 a.m. midnight and 6 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.

Curfew regulations will not apply to youth attending an event, like a concert, school or religious function, or game, according to the city. It will also not affect people coming home from work or traveling through the city.

Harrisburg Police officers will pick up any youth caught violating the ordinance and return them to their home or place of residence, at which point they will only be released to a parent, guardian or responsible adult, the city stated.

If someone is picked up who does not live in Harrisburg, they will be held at the Public Safety Building, located at 123 Walnut St., until a parent, guardian or responsible adult arrives to pick them up, according to the city.

“We plan on having additional enforcement details downtown during these times,” said police Commissioner Thomas Carter. “The goal is not to be the bad guy here. We just want our kids to be safe.”

Development Projects to Proceed

A plan to construct an apartment building on N. Front Street in Harrisburg is permitted to move forward.

A land development plan for the 2700-block of N. Front St. was automatically approved by Harrisburg City Council, after the deadline to vote on the apartment project expired in mid-September.

The project, proposed by New Jersey-based EI Realty, includes demolishing two office buildings on the property and constructing a 21-unit, modern-style apartment building.

In May, council voted 5-2 against the proposal, with several members voicing concern with the project’s lack of affordable housing. However, a week later, council approved a motion to reconsider the proposal, which essentially erased the previous vote.

Council members then took no further action on the plan, so the project was deemed approved.

The building plan consists of two-bedroom and one-bedroom units located at 2709 and 2717 N. Front St., according to Adam Kerr, vice president of the Harrisburg-based architect EI Associates, an entity affiliated with the developer. The units will rent at market rate.

Also last month, council has approved a land use plan for a new gas station and convenience store near the city line, allowing that project to proceed.

Council voted unanimously to approve the land development plan for the project, located on the 1900-block of Herr Street.

Nirmal Singh Gill and Mohinder Kaur Gill with Mechanicsburg-based M&N, Inc., plan to build a 2,400-square-foot convenience store, with four gas pumps, on the site that housed a diner and a smaller convenience store.

Council members discussed the project during a previous work session, asking specifically about security and safety improvements in the area.

Nirmal’s daughter and partner on the project, Aman Gill, has said that the new convenience store would also offer hot food and beer, with indoor seating. They are considering keeping it open 24 hours, as well.

Aman previously told TheBurg that someone had purchased the diner, which last operated as Harry’s Bistro and, before that, the American Dream Diner.

Homes Sales Slower, Prices Up

The Harrisburg area’s housing market cooled a bit in August, but prices remained robust, according to the most recent report on previously owned homes.

For the three-county region, 604 houses sold compared to 734 houses in August 2022, as the median sales price jumped to $284,298 versus $260,000 a year ago, according to the Greater Harrisburg Association of Realtors (GHAR).

In Dauphin County, 299 homes sold in August versus 341 in the year-ago period, as the median price rose to $255,000 from $230,000 last year, said GHAR.

Cumberland County had 279 home sales compared to 358 the prior August, while the median sales price increased slightly to $308,000 from $300,000, GHAR stated.

In Perry County, sales totaled 25 homes, a drop from 38 the previous August, as the median price rose to $242,000 from $202,450 a year ago, according to GHAR.

In August, sales were somewhat slower than the prior year, as “average days on market” increased to 19 days, an increase of five days, over August 2022, said GHAR.

So Noted

Amanda Arbour plans to step down after a six-year tenure as executive director of the LGBT Center of Central PA, the center announced last month. Arbour expects to stay until year-end while the center undertakes a search for a new director.

Burke Noel has been named president of the PA Media Group, succeeding Cate Barron, who retired in June. Noel joined PennLive in 2015 as sports manager and most recently served as vice president of content.

Col. Tim Brooks was hired last month as the new regional security officer for the Jewish Federation of Greater Harrisburg and the Jewish Federation of the Lehigh Valley. In this role, he will work to increase safety and security for all who participate in synagogues, day schools, camps, service organizations and other centers of Jewish life across these regions.

Dr. Cameron J. McCoy last month was named as the next provost of Harrisburg University of Science and Technology. In this position, he will play a lead role in shaping academic programs, fostering interdisciplinary initiatives, and promoting research endeavors, according to HU.

Harrisburg last month was named one of the “15 happiest places to live” in the United States, according to the national publication, Outside Magazine. The city ranked highly for affordability, diversity, walkability and easy access to parks and outdoors amenities.

Harrisburg University last month officially opened its new academic building at S. 3rd and Chestnut streets in downtown Harrisburg. The 11-story, $100 million building, officially called the UPMC Health Sciences Tower at Harrisburg University, houses healthcare programs, advanced manufacturing programs and the UPMC Shadyside School of Nursing.

Heather Woodbridge last month was named vice president of operations for Whitaker Center in downtown Harrisburg. Woodbridge has previously served for about 20 years in teaching and leadership positions in public and private education, according to Whitaker Center.

Kim St. Clair last month was appointed program supervisor for Dauphin County Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) program. St. Clair, of Harrisburg, has served for two years as a volunteer for CASA, which represents the best interests of a foster child or sibling group in court.

Martin Communications last month announced its national certification as a Women’s Business Enterprise. This designation by the Women’s Business Enterprise Council entails thorough business evaluations and site assessments, validating the women-led foundation of a business. Barb Martin is president of the Shiremanstown, Pa.-based marketing and advertising agency.

Nonna Ilva Authentic Italian is opening this month inside H*MAC, the sprawling music and arts venue at 1110 N. 3rd St., Harrisburg. Nonna Ilva, which had operated inside the Broad Street Market until the July fire in the brick building, offers authentic Italian pizza, appetizers and desserts.

Real Elite Buffet cut the ribbon last month on their location at 15 N. 3rd St. in downtown Harrisburg, part of Strawberry Square. Owner Talond Luckette specializes in slow-cooked meats, offering both lunch and dinner, Sunday through Friday, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.

The Foundation for Enhancing Communities (TFEC) has received reaccreditation with the Community Foundations National Standards, which establishes legal, ethical and effective practices for community foundations. The program requires foundations to document their policies for donor services, investments, grant-making and administration and is designed to provide quality assurance to donors and their legal and financial advisors, according to TFEC.

Voting locations for three Dauphin County wards are changing. According to the county, Harrisburg’s 11th ward now will vote at Tri-County OIC at 500 Maclay St.; Harrisburg’s 13th ward will vote at the Salvation Army, 506 S. 29th St.; and Susquehanna Township’s 3rd Ward will vote at the Solid Rock Missionary Baptist Church at 2400 Locust Lane.

Changing Hands

Boas St., 108: N. Wambach to J. Hoffer, $188,000

Benton St., 700: SPG Capital LLC to C. Woods, $91,250

Benton St., 711: M. Lugo to M. Espinoza, $55,000

Berryhill St., 2030: T. Awan to Two Three Two Investments LLC, $65,000

Berryhill St., 2350: A. & A. Adelanwa to H. Alcantara, $90,000

Camp St., 563: Elite Property Rentals LLC to R. Lane, $90,000

Catherine St., 1505: D. & L. Baylor to S. Samuel, $98,000

Crescent St., 247: Truist Bank to Saintelia Properties II LLC, $55,000

Crescent St., 304: Lancaster Real Estate Fund LLC to J. & D. Negron, $45,000

Derry St., 1536: J. Shaulis to J. Diaz, $49,000

Derry St., 1538: P. Watson to Integrity First Home Buyers LLC, $68,117

Elm St., 1724: S. Pichardo to L. Garcia, $60,000

Forster St., 1926: S. & J. Hirota to T. Chan, $125,000

Emerald St., 405: P. Dobson to M. Pena, $62,000

Fulton St., 1715: R. Mills to N. Patel, $176,000

Fulton St., 1718: D. Ruscito to M. Russo, $154,900

Fulton St., 1729: M. Gleason to J. Seibert, $222,000

Greenwood St., 2010 & 633, 635 & 639 S. 20th St.: W. Grace to 2010 Greenwood LLC, $950,000

Harris Terr., 2443: J. Spearman to C. Khuc & N. Truong, $125,000

Herr St., 222: R. Batley & S. Bradley to S. Evans & M. Rife, $158,000

Holly St., 1850: W. Hunter to CAS Management LLC, $42,500

Hummel St., 337: Z. Gonzalez to A. Santos, $90,000

Jefferson St., 2211: H. & T. Wilson to VRAM Homes LLC, $58,000

Jefferson St., 2306: Stevenson’s Properties LLC to Bloom Home Care LLC, $47,000

Jefferson St., 2310: Stevenson’s Properties LLC to Newkirk Brothers Corp., $40,000

Jefferson St., 2333: D&F Realty Holdings LP to W. Jimenez, $54,000

Jefferson St., 2643: Faraone Properties LLC to H. Toohey, $129,000

Kensington St., 2262: Faraone Properties LLC to V. Hardman, $127,000

Kensington St., 2439: A. Dellmuth to T. Burrell, $110,000

Lexington St., 2638: H. Patton to A. Mehta, $79,000

Lexington St., 2622: SPG Capital to M. Motley, $165,000

Liberty St., 1412: D. Boyle to J. Espaillat, $55,225

Liberty St., 1422: B. Orellana to G. Paredes, $134,000

Logan St., 1933½: Lorfax 1 LLC & MAP T LLC to Figueroa Enterprises LLC, $81,000

Logan St., 2151: T. Liang & M. Morales to G&W Rentals LLC, $66,000

Logan St., 2212: A. Stevens & M. Pippins to Central Maryland Home Ventures LLC, $80,000

Luce St., 2326: C. & S. Paul to PACC Homes & Development LLC, $75,000

Market St., 1624: TRYB Investments LLC to K. & Y. Sanchez, $181,990

Mulberry St., 2004: Z. Roudi & M. Maniari to R. & S. Buxton, $210,000

N. 2nd St., 1313: 1313 Real Estate Holdings LLC to Huff NC Homes LLC, $275,000

N. 2nd St., 1517: N. Shamatutu & K. Kelly to M. Holliday, $290,000

N. 2nd St., 2711: N. Corado to A. & B. Marino, $308,000

N. 2nd St., 2842: T. Cook to Grentals LLC, $90,000

N. 2nd St., 3027: J. Weir to D. Vreeland, $159,000

N. 2nd St., 3201: J. Crossett & M. Hochstetler to V. Espeland, $155,000

N. 3rd St., 3026: R. Daniels to A. Schwoyer, $207,500

N. 5th St., 3015: E. Stoute to A. Orellana, $308,000

N. 5th St., 3202: C. Anaya & M. Cardona to A. Benny, $200,000

N. 6th St., 1716, 1718 & 1720: F. & W. Jordan to 3N Consulting Services LLC, $170,000

N. 6th St., 2722: S. Morton & R. Bushner to E. Paulino & Y. Castro, $125,000

N. 16th St., 617: H. & C. Le to V. Robinson, $184,000

N. 16th St., 921: PA Deals LLC to R. Martinez, $190,000

N. 17th St., 119: Trust Circle LLC to Penn Properties Associates LLC, $55,000

N. 17th St., 700: Bethany African Methodist Episcopal Church to J. Andia, $110,000

N. 17th St., 709: JAF Group LLC to Rosaruth Properties LLC, $72,000

N. 19th St., 1001: K. Somasundaram to Ray Keystone LLC, $149,500

Park St., 1627: N. Santiago to RC Realty & Investments LLC, $47,500

Paxton St., 1500: Paxton Street Properties LLC, Property Management Inc. & D. Schankweiler to 1500 Paxton LP, $2,225,000

Penn St., 1911: Pennsylvania State Employees Credit Union to D. & M. Witwer, $110,000

Penn St., 1931: Z. Ashley & A. Garman to J. Kavel, $193,000

Penn St., 2221: J. & S. Compton to G&W Rentals LLC, $110,000

Penn St., 2318: R. Stamm to NA Capital Group LLC, $59,494

Pine St., 224: PSREU LLC to Rowenachamkin LLC, $295,000

Prince St., 711: M. & N. Epler to TD Dwellings LLC, $102,500

Randolph St., 1511: T. Hardison to Culcay Remodeling & Guagua Remodeling LLC, $68,000

Rudy Rd., 2213: P. & D. Michaels to M. Bowman, $290,000

Rumson Dr., 381: PA Deals LLC to B. Harris, $140,000

South St., 113: M. & N. Hylind to T. Chandler & D. Jackson $135,000

S. 13th St., 1265: M. Herasme to M. Wells & A. Kester, $120,000

S. 13th St., 1435: D. & C. Butler to J. Charles, $95,000

S. 14th St., 345: E. Ruiz to E. de Ruiz, $120,000

S. 26th St., 803: D. McGinley to Mountain Climb Partners LLC, $365,000

S. Cameron Terr., 1505: X. Santiago to A. Abreham, $83,000

S. Summit St., 161: HLI Properties PA LLC to F. Salcedo, $77,000

State St., 133: WCI Partners LP to A. Hartzler, $260,000

State St., 1512: R&K Realty Group LP to E. Rivera, $45,000

State St., 1827: D. & S. Kinder to D. Boyle, $65,000

Susquehanna St., 2024: Pennsylvania State Employees Credit Union to R&J Property & Home Investors LLC, $61,000

Swatara St., 2319: C. McDannell to BDS Property Group LLC, $130,000

Sylvan Terr., 121: A. Jaiyesimi to MAT Holdings LLC, $95,012

Thompson St., 1619: J. Montgomery to Family Work Inc., $58,700

Verbeke St., 126: Wright Restoration Properties LLC to R. Oshea, $230,150

Vernon St., 1409: Greenbrook Enterprise LLC to Vernon St. Apartments LLC, $201,000

Vernon St., 1417: Greenbrook Enterprises LLC to Vernon St. Apartments LLC, $154,000

Vernon St., 1419: Greenbrook Enterprises LLC to Vernon St. Apartments LLC, $137,000

Vine St., 121: P. & J. Klemunes to I. Butt, $148,000

Walnut St., 1215: J. & M. Johnson to M. Lester, $150,000

Wiconisco St., 611 & 2641 Agate St.: Thanos Ventures Limited to Sangria Property Development LLC, $300,000

Woodbine St., 342: H. Wilson to Balaci Properties LLC, $90,500

Woodbine St., 638: YMCA Harrisburg Cornerstone Initiative LLC to J. Parker, $150,000

Woodbine St., 640: YMCA Harrisburg Cornerstone Initiative LLC to T. Roland, $157,000

Harrisburg property sales, August 2023, greater than $40,000. Source: Dauphin County. Data is assumed to be accurate.

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Generations of Libations: Family-run Westy’s celebrates 75 years selling suds

September 28, 2023 | by Dan Miller

James Yaple Jr.

June Yaple was a pioneer, a woman and mother who gave up her career to fulfill her husband’s dream.

In October 1948, June left behind managing her own beautician’s shop so that James Yaple Sr. could open a beer distributorship—today, Westy’s Beer Distributor on St. Johns Church Road in Hampden Township.

James had worked in the beer business since 1933, driving for an east shore distributor after graduating from William Penn High School.

He wanted to open his own distributor on the west shore, a market that Yaple saw as underserved. But in the heavily regulated alcohol business in Pennsylvania, he couldn’t work for one distributor and open his own.

The license application to the Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board would have to be in June’s name.

Just a few months before, President Harry S. Truman had signed an order mandating the end of bias against African Americans in the military and in federal jobs. But a woman entering the beer business? That was practically unheard of.

Yet that’s what June did. She and James closed the beauty shop to dedicate themselves to their new venture. A few years later, James quit the other distributorship, launching a partnership with June lasting 41 years.

At first, they named their business West Shore Home Distributor, run out of a garage. However, there was another distributor in New Cumberland called West Shore Beverage.

Customers would call and get them mixed up. So, the guy who lettered James Sr.’s beer truck came up with a grinning cowboy wearing a 10-gallon hat and holding a rope as a logo. Thus was born Westy’s Beer Distributor.

A Legacy

The Yaples had one child, James Yaple Jr., who was 7 when his parents opened Westy’s. He grew up in the family business.

“[Dad] would come home from work, I would come home from school, and I would load the truck for him to go out on delivery after 6 o’clock at night,” said James Jr., now 82. “He’d be done by 8, 9, 10 o’clock at night, and I’d come home from school the next day, and I’d load the truck for him to go out and deliver again.”

James Jr. had other jobs after graduating from Cumberland Valley High School in 1960, including serving in the Air Force and in the Pennsylvania Air National Guard from 1963 to 1969. He became a Westy’s partner in 1978.

James Yaple Sr. died in 1991, but June kept coming in every day, as she had since 1948.

“I drove trucks. I unloaded trucks. I took care of the office. I took care of practically everything,” June told a reporter in 1988.

“She worked here every day until she was 101,” said James Jr., who has been running Westy’s as president since 1984.

When June could no longer drive, her son picked her up between 6 and 6:30 a.m. every day to take her to work.

As the company marks 75 years in October, James Jr. continues a legacy of generations of family customers coming to Westy’s for their beer. Many have fond memories of June, including Nancy Lay, a Westy’s customer since the early 1990s.

“She was the sweetest lady in the world,” said Lay, who recalls trading recipes with June.

June died in 2021 at age 103, but Lay still drives in from Susquehanna Township to get her beer at Westy’s. The large selection and the staff’s product knowledge keep her coming back, she said.

Ups & Downs

Harry Fetrow has been shopping at Westy’s since the 1960s, when the distributor was still in Shiremanstown.

In December 1967, James Jr. moved Westy’s into its present, 7,200-square-foot location on St. Johns Church Road. Yaple has added two warehouses, bringing the total to just over 15,000 square feet.

Fetrow knows what it’s like to run a small local business. He owned a hardware store in Shiremanstown.

“Family-run businesses are dropping like flies,” he said. “With Jim’s competition and with beer being sold everywhere, it’s a great achievement for him to still be in business and still prospering.”

The beer business in Pennsylvania has undergone dramatic changes in recent years due to new laws and regulations opening up the alcohol market.

Among the biggest was Act 39 approved in 2016, allowing beer sales at grocery and convenience stores.

The law limits how much beer grocery and convenience stores can sell in a single sale. But distributors like Westy’s can sell anything from a single through 100 cases, Yaple said.

If you buy beer at a grocery or convenience store, chances are you’re still supporting Westy’s. The company supplies beer to grocery and convenience stores and other licensees like hotels and restaurants from Maryland through State College and from Fulton County through Lebanon and Lancaster.

Westy’s has grown from about 55 beer brands in 1948 to nearly 1,200 now, buoyed by the explosion in craft beer and microbreweries.

Yaple will stay on as long as his health holds up. When it’s time to turn Westy’s over, he’s confident the business will thrive.

“We’ve been in business 75 years,” he said. “We’ve seen the ups and downs. You might stay down two or three years, but the ups always come back.”

Westy’s Beer Distributor is located at 420 St. Johns Church Rd., Camp Hill (Hampden Township). For more information, visit their Facebook and Instagram pages.

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Get Your Fall On: Pick pumpkins, drink beer, get lost in a maze in central PA this autumn

September 28, 2023 | by Maddie Gittens

Mt. Airy Orchard

With October comes all things fall, at least for me it does.

As the weather cools, I hang up my “Boo Ya’ll” ghost-shaped door sign, light a pumpkin-scented candle and pull my cozy sweaters out of storage. I’m sad to see summer go and hate to see winter coming, but, boy, do I love what’s in between.

The time has come to break out that flannel shirt and prepare for full mugs of apple cider and pumpkin spice lattes. Hayrides, corn mazes, apple picking, beer drinking, the Harrisburg area has it all, and I’ve personally participated in many of the area’s autumn offerings.

For a one-stop fall shop, drive the winding road down to Mt. Airy Orchards in Dillsburg, a 25-minute drive from Harrisburg. Once you see the apple trees, you’ll know you’re in the right place.

And while cell service may be spotty when you get there, Karen Paulus, who owns the orchard with her husband Dan, thinks it’s probably for the best that people unplug and enjoy nature.

“People come because they want to make memories with their families,” Paulus said.

There are plenty of ways to do just that at the orchard.

There’s something about picking apples in the crisp air that feels like fall. Mt. Airy has rows and rows of trees for perusing, with favorites like Pink Lady and Granny Smith apples ready for the plucking. The farm also offers pick-your-own pumpkins. Additionally, peaches, berries and other produce is grown seasonally and sold in their market store.

And while the farm started as simply that, a farm, when the Paulus family purchased it in 1999, Mt. Airy, formerly called Paulus Orchards, has grown to include so much more.

Today, the farm features family and kids’ activities like a corn maze, giant jumping pillow and a mega slide. There are also tube slides, pedal carts, rubber duck races, rat rollers and human foosball, among other activities in their fall fun admission area.

According to Paulus, each year, they try to add a new feature to the farm to attract visitors and keep families coming back.

If you’re a fall foodie, the concession stands sell hot chicken corn soup, spiced apple chili, apple pie milkshakes, apple dumplings and apple cider donuts and slushies. Everything is homemade, and many of the menu items use produce from the farm.

While a fall day at Mt. Airy includes lots of fun and food, Paulus hopes that it’s also an educational experience for young visitors.

“It’s good for kids to come out and see where their food comes from,” she said. “I really do love teaching people about agriculture.”

Harvest Hops

Maybe the perfect fall day for you looks a little more low-key, but still spent outside.

Back in Harrisburg, the Senators are inviting the community to FNB Field on City Island on Oct. 14 for an afternoon of sampling craft beer.

The team is hosting its second annual Senstoberfest, featuring around 40 local breweries and over 100 different beers to sample.

“We saw a need for an event like this in the central PA area,” said Nathan Rovenolt, director of business development for the Senators. “There are a lot of great breweries in the area, and we have the venue.”

Last year, the event drew over 1,000 attendees and, for this year, Rovenolt expects that number to double.

Breweries will offer fall flavors like Oktoberfestbiers, stouts, pumpkin beers and porters, as well as plenty of non-fall-themed brews. Vendors will be pouring around the stadium, and beer sampling is included with admission. In addition to beer, a few wineries and distilleries will participate. Food will also be on site with options like chicken sandwiches, pulled pork and hot dogs, among other bites. A DJ will “keep the vibes going throughout the event,” Rovenolt said.

Adding to those good “vibes,” proceeds from Senstoberfest will benefit the Harrisburg River Rescue.

For those who’d like to purchase VIP tickets to the fest, Rovenolt recommends doing that ahead of time. For general admission, attendees can buy tickets in advance or at the gate. The event takes place from 2 to 5 p.m.

“It’s going to be a fun atmosphere,” he said. “People will get exposure to new breweries, and having the breweries come and get their name out helps them grow as well.”

Also on Oct. 14 is the Downtown Hershey Association’s Choctoberfest, featuring food, live music, beer and chocolate, with activities for all ages. The day will include the 3rd annual Chocolate Cake Baking Competition, which also allows chocolate-lovers to taste-test for a fee.

Other Choctoberfest activities include paired chocolate and beer as well as distilleries, meaderies and wineries on site. Additional family-friendly events include face painting, inflatable hatchet throwing, miniature horses, make-and-take art and more.

Visit ChocolateTown Square Park between 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. for the fall fun.

“Bring your lederhosen and dirndl and join us for a day in downtown Hershey, Pa.,” said Michelle Emerick, executive director of Downtown Hershey Association.

Maybe even make it a full day of fests and visit Choctoberfest from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and then head to Senstoberfest at 2 p.m. What’s better than enjoying a fall day while supporting local?

Pumpkins, Please

At the Pennsboro Pumpkin Fest, visitors of all ages can get in on the fall vibes.

For over 20 years, East Pennsboro Township has held the festival, which brings thousands of attendees to Adams-Ricci Park in Enola. This year, on Oct. 7 and 8, the festival will feature around 180 vendors, including community groups, businesses and craft vendors. The entry fee is just right—free.

For 2023, the township estimates that about 43,000 people will attend. According to Caroline Grove, recreation coordinator for the township, the festival has continually grown over the years.

“It’s a good community event that brings everyone together,” Grove said. “It’s a family friendly, wholesome environment.”

In addition to the rows and rows of vendor tents to browse, there will be live music and dance performances and plenty of activities for kids. The pony rides, petting zoo, pumpkin painting and inflatables are always popular among young visitors, Grove said.

Food trucks and vendors will offer snacks, meals and sweet treats, like pumpkin funnel cakes.

For fall fun that lasts all season long, take a trip to Lancaster County to visit Cherry Crest Adventure Farm, a little over an hour drive from Harrisburg.

Cherry Crest is known for its huge corn maze, which has been voted among the top 10 in the country over the last several years. But the farm also has tons of other kids’ activities, pick-your-own pumpkins, flowers, popcorn and live music and entertainment.

To close out the fall season, they’ll host their Pumpkin Madness Festival on Nov. 4, where attendees can smash, drop and throw pumpkins with activities like pumpkin bowling, putt-putt and chucking.

If you’re as much of a fall fanatic as I am, start filling up your calendar with events like these for the month because the season always seems to come and go too quickly. Although a pumpkin spice candle burning into the winter months never hurt anyone.

Fall Frolic

Throw on a sweater and visit these places and events, mentioned in the story.

Mt. Airy Orchards, 522 E. Mt. Airy Rd., Dillsburg, www.mtairyorchards.com

Senstoberfest, FNB Field, City Island, Harrisburg, www.milb.com/harrisburg

Choctoberfest, ChocolateTown Square Park, Chocolate and Cocoa avenues, www.downtownhershey.com. To enter the 3rd annual Chocolate Cake Baking Competition, visit https://forms.gle/HBPouv3QKDbCeP9B8.

Pennsboro Pumpkinfest, Adams-Ricci Park, 100 E. Penn Dr., Enola, www.eastpennsboro.net

Cherry Crest Adventure Farm, 150 Cherry Hill Rd., Ronks, www.cherrycrestfarm.com

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October Publisher’s Note

September 28, 2023 | by Lawrance Binda

How do you read TheBurg?

Perhaps you loyally pick up our award-winning print magazine every month, like tens of thousands of your fellow midstaters.

Or maybe you read it mostly online, as we break important community news nearly every day.

Some people read TheBurg via our email service, TheBurg Daily.

Personally, I hope you do all of the above, so that you get the best of all worlds: daily news, monthly features, blog posts, reviews, events and so much more.

On the other hand, there is one method that I hope you avoid—social media.

Like most news organizations, TheBurg is active on several social media platforms. Social media, however, has never been a reliable way to consume news and, in recent months, it’s become worse—much worse.

Several social media behemoths have begun de-emphasizing news on their platforms. Maybe you’ve noticed this yourself? I sure have.

My personal Facebook feed, for instance, was once filled with local news posts, both from professional reporters and active community members. Today, that’s largely gone, and in its place—ads, ads and more ads.

Some ads seem creepily targeted to me, while others are more random, stating they’re “suggested” for me. Why am I being fed posts of someone selling fine art prints of Irish train bridges? I have no idea.

Over the years, TheBurg has built a large fan base on Facebook—over 20,000 followers. However, you sure wouldn’t know that from your newsfeed. For a price, they’ll “boost” our posts, but we refuse to further enrich a multi-billion-dollar company based 3,000 miles away.

But, like I say, our readers have other, much better options.

You and I don’t need these faraway, unpredictable social media companies to stand between us. We easily can have a direct relationship.

Visit our website regularly. Bookmark it. Subscribe to TheBurg Daily. And, of course, pick up our monthly magazine. If you’d like, we’ll even mail the issue directly to your door for a subscription fee—check our website for details.

This month, I hope you’re in a locally owned café reading our October issue, filled with local news, local features, and local ads (that aren’t stalking you). In my book, each read is one small victory over big tech.

Lawrance Binda is publisher/editor of TheBurg.

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Prime Time for The After Hours: This month, the Harrisburg-based band releases its first full-length album

September 28, 2023 | by Skye Leppo

Photo courtesy of The After Hours.

The timing was right for The After Hours to embrace a reality that was a long time coming.

The four-piece, who have been playing together under the moniker since September 2021, have been making a name for themselves regionally over the last two years, though their relationships as musicians go back much further than that.

Vocalist Jordan Trevino, 34, who also joins the band on drums, bass and guitar, and guitarist Sean Saman, 37 (who you’ll also hear on keyboards and bass) were both longtime members of the former Harrisburg band, Hot Jam Factory. Multi-instrumentalist and vocalist Elena Rossetto was briefly a member of Hot Jam Factory in 2020, but, as many musicians felt the pangs of the global pandemic, touring—and Hot Jam Factory’s time as a band—came to a grinding halt.

This clean slate opened up a new world of opportunity, though. Trevino, Saman and Rossetto were excited about another sound that they’d started exploring and felt committed to a “singular direction and vision of what this vision and project could be,” thus beginning a new era as The After Hours, Trevino said. Gordon Lauffer, 25, has since started working with the band on drums.

When listening to a few of the band’s dreamier, synth-heavy melodies, one can appreciate the different members’ shared efforts to create emotional, vibe-y moments. Combined, their individual talents create a rich, atmospheric sound that feels very current, with a hint of New Wave nostalgia.

The group’s first full-length album, “Late Night Social,” comes out Friday, Oct.13, and includes 11 original tracks. If you want to catch the band performing songs from the album live, you’ll have two chances to do so that weekend.

The After Hours’ Album Release Party hits the Stage on Herr at H*MAC at 7:30 p.m., Oct. 13, and the band will play at Choctoberfest at ChocolateTown Square Park in downtown Hershey on Oct. 14, sometime between 4 and 6 p.m.

I caught up with the band one evening in August at Trevino’s house while members were having an “art night,” adding the finishing touches to some album artwork as well as conceptualizing some props and storylines for upcoming music videos.

TheBurg: How did the band come to be?

Jordan Trevino: We had Hot Jam Factory for so long… This [The After Hours] is a jumping-off point to do more centered works. We released two songs, “Back Here Again” and “Anytime,” and then retouched them up, this time as The After Hours, and released them under this name as our first two singles.

TheBurg: How long have you been working on “Late Night Social?” Can you talk about the recording process?

Trevino: It’s a lot of themes. Lyrically, moving into this album, we as The After Hours really wanted to get back to emotionally based writing. We were getting really intrigued by concept—bigger, grander ideas. … We just kept talking about chasing a lot of vibes with it, setting atmospheres, and after the fact, there are a lot of themes of change and time, and connecting, whether it’s people reconnecting or slowly growing apart, pursuing romantically or whatever. It’s kind of, at least for me, these different snapshots of different stories in a night.

Sean Saman: We record with Jason Shaffer at Full Tilt Recording in Mechanicsburg… he’s sort of our unspoken sixth member.

Trevino: This is the first album [where] we’ve really recorded most of the base tracks ourselves and took everything to Jason, for mixing, mastering and overlaying. We’ve worked with him for about 10 years. … We recorded all the basic stuff at our place, and then we recorded some violin and saxophone stuff at Jason’s studio.

TheBurg: Who does most of the songwriting for the band?

Trevino: Elena joined (Hot Jam Factory) to mostly sing and do some auxiliary, and then got really good at bass during COVID and started writing bass lines. Sean’s been leading the soundscape in most of the songs, written the drum parts, guitar parts and everything.

Elena Rossetto: We’re all multi-instrumentalists; we all do a lot. And Gordon’s on drums! Though it’s a matter of time before I’m hopping on your drum kit.

Gordon Lauffer: Please do!

Trevino: I do most of the lyrics, but it’s a big bouncing off of each other process, a lot of, ‘what do you think?’ I come up with a starting point for the melody, and Elena will help steer the melody a lot, harmonize—it’s a playful process. … I’ll be asking everyone: are you sure about this line? Do you like it more if it’s phrased this way?”

Saman: Then I come through and fix the typos. (Whole group laughs.)

Trevino: I feel like it started when Sean and I lived together. Most of the time, we played together so we’d be writing, heavily collaborative. Elena came in and fit that so well because she’s naturally gifted at picking up instruments and very creative, talented with melody. It’s made this really nice structure where we chime in on what everyone is doing.

Rossetto: When we are live, we perform what we know best and tend to switch instruments depending on what we’re playing live.

Saman: We do it strategically—what’s the energy of the songs, and who has what instruments, and what makes it flow the best?

TheBurg: What songs did you have the most fun recording?

Saman: To be fair, I had a lot of fun recording all of the parts and all of the songs.

Rossetto: We used a theremin in the song, “My Type,” and Jordan had a lot of fun playing that.

Trevino: It was super fun.

Saman: During COVID I bought a marimba, so I put that in “Back Here Again.”

Trevino: “Me & My Girl” is pretty special. They all were special, but we recorded vibraphone, cello and violins while working on that song, and [from the song’s] finished written [form] and then in the studio, it was such a different song. That one still surprises me, just hearing some of the fun orchestration stuff we did. “In A Little While” is a song where a lot of things that were just played in the recording process ended up sticking. We used some extreme effects and had fun with a lot of sounds, but I remember thinking, “This will never make it to the album,” and it’s definitely making it to the album.

Saman: That’s one that I really enjoy playing live.

For more information on The After Hours, visit the band’s page on Spotify.

You can catch the band live at their “Late Night Social” album release party at Stage on Herr at H*MAC at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 13. For more details for that show, visit www.harrisburgarts.com

The Q&A has been edited for brevity and clarity.

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Selling Memories: The Rummagers opens in Harrisburg with collectibles, unique finds

September 28, 2023 | by Maddie Gittens

Nipsey & Krista Harper

What do a cat clock, a bright pink jumpsuit and an E.T. figurine have in common?

They’re all among the many unique treasures to be found at Harrisburg’s newest vintage shop, The Rummagers.

Those items are just a few of the many, many… many toys, clothes, vinyl records and other collectibles that husband and wife duo Krista Harper and Nipsey, of Harrisburg, have hunted and curated over the years.

In 2019, the pair decided to make their hobby a business and opened The Rummagers, starting out by vending at nearby antique shops. Most recently, the business sold items in Funky Finds & Grinds in Lemoyne.

However, in mid-September, The Rummagers took the leap and opened their own shop. At their store, located on the 1400-block of N. 3rd St., they offer their one-of-a-kind-finds in Harrisburg.

“It’s our space, and we can finally do it the way we’ve always wanted to,” Harper said. “It feels fantastic.”

Harper has been collecting since she was young—her family always loved hunting down a good deal. The same goes for Nipsey, the longtime radio host of “The People’s Morning Show” on 105.7, The X. When he’s not on the air, he’s thrifting, and his collection has been growing for years.

“We’ve been collecting all our lives,” he said. “So, we didn’t necessarily have to go out and find a bunch of inventory because we had it.”

The pair believes that anyone can walk into their shop and find something of interest, whether it’s a nostalgic toy or item from their childhood, a baseball card or unique piece of clothing or home decor.

The whole idea behind The Rummagers is to save things from eras past, recycle them and give them new life, they explained. Harper and Nipsey love the idea of saving castaway treasures from the landfill.

“We want to make sure those eras aren’t lost,” Harper said. “We rummage so you don’t have to.”

Nipsey pointed out a pack of New Kids on The Block trading cards, as he talked about the feeling of nostalgia engrained in their business.

“It’s a lot of selling memories,” he said. “There’s a lot of people saying, ‘I didn’t know I even wanted this.’”

And while it can sometimes be hard for the pair to part with pieces of their collections, they love seeing the look on a customer’s face when something catches their eye. Although, Harper has been known to keep Michael Jackson-related finds for herself, she said with a laugh.

The pair feels that their new shop will bring a unique shopping option to the neighborhood. But outside of that, they also plan to immerse themselves in the community, showcasing local artists’ work in their shop each month and participating in events like 3rd in the Burg.

“Our biggest goal is being part of the local community,” Harper said. “This community really rallies around local businesses, and we are excited to be part of that.”

The Rummagers is located at 1419 N. 3rd St., Harrisburg. For more information, visit www.therummagers.com.

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Deal with the Devil: This month, “The Exorcist” haunts Harrisburg

September 28, 2023 | by Rachel Landon

Photo by Anela Bence-Selkowitz

For over half a century, William Peter Blatty’s novel, “The Exorcist,” and its subsequent film progeny have frightened and inspired horror lovers.

Now, during the 50th anniversary of the original movie release, the most infamous story of faith and fear comes to Harrisburg to thrill audiences in a brand new stage production.

This new adaptation, set to have its East Coast premiere at Open Stage this month, was penned by John Pielmeier, who is best known for the award-winning play and movie, “Agnes of God.” Producing artistic director Stuart Landon directs the production at Open Stage.

The story of “The Exorcist” follows Regan MacNeil (portrayed by Emily Reusswig in the Open Stage production), a young girl who begins to display unexplainable ailments and violent outbursts, which mystify her doctors. When modern medicine fails, the unexplainable can only be explained by one thing: demonic possession.

Regan’s desperate mother, movie star Chris MacNeil (Tara Herwig), seeks aid from a local priest, Damian Kerras (Jeff Luttermoser). Kerras faces a crisis of faith as he is haunted by the demon residing in Regan along with his own quiet and personal traumas. Together with exorcist Father Merrin (Ted Hanson), they face a relentless battle against a powerful, ancient evil.

In 1973, William Friedkin’s film adaptation of “The Exorcist” shook the world, earning two Academy Awards and the title of “the scariest movie ever made.” It amassed a staggering $193 million at the box office (equivalent to nearly $894 million in 2023) and remains one of the most successful horror films in history with a global franchise worth $1.1 billion. A new sequel, “The Exorcist: Believer,” starring Ellen Burstyn, reprising her role from the original film, arrives this month, serving as a direct sequel to the first film.

“We’re unleashing something truly extraordinary onto the stage,” said Landon. “This is not just a copycat of the movie—it’s a unique theatrical experience based on the original novel. The playwright has made some significant deviations from the film—driven by the practicality of stage design and performance—but audiences will find it just as beautiful and terrifying. I think this production will be unlike anything Harrisburg has seen before.”

Some of the most heart-stopping moments are crafted through sound, lighting and special effects, ensuring a visceral experience for the audience, which can expect to see the iconic and bloody visuals that earned “The Exorcist” its reputation. For those of you who have seen the movie: yes, even that one.

The cast also includes Tommy Dougherty, Brennen Dickerson, Josh Dorsheimer, Brian Schreffler, Chris Krahulec and Joellen Terranova. The production boasts special effects by Karen Ruch, Jen Kilander and Sammi Leigh Melville, with set and costume design by Landon, lighting design by Tristan Stasiulis, sound design by Josh Rhodes, and property design by Becky Arney, with Stacy Reck serving as production stage manager.

“The Exorcist” transcends modern horror, challenging audiences’ deepest beliefs and fears. Friedkin and Blatty’s goal with the original film was far more ambitious than making a scary movie. They aimed to make people “think about the concept of good and evil.”

Don’t miss your chance to experience “The Exorcist” live on stage this month, but be warned. This spine-chilling journey contains material that may shock and offend, so it’s not recommended for those under 18.

“The Exorcist” runs Oct. 7 to 31 at Open Stage, 25 N. Court St., Harrisburg. For more information and tickets, visit www.openstagehbg.com or call 717-232-6736.

UPCOMING EVENTS

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

“The Exorcist”

The horror classic live on stage
Oct. 7 to 31

EFF Live!

Naughty readings of fanfics
Sunday, Oct. 8 at 7:30 p.m.

Black NewsBeat with Dr. Kimeka Campbell

Join us in the studio audience for an episode taping!
Oct 11 & 25 at 7:30 p.m.

“The Masque of the Red Death”

A horror rock concept experience
Oct. 19 to 22

Court Street Cabaret
Halloween Edition

Spooky songs from Broadway and beyond
Thursday, Oct. 26 at 7:30 p.m.

Mrs. Kasha Davis
“There’s Always Room for a Cocktail”

The “RuPaul’s Drag Race” all-star comes to Harrisburg
Saturday, Nov. 4 at 7:30 p.m.

If you like what we do, please support our work. Become a Friend of TheBurg!

Goal Mates: It’s early to rise, early to the bar for rabid fans of Premier League soccer

September 28, 2023 | by Jeff Falk

Fans at River Trail Brewing

Fans at Mr. G’s Sports Bar

What are you up to on your average Sunday morning?

If you’re like Cory Hulsizer, there’s a good chance you’re sitting at a bar, eyes glued to the TV, surrounded by some of your closest mates and cheering like a madman.

While you might be catching up on your sleep, Hulsizer is at Mr. G’s Sports Bar, which, for much of the year, opens early to accommodate the rabid, Harrisburg-area fans of Liverpool F.C., an English Premier League football (soccer) club.

Because of the time difference, matches typically air during the morning hours on Saturdays and Sundays.

“Community life and civic life is in doubt, simply because people don’t go out as groups as much as they used to,” said Hulsizer, 30, president of the Susquehanna Valley Official Liverpool Supporters’ Club. “It may be a bit quirky to support an English soccer club, but it brings people together. It’s just good for people to be together.”

In central PA, Liverpool fans are not alone in their commitment to Premier League soccer and the camaraderie it inspires.

Across the river, the Harrisburg Spurs, local fans of the Tottenham Hotspurs, are bellying up to the bar at Grateful Goat Brewing Co. in Camp Hill. Meanwhile, the Central PA Gooners, supporters of Arsenal FC, also claim space at Mr. G’s. In Lancaster County, another scrum of Liverpool fans gathers at River Trail Brewing in Marietta.

“Every fan says this about their sport, but soccer is a sport meant to be watched with other people,” said Hulsizer, of Mechanicsburg. “There’s just this social aspect to watching soccer. There’s just a community feel that makes the club make sense. Plus, there’s something about going to a bar at 10 a.m.”

Fortunately, George Giannaris, owner of Mr. G’s, is a big soccer fan himself.

“When they walk in, they’re decked out in full gear,” Giannaris said. “We’re very dedicated to the soccer fans of Harrisburg. We don’t let them down. We’re loyal to them, and they’re loyal to us.”

For Hulsizer, Mr. G’s is the perfect setting for Sunday morning soccer mayhem.

“You can tell when a bar is a soccer bar or just trying to show games,” he said. “From a financial point of view, we’re able to bring in customers. But the club doesn’t exist without the bar.”

According to Giannaris, the main motivation isn’t financial.

“We don’t do it for the money; we do it for the love of the game,” he said. “If there’s a soccer game, I don’t want to be home alone watching it. I want to be with other people. When we’re in there (the bar), we blend in with the rest of the crowd.”

Extra Layer

Famous as one of the finest soccer leagues in the world, the 20-member Premier League’s 10-month, 38-match season begins in August and concludes in May. It’s one of the few leagues anywhere that does not conduct playoffs at the conclusion of its regular season.

“It creates a full season of intensity,” said Hulsizer. “Every game matters, which means you hit the ground running with high stakes. Every game is a playoff game. I love it.”

The Susquehanna Valley Official Liverpool Supporters Club is in its infancy as an organization.

From modest and informal origins, the club officially became affiliated with Liverpool about a year ago, near the start of the 2022-23 Premier League season. Hulsizer said that about 50 official Liverpool supporters’ clubs exist throughout the United States, in places like Philadelphia, Boston, Washington, D.C., and New York.

“I consider myself a pretty self-controlled person, a rational guy,” Hulsizer said. “But there’s something that just turns on and turns off when I’m watching a game. There’s this build, and you can see them (the players) building this play. When that goal hits, it’s just delirium, and everybody’s on their feet going absolutely nuts.”

With an estimated fan base of 4 billion people, soccer is the most popular sport in the world. But competing with pursuits like American football, baseball, basketball and even hockey, soccer has struggled to gain a foothold in the United States.

The phenomenon may have been summed up best by podcasters Men in Blazers who said, “Soccer is America’s sport of the future since 1972.”

However, the tide may finally be turning, and you can witness it for yourself by dropping into Mr. G’s when, let’s be honest, the rest of the world thinks you should be in church or working on your weekend chore list. Just look for the guys wearing matching jerseys, downing a pint and letting loose a cheer (or a groan).

“I think soccer is definitely growing,” Hulsizer said. “It can feel a little isolating to be a Premiere League fan, as opposed to, say, an Eagles fan. It’s not mainstream. It’s almost like a secret club. But it’s like an extra layer of fun.”

If you like what we do, please support our work. Become a Friend of TheBurg!

Flower and Song: “I Don’t Speak Spanish” and the poetry of truth

September 28, 2023 | by Francesca Amendolia

David Ramón Zayas with the cast and production team of “I Don’t Speak Spanish”

“We…tell a story begging the listener to say—and to feel—‘Yes, that’s the way it is, or at least that’s the way I feel it. You’re not as alone as you thought.’”

—John Steinbeck

This month, Gamut Theatre will host the world premiere of “I Don’t Speak Spanish,” a new work by local playwright David Ramón Zayas.

Each of the three acts of this work plunge the audience into a crucial moment in a family’s life—an uncomfortable dinner party in 2019 Lancaster, a brawl on an LA street in 1943, an impossible choice in south Texas in 1915. Behind all these moments is the long shadow of La Malinche—an enslaved woman who uncomfortably straddled languages and cultures during Cortés’ conquering of the Aztecs, a symbol of the constant and ongoing tension between conqueror and conquered.

It seems apt, considering “I Don’t Speak Spanish” is a play about turning points, as Zayas can pinpoint the exact moment of the project’s inception. Sometime in 2017, his brother called him and (without preamble) announced, “I’m sick of feeling like a fraud. I’m going to learn Spanish.”

This was something the brothers had never discussed—the confusing weight of being a brown person with a Hispanic name who could not speak Spanish. Until that moment, Zayas had quietly assumed this—having others mistakenly assume his bilingualism and then be disappointed when that assumption proved false—was his own insecurity and not a shared experience. To learn otherwise, to unexpectedly discover he was not alone in feeling shame at not speaking Spanish, was not just liberating but invigorating.

So Zayas, who is Mexican American, started talking to other Latine people, and he quickly learned how many others felt similarly. It’s not an unusual story, parents creating an English-only household in an attempt to protect their children from the prejudice they had endured (and often continued to endure) due to their accents or lack of English-language fluency. He also began to research his family history, discovering (among other things) that his family didn’t so much immigrate to the United States as a changed border curved around the family’s home, and suddenly they were living in another country. Slowly, from his amorphous idea for a play that would explore language, race, identity and assimilation grew a concrete plot about three generations of a Mexican-suddenly-American family.

Zayas was already an experienced actor, playwright and director, but his earlier projects (a series of very successful “Choose Your Own Plays” co-written with Philip Mann, as well as adaptations of “Beowulf” and “The Legend of Sleepy Hollow,” among others) were all created for a specific performance goal. This new play was not just more personal but more substantive than his previous works—and it was not something he planned to direct or to act in (though since the universe loves to laugh at our well-laid plans, he is in fact doing both for this production).

“I wrote the play a younger version of myself needed to see,” said Zayas, adding that he suspected younger David might have avoided the play, and he hoped anyone feeling a similar discomfort would risk attending.

He himself had long feared he did not belong in the world of such stories, but as he researched philosophy and literature, he realized he had long been in good company, that generations of Latine writers had wrestled with the same struggles he was trying to articulate.

That said, he never worried that his play, increasingly filled with historical details about one family’s experiences, might not speak to a broad audience.

“I feel very strongly that specific stories told honestly will speak to everyone, even those with no connection to those exact experiences,” he said.

Audience reactions are proving him right.

In 2022, the Shakespeare Theatre Association conference hosted a staged reading of an earlier incarnation of “I Don’t Speak Spanish,” and that audience, despite not having a connection to the Spanish language, despite not being Latine, nonetheless expressed a strong connection to the characters and story. Zayas puts this down to the magic of specificity to get to the heart of human experience.

“When you’re clear and honest about a particular, personal experience, the core of the struggle speaks more clearly,” he said.

That struggle is a story told and retold throughout every corner of the United States, where people’s connections to their ancestors have been muddied by time or stolen outright by slavers, invaders and colonizers, where an immigrant’s language serves as both shackle and tether and breaking free of one demands severing the other. However, “I Don’t Speak Spanish” is also a very specific story, and that specificity gives it a compelling universality.

“I Don’t Speak Spanish” runs from Oct. 7 to 22 at Gamut Theatre, 15 N. 4th St., Harrisburg. For more information and tickets, please visit gamuttheatre.org/i-dont-speak-spanish.

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

“I Don’t Speak Spanish”
By David Ramón Zayas

Oct. 7 to 22
Fridays & Saturdays at 7:30 p.m.
Sundays at 2:30 p.m.

Popcorn Hat Players Present

“The Little Mermaid”
Oct. 7 at 1 p.m.

Popcorn Hat Players Present

“The Halloween Show”
Oct. 21, 28 at 1 p.m.

TMI Improv

Oct. 27 at 7:30 p.m.

If you like what we do, please support our work. Become a Friend of TheBurg!

Food & Family: Green Ridge may have crossed the river, but the Lapp family remains committed to their products, their customers

September 28, 2023 | by Molly Pavlovich

Four days a week, David and Ruthie Lapp, and several of their six children—the lifeblood of Green Ridge Farm Market & Cafe—make the one-hour commute from the farmlands of Lancaster to their new storefront in Camp Hill.

They bring with them a deep appreciation for homegrown and homemade, passed down through generations, and fresh meats, vegetables and other fruits of their labor that keep customers coming back week after week.

“We don’t mind the drive because we know that we’re bringing people farm fresh and organic food that nourishes their bodies,” Ruthie said.

For more than a decade prior, the family sold its Green Ridge Acres Farm produce at the Broad Street Market in Harrisburg. However, hoping to grow their business and further cultivate their customer base, they transitioned to their new west shore location in July, which formerly housed the locally loved Healthy Grocer.

This change has given the Lapps the opportunity to expand not only in space but also in offerings.

Organic seasonal produce remains stocked on the shelves from local and trusted suppliers, along with grass-fed dairy products and meats that were raised on the Lapps’ own farm, as well as various bulk items like baking ingredients, spices and snacks. The store’s Cup of Joy Café also serves hearty soups made from scratch, hot breakfast options, sandwiches, coffee and baked goods—a little something for everyone.

“When customers visited us at the Broad Street Market, they might get one or two things from us, but they’d shop around at other vendors, too,” Ruthie said. “But now, when they come here, they want to make it worth their trip. They’re going out of their way to shop with us and support our business.”

While Ruthie says that she and her family miss their fellow market vendors, she believes investing in her customers was well worth the leap of leaving. Many loyal shoppers have followed them from the east shore to the west shore and would devotedly choose grocery shopping at Green Ridge over supermarkets any day.

“I shop here every week,” said long-time customer Mark Silver, who had a full cart from his Saturday morning trip. “It’s a completely different pace than the typical grocery store experience.”

He praised both the food quality and the “friendly faces.”

“Not only do I know much of the Lapp family by name, but they make an effort to know their customers’ names, too,” he said. “Why wouldn’t I want to keep coming back?”

Place of Joy

Still early in their new venture, the Lapps have taken it day-to-day as they sharpen their store and its inner workings. But, as days turn into months, they’re eager to explore additional avenues that will allow them to further invest in their customers and family.

One of Ruthie and David’s sons recently bought a farm in Northumberland, and they hope to add a familial touchpoint by selling their produce at the market once it’s plentiful. Ruthie also sees potential in targeting new customers in other counties, even nearby metropolitan areas like Washington, D.C., which are close enough that an occasional trip to pick up an online order might be doable.

“Perhaps we’ll even have a farm day at some point, where we invite customers to our farm in Lancaster,” Ruthie said. “Children could gather eggs and families could get a closer look at country living—see where some of the items we sell come from.”

Customers like Silver are excited to watch the business grow and evolve too, from a stand at the Broad Street Market to whatever the future holds.

“I want to see them thrive, and I hope it remains something they enjoy doing together as a family,” Silver said. “When you walk into their store, it’s hard to deny that what they do comes from a place of joy.”

Green Ridge Farm Market & Café is located at 3800 Trindle Rd., Camp Hill. For more information, visit www.greenridgeacres.com.

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