Let’s Make It Weird: The Fringe Festival lands in Harrisburg

June 29, 2023 | by Gina Napoli

Chris Gibson & Bri Dow

How fitting that a celebration of weird performance arts found its way to Harrisburg in the form of the unique experience that is a “Fringe Festival.”

Full of diverse, creative talent, Harrisburg is a smaller city on the fringe of being more renowned than we currently are. Despite our convenient accessibility to major cities, we’re often out-skirted, on the fringe of the mainstream. We’re all a little mad here.

Harrisburg’s first-ever Fringe Festival is slated for this month, borrowing many of its elements from those held in larger cities to distinguish it from a typical town to-do.

“There is no 15-second elevator speech to explain a Fringe Festival, so a large part of what we’ll be doing is educating,” said Fringe Festival’s co-producer Chris Gibson. “The best way to describe it is a call to artists to show up and do something weird. And for the community to show up and see something they wouldn’t ordinarily see.”

Although the quality of being weird (in a good way) is subjective, co-producer and 717 Arts Board Treasurer Bri Dow said that we can expect to experience art that “takes risks, pushing boundaries beyond the mainstream in a traditional sense.”

The Fringe Festival evokes a sense of magic for Gibson, partly because of its completely blurred lines between performers and attendees. That doesn’t necessarily mean audience participation pieces. It just means the artists are accessible, with everyone immersing themselves in a festival atmosphere vibe.

“You’ll find the artists at the beer tent, mixing along with everyone else,” Gibson said. “With building relationships with everyone on the circuit year after year, I’m blown away when I recognize so many volunteers.”

Safety Net

Harrisburg’s Fringe Festival will give artists opportunities to launch their weird works and fly their freak flags, providing them wider exposure for their art. The festival is un-juried and uncensored, to give the vibe an “almost anything goes” feel. (If you’re bringing younger kids, there are separate sections cordoned off and clearly marked.)

Gibson and Dow purposefully structured the Fringe Festival to level the playing field for artists who wouldn’t otherwise have access to the expensive things that performing artists need.

For a relatively small investment from the artist, the festival provides a network of venues, props, technical support, publicity and other overhead. Partnerships with sponsors help to defray costs, with 100% of ticket sales given to the artists. Gibson likened it to producing theater with training wheels, with having a safety net in place.

“We recognize the limitations in accessing resources, and we’re especially interested in lifting the voices in underserved communities to invest in the quality of life in Harrisburg,” Gibson said.

A lottery system for applications helps keep the selection process as fair and unbiased as possible, with 30% of space reserved for under-represented groups. The structure will enable artists to be successful in a way that’s beneficial to them. Without any popularity network, new artists can more easily gain a platform.

All the shows last 60 minutes or less, with tickets selling for no more than $10. There’s also a live-streaming option with a Q&A period leading up to the event.

“This might be an artist’s big break,” Gibson said. “Then again, not everyone will knock it out of the park, and that’s OK.”

More Talent

The original Fringe Festival started in Edinburgh in 1947, when several poorer performing arts companies ran their own separate festival parallel to an official festival only meant for its elite citizenry. It didn’t take long for the hoi polloi to climb their way through the upper crust, pop through the top, and stomp holes in it, surpassing the city’s official festival in international popularity. You can find other Fringe Festivals in certain larger cities, like Orlando, Kansas City, New York, Philadelphia and Toronto.

Harrisburg’s upcoming, four-day festival comes on the heels of a pilot fundraiser event, “Fringe in a Day,” held in August 2022, a 24-hour festival where artists were challenged to create works based on a surprise theme. In contrast, works performed at the upcoming Fringe Festival “will be a lot more thought out,” Dow said.

“Artists spend a ton of time putting [their performances] together,” Dow said.

Gibson and Dow have big goals for future fringe festivals, including international outreach. But for their initial run, they’re keeping plans manageable and expectations grounded. Dow sees the festival as a way to simultaneously grow and reflect the diverse community of Harrisburg.

“If we don’t keep it basic and give ourselves room to grow, we won’t get out of the starting gate,” Gibson said.

So, for this year, they’re going with what’s available, accessing some key resources and model elements from the Orlando Fringe Festival.

“This city is ripe with so much potential, but we don’t have time to showcase everyone,” Gibson said. “We’re marketing all over the world for artists to come here, to put Harrisburg on an international stage. With so many great venues and Black excellence we’ve invested in, we have more talent than we deserve.”

The Harrisburg Fringe Festival takes place July 6 to 9 at various venues in the city. For more information, visit www.hbgfringe.com.

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Musical Notes: Sounds of Summer

June 29, 2023 | by Skye Leppo

The heat of summer is ablaze on stages throughout the capital region this July, as Harrisburg’s concert offerings are sure to get you on your feet—or in the Ticketmaster queue (insert groan here). Check out our top picks below, or slide into our DMs if there’s a great gig coming to the area that you feel we’ve overlooked—we may just have to check it out for ourselves.

DON’T MISS

Jason Isbell and the 400 Unit, 7/26, HU Presents Summer Series, Riverfront Park

Falling somewhere between the subset of outlaw country acts and Americana rock is Jason Isbell, who perhaps could be called one of, if not the greatest, songwriter of his time (and this endorsement is coming from a diehard Swiftie). Isbell, a talented instrumentalist in his own right, is bringing his band, the 400 Unit, to Riverfront Park for what is sure to be a memorable performance in support of their latest album, “Weathervanes.” For those who aren’t familiar with Isbell’s music, I’ll suggest the beautiful single, “If We Were Vampires,” from 2017’s “The Nashville Sound” album, and “It’s A Man’s, Man’s, Man’s World (featuring Brittney Spencer)” from 2021’s “Georgia Blue.” The show is the opener to the Harrisburg University Presents Summer Concert Series.

FOR NOSTALGIA’S SAKE

Joyce Manor & Tigers Jaw, 7/12, H*MAC

A cursory glance at the syllabus for “Pop Punk: A History” should include at least some mention of the emo/pop-punk music scene from circa 2008-13, when a slew of millennials who grew up with influences of Simple Plan and Blink-182 started creating their own innovative projects (see also: Modern Baseball, Pine Barons, The Wonder Years, et al.). The California-based outfit Joyce Manor, and Tigers Jaw, who hail from Scranton, would certainly make at least the footnotes of this chapter for me, having caught both bands a few times in the early 2010s on small and large stages alike throughout the tri-state area. This is listed as an all-ages show. This writer recommends wearing closed toe shoes for what will surely result in some form of light mosh pit.

ENCORE

The Roots, 7/29, HU Presents Summer Series, Riverfront Park

I don’t think I need to convince you to go see The Roots. Literally listen to any of this band’s incredible array of work from the last four decades and let the music do the persuasion. This show at the Harrisburg waterfront will be an amazing return for Questlove, Black Thought and the rest of the Philly-based hip-hop group, who delivered an incredible set at the same venue in 2022 that left all of us wanting more (or from my vantage point, resulting in a terrible case of FOMO after failing to plan accordingly). Don’t be me. Plan accordingly.

FOR CONSIDERATION

Tori Amos, 7/6, Hershey Theatre

Tori Amos is bringing her “Ocean to Ocean” tour to Hershey Theatre this month for an intimate evening with the trailblazing songwriter. As a sad girl music fan, I feel an obligation to highlight this opportunity to see the legendary Amos, though tickets for this show are scarce.

Honorable Mentions

Zac Brown Band, 7/1, Hersheypark Stadium

The Struts, 7/14, XL LIVE

Willi Carlisle, 7/19, H*MAC

Bayside, 7/21, H*MAC

Declan McKenna, 7/22, XL LIVE

Spetters, Babel Map and Winona Davenport, 7/23, West Shore Theatre

Please check bag and entry policies for venues before you go.

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More Catharsis than Comedy: It may not be a perfect movie, but “The Miracle Club” elicits a “strange draw”

June 29, 2023 | by Sammi Leigh Melville

Image courtesy of Sony Classics.

Years ago, a scandal arose in a small village on the outskirts of Dublin. And now, following the death of a woman and a local charity talent show, the past is about to resurface.

Except it’s not “now.” Director Thaddeus O’Sullivan’s film, “The Miracle Club,” takes place in the late ‘60s, a setting that seems to accentuate the broiling drama of the working-class Irish women at the film’s core.

Chrissie (Laura Linney) said that she would not return to Ireland until her mother had passed, and now that she’s there, she realizes that everyone has forgotten that wasn’t her decision. When she was just a teenager, she got pregnant, and her mother, her best friend, Eileen (Kathy Bates), and her boyfriend’s mother, Lily (Maggie Smith), turned on her. The result (in a nutshell) was that Chrissie moved to America, and her boyfriend drowned in the sea.

Now, 40 years later, Eileen has a lump on her breast, Lily has one leg that’s longer than the other, and their friend, a young woman named Dolly (Agnes O’Casey), has a mute son. And the three of them are trying to win a trip to Lourdes, France, where rumor has it the Virgin Mary visited and caused a domino effect of miracles throughout the years. Father Dermot (Mark O’Halloran) convinces Chrissie to make the trip for a chance at more emotional healing, and so three generations of women are off on a tangled and complicated journey that brings out every skeleton in their closet. These women go searching for miracles and discover their own miracle of love and reconciliation.

It’s a bit tricky to pin this one down in terms of a review. Was it a good film? Well, it has a good story, though the writing isn’t always great—and good acting, though there are some weak points in the directing that could have strengthened the performances. And funnily enough, the film’s marketing may be a hinderance. Though every promotional site calls the film a comedy (one even describes it as “joyful and hilarious”), “The Miracle Club” could be better described as a story of four women processing their grief and trauma, with some comedy around the edges.

From this reviewer’s perspective, the comedic bits are not, by far, the most compelling parts. For instance, the entire purpose of the husbands in the film is comic relief, as they realize they need to survive for a week without their wives. But the film would not have faltered for a second without their inclusion (my suspicion is that they wanted to add Stephen Rea into the supporting cast). Nor did it greatly need Dolly’s fourth-wheel story arc. Though she is an endearing character and O’Casey is an on-screen delight, it does feel like she is wholly separate from her friends’ tangled web.

That being said, the film has a strange draw to it, and, in just an hour and a half, it will provide some major catharsis to its audience. It’s got good bones and a good cast, and that, really, is all a film needs to stand on its own these days. “The Miracle Club” will play at Midtown Cinema this July.

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

July Events At Midtown Cinema

Music on the Patio
Every Thursday, 6 to 8 p.m.

Harrisburg Fringe Festival
July 6 to 9

Film Openings
“Miracle Club”
Friday, July 14

“Barbie” and “Oppenheimer”
Friday, July 21

“Theatre Camp”
Friday, July 28

Down in Front! Presents
“Grizzly 2: The Revenge!”
Friday, July 14, 9:30 p.m.(ish)

Free Outdoor Films
“Jaws”
Saturday, July 15, sundown

“Cabaret”
Thursday, July 27, sundown

3rd in the Burg Movie Night
“The Last Unicorn” (1982)
Friday, July 21, 9:30 p.m.

National Theatre Live
“Good”
Sunday, July 16, 5 p.m.

“Best of Enemies”
Sunday, July 23, 5 p.m.

“Fleabag”
Sunday, July 30, 7 p.m.

Trivia Night on the Big Screen
Tuesday, July 25, 7 p.m.

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The Painted Word: For an artistic experience, Venture down to York

June 29, 2023 | by Bob MacGinnes

Susan McDaniel, JoAnne Schiavone and Karen Paust

The Three Musketeers, protagonists of the Alexandre Dumas novel published in 1844, focuses on the exploits and adventures of this legendary trio as protectors of the King of France.

King Street in York is home to a vibrant art scene as an anchor of the Royal Square District, joined by Queen Street, forming a vanguard of variety ranging from galleries to shops, restaurants, bistros, taverns and breweries. It is home to an eclectic courtyard and even boasts a grand hotel, the Yorktowne.

If you’re looking for a jumping off point, start at Venture, a unique fortress of “craft.art.design” led by York’s version of the Three Musketeers. Only this trio of gendarmes is female, with Susan McDaniel, Karen Paust and JoAnne Schiavone comprising this modern-day version of the Gascon swashbucklers. It was Susan who enlisted Karen and JoAnne, all friends for years, to join her in a pop-up shop in 2018 at the space where Venture is found today. The genesis for that project was an offshoot of the Parliament Art Organization in York, encouraging Susan to “go for it.” Together, the three “wunderkinds” were all in for the adventure.

When one enters Venture, a portal to the “World of Art Imagination” flings open far and wide. Taking in its Technicolor vista of beauty, what the eye beholds first is not always what it appears to be upon closer inspection. Trompe l’oeil is at play throughout this art salon, tickling the senses. Prolific flowers are actually made of paper, yet one swears they are real; logs for the fireplace are actually knitted out of wool. Wall art, wearable art, jewelry and more float into the ether of fantasy unbound. There is so much to drink in at Venture that it may trip sensory overload.

As the founder of Venture, Susan’s philosophical approach encompasses “gathering dreamers in the area to craft and share in a communal hand-making process, all in the name of art, while providing an environment where people can come and appreciate and participate equally.”

Power couple, Susan McDaniel and her husband, award-winning furniture-maker, Peter Danko, Venture forth together in their artistic endeavors. Susan is a fiber artist, weaving worlds of wonder, whimsical and wild. Peter’s contributions to the interior’s mix include chairs and tables unmatched yet united by a certain flourish of fantasy. Danko is not physically a presence in the gallery and yet his touches are ever present. His works are represented in major museums like the Museum of Modern Art, Philadelphia Museum of Art and Boston Museum of Fine Art.

Multitalented Karen Paust dabbles in so many mediums and art forms that, at times, it seems that she invents them as she goes. Her forte as a “bead artist” is recognized throughout the United States. Her repertoire includes jewelry, fiber scarves, art cards and a panoply of products from A to Z. She also has a fine art gallery, Mobilia, in Cambridge, Mass. She shared that, “The key ingredient to life is the ability to make something out of nothing.” Growing up in rural America, she confessed, “Childhood remembrances of the best kind were imagination’s thrall, leading to creativity unbound. Using so little in way of materials somehow sprung forth wondrous treasures.”

JoAnne Schiavone sculpts magic out of paper by turning wood pulp, cotton fiber, wasp nests, mulberry tree bark and wastepaper pulp into art. As the paper sculptress queen, JoAnne adds pixie dust sprinkles, sweeping the gallery’s nooks and crannies with her magical creations. Paper flowers adorn a desktop defying the laws of nature as they are crafted artisanally and not grown in a garden. Books of all sorts made by the artist’s hands beg to be handled with care, as each page is a treasure to behold. Exquisitely buoyant bound books become collectibles with closures of twine and button and others sleeping in their own slip box. From her college days, JoAnne was eco-conscious before it came into vogue. Her paper looks as if she threw the best of nature in a blender and hit the “dream” switch, surreal as dreams become, in pieces and fragments begging to coalesce and make sense. What may not seem clear in the subconscious mind comes into crystal clarity with her paper presentations fully realized.

Expanding the trio’s diverse creations, the picture’s completed with collaborators that include the arresting acrylic paintings of Andi Simpson and the unique jewelry of silversmith Patty Kline Green. April Moon Peacock (an artist name like none other) fashions fantastic baubles from industrial found objects while Laurie Brooks of Spool in Columbia, Pa., creates fiber pendants detailed by depth of color rich and saturated. Venture is a gateway to dreams and imagination, a land of enchantment, energy and enlightenment.

For five years, these “Queens of King” have joined forces to establish the corner square of E. King, taking it by storm. Heroines brandishing art mediums with aplomb, no parapet too high to scale, their grand design of an adventure turned into Venture, a gallery worthy of a king’s ransom. Collectively, the ladies bring a certain Zen to their gallery that visually paints an ever-changing backdrop of seasonal sensuality. One cannot help but be moved when taking in the beauty surrounding the interior.

Venture forth to partake of each vignette created by an ever-changing roster of artists to find the appeal in the level of craftsmanship brought to everything they create. Swords are sheathed and muskets mounted as tools of their trade supplant weaponry for beauty’s charms. This venturous threesome with derring-do bravado, like the Musketeers of yore, shares the motto: “All for one and one for all.”

Venture is located at 128 E. King St., York. For more information, visit www.ventureroyalsquare.business.site or their Facebook page.

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Harrisburg City Council tweaks proposed use of American Rescue Plan Act funds, approves affordable housing development

June 28, 2023 | by Maddie Gittens

A past Harrisburg City Council meeting

At a legislative session on Tuesday, Harrisburg City Council made adjustments to the mayor’s proposal to use a large chunk of federal COVID relief money.

Council voted to make several changes to Mayor Wanda Williams’ proposed allocation of $28.1 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding—deciding to put money towards assisting seniors, supporting job training and funding emergency housing.

The proposal to use a large portion of the city’s total $47 million from ARPA incorporates major projects such as constructing a new pool facility in the Hall Manor neighborhood at a cost of $8 million and using $8 million to fund affordable housing projects.

Council voted in favor of changing the administration’s original proposal of building a spray park at the site of the Hall Manor pool, which has been closed, to instead replacing the pool.

“Listening to the hundreds of residents throughout our town halls […] it’s clear as day […] a pool is so needed,” council member Ralph Rodriguez.

Most other amendments made by council don’t change the city’s original proposal, but rather propose the use of several million dollars in remaining ARPA funds that Williams had not yet earmarked for use. Council voted in favor of adding to the proposal $1 million for a workforce development/internship program for city youth and $1 million to address short-term and transitional housing needs.

Another $500,000 would go towards creating “community connection hubs” for workforce development at locations around the city and $250,000 would support nonprofits that assist the elderly. An additional $150,000 would support a pilot program for assisting local corner stores in providing fresh produce.

If the final proposal is approved by council, almost all of Harrisburg’s ARPA funds would be allocated. Council already approved the use of $15.6 million in June to reimburse the city for lost revenue during the pandemic, to replace the HVAC system in the city’s Public Safety Building and for one-time bonuses to uniformed personnel in the Harrisburg Fire Bureau and Bureau of Police.

Under ARPA rule, all funds must be allocated by the end of 2024 and spent by the end of 2026.

Council is slated to vote on the final proposed ARPA spending plan on Wednesday, July 5.

In other news, council also approved a land development plan for JMB Gardens, a 41-unit affordable housing project planned for the 2200- and 2300-blocks of N. 6^th Street. The plan includes constructing several rowhome-style buildings on currently vacant lots.

Harrisburg-based Vice Capital, owned by former NFL running back LeSean McCoy, is the developer of the project and officials said that they plan to break ground on the development in August.

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Harrisburg’s Fourth of July festival to return, city announces new July Music Series

June 28, 2023 | by Maddie Gittens

Harrisburg Mayor Wanda Williams announced the Fourth of July Food Truck and Fireworks Festival on Wednesday, along with event sponsors.

As July rounds the corner, Harrisburg plans to kick off the month with food, music and spectacle.

The city announced, at a press conference on Wednesday, its annual Fourth of July Food Truck and Fireworks Festival, which will return to N. Front Street on Tuesday, along with an upcoming summer music series.

“The 4^th of July is when Harrisburg shines,” said Mayor Wanda Williams. “We urge everyone to come happy and definitely hungry and ready to have a good time.”

The festival, from 1 to 9 p.m., will include nearly 50 food trucks, featuring everything from dumplings to shaved ice to specialty waffles to PA Farm Show milkshakes. There will also be a wine and beer garden with selections from several local brewers and vineyards.

For families, the festival will have free kids’ activities with balloon animals, face painting, yard games, a magician and more.

Live music can be heard all day at the main stage, located between Liberty and State streets.

New this year, the city will host a “shop local” vendor area near the Civic Club of Harrisburg, where people can shop wares from local artisans and small businesses.

To close out the day, a fireworks display will shoot off from City Island beginning at 9:15 p.m. and will be visible from the riverfront. The display, which officials called “one of the best fireworks shows in central Pennsylvania,” will last about 15 minutes and include some 2,000 fireworks shells.

After an incident at last year’s Fourth of July festival in Harrisburg that caused attendees to flee from the riverfront just before the fireworks show, city officials assured the public that this year’s event will be safe.

“There will be a large complement of officers detailed just to the riverfront for the festivities and will be there all day,” explained Lt. Kyle Gautsch of the Harrisburg Police Bureau. “We are taking every step we can to ensure that last year’s events don’t take place again this year and everyone has a safe and happy 4^th of July.”

Police vehicles and officers will be located along N. Front Street throughout the day, as well, he added.

Free street parking will be available in the city on July 4. Parking is also available on City Island for $5 and $10 parking, from 12 p.m. to 12 a.m., can be found at the Square Garage.

N. Front Street will be closed to vehicle traffic from Forster to Walnut streets, from 9 a.m. to 12 a.m., on July 4. The Market Street Bridge will close westbound from 6:30 p.m. to 12 a.m.

In addition to the holiday festivities, Harrisburg announced its new July Music Series, which will take place at the Reservoir Park bandshell, from July 2 through 30.

The series, hosted by the city and Harrisburg-based nonprofit Pop’s House, will offer the community six free nights of music in the park.

The program will include the following events:

July 2—Mayor Williams’ Rising Stars Youth Showcase, 6-8:30 p.m.
July 4—Harrisburg Symphony Orchestra, 6:30-8:30 p.m.
July 9—Gospel Night with R.E.I.G.N., 6-8:30 p.m.
July 15—Jazz under the Stars with Mike Philips-5-10 p.m.
July 23—Reggae Night with Jah Works, 6-8:30 p.m.
July 30—Latin Night with Mako Swing, 6-8:30 p.m.

“There is something for everyone in July at the bandshell,” Williams said.

For more information, visit Harrisburg’s website.

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Harrisburg School District to demolish long-vacant William Penn building, approves 2023-24 budget

June 27, 2023 | by Maddie Gittens

Harrisburg School Board meeting on Tuesday

The Harrisburg School District on Tuesday took action on two significant agenda items—the district’s budget and the future of one of its most storied buildings.

District Receiver Dr. Lori Suski approved the demolition of the long-vacant and blighted William Penn School building, citing the financial burden that it has caused the district.

“We have gone through extensive dialogue about this property,” Suski said. “The building was improperly shuttered years ago, and I agree with the residents that it’s a travesty. But we need to look at how best to use our resources. It doesn’t really appear that there is any other direction to go than to proceed with the demolition.”

Suski approved a $6.8 million proposal from the Gordian Group to demolish the building, built in 1926.

According to district officials at a previous board meeting, William Penn has increasingly suffered structural damage, fires and break-ins. Over the years, the school district weighed options such as selling the building and renovating it for use as a magnet middle school. However, Suski explained that the district wasn’t interested in any sales offers it got and received quotes estimating renovations could be as high as $90 million.

Several William Penn graduates and community members attended Tuesday’s meeting to express frustration with the plan to demolish the building.

“I’m upset that they allowed the building to deteriorate,” said Elle Richard, of the William Penn class of 1966. “It shouldn’t have gone this far. It’s sad because it seemed so much like home.”

David Morrison, executive director of the Historic Harrisburg Association, said that while he wished the building could have been adaptively reused, “that moment, sadly, appears to be long gone,” he said.

“To lose that majestic façade that looms over Italian Lake will indeed be an enduring loss,” he added. “But we know that you can’t save everything.”

Some school board members expressed support for the decision to demolish the building, agreeing with district officials that maintaining the building had become too costly.

“It does hurt that this decision had to be made,” said school board director Danielle Robinson. “We’ve done everything to try to figure out how to save this building but realistically it just can’t be done.”

The school district will likely begin demolition in August or September, which would take around a year to complete, said John Reedy, chief of operations for the district.

According to Superintendent Eric Turman, the district plans to host community meetings in the fall to hear input from residents on how they’d like to see the property used after William Penn is demolished.

Also on Tuesday, Suski approved the final 2023-24 budget of $218.5 million, which does not include a property tax increase.

Taxes will remain at a millage rate of 30.78.

In an earlier form of the preliminary budget, the district proposed raising taxes by 3.25%, however, officials removed the tax hike from the proposal at a previous meeting.

The 2023-24 budget is lower than the 2022-23 budget of $223.8 million, due to the end of some of the district’s Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief (ESSER) money, COVID relief funding, officials stated.

In other news, Suski also approved the termination of a license agreement of the district’s Joshua Farm with Harrisburg-based Wildheart Ministries, effective June 30. According to Suski, since the district began the partnership with the nonprofit about a month ago, the district has had concerns with the way the organization has used the property, located at 213 S. 18^th St.

Suski said that district officials will create a new plan later this summer for the use of the property.

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New content creation, event space opens in downtown Mechanicsburg

June 26, 2023 | by Lawrance Binda

Interior of The Content Creator’s Collective

A new space where entrepreneurs can create and collaborate debuted over the weekend in downtown Mechanicsburg.

Brand photographer Shannon Claire opened The Content Creator’s Collective in first-floor space at 1 E. Main St., formerly the home of Glitz Soap Co.

“We have beautiful natural light, multiple sets and backdrop options set up, props and tripods that make it easy and convenient for our members and guests to create content for their online marketing needs,” she said.

Shannon Claire

Claire said that it took her some five years to find exactly the type of space that she wanted for her business.

“As a photographer, I had specific criteria and aesthetic in mind for a space like this,” she said. “It’s been well worth the wait because this location has everything I was looking for.”

The 1,000-square-foot space also will be used to host a variety of events, Claire said. These include co-working sessions, content creation days, workshops and pop-up shops featuring local boutiques and small businesses.

In addition, businesses can rent out the space for small events such as baby showers, bridal showers, business meetings, etc. Memberships and sponsorships are also available.

“I am passionate about helping other business owners succeed, and opening The Collective gives me many avenues to make that happen,” Claire said.

The Content Creator’s Collective is located at 1 E. Main St., Mechanicsburg. For more information, e-mail [email protected] or visit www.theShannonClaire.com/studio.

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The Week that Was: News and features around Harrisburg

June 23, 2023 | by Lawrance Binda and Maddie Gittens

Harrisburg Mayor Wanda Williams (left) and City Council President Danielle Bowers cut the ribbon on the new Chutes and Ladders Playground, along with other local officials and children.

It’s a rainy weekend around Harrisburg, which makes it the perfect time to visit a local coffee shop, art museum library or movie theater. Don’t forget to support small businesses! First, take the time to catch up on our local news coverage, below.

“Blue Jean” gives a “beautiful portrayal” of a woman struggling with sexual identity, says our movie reviewer. The film plays this month at Midtown Cinema in Harrisburg.

Chutes and Ladders Playground opened in Reservoir Park in Harrisburg this week, concluding a six-year-long project, our online story reported. The new $1 million playground is inspired by the children’s board game of the same name.

Harrisburg University announced a partnership with Recycle Bicycle, our online story reported. The partnership will provide free bikes, training and internship opportunities to students.

The Jewish Federation of Greater Harrisburg announced David Cohen as its new president and CEO, our online story reported. Cohen will help the federation transition to the new Alexander Grass Campus for Jewish Life, which is slated to open later this year.

Juneteenth HBG organizers joined with Pennsylvania Legislative Black Caucus members on Monday for a press conference to celebrate the holiday commemorating the end of slavery in the United States, our online story reported. The press conference capped weeks of educational, artistic and musical events.

Mansion Concerts is bringing the house concert culture to Harrisburg, our magazine story reported. The performances, held at the Manor on Front, feature singer-songwriters and acoustic guitarists, among other musicians.

M&T Bank’s Capital Region Multicultural Small Business Lab concluded after seven weeks of courses for local entrepreneurs, our online story reported. The lab finished with a pitch competition, crowning three winners.

Panna cotta is the perfect summer dessert, says our cooking columnist Rosemary. Find the recipe for the Italian delicacy, here.

Pedal Pusher Bicycle Shop is celebrating 50 years of serving the Harrisburg area. In our magazine story, read about Ted Carskadon, the new owner, and the future of the shop.

Pickleball popularity is sweeping the nation and the Harrisburg area will soon have its first indoor facility devoted entirely to the sport, our magazine story reported. Smash Point Pickleball is expected to open the first week of July in Hampden Township.

Sara Bozich has a ton of great ways to spend the weekend around Harrisburg. Find them all, here.

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Capital Region Multicultural Business Lab concludes, awards several area startups

June 22, 2023 | by Maddie Gittens

Josue Osorto (front, third from right), pitch competition winner from M&T Bank’s Capital Region Multicultural Small Business Lab, among other officials.

Several Harrisburg-area startup businesses have received a financial boost after participating in a local small businesses training program.

M&T Bank’s Capital Region Multicultural Small Business Lab recently concluded with a pitch competition, crowning three local businesses as winners.

“The Capital Region Multicultural Small Business Lab empowers Greater Harrisburg’s entrepreneurs and provides their small businesses with the resources to grow,” said Nora Habig, M&T’s regional president for Central and Western Pennsylvania.

The pitch competition, held on June 21, wrapped up a seven-week business accelerator program that began in May in partnership with the Center for Innovation & Entrepreneurship (CIE) at Harrisburg University. During the free program, local minority entrepreneurs attended weekly business classes at HU.

Josue Osorto, founder of Bespoke Vending, won the $6,000 grand prize for pitching his vending machine company that sells popular, trending, nostalgic and hard-to-find snacks from around the world. Osorto, the son of El Salvadoran immigrants living in Hummelstown, started his business in September 2022 and plans to use the funds to purchase more vending machines and create a website.

Coming in second place and winning $4,000 was Corey Dupree, owner of Men Raising Black Boys. BreAna Blount, owner of Bre’s Eats-n-Sweets, won the third-place prize of $2,000.

The Capital Region Multicultural Small Business Lab launched in 2022 to provide minority small-business owners with free access to resources and education to grow their businesses. Last year, M&T Bank and the Center for Innovation & Entrepreneurship at Harrisburg University received the 2022 Catalyst Award from the Harrisburg Regional Chamber and CREDC for its impact on the area.

“Supporting small businesses remains at the core of M&T, and we’re proud to invest in diverse small businesses within the Harrisburg community,” Habig said.

For more information, visit M&T Bank’s website.

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