Strum Fun: Susquehanna Folk Festival tunes up for a return to live music

July 29, 2022 | by Ellen Frantz

HeatherMae & Crys Matthews

This summer, music festivals are back in central PA. To the great relief of traditional and acoustic music fans, this includes the return of the Susquehanna Folk Festival.

For the first time since 2019, the festival will return fully live this month, now setting up camp at the York Expo Center. All of the festival’s old traditions will be back, with some new experiences added to the mix.

The Susquehanna Folk Festival will take place both inside and outside with six different stages showcasing a variety of acts from across the country and region. There will also be workshops for fans to test their folk performance skills, as well as contests for storytellers and a host of family-friendly activities.

Since its founding in 1985, the Susquehanna Folk Music Society’s mission has been to support folk music, art and dance in the area, whether by local or nationally known artists, said Executive Director Peter Winter Lee. The festival started many years ago, but was then replaced by a recurring concert series. It was brought back in 2018 and held at Ski Roundtop.

During 2020 and 2021, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the festival was held over the course of the summer in a hybrid style, with half of the performances online and the others in-person.

Lee said that the area’s folk fans are excited that the live festival is back.

“We are a 100% grassroots, volunteer-driven organization,” Lee said. “It’s been really, really cool to see everyone who loves this music, from our newest members in their 20s and 30s, to our veteran members who have been around since the founding, bring this back and put so much time into it. Susquehanna Folk only works if the people in it want it to happen. Watching everyone volunteer these hours has been really inspiring.”

This year’s festival features musical acts from across the globe, and about 4,000 people are expected to attend.

Artists like Rory Block and Grammy Award-winners, the Watkins Family Hour, will perform, as well as local groups like Cas Ceol.

Food trucks have been added this year, and many festival-goers are excited by the large camping area, Lee said. Spaces must be reserved in advance with prices ranging from $76 for one car to $106 for an RV. Since it moved to the York Expo Center, the festival has more space both inside and outside for activities like swing dancing.

New this year will be the “Archive Challenge,” in which three festival musicians will have access to the online archives of the Library of Congress’ decades-old music catalog. They then can choose to make one of those songs their own and perform it. A talkback will follow each performance, with the performer and a Library of Congress representative offering history on the piece.

Local trio Cumberland Honey is among the groups performing at the festival. Made up of members Steph Landis, Grace Mahar and Virginia Masland, the female group specializes in folk and singer-songwriter music, with a touch of Appalachian bluegrass—a genre Landis refers to as “folkgrasscana.”

The band started in 2017 as a duo between Landis and Masland, adding Mahar a few months ago.

“We definitely have a good musical connection,” Landis said.

Mahar added that she is “honored” to be included in the band.

“This is what I wanted from the start, 10 years ago when I started making music, an all-girl folk band,” said Mahar. “It was like a dream come true.”

The group was initially set to perform at the 2021 Susquehanna Folk Festival, but plans fell through. However, they’re grateful for the timing since they now can perform at the festival with a third member.

“I’m really excited that it’s finally happening,” Landis said. “Now, we’re a three-piece, so we can do three-part harmony. Timing is everything and works out whenever it’s supposed to, whether we think it’s going to or not.”

For Lee, the event is an opportunity, once again, to provide a stage to performers and a great event to attendees.

“We want to honor our mission by giving a platform to the amazing local performers we have, while also bringing in titanic, top-tier talent to the local area,” he said.

The Susquehanna Folk Festival takes place Aug. 12 to 14 at the York Expo Center, 334 Carlisle Ave., York. For more information and tickets, visit www.sfmsfolk.org/festival.

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

Elm Emergency: Giant tree in Harrisburg neighborhood poses safety hazard, set to get chopped

July 28, 2022 | by Maddie Gittens

An 80-year-old elm tree located in Midtown Harrisburg poses a safety threat to residents and will be removed starting Monday.

One Harrisburg tree has created a trunk load of issues for a block of Midtown.

The city and PPL Electric Utilities plan soon to remove a large elm tree that has become entwined with power lines and overtaken several backyards. The massive tree is located on properties between Green, Harris, Penn and Clinton streets.

“This is going to be very complicated,” said Maggie Sheely, regional affairs director for PPL. “Rarely, if ever, have we encountered a tree of this complexity.”

PPL discovered the 80-year-old tree after residents called with concerns over tree branches colliding with power lines. According to Sheely, if the company didn’t remove it, the deteriorating tree would be a fire hazard, could possibly fall and would present a dangerous situation to residents.

“We are trying to get in here before anything else happens,” she said.

Typically, trees on private property fall under the responsibility of the property owners. However, in this situation, Harrisburg and PPL stepped in for safety reasons, explained Matt Maisel, communications director for the city. PPL will cover removal expenses.

A large elm tree in Midtown will be removed. Photo courtesy of PPL Electric Utilities.

Starting Monday, PPL will begin removing the tree piece-by-piece. They will use a 100-ton tree removal truck to dismantle the tree, located in a tight, backyard area between several houses, with fences, balconies and other obstacles.

During the process, parking and traffic will be affected on several roads. Parking and through-traffic on Green Street, between Harris and Clinton streets, will be restricted through Aug. 5. Sections of Penn Street, from Harris to Clinton, Harris Street, from Penn to Green, and Clinton Street, from Penn to Green, will also remain closed during this time.

Additionally, the Maclay and Green street intersection will be closed from 6 to 11 a.m. on Monday to allow the tree removal truck to maneuver onto the road.

The work will affect about 56 customers and 25 residences. One of those residents is Laura Olenowski, who has lived on Penn Street for five years.

“I can’t wait for it to go down,” she said. “I’m glad it’ll be gone, and I won’t have to pay for it.”

On Thursday, wires came loose, hanging down in Olenowski’s backyard. Another draped down just beyond her fence. She hasn’t been letting her dog out back, afraid he may touch the wires.

A view of the tree from Olenowski’s backyard on Penn Street. Loose wires hang over her property.

Her next-door neighbor, Lisette D., said she called PPL in May when her lights were flickering, and they saw the huge tree, part of which has destroyed a balcony in the apartment building where she rents.

Sheely said that PPL plans to conduct outreach to neighbors on Thursday night to let them know what will happen. Likely, many of the neighbors on the block will lose electricity for most of Monday and part of Tuesday. PPL will have some generators running to help with power outages, Sheely said. The city will not force anyone to leave their homes during the tree removal.

According to Maisel, the city has partnered with HACC Midtown, who offered their building at 1523 N. 4th St. as a day shelter for impacted residents on Monday and Tuesday when their power is out. There will be a place to park their cars, cool off from the heat and work, if they work remotely. The Red Cross of Central Pennsylvania will also provide water and snacks during this time.

Sheely said that residents did the right thing by calling PPL to let them know about the tree and urges other residents to do the same if they have concerns.

“We rely on customers to let us know if they notice something,” she said.

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

Weekend Roundup with Sara Bozich

July 28, 2022 | by Sara Bozich

Plan your weekend with my weekly list of things to do around Harrisburg and central PA! Scroll down or use the menu links to find ideas for your weekend.

What you’ll find:

For your weekend planning
Top Weekend Recs
- Thursday
- Friday
- Saturday
- Sunday
Like this content?

For something new: The July SoMa Block Party is TONIGHT! A must-visit in downtown Harrisburg. Check us out. Central PA Pride Festival is Saturday. Then, go see The Dirty Sweet at The Englewood.

Worth noting: BIG changes are coming in this space! Check out my private Facebook community, Cheers Harrisburg to get the first peeks.

Things on my agenda this weekend: I’m OOO ’til August.

Don’t forget to support your local brewery! Click here to find one near you.

For your weekend planning

FAQs about the SoMa Block Party Series
Debunking 4 Myths about a Hersheypark Season Pass
There’s still time to book a getaway – without the hassle
View my local Restaurant Directory or Local Brewery, Winery, & Cidery Directory
See what else you missed on the blog.

Below are options for your weekend.

Things to Do in Harrisburg + Central PA | Weekend Roundup | Sara Bozich

Top Weekend Recs

Enter to WIN tickets to see Lord Huron Aug. 20 in Riverfront Park
Don’t miss what’s next in HU’s Summer Concert Series
Make travel plans (with a discount + perks)
Submit your events for the Weekend Roundup

Thursday

July SoMa Block Party – Get the details here.
Thursday Night Live with Natalie Darkes with Pride Festival of Central PA at Lovedraft’s Brewing Co.
Saint Eldred at The Sturges Speakeasy
Anastasia at Hershey Theatre
The SpongeBob Musical at The Ephrata Performing Arts Center
Curiosity Kids: General Store at The State Museum of Pennsylvania
Friends of Midtown presents The Adventures of Pricilla, Queen of the Desert | FREE Outdoor Film at Midtown Cinema
Zoology Zone Interactive Cart at Hershey Gardens
Sunset Relaxation Float with Susquehanna Outfitters
HIIT @ Burn30

What are you doing this weekend around Harrisburg? Let us know on Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram.

Like this content?

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

McCormick Riverfront Library to close for a week in August as construction, renovation continues

July 27, 2022 | by Maddie Gittens

McCormick Riverfront Library

The McCormick Riverfront Library will turn another page on its expansion project.

On Wednesday, the library announced that it would close from Aug. 8 to 13 as it starts the next phase of renovation.

The library will begin work in its upstairs area, as part of its $3.5 million “Your Place to Belong” project to connect the building to the neighboring Haldeman Haly House and renovate both properties. The project is expected to be completed by early fall.

Additionally, the library’s elevator, which provides access to the main floor will be unavailable until further notice. Members who cannot use the stairs can call library staff at 717-234-4976 to arrange curbside pick-up for their borrowed materials.

The community at-large is also able to use the library’s curbside pickup services during the closure. The Dauphin County Library System’s seven other libraries will remain open for access as well.

Items returned to the outside book drop boxes may not be checked in right away, but late fees are not currently being assessed due to COVID constraints.

The McCormick Riverfront Library is located at 101 Walnut St., Harrisburg. For more information on the library closing, call 717-234-4961. To learn more about the “Your Place to Belong” project, visit their website.

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

Blanket Statement: Harrisburg students design social justice quilt, display in city hall

July 26, 2022 | by Maddie Gittens

St. Stephen’s Episcopal School teacher JoAnn Baldwin, students Sanai Galloway and Elijah Daniel, and Mayor Wanda Williams in front of the social justice quilt in city hall.

Each year, JoAnn Baldwin, a third-grade teacher at St. Stephen’s Episcopal School in Harrisburg, gives her class a name.

At the beginning of this past year, she dubbed them the “change makers,” which was fitting for a project her students would soon undertake—creating a social justice quilt.

On Tuesday, Baldwin and students showed off the work of art, which Harrisburg will display in its MLK City Government Center for the coming weeks.

“I’m so proud of them,” Baldwin said. “These are 9-year-olds learning about what it means to be fair and what equality means.”

According to Baldwin, the school was approached by members of Shippensburg University’s Department of Multicultural Student Affairs in September 2021, which invited the class to participate in the project. Students each designed a fabric square depicting themes around identity and social justice. Shippensburg assembled the quilt and displayed it on campus in October.

Social justice quilt, designed by St. Stephen’s students

Elijah Daniel, 9, drew a peace sign surrounded with words like “be yourself” and “good grades” on his square. Another student, Sanai Galloway, said that “it feels amazing” to see her artwork hung in city hall. Others included phrases like “Black Lives Matter,” “don’t give up,” and “diversity.”

“I think this is a great opportunity for people to see in the city of Harrisburg that these kids are passionate about doing something right,” Mayor Wanda Williams said. “They are residents of the city of Harrisburg, and why not let the residents show what our city can do?”

Baldwin said that, during the process of creating the quilt, the class had discussions about social justice, something that’s already built into the regular St. Stephen’s curriculum, she said.

“I feel like I’m doing what I need to be doing as an educator,” she said. “This is our future. I’m showing them how they can make a change.”

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

Community Comment: The bicycle community is “not separate” from the Allison Hill community

July 25, 2022 | by Brandon Basom

State Street in Harrisburg

Editor’s Note: Earlier today, we published an op-ed from Harrisburg Mayor Wanda Williams regarding the State Street project. TheBurg believes in healthy civic discourse and welcomes responses to published opinions.

****

In her op-ed statement published to the city’s website and in TheBurg, Mayor Wanda Williams states that she has “heard the complaints of the bicycle community.” The words that follow show the exact opposite. The words she puts forth as coming from this community are her words, not theirs.

The majority of the members of the “bicycle community” commenting regarding the State Street redesign plan are not separate from the residents and community of Allison Hill; they are Harrisburg’s citizens who travel to and from the neighborhood. They are not recreational through traffic, and they are not commuters. A trip into Recycle Bicycle will quickly show that those who ride bikes in that part of the city are almost entirely from the surrounding community.

And what they have tried to tell the mayor repeatedly is very simple: there is no safe path between the city’s downtown core and Allison Hill for people who are not driving a motor vehicle. This includes disabled people who cannot legally drive or who use scooters and other mobility options that would benefit from access to a bike lane, as well as residents who cannot afford a car. And if the city fails to provide a safe route, residents of Harrisburg will continue to literally, not figuratively, die.

The “demand” to be “appeased” is for the city to plan and build that route, and the focus on State Street is because there is currently funding available for it and because it is the strongest candidate. Does the mayor expect residents to believe that when funding is available for road improvements again, with the limitations on the city’s budget, that it will put State Street at the top of the queue and redo it again? There are certainly other options than State Street that the city could explore, but there is no communication and no leadership indicating intent to do so.

The mayor’s piece implies that the needs of the disabled are opposed to those who choose not to use, can’t afford, or aren’t allowed to operate automobiles. This is both untrue and the worst form of political strategy, the pitting of one group against another to diffuse blowback and deflect responsibility for preventable tragedies.

It is not civil to demand that people whose needs for safety are not being met give up their place in the public discourse, especially when you have failed to even speak to their actual concerns.

I will conclude with a quote that I find relevant from the urbanist Enrique Peñalosa Londoño: “A bike lane is a powerful symbol that the life of a person on a $30 bicycle is as important as a person in a $30,000 car.”

Brandon Basom is a Harrisburg resident and volunteer for Recycle Bicycle.

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

Community Comment: “The lack of civility towards others must stop”

July 25, 2022 | by Mayor Wanda R.D. Williams

State Street in Harrisburg (file photo)

“If we lose love and self-respect for each other, this is how we finally die.”

The great Maya Angelou may have passed eight years ago, yet I am reminded of these words every time I hear or read the public discourse about the ongoing State Street construction project. We are losing our ability to love and respect each other, and many of us are too concerned with personal wishes instead of the desires of others.

Before we talk about construction on State Street, let’s talk about the construction of State Street. This is one of the most important roads in our city. A gateway, if you will, which for years served as the literal and figurative entry point for state government workers and anyone else coming into the capital. It is beautiful and picturesque, lined with towering trees, providing a natural, tunnel-like canopy ahead of the State Street Bridge. Few, if any other cities in the country, offer the type of entrance to its state Capitol as Harrisburg does, and standing atop it all is the beautiful neighborhood of Allison Hill.

Allison Hill is unmatched in its beauty, and yet, for years, as a neighborhood, it has been cast aside. The families who live along State Street and its side roads have lived in Harrisburg for generations, and yet, for years, they’ve been ignored. These are the people who built Harrisburg, have seen it rise and fall, and will be here as it rises again. When the people of Harrisburg voted me into the mayor’s office, they did so because I promised to finally be a mayor who would listen to them. This is what we started to do immediately into my term.

On Jan. 14, only 11 days into my time in office, my staff noticed a deep flaw in one of the ongoing construction projects: the State Street Rapid Response Plan. This plan, which was created and approved by the previous administration, would have created dedicated, protected bicycle lanes as part of multimodal grant approved by PennDOT. It also would have eliminated all parking on the westbound side of the road from 7 to 9 a.m., and from 4 to 6 p.m. on the eastbound side. We immediately went to work on halting this plan, and a cease-and-desist letter was issued to the construction company on April 20.

I’ve heard the complaints from the bicycle community. “Parking is not a right! No one has assigned spaces elsewhere in the city!” While that may be true, what is a right is handicap accessibility. Tuesday, July 26 marks the 32^nd anniversary of one of the most important laws passed by Congress: the Americans with Disabilities Act. For more than three decades, the ADA has ensured that accessibility for handicapped individuals is a civil right. Taking away a disabled individuals ability to park without an acceptable alternative for four hours every day would be needlessly cruel, and the city would have opened up a Pandora’s box of legal, moral and ethical issues that are just not in the best interests of the city, and most importantly, its residents.

It is time we move on from the finger pointing and blame games which have poisoned this process. The State Street construction plan we are putting in front of City Council will still be safer, and more pedestrian- and resident-friendly than the road is currently. We have to work within the rules set in front of us. State Street is, at the end of the day, owned by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation. They want to keep the road five lanes to allow for a more free-flow of traffic until construction is complete on the I-83 Capital Beltway. Once complete, we hope to make it the more residential road it needs to be, equipped with dedicated and protected bicycle lanes.

In the meantime, though, what is central to my administration is the wishes of the residents of State Street, and the families who for years have not had their voices heard. We hear you now. Once construction is complete, the new State Street will be freshly paved, with brighter intersections, better timed traffic lights, raised crosswalks, more crosswalks, and additional visual cues telling drivers to slow down! I know this plan will not appease everyone, but I make no apologies for listening first and foremost to the folks who live there. This may be the state’s street, but this is our road, and the resident’s home.

Wanda R.D. Williams is the mayor of Harrisburg.

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

The Week that Was: News and features around Harrisburg

July 22, 2022 | by Lawrance Binda and Maddie Gittens

Steelton-Highspire Jr./Sr. High School students and Home Depot volunteers painted outside the school building on Wednesday

While Harrisburg heats up this weekend, find some shade, chill out and catch up on this week’s local news, listed and linked, below.

Dauphin County’s Cultural Fest will return to City Island in Harrisburg on Aug. 20, our online story reported. The event will include music, food and dance from cultures around the world.

Destiny Dairy Bar in Carlisle offers non-homogenized creamline milk and ice cream fresh from the farm. In our magazine story, read about owner Amy Brickner’s passion for her farm and business.

“Faith Into Action” has brought students from local churches together this week in Harrisburg to clean up the city’s parks, our online story reported. The group has also hosted several block parties for residents at parks around the city.

Find Toby in PA helps reunite missing pets with their owners, our magazine story reported. According to the latest data, Find Toby helped reunite 5,754 pets in 2019 alone.

The Gunther family of Harrisburg has been on a journey to find a cure for their son Drew, who has Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, a fatal genetic disorder. In our follow-up to a story TheBurg published last year about the family, the Gunther’s share that their search for a cure will soon take them out of the country.

The Harrisburg Mile took place this week on Front Street, our online story reported. For the 41^st year, runners showed off their speed to raise money for the East Shore YMCA.

The Harrisburg Police Bureau will host its annual National Night Out, offering the community a night of fun, food and a chance to interact with local first responders, our online story reported. The event will take place on Aug. 2 at Camp Curtin Academy.

“Hot Spot Saturdays” is a summer initiative aimed at involving both Harrisburg residents and the city in cleaning up illegal dumping sites. In our online story, find out how to get involved.

A pipe organ, recently installed at Market Square Presbyterian Church, is believed to be the first one in decades installed in a Harrisburg church. In our magazine story, read about the importance of the organ to the church’s worship.

Sara Bozich has a list that includes both indoor and outdoor events for this weekend, whether you prefer to stay out of the heat or soak up the sun.

Souls Shot Portrait Project is looking for Harrisburg area families who have lost a loved one to gun violence to participate in an art exhibit planned for early next year, our online story reported. The exhibit, coming to the Susquehanna Art Museum, will honor victims of gun violence and bring awareness to the issue.

Steelton-Highspire Jr./Sr. High School students worked on a beautification project at their school, alongside volunteers from Home Depot, our online story reported. The company awarded the school an almost $20,000 grant for the project, aimed at giving the students hands-on learning experience.

“Turbo Cola” is a heist movie that was filmed in New Cumberland, directed and produced by local residents, our online story reported. Producer Brandon Keeton explains how they made the film and its success thus far.

The West Shore Historical Society found out that the Sheepford Road Bridge was in jeopardy of demolition and members launched a plan to save it. Find out what happened to the historic Cumberland County bridge, in our magazine story.

Do you receive TheBurg Daily, our daily digest of news and events delivered right to your email inbox? If not, sign up here!

Support quality local journalism. Join Friends of TheBurg today!

Fun & Games: Harrisburg Board Game Day invites community to connect around the table

July 22, 2022 | by Maddie Gittens

Harrisburg Board Game Day in 2019

It’s a whole day dedicated to rolling the dice, playing your hand and, hopefully, coming out on top when the points are tallied.

Harrisburg Board Game Day is headed downtown, to Whitaker Center on Sept. 4, when anyone can join in on the tabletop action.

“Whatever you want to play will be there,” said Matt Caylor, a Midtown resident and organizer of the event. “It’s generally a very welcoming community.”

According to Caylor, the intent behind the day of gaming is multi-faceted—to provide an event to those who love board games, to introduce the hobby to newbies, and to bring people together in the city.

From 12 to 8 p.m., groups or individuals can join the free event and test out new games or find others to join in on their favorites. There will be everything from card games to Eurogames to social deduction games. Some may take a few minutes to play, while others could take hours. Both beginner and experienced gamers can find something to enjoy, explained Caylor.

This will be the fifth year of the event, previously called Midtown Board Game Day. The name change signifies Caylor’s hope for an even larger and more diverse crowd at the event, inclusive of all city residents and those in the surrounding communities. The last board game day in 2019, before a pandemic halt, drew around 150 people. Caylor said that this year may be even larger.

“Board games break down the conversation wall,” he said. “It bridges the gap for meeting new people. The best experiences are when you’re able to get people that are not like yourself around the table.”

Harrisburg Board Game Day will partner with The Bodhana Group, a nonprofit focused on board gaming as therapy, for access to its large game library. Several board game designers also will attend and allow people to test their games to provide feedback.

The event will include a raffle and door prizes, along with some snacks. Registration is encouraged, but people can also walk into the event and participate. The event is family-friendly.

Caylor, a self-professed board game geek, is excited to find new games to play and possibly add to his personal collection of around 200 games. But, he’s really looking forward to the connections he will make with other community members while chatting around the table.

“It’s an avenue to find a way to bond with the people around me,” he said.

To register for Harrisburg Board Game Day, click here. For more information, visit the Facebook event page.

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

And Action! Local filmmaker releases “Turbo Cola,” a heist movie filmed in New Cumberland

July 21, 2022 | by Ellen Frantz

Producer Brandon Keeton (right) and director Luke Covert at a screening of “Turbo Cola.”

Brandon Keeton won a scholarship in an acting contest his senior year of high school–but he didn’t take it.

Instead, he joined the Marine Corps, a choice that Keeton described as the “best life decision [he’s] ever made.” But after serving for 21 years and opening a martial arts academy, Tiger Rock Martial Arts in Camp Hill, Keeton decided to return to his passion for theater.

In June, the Camp Hill resident released his film, “Turbo Cola,” produced by Keeton and filmed in New Cumberland.

The movie, directed by Luke Covert of Lemoyne, can be described as “The Breakfast Club” meets “Oceans 11”–a heist film about teenagers who rob a gas station on New Year’s Eve 1999. Keeton was introduced to the script, written by Samantha Oty, at a playwriting contest, reworking it to make it easier to film.

New Cumberland residents may recognize the gas station used in the movie as the Quality Gas Station at 101 Bridge St. It’s still a working gas station, which created a challenge when filming.

The film was shot after hours, from 9 p.m. to 6 a.m. The crew had to remove historically inaccurate signage, like Red Bull advertisements and the prices of cigarettes, before filming each night and put it all back before the station opened again the next morning. Whatever they couldn’t fix, viewers called them out on social media, Keeton said.

“I had to fly out an active-duty Army guy who took leave to be in our movie,” Keeton said. “He was a pretty big guy, and his job was to lift heavy things.”

The film had five months of pre-production, with two weeks of shooting in December 2020.

“The actors were always on the ball,” Keeton said.

Keeton got his start as an actor in Scott’s Lawn Care commercials. Eventually, the company went with bigger names, especially for their big Super Bowl ad.

“It took three A-listers to replace me,” Keeton said.

In March 2020, he was getting ready to open a second Tiger Rock Martial Arts location. On the day classes were set to start, the government announced a mandated lockdown due to the pandemic.

Being only two months into his acting career, Keeton took his grandmother’s advice and “threw himself” into the industry by contacting the director of his Tiger Rock commercials, Covert, and asked if he wanted to make a movie. From there, “Turbo Cola” was born.

Since its release, the film has received an 86% critic rating on Rotten Tomatoes and an 80% rating from audience members. Keeton said that the film took first place in several regional film festivals, was nominated for Best Picture at the Austin Lift Off Film Festival, and was nominated for Best Cinematography at the Dallas Film Festival. “Turbo Cola” was accepted into the Festival of Cinema in Queens, the New York Independent Film Festival and the Las Vegas Premiere Film Festival.

“Turbo Cola” is distributed by Giant Pictures. It is available for streaming on Amazon, Apple TV, Google Play, Vudo and XBOX.

Keeton is currently looking for investors for his next film project and said it will also take place in the area.

“It was really cool to showcase central Pennsylvania,” he said.

Watch the trailer for “Turbo Cola,” here. For more information, visit their Instagram account.

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

You May Also Like

You May Also Like

What you’ll find:

For your weekend planning

Top Weekend Recs

Thursday

Friday

Saturday

Sunday

Like this content?

You May Also Like

You May Also Like

You May Also Like

You May Also Like

You May Also Like

You May Also Like

You May Also Like

You May Also Like