Drive-Thru Joy: Christmas Spirit Light Show may be the perfect holiday outing for our times

November 30, 2020 | by Phyllis Zimmerman

Traditions may be upended this year, but some seem better suited than others for a holiday focused on smaller gatherings and distanced interactions.

Christmas Spirit Light Show, an annual, drive-through light show in Clipper Magazine Stadium in Lancaster, is a great example.

Husband-and-wife proprietors Chris Brink and Yana Banova-Brink of Middletown not only want you to visit this year, but they hope it becomes a holiday tradition even when we’re able to gather together again in large groups.

“We hope that people can create memories of bringing their families together here every year,” Chris Brink said. “We’re striving to create the most exciting light show in central Pennsylvania.”

Christmas Spirit Light Show first opened to the public in 2017 at Manheim Community Park. That changed, though, when Mike Reynolds, general manager for the Lancaster Barnstormers, happened to stop by. Reynolds was so impressed by the displays that he invited Chris and Yana to move their show to his team’s home, Clipper Magazine Stadium.

Chris and Yana are touting this year’s mile-long, drive-thru show as their largest yet, with a total of 500,000 brilliant bulbs set inside the stadium and throughout a rear parking area.

The drive lasts 20 minutes from start to finish, transporting visitors through six dazzling tunnels lit to synchronize with holiday music favorites for all ages. Most of the displays comprise pixel smart lights programmed across “hundreds of thousands of channels that can make any colors you want,” Chris said.

Though a naturally distanced event, even Christmas Spirit Light Show needed to adjust to the unfortunate realities of the pandemic. This year’s event is drive-thru only. Santa visits and refreshments sales on the stadium’s field won’t be open this year.

In retrospect, designing a large-scale, public light display wasn’t a far stretch for Brink, a 12-year mechanical engineering veteran at Lower Swatara Township-based Phoenix Contact, a developer and manufacturer of industrial electrical and electronic technology products. He was inspired to create his display after touring a similar light show in Nashville. It was the first light show he ever saw synchronized to music.

“There was nothing quite like it in our area,” he recalled.

So, he decided to make one of his own.

Soon, the do-it-yourself light/music show became a joint venture for Chris and Yana, a self-described “artist by nature” who attended art school in New Orleans. Both were interested in starting a home business together.

As it turned out, this was a home business that sprouted in the family’s cellar.

“All our structures were made in our basement or outside in our yard,” Yana said. “We made it all.”

Today, it takes Chris, Yana, extended family and a hired crew around six weeks to set the stadium alight for the holidays each year.

To assemble metal light display frames, the couple learned how to weld. Same for the show’s display and power boxes. As the couple progressed, son Ruehl, 10, and daughter Amelie, 8, chipped in, accompanied by son Silas, 5.

“With three children, we know this is a precious moment for families,” Yana said. “People lean out of car windows when they leave and yell to us that the show was amazing.”

Each year, Christmas Spirit Light Show donates a portion of its proceeds to a selected charity. This year’s recipient is Clare House, which provides housing and financial stability to homeless women and young children.

Through Silas, who was born with Down Syndrome, Chris and Yana realized that children with special needs often are especially receptive to their productions and encourage special-needs families to visit.

“I like that, in some way, we’re contributing to people’s happy holiday experiences,” Yana said. “We don’t do it for the money. We feel very fortunate knowing we can do something this year (in the pandemic).”

Christmas Spirit Light Show runs through December at Clipper Magazine Stadium, 650 N. Prince St., Lancaster. Days and times vary. For more information, visit www.christmasspiritlightshows.com.

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Walk This Way: Cove Mountain Preserve expansion to benefit nature, naturalists, communities

November 30, 2020 | by Rebecca Johnson

Hikers, rejoice! You’ll soon have new trails to blaze.

The Cove Mountain Preserve has plans for a major expansion—an extension that will offer new opportunities for recreation, hunting and other activities—and create a 14-mile stretch of protected land along the Kittatinny Ridge. The preserve is in Marysville, just north of the capital city.

The Pennsylvania and Delaware chapters of the Nature Conservancy (TNC) recently announced the purchase of former timberlands that will quadruple the size of the protected area and connect existing trails on Cove Mountain to PA state game lands, the Appalachian Trail and the borough of Marysville.

The conservancy acquired 353 acres at the southeastern end of Cove Mountain in late 2017, an area that had been eyed by developers for years. Now, it plans to purchase 1,100 additional adjacent acres, which will protect the land from development and fragmentation, while offering visitors pristine views of the Susquehanna River Valley.

“We want to strike a balance between preserving nature and providing access and economic opportunity,” said Keith Fisher, director of conservation programs.

Fisher said that TNC is working with the PA Game Commission, Appalachian Trail Conservancy, the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources and communities and local development authorities to evaluate existing conditions and devise the best plan to improve forest health and support individual benefit.

“We want to protect biodiversity and help nature adapt,” Fisher said. “The Kittatinny Ridge is a critical corridor running north to south. It provides diverse microhabitats and the ability to move between them, so its disconnection would be detrimental.”

TNC will continue to manage the area to support forest health and climate resilience and as habitat for native wildlife that need unfragmented forest corridors to survive, like black bears and bobcats. This landscape will become even more important as temperatures rise and species move further north or to higher elevations. TNC will continue to manage the forest for timber harvesting, too, part of TNC’s “Working Woodlands” program.

Amplifying the area’s importance and value is its benefit to local communities. Outdoor recreation and tourism are an important industry for Perry County, and this expansion holds promise that local businesses can grow to meet this demand.

Michelle Jones of the Perry County Economic Development Authority is excited about the expansion, as she spearheads the downtown revitalization of the county’s nine boroughs. She said that one factor identified in economic studies is the opportunity for outdoor recreation.

“Our primary goal is connectivity of these nine towns that are quite lovely,” Jones said. “We want to focus on bolstering and accentuating our downtown areas for families and small businesses, while maintaining an authentic connection. And we are nailing it right now, moving in the right direction.”

Perry County’s recent “Return on Environment” report found that the county brought in nearly $60 million from outdoor tourism in 2019. Dwarfing that number is the money saved and resources provided by Perry County’s protected areas—functions like pollination, erosion control, flood protection, carbon sequestration and water purification.

These factors add to the area’s climate resilience and its value as a natural respite.

“The goal and hope is to make sure people are aware of this opportunity in their community and take advantage of it—and become aware of how it fits in locally and in the larger picture,” Fisher said.

The authority has all nine boroughs participating in the PA Downtown Center Main Street Coordinating Program, a community-based approach to downtown and business district revitalization.

Jones said that the focus now is how to provide better access, and she has plans in the works that “dovetail beautifully” with Cove Mountain Preserve’s expansion, including the connection with the AT and a waterway expansion on Sherman’s Creek.

“It’s all tying together wonderfully,” she said.

The Kittatinny Ridge is one of the most important natural landscapes in the mid-Atlantic, running more than 200 miles through 11 PA counties and into New Jersey and New York. Known locally as Blue Mountain, the ridge is the eastern edge of the Appalachians and a highway of biodiversity. It has been designated a “Conservation Landscape” by PA DCNR and is an internationally important corridor for migratory birds and birds-of-prey.

“We have more than we realize,” Jones said. “You forget what’s in your own backyard.”

To learn more about Cove Mountain Preserve, visit the Nature Conservancy’s website at www.nature.org.

Stories on environmental topics are proudly sponsored by LCSWMA

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Joyous Reprise: Joy to the Burg returns to offer musical comfort, fight homelessness

November 30, 2020 | by Barbara Trainin Blank

Christyan Seay

What do you do when a pandemic nixes your holiday concert?

You make adjustments.

For instance, “Joy to the Burg” will be different this year, but still will be devoted to spreading joy and strengthening community.

Now in its second season, the community artist program—which raises funds for homelessness programs provided by Christian Churches United of the Tri-County Area—is more vital than even before, said Darrel Reinford, CCU’s executive director.

“The program especially benefits vulnerable populations, like people on the street or families who have lost their jobs and housing during the pandemic, to get back on their feet,” he said.

Joy to the Burg features an album/CD of Christmas songs by local musicians and bands, as it did last year.

“People in the arts are particularly suffering financially,” said Sheldon Jones, founder and executive director of the program. “But the music community of central Pennsylvania has united around this cause with tremendous excitement and enthusiasm.”

This year, 17 musicians and bands will perform the songs, all in the public domain. And this year, in lieu of a live concert, “Good Day PA” will feature a special “Joy to the Burg” show on Dec. 15 from 10 to 11 a.m., featuring a mix of live interviews and stories with pre-recorded band performances.

Last year, Joy to the Burg —combining proceeds of the album and concert ticket sales — raised nearly $24,000 for Christian Churches United. CCU used part of the funding to establish a new women’s shelter, which opened the week of Christmas in the Grace Methodist Church in downtown Harrisburg.

Building a shelter is only the first step, according to CCU, which supports people facing homelessness, poverty, crisis situations and incarceration.

“You also need to make sure they’re safe,” said Reinford. “A lot of planning goes into it.”

To serve the homeless and populations at risk, CCU partners with churches, businesses, concerned neighbors and local government partners.

One such partner is the Rotary Club of Harrisburg, a sponsor of Joy to the Burg. The Rotary is involved in the community artistic program on two levels this year, lending financial support to CCU but also music.

Rotary president James Good is part of a band called the Goods. With a repertoire of country music, bluegrass and blues, he plays dobro and steel guitar, while his wife Karen plays keyboards. The band will be singing and playing “Children, Go Where I Send Thee,” an old spiritual that James heard as a child.

“Being part of Joy to the Burg seemed a natural fit with the Rotary’s commitment to service, to make the community a better place,” he said.

Each winter, the club provides volunteers who help staff two winter overnight shelters—one for men, and one for women—run by CCU.

Another song on the album is “Ave Maria,” as arranged by composer Franz Schubert. It will be sung by tenor Christyan Seay, accompanied on keyboard by Caleb Flick.

“Schubert’s Ave Maria has become a staple during the Christmas holiday season, since the text translates the announcement to the Virgin Mary of the coming Christ child,” said Seay, the artistic director of the Capital Area Music Association, a community choral organization that performs music of African American composers and African American culture. “I love the music of this composer and thought this would be a good musical contribution to this project.”

Another CCU partner is Karns Foods, which will have the Joy to the Burg CD available for sale at several locations within its stores, including the customer service desk and select checkout registers.

“Joy to the Burg is filled with wonderful seasonal sounds, but the most important thing is that folks can pick up the recording,” said Andrea Karns, vice president of marketing and sales. “Now more than ever, as a community, we need to get creative, join together as partners and find solutions to help one another out.”

In addition to the CD, patrons can buy drop cards with a code on the back for downloading.

Between the Christmas music and the help Joy to the Burg gives to those in need, the pandemic cannot dampen the holiday spirit.

“It is always a joy to be in the company of my musical colleagues doing what feeds our souls—making music,” Seay said. “The needs in the coming year will be greater, and, thus, we will do our part to share resources and provide relief.”

For more information about Joy to the Burg, visit www.ccuhbg.org/joy-to-the-burg/joy-to-the-burg.html. On Dec. 15, “Good Day PA” will air a special “Joy to the Burg” program on ABC 27 from 10 to 11 a.m.

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December Editor’s Note

November 30, 2020 | by Lawrance Binda

One of my reporters calls herself “the COVID whisperer.”

She’s written so many stories about the coronavirus that I now have to apologize when I send her yet another assignment that somehow involves that horrible ailment.

In my three decades as a journalist, I’ve never seen one story so dominate the news.

COVID businesses? COVID vacations? COVID arts? Yup, we’ve done all of these—and many, many others. Hey, COVID Christmas, anyone?

So, my apologies to readers who may be exhausted by COVID “insert subject here.” However, the pandemic has shaken the foundation of our lives, has become the sea we’ve all had to swim in (or, more accurately, tread water in) for most of 2020.

In this issue, you’ll find a story or two or three that again references the pandemic, especially how it has reshaped our annual traditions. Each December, we feature a section on holiday celebrations, so, unfortunately, the subject couldn’t be avoided.

However, our stories, I believe, tend to take the glass-half-full approach, highlighting the incredible resiliency of our community and our traditions. In addition, this issue contains genuine signs of hope—for instance, new businesses that are opening despite the economic devastation wrought by the pandemic.

Having said this—I will be delighted when I never have to type those five capital letters again. Nothing will make me happier than when these stories are no longer necessary.

So, just for a moment, let’s think about next year. Let’s imagine a December 2021 with raucous holiday parties and huge family gatherings and hugs and kisses for the new year—all done without fear of catching or spreading this microscopic menace.

And that’s my holiday hope for all readers of TheBurg.

Lawrance Binda
Co-Publisher/Editor-in-Chief

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Artist in Focus: Vivi on Verbeke

November 30, 2020 | by TheBurg Editor

If you know TheBurg, you probably know Vivian Sterste.

Our arts writer Bob has featured Vivi, her partner Jackson “Jeb” Boyd, and their artwork numerous times in his blogs and columns.

An arts educator by training, Vivi today holds forth from her eponymous studio and shop, Vivi on Verbeke, in the shadow of the Broad Street Market in Harrisburg. There, you’ll discover a treasure trove of creations—paintings, pottery, photographs and other constructions and imaginings.

And, as Bob has stated repeatedly, you’ll also find some very warm people and great conversation.

On this page, we’re proud to showcase a sample of her work. But we urge you to drop by her storefront studio for the full Vivi and Jeb experience and, while there, purchase something truly special, crafted with care and skill.

Vivi on Verbeke is located at 258 Verbeke St., Harrisburg. To schedule a visit, contact the owners on their Facebook or Instagram page by private message (Vivi on Verbeke), email at [email protected] or call 717-961-9826.

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Daily Devotion: Lonely Monk remains devoted to a heavenly cup

November 30, 2020 | by Diane White McNaughton

“It’s been a long journey for me.”

That’s how Josh Willits characterizes his unlikely road from globetrotting engineer to the owner of Lonely Monk Coffee, a new coffee roaster shop in Lemoyne.

But, for Willits, it’s also been a long taste journey, which included stops along the way through the “big three” of mass production to-go jolts: McDonald’s, Dunkin Donuts and Starbucks.

At one point, he tasted some truly spectacular coffee and instantly saw the benefits of fresh-grinding his own beans. When he began to travel internationally for a private equity company to the French Alps, Amsterdam and the United Kingdom, his coffee palette became even more refined.

Then about 14 years ago, Willits met Leon Miller, the founder of Lonely Monk Coffee in Lancaster and still its brewmaster. Miller, a Mennonite minister, also had seen the coffee light while in Europe and, upon returning, had made it his mission to recreate that fine flavor in the United States.

Willits quickly became a true-blue fan.

In fact, he became such a fan that, earlier this year, when Miller began inching toward retirement, driven by the pandemic and health issues, he bought out the operation and moved it to Lemoyne.

The Lonely Monk baton was passed. Happily, Miller remains the roastmaster at Lonely Monk, named because, like Willits and Miller, monks are singularly devoted to a cause.

“I was definitely excited to bring this to the West Shore,” Willits said.

Lonely Monk Coffee has been served in Lancaster for about 15 years. Caffeine lovers still can buy it at Pop & Perk, Lancaster Sweet Shoppe and Rachel’s Crêperie in Lancaster.

With catchy options like Nun’s Habit and Holy Grounds, the coffee also can be ordered online for $14 for a 12-ounce bag.

Lonely Monk employs fluid bed roasting, which, according to Willits, offers a smoother flavor in contrast to the more-popular drum roasting method.

“It’s all very artisan for us,” he said.

Family Affair

Lonely Monk is not a sit-down or quick-serve coffee shop, though it may turn into one in the future.

The site, on Herman Avenue next to Grace United Methodist Church, was once Asana, a lime-green yoga studio that closed in July. In less than a week, it was transformed into a cozy home of hardwood, stained glass, stainless steel, lush green plants, statement pillows and pithy coffee-quote plaques for once-a-week private tastings of the aromatic roast. It also serves as home base for local deliveries.

Red and white plastic drums at the front of the shop and a large metal roasting machine are the heart of the operation.

Willits still works full-time for a web company. His wife, LaShae, a schoolteacher in Mechanicsburg, helps, as do his two kids, ages 12 and 8. They all assist in packaging the beans and delivering. His dad helps, as well.

“It’s a real family affair,” he said.

He offered a private tasting of three cups—one each from Peru, the Costa Rica/Guatemala region and Ethiopia, where coffee originated. His tastings become upper-level courses in all-things coffee.

For his tastings, the coffee has a thick crust that looks like browned crème brûlée. When the crust is broken with a spoon, Willits encourages patrons to dip their head down to drink in the aroma.

Slurping is encouraged, he said, because it wets your whole palette.

Part of Willits’ coffee course includes recounting the tale of St. Vitalis, a monk in Alexandria in the 600s who was reviled for patronizing brothels. However, after his murder, it was discovered that he was really entering the brothels to pay the women to stay off the streets. That story lies at the heart of his social consciousness, as he quietly helps others.

Willits said that, this month, Lonely Monk is supporting Polaris Project, a national nonprofit that runs a human trafficking hotline.

He hopes that you will join him in his good works and in indulging your, um, habit, making Lonely Monk part of your daily devotions. Amen.

Lonely Monk Coffee Roasting is located at 303 Herman Ave., Lemoyne. For more information, call 717-473-9607 or visit www.lonelymonkcoffeeroasting.com.

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Signs of the Times: As COVID broke, the commonwealth quickly pivoted to get vital health information to PA’s deaf community

November 30, 2020 | by M. Diane McCormick

Cren Quigley & Cindi Brown

The call came while Melissa Hawkins was in a staff meeting. Gov. Tom Wolf needed a sign language interpreter for a news conference. On that day in March, reporters were crammed into the PA Emergency Management Agency (PEMA) media room.

Hawkins wonders now: How did anyone survive?

“Nobody even had a sign for COVID,” said the director of the Pennsylvania Office for the Deaf & Hard of Hearing. “There was nothing. Nobody really knew much about it. The rumors were going around. The deaf community had no idea. They had no idea what was going on. We were not prepared for the escalation of how quickly it was going to happen.”

COVID-19 has ushered in a new age for sign language interpreters. In Pennsylvania, a complex machine whirs away behind the onscreen interpreters who communicate health messages to the state’s 1.2 million deaf and hard-of-hearing citizens. In the process, they have raised public awareness of the role interpreters play and the challenges faced by the deaf.

As Debi, the now-familiar interpreter with the long hair and expressive face, puts it, she used to get shocked looks at the store when trying to explain to people that she is deaf, and they needed to find another way to communicate. Now, people know “that they should be gesturing with me, as opposed to speaking louder.”

“I think it actually makes it easier for the deaf community to interact with those other members of society who are not deaf,” she said.

Again and Again

On a brisk Monday morning, a door in the PEMA media room opened, and Pennsylvania Health Secretary Rachel Levine stepped to the podium. Cren Quigley took his socially distanced place beside her. Behind the cameras, another woman stepped onto a kind of soapbox built into the industrial-carpeted floor. She faced Quigley.

You’ve seen Quigley. He is the male half of the state’s two COVID-briefing interpreters. But the unseen woman on the soapbox is integral to the process. This is Cindi Brown, and she is the hearing interpreter in the room.

Quigley and Debi (who asked that her last name not be used) are deaf. They are also Certified Deaf Interpreters. Among all interpreters, CDIs are the elite—highly trained professionals, certified with the Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf and skilled in communicating to deaf people of all comprehension abilities. Some, but not all, deaf people use American Sign Language. Others use an English-language amalgamation known as pidgin sign English. Some read lips. Others don’t. Some have limited vision.

“If you only communicate in sign language, you don’t get a lot of what is said, or if it’s just captioning, you might not see the captioning that’s put on TV,” said Hawkins, who is deaf and who spoke answers to questions translated by Brown via Zoom call.

All deaf interpreters qualified to work on state, court, health care and other certain business must be registered with the state, proving their training and capabilities under a law known as Act 57. Of the 601 state-registered interpreters, only 11 are CDIs. When that first news conference turned into briefings “again and again and again,” Hawkins realized that a CDI was needed to reach the full scope of the deaf community. Quigley and Debi answered her call.

Brown, a state-registered interpreter, became their hearing translator for briefings. From her spot on her box, she puts the speaker’s words into pidgin sign English, which the CDIs instantly turn into their universally recognizable, and very expressive, translation.

Pennsylvania’s interpreters “are really putting that message out there beautifully and professionally,” said Hawkins, whose office is in the Department of Labor & Industry.

Expressions

Why do the interpreters wear black? With light-skinned interpreters, it’s for contrast with the hands.

“It’s just much easier for deaf people to see the hands and facial expressions,” Debi volunteered, also speaking through Brown. “I know. Black is boring, and my closet is full of boring black clothes, but it does help make it easier for the deaf people.”

Hawkins jumped in.

“You can always tell when we’re not working because we wear colors,” she said.

Debi affirmed with a “yay” gesture of upraised fists and a seated Snoopy dance.

Why are CDIs so expressive? CDIs employ the full vocabulary available to them—ASL, regional dialect and the vivid facial expressions that make the message accessible to deaf viewers with limited language skills. Raise the eyebrows for a yes-or-no question (“Are you coming with me?”). Furrow the brows for a who-what-where-when-why variety (“When are you coming?”).

“I’m very expressive because I am from a family who is deaf,” Debi said. “I went to a school for deaf people. So, my expression seems to be more obvious than some other people’s. Some people love to watch my expressions.”

Here’s irony. Debi studied biology in college. Her favorite subject? Viruses.

But an aunt who was an interpreter encouraged her to give it a try, so she did a bit on the side. After graduation, an interpreter referral agency called, and she figured it would make a nice summer gig. That was about 25 years ago.

Brown’s brother, 12 years her junior, is deaf. She became his interpreter when the family couldn’t find one, “and here I am, 22 years later.”

“Thank goodness for both of you,” interjected Hawkins.

She is this crew’s teambuilder. Every day, they park at PEMA headquarters, ready—black outfits at hand—to interpret for last-minute briefings. Occasionally, they enjoy a break when a briefing is canceled.

Each endures the pressure cooker with help from family, friends or pets, including Debi’s three dogs, and Hawkins’ menagerie “from an iguana to horses.” When Brown praised Hawkins for her hard work in obtaining CDIs for the briefings and keeping communications flowing, Hawkins was near tears.

“We’ve gone through a lot in the past few months, and definitely, it’s been challenging, taking us away from our families, taking us away from our pets,” she said. “We’re definitely a really tight team now, all of us, and I consider them my family.”

Part of the Team

Language evolves, said Debi, “and the same thing happens with American Sign Language.” The deaf community doesn’t invent new signs as much as form different ways of conveying information through movement and expression.

Of course, a sign for COVID-19 has materialized. Make a fist with one hand and spike out the fingers of the other. Place spiked hand on top of fist in a kind of, well, corona, and what do you have? The spiky ball of the COVID virus.

The briefings continue. Hawkins praises Wolf and Levine for their support.

“We’re not just people standing in the back of the room,” she said. “We’re part of their team.”

Commonwealth Media Services, producer of the broadcasts, keeps the lighting noticeably bright in the PEMA media room and created the innovative two-camera format that puts the interpreter beside the speaker on the screen, although they are socially distanced in real life.

Sometimes, Debi is recognized in the grocery store, but she won’t accept the “celebrity” tag. Family and friends know her, and the deaf community is proud to see CDIs on stage. Some mornings, the drive to Harrisburg from her home in Chester County looms like a chore, but then she remembers the why.

“In the back of my mind, I’m always saying, ‘Yes, yes, the deaf people are depending on you to provide them with the message,’” she said. “And I know that I want deaf people to know what’s going on, so I’m here to provide information for deaf people. It’s not my choice to be here. I’m here so deaf people understand what’s going on.”

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Silver and Gold

November 30, 2020 | by TheBurg Editor

Festive window displays popped up quickly last month as Thanksgiving wound down and the holiday season began in earnest. We were so impressed that we decided to put together a photo feature of some of our favorite decorated shops in the Harrisburg area.

Thank you so much to our local shopkeepers for keeping this time merry despite the challenges we face. At TheBurg, we hope that this page serves as a reminder to patronize and support locally owned businesses, many of which are struggling this year. Please remember the essential role that local businesses play in our community, how much we need them to be here for us. Happy holidays!

Happenings: Our December Calendar of Events

November 30, 2020 | by TheBurg Editor

Museum & Art Spaces

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

“Look . . . They Gave Me a Map,” an exhibit examining the enduring appeal of free road maps, through April 23

“Minibike Mania,” a display of more than two dozen miniature motorbikes, through April 23

“Yeah, It’s Got a Hemi!” an exhibit focused on Hemi engines, through April 23

“Yes, We Drive These Cars!” an exhibit of the earliest automobiles, through April 23

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

“Annual Holiday Show,” featuring an eclectic display of unique and affordable art and crafts for sales, through Dec. 31

“Observations & Experiences,” featuring the works of Peg Belcastro, Carden Holland, Maureen Joyce and Julie Riker, Dec. 4-Jan. 7

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

December artist: Jessica Pietro

Fort Hunter
5300 N. Front St., Harrisburg
717-599-5751; forthunter.org

“Christmas at Fort Hunter,” a holiday tradition with new safety precautions that features traditional decorations of fresh greens and fruits, dried materials and fresh flowers, Dec. 1-23

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

“Annual Holiday Show,” an eclectic display of unique and affordable art and crafts for sale, through Dec. 31

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

Holiday group exhibition featuring the works of in-house Millworks artists, through Dec. 31

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

Exhibits dedicated to Pennsylvania firefighting history

Perry County Council of the Arts
717-567-7023; perrycountyarts.org

“6^th Annual Juried Exhibition,” held virtually with the opportunity to view in person at the Veterans Memorial Building, New Bloomfield, and a chance to vote for the People’s Choice award winner, through Jan. 22

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

“Artisan Marketplace,” featuring original and unique local artwork and handcrafted gifts for holiday gift-giving, through Jan. 9

Rose Lehrman Art Gallery
One HACC Drive, Harrisburg
717-780-2435; hacc.edu

“Virtual Student Honors Photography,” through Dec. 3; Zoom reception and awards: Dec. 3, 5:30 p.m.

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

“The Modernists—Witnesses to the 20^th Century,” featuring works by a variety of Modern artists from around the world, through Jan. 17

“Sun + Light,” works from the series “Everyone Loves Sunshine” by visual artist Charles Edward Williams, through Feb. 14

“Country Charm” examines artist Sanh Brian Tran’s experience as a queer Asian man living in rural America, through Feb. 21

“Once A Future Kingdom,” sculptured materials and imagined relics by Anthony Cervino, through March 14

“Project Pattern” multimedia display, through August

Suzanne H. Arnold Art Gallery
Lebanon Valley College
101 College Ave., Annville
717-233-8668; lvc.edu/gallery

“Achievements and Aspirations” virtual exhibition highlighting virtual learning experiences the gallery has provided students over the last decade, through Dec. 13

Stone Gables Estate
1 Hollinger Lane, Elizabethtown
717-902-9791; stonegablesestate.com

Third Annual Christmas Light Drive-Thru at Stone Gables Estate, Dec. 4-31

Read, Make, Learn

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

Dec. 3, 10, 17: Thursday Art Club, 3-5 p.m.

Dauphin County Library System
dcls.org

Dec. 1: Animal Crossing with The Library, 3:30 p.m.
Dec. 1: Family Storytime, 6 p.m.
Dec. 2: Toddler Storytime, 10 a.m.
Dec. 2: Banned Book Club, 4 p.m.
Dec. 2: Knit One, Crochet Too!, 6 p.m.
Dec. 4: Preschool Storytime, 10 a.m.
Dec. 5: Dungeons and Dragons, 3 p.m.
Dec. 10: Winter Wonderland, 6 p.m.
Dec. 17: Media Literacy Workshop, 6 p.m.

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

Dec. 1: Zoom—Curl up with the Classics—“Babette’s Feast,” 10-11 a.m.
Dec. 1, 8, 15, 22, 29: Career Exploration Workshop, 10:30 a.m.
Dec. 1, 8, 15, 22, 29: Career Exploration Workshop, 4:30 p.m.
Dec. 2: Zoom—Moving Forward Book Group w/ Hospice of Central PA, 1-2 p.m.
Dec. 3: Peaceful Poses Children’s Story Time, 11 a.m.-12 p.m.
Dec. 3, 17: Zoom—Teen Book Club, 5:45-7 p.m.
Dec. 4, 11, 18, 25: Get That Job! Workshop, 10:30-11:30 a.m.
Dec. 4, 11, 18, 25: Get That Job! Workshop, 4:30-5:30 p.m.
Dec. 5: Easy Craft Grab and Go Bag (ages 3-11), 1 p.m.
Dec. 5, 12: Grab & Go Bag—Gingerbread Painting, 1 p.m.
Dec. 7, 14, 21, 28: Teen Grab and Go Bag, 9 a.m.
Dec. 7, 21: Zoom—Fredricksen Writes, 6:45 p.m.
Dec. 7, 21: STEM Grab & Go Bag (ages 7-12), 9 a.m.
Dec. 9: Virtual Mock Interview, 2 p.m.
Dec. 10, 17, 24, 31: Resume Writing Workshop, 10:30-11:30 a.m.
Dec. 11: Philosophers’ Roundtable, 2 p.m.
Dec. 14: Twisted Stitchers, 6:30-8:30 p.m.
Dec. 16: Zoom—Write On, 8-9 p.m.
Dec. 17: Zoom—Plot Twisters (ages 15-18), 6:30 p.m.
Dec. 18: STEM Storytime, 10 a.m.
Dec. 24, 31: Resume Writing Workshop, 4:30-5:30 p.m.

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

Dec. 5: Virtual Workshop—Good Person-Prov, 2-4 p.m.

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

Dec. 5: SPLAT Studio for kids (ages 2-6), 2 p.m.
Dec. 5: SPLAT Studio for kids (ages 6+), 3 p.m.
Dec. 3: Virtual Between the Lines Book Group, 6:45 p.m.
Dec. 5: Virtual Kids Carry & Craft Ornament Edition, 10 a.m.
Dec. 5: Virtual Carry & Craft: Teen/Adult Ornament Edition, 11 a.m.
Dec. 10: In-person Fear of Commitment Book Group at Cassel Vineyards & Winery, 5 p.m.
Dec. 10: Virtual Evening Contemporary Book Group, 6:30 p.m.
Dec. 12: Friends Virtual Program: Colonial Christmas: Winter with Washington’s Army, 2 p.m.
Dec. 12, 14: In-person Christmas Wreath Making Class with Andrea Beitzel, 6 p.m.
Dec. 15: Blood Drive, 1:30 p.m.
Dec. 20: Virtual Christmas Special Trivia PJ Party, 2 p.m.
Dec. 29: Virtual Kids Carry & Craft Bullet Journal Jr. Edition, 10 a.m.
Dec. 29: Virtual Teen/Adult Carry & Craft Bullet Journal Edition, 11 a.m.

Historic Harrisburg Association
1230 N. 3rd St., Harrisburg
historicharrisburg.com

Dec. 5: Elegant Progressions virtual celebration, 7 p.m.

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

Dec. 1: Teen Game Night, 6-8 p.m.
Dec. 1, 8, 15, 22, 29: Tea & Stitches, 10 a.m.
Dec. 3, 10, 17: Mah Jongg, 10 a.m.-1 p.m.
Dec. 4, 7, 11, 14, 18, 21, 25: Story Time (ages 3-6), 1:30-2 p.m.
Dec, 4, 11, 18: Toddler Time (18 months to 3 years), 11:10 a.m., 6 p.m.
Dec. 7, 14, 21: Rhyme Time (18 months and younger), 10:15-10:35 a.m.
Dec. 7, 14, 21: Toddler Time (18 months to 3 years), 11:10 a.m., 6 p.m.
Dec. 7, 14, 21: Family Story Time at the Park, 6:45-7:15 p.m.
Dec. 8: Tween Scene, 6:30-7:30 p.m.
Dec. 9: Mad About Mysteries, 7-8 p.m.
Dec. 11: Dungeons & Dragons, 6-9 p.m.
Dec. 15: Zoom STEM Club, 6-6:45 p.m.
Dec. 19: Kindergarten Club, 10:30-11:30 a.m.
Dec. 19: First Grade Club, 1-2 p.m.
Dec. 19: Trivia at Home—Ugly Sweater Party, 6-8 p.m.
Dec. 21: Virtual Monday Night Book Club, 7-8 p.m.

The LBGT Center of Central PA
1306 N. 3rd St., Harrisburg
717-920-9534; centralpalgbtcenter.org

Dec. 2, 9, 16, 23: Common Roads Youth, 6-8 p.m.
Dec. 4, 11, 18: Common Roads Youth via Zoom, 6-8 p.m.
Dec. 5, 12, 19, 26: Passageways Transgender & Non-binary Group via Zoom, 2-4 p.m.
Dec. 6, 13, 20: Common Roads Young Adult, 4-6 p.m.

Leadership Harrisburg
3211 N. Front Street, Suite 105, Harrisburg

Dec. 8: Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Racial Justice Workshop, 8-9 a.m.
Dec. 10: Diversity, Equity, Inclusion & Racial Justice Workshop, 12-1 p.m.

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

Dec. 1: Live with Fredrik Logevall and Michael Neiberg, 7-8 p.m.
Dec. 2: Live with Philippa Gregory, 7-8 p.m.
Dec. 8: Live with James Patterson, 7-8 p.m.
Dec. 10: Live with Yaron Weitzman, 7-8 p.m.

Ned Smith Center for Nature and Art
176 Water Company Rd., Millersburg
717-692-3699; nedsmithcenter.org

Dec. 5: Wreath Making Workshop, 11:30 a.m.-2 p.m.

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

Dec. 3: Ruth’s Mystery Group via Zoom, 10:15 a.m.
Dec. 8: Grab-and-go STEAM Kits—Mini Zen Garden, 8 a.m.-8 p.m.

Palmyra Public Library
50 Landings Dr., Annville
717-838-1347; palmyra.lclibs.org

Dec. 1, 3, 8, 10: Librarians Around Town Storytime, 10:30-11 a.m.
Dec. 14: Palmyra Public Library Book Club, 6-8 p.m.

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

Dec. 16: Life Drawing Class, 6-9 p.m.
Dec. 19: Art Moves + Accompaniment, 10:30 a.m.

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

Dec. 1, 2: Wreath Workshop, 9 a.m., 10 a.m., 12 p.m.
Dec. 5: Project FeederWatch, 10 a.m.-12 p.m.
Dec. 6: Natural Ornaments, 10 a.m., 11:30 a.m., 1 pm., 2:30 p.m.
Dec. 12-Jan. 16: Winter Discovery at Wildwood Park, 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
Dec. 13: Natural Ornaments, 10 a.m., 11:30 a.m., 1 p.m., 2:30 p.m.
Dec. 15: Winter Walk at Detweiler Park, 2-4 p.m.

Live Music

Carlisle Theatre
44 West High St., Carlisle
717-258-0666; carlisletheatre.org

Dec. 5: The British Invasion Years

The Englewood
1219 Research Blvd., Hummelstown
717-256-9480; englewoodhershey.com

Dec. 4: Cold Spring Union

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

Dec. 6: Artists to Artists—A Virtual Residency Exploring Jewish Music Traditions
Dec. 13: John McCutcheon

The Stage Door

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

Dec. 1-27: “Eleanor’s Very Merry Christmas Wish”

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

Dec. 1-Jan. 3: “Elf”

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

Dec. 4-13: “The Adventures of Little Red Riding Hood” (live shows are TBD, depending on pandemic situation)

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

Dec. 4-6: “Moana”

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

Dec. 4: J Bliss
Dec. 11: Shaun Jones

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

Dec. 4-20: “A Christmas Carol” (live-streamed)

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High-End Holiday: Put something nice—very nice—under the tree this year

November 30, 2020 | by Steve Juliana

“Here comes Santa Claus, here comes Santa Claus, right down Santa Claus Lane.”

Are you someone’s Santa? If that person is a wine lover, you are in a perfect position to make their holiday a memorable one.

Discounting gadgets, which are usually cute and trendy, oenophiles value and appreciate gifts of wine above all else. To find the perfect gift, one need look no further than the Fine Wine and Good Spirits stores with the Premium Collection designation. Most of these have a wine cellar, where their finest offerings are available in a climate-controlled environment. Once inside, it becomes obvious that this is where you will find treasure. Many major wine regions, and others more obscure, are represented by the offerings within.

California here is front and center with Napa Valley cabernet sauvignon, chardonnay and pinot noir all in attendance. Meritage blends, which are New World wines blended in a more traditional, Bordeaux style, also make an appearance. Russian River Valley in Sonoma/Napa and Santa Rita Hills in Santa Barbara County are other California regions with high-quality quaffs that will delight your gift recipient. While we’re talking West Coast, check out the offerings from Oregon and Washington.

If the subject of your gift giving loves the wines of France, a quick glance will show a variety of bottles from the regions of Bordeaux, Burgundy and the Rhone Valley. The noble grapes of cabernet sauvignon and merlot dominate the blended, age-worthy wines of the Bordeaux, one of the greatest regions in the world.

Burgundy relies on only two noble grapes, red pinot noir and white chardonnay, arguably the finest on Earth. The noble grape of the Rhone Valley is the red syrah. In the southern part of the valley, it is blended with grenache and reaches its zenith in the city of Avignon with chateauneuf du pape. North of the ancient city, the grape is bottled singly, becoming an amazing wine of balance and nuance unlike many other syrahs you may encounter. Also in the northern part of the valley is one of the few places where you can find viognier, a unique white grape that is the only one allowed in the area of Condrieu.

Those in your social circles that like Italian wine are not to be left off your gift list. The nebbiolo grape makes a heavy red wine that is renowned in the Piedmont region for its bold complexity and the ability to age. It takes many names in its native land, although the two biggest are barolo and barbaresco. A worthy gift for anyone.

We can’t talk about Italy without talking about amarone. This blended wine from the Veneto region has the distinction of having the grapes dry on straw mats until they become raisined before crushing in a process known as appassimento. One of the richest quaffs that anyone can find, it has an explosion of fruit on the palate and a dusty finish.

These are just some of the high-end wines that will work as a gift for any wine lover.

Keep sipping,
Steve

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