Dauphin County commissioners award emergency funds to businesses, nonprofits, governments

October 21, 2020 | by Lawrance Binda

Part of the Midtown Harrisburg business district

The Dauphin County commissioners today approved the distribution of $17 million in emergency grants for pandemic relief.

The federal CARES Act grants will go to 20 municipalities in the county, 190 small businesses and 57 nonprofit groups, according to the county.

“This critical funding will help lessen the financial burden and keep the doors of many businesses and nonprofits open,” said commissioner Mike Pries, who oversees the county’s Office of Community and Economic Development (DCED), which administers the grant program. “It will also help local governments with the unanticipated costs associated with coronavirus, from purchasing personal protective equipment and technology for remote work to covering police and first responders’ salaries.”

The distribution includes $2.83 million for Harrisburg city, $150,000 for Visit Hershey & Harrisburg and assistance for many small businesses and nonprofits, including restaurants, shops, arts groups and professional organizations.

Businesses located in the county with less than 100 employees—or companies in the tourism industry with less than 500 workers—were eligible to apply for up to $35,000, or 25 percent, of operating expenses, whichever was less. Nonprofits were eligible if they delivered services in the county.

Although businesses and nonprofits that received a Paycheck Protection Program or Economic Injury Disaster loan could still apply, the amount of funding previously received was considered in awarding grants.

“The small business community, the backbone of our economy, has sustained a massive blow in recent months,” said board Chairman Jeff Haste. “Restaurants, hotels, salons and other small businesses have been hit hard by state’s shutdown and continued restrictions, leaving many struggling to recover.”

Click here for a complete list of award recipients.

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Harrisburg, Brenner agree to settle dispute over Public Works facility

October 21, 2020 | by Lawrance Binda

Harrisburg’s Public Works Department site on Paxton Street

A years-long disagreement over a Public Works facility lease appears to be coming to a close, as the parties have agreed to settle their disputed issues.

At a work session on Tuesday night, city Solicitor Neil Grover told Harrisburg City Council that the city had reached an agreement to pay $725,000 to MEB Partners and Brenner Motors to settle outstanding rent, tax and repair issues arising from a three-year lease of the Public Works Department site on Paxton Street.

“We never disputed that we owed some rent and that we owed taxes related to a reimbursement, ” Grover told council members at the end of the four-hour work session. “It really was just a question of the amount that we had in dispute with each other. So, this is a fair resolution to a long problem that arose from a lease that was negotiated very quickly.”

For many years, the city’s Public Works Department was located on the site of the city incinerator in South Harrisburg. The department had to relocate quickly after the incinerator was sold in 2013 to the Lancaster County Solid Waste Management Authority.

The city eventually opted for the former home of Brenner Motors on the 1800-block of Paxton Street, signing a three-year lease with the expectation that it likely would purchase the property.

However, the city stopped paying its $16,000-a-month rent in 2017 after negotiations to buy the property stalled over price. MEB and Brenner then sued the city, and the case eventually went to mediation.

Council still must approve the agreement, which may happen during next week’s legislative session. Grover said that he was awaiting some “final language” from the opposing side.

Reached by phone, Brenner attorney Adam Klein said that his client looked forward to resolving the issue.

“I think both sides are happy to put this behind us,” he said.

The agreement announced on Tuesday night solves only the outstanding issues related to the lease. It does not resolve the continuing disagreement over the fair value of the land.

In 2018, the city initiated eminent domain proceedings, taking the property a year later. It paid $2.2 million, which, following an appraisal, the city deemed to be fair compensation. The city and Brenner, however, remain at odds over the price.

“There is a dispute in the court about the just compensation for the eminent domain, which is separate,” Grover said.

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Harrisburg opens window to receive comments for draft comprehensive plan

October 21, 2020 | by Lawrance Binda

The clock has begun to tick on the final stage of Harrisburg’s proposed comprehensive plan, with residents encouraged to review the plan and make comments.

During a virtual work session on Tuesday night, city planning Director Geoffrey Knight offered an extensive presentation of the plan to City Council, an event that kicked off a 45-day public comment period.

The city, Knight said, has set up an email address specifically to receive public comments on the plan. That address is [email protected].

“I want to thank everyone for all their hard work on this document. We’re eager to get it approved,” said council member Dave Madsen. “But we have to do our due diligence and take a hard look at it and get that feedback from the community.”

The city’s current comprehensive plan dates back to 1974, though it’s supposed to be thoroughly reviewed and rewritten about once every 20 years.

In 2014, the city began the process of creating a new plan, but met numerous delays, including a protracted dispute with the consultant hired to draft the plan. Last month, the city Planning Commission unanimously passed the plan, sending it to council for final approval.

According to Knight, the city already has received numerous public comments and questions on the 246-page document, even though the official public input window just opened. The 45-day comment period expires on Dec. 4, unless council decides to extend it.

After the comment period expires, council would need to hold at least one public hearing before voting on the plan.

City Solicitor Neil Grover said that council has the authority to make changes to the plan before voting, including the possible inclusion of some or all of the public comments.

“You can accept it as is. You can amend it. You can accept part of it. You can reject the whole thing,” he said. “So, you’re really starting the next phase of this process.”

On Tuesday night, Knight summarized the plan on a chapter-by-chapter basis, which includes such topics as land use, housing, mobility, parks, energy and cultural resources.

“Updating this plan will be important in helping to guide land use decisions,” Knight said. “Hopefully this plan . . . will help guide projects that come through the land development plan process, will help us establish policies going forward and will help us go out for grants in the future.”

Knight stressed that, even after the plan is approved, the city can make updates to it over the years.

“It really should be seen as a living document,” he said.

Council member Westburn Majors inquired about a federal lawsuit filed in June by the Harrisburg-based Office for Planning and Architecture and its majority owner, architect Bret Peters, who the city hired in 2015 to draft the comprehensive plan.

In 2017, Peters and the city had a falling out over payment and the release of several chapters of the draft plan to the city.

In his lawsuit, Peters alleges that the city owes him $109,754 for his work and that the city therefore is violating his copyright by using his work product. The lawsuit further seeks to stop the city and its current consultant, Maryland-based Wallace Montgomery & Associates, from using this work product.

On Tuesday, Grover said that he couldn’t comment publicly on specifics of the ongoing litigation, but said that the lawsuit shouldn’t stop the process of completing the comprehensive plan.

“From our view, unless a judge says otherwise, it doesn’t affect what you’re doing,” Grover told council. “It’s a public document paid for with public money, and it’s what’s best for the city.”

Several council members emphasized the importance of fresh public comment, since the comprehensive planning process dates back six years. Majors, for instance, said that many people who live in the city today may not have been in Harrisburg when the original public meetings were held years ago.

“I want to make sure there’s an opportunity for those folks to provide input,” he said. “I look forward to receiving comments from the public and really digging into this plan at another time.”

Click here to view Harrisburg’s draft comprehensive plan.

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Former Mayor Reed’s collectibles, artifacts to be auctioned at estate sale

October 20, 2020 | by Lawrance Binda

This work by sculptor Michael Garman will be part of next month’s estate auction.

Long-time Mayor Steve Reed may be Harrisburg’s most famous collector.

Next month, you’ll have the opportunity to claim an object from his personal collection, as Cordier Auctions & Appraisals holds a two-day estate sale.

“It really is an honor to be entrusted with the Reed estate,” said David Cordier, founder and owner of the Harrisburg-based auction house. “Mayor Reed was a somewhat controversial figure in Harrisburg, but the significant progress to Harrisburg during his tenure speaks to his success as a leader.”

The online-only sale will take place Nov. 1 and Nov. 15, with pre-bids beginning on Oct. 26.

Reed died in January following a long battle with prostate cancer.

During his 28-year mayoral tenure, Reed collected thousands of artifacts for five museums he hoped to build in Harrisburg. He succeeded in building two—the National Civil War Museum and the Pennsylvania National Fire Museum.

Reed bought most artifacts with public funds, and, years after his tenure, he was arrested on numerous theft-related charges, as hundreds of artifacts were discovered in his home and at a separate storage site.

In 2017, he was given probation after pleading guilty to 20 criminal counts relating to the artifacts found in his possession. At his sentencing, he blamed an oversight while packing up his office for possession of these artifacts.

The two-day, online auction will sell items from Reed’s personal collection, some of which reflect his love of collecting and some from his long political career.

According to Cordier, auction highlights will include a “vast array” of militaria from the Revolutionary War through Desert Storm, baseball collectibles from local and national teams, vintage and modern political memorabilia, African and ethnographic arts, local collectibles, art, and a large collection of historic ephemera in addition to southwestern, western and Native American artifacts and collectibles.

For more information, visit the Cordier website. Images courtesy of Cordier Auctions & Appraisals. Pictured above: a 41-inch tall Awatoui kachina, which will be part of the estate sale.

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Bob’s Art Blog: A Fall 3rd in The Burg

October 19, 2020 | by Bob MacGinnes

Of all the months in the calendar year, we are graced that October holds the bounty of 31 days—the month that affords great joy in its cool, crisp days after the heat of summer with the glorious colors arriving before the dark months of winter.

This October boasts two full moons, one that occurred on the first and the second a “blue moon” on Halloween. Most of October is regarded for its searing beauty, a chance to appreciate its canvas before the winds of November bring the month to a close. So, enjoy these last glorious days of the month because you’ll have to wait another full year till the next October rolls around.

Looking for some magic, we revisited a favorite haunt that holds a special place for many in Midtown hearts. There is a gallery there where everybody knows your name, and, on the off chance they don’t, they will by the time you leave. Visitors, especially on 3rd in the Burg evenings, casually drop by, drop in and invariably end up staying, feeling like an old friend before they realize it is time to close. The proprietors, Vivi Sterste and Jackson Boyd, holdovers from the Haight Ashbury generation, take time to get to know everyone who crosses their threshold. More than “peace and love,” they hold court at their own version of Versailles, Vivi on Verbeke, and everyone plays their part. Their genuine spirit of bonhomie for others is contagious in the best sort of way. They make it a priority for all who join their welcoming gallery to come in to share and relax.

Neighbors and friends amble in, as well as newcomers to the scene. On a recent fall visit, Jonathan Diggs Duke, a musician’s name if ever I heard one, graciously brought a treat for all to sample. Jonathan, for those new initiates to the Broad Street Market, busks, playing trumpet outside the market’s doors, beguiling customers to stop and listen and forget about their cares. Nicole, a new face, came in and shopped knowledgeably and with a planned purpose, finding both a piece of pottery as well as a work of art from the wall for her wall. Emmani Wright of The Vegetable Hunter in Midtown, a cook at the establishment, added a certain charm to the mix, sharing tales of derring-do about an army of vegetables ready for combat before landing on a plate.

It wouldn’t be a favorite haunt without mentioning Halloween and Vivi’s virtuosic fall window dressing, which is an art unto itself. What she has achieved in the front window display is nothing short of a Tim Burton movie set with a scarecrow made out of stacked pottery. Its stick arms beckon you to drop in and stay awhile. In fact, Vivi calls her Hektate, named for a three-moon goddess. The other part of October’s charm is the chance to become a kid again when throughout the month you get to dress up and be someone else, if only for a short period of time. A suspension of disbelief is in order to enjoy the true magic of the season.

With the holidays right around the corner, the gallery is stocked with fresh offerings. So, be sure on your next visit to Midtown to drop in and say hello at the gallery. I would be remiss not to say the holidays this year will look different than in other years. Family and friends, always a priority, hold even more significance than ever. Perhaps one of the greatest gifts we can receive is that of a stranger offering a part of themselves, sharing their story. For, in the end, we all have a tale to tell; it is woven in the very fabric of our lives.

Vivi on Verbeke is located at 258 Verbeke St., Harrisburg. For more information, visit their website or Facebook page or call 717-961-9826.

Photos by Jana MacGinnes

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Harrisburg soon will have 5 new murals to add to cityscape, mural trail

October 18, 2020 | by Lawrance Binda

A new mural by Dizz Gavins (left) complements an existing mural along Blackberry Street.

During these pandemic days, we all can use more color in our lives.

Fortunately, Harrisburg residents soon will have five new murals to help cheer them up even as the cold and dark of winter approaches.

The mural action started late last month, when artist Samantha Sanders brought bright colors and a beautiful landscape to a wall off of James Street, just behind N. 3^rd Street, in a rear courtyard for the future home of Zeroday Brewing Co.

Artist Samantha Sanders last month at work on her mural.

The projects continued in early October when renowned Philadelphia-based muralist, Steve “ESPO” Powers, working with the arts group, Make Something, used inspiration from the community to paint a wall on the 1000-block of N. 3^rd Street.

Steve “ESPO” Powers used community suggestions for his whimsical mural.

And, now, three more murals are going up downtown, under the auspices of Sprocket Mural Works and in collaboration with Harristown Enterprises and the Harrisburg Downtown Improvement District (HDID).

Those three murals are all along Blackberry and Dewberry streets, two alleys off of Market Street. They’re being painted by York-based artist Dizz Gavins, Gettysburg-based artist Emily Matusz and Harrisburg’s own Tara Chickey.

“We are extremely excited to have these three local artists add to the portfolio of work in our neighborhood,” said Todd Vander Woude, executive director of the HDID.

The murals by Sanders, Powers and Gavins are completed. Matusz began work on her mural last week, and Chickey will start her project this week, said Brad Jones, Harristown’s president and CEO.

“Our partnerships with the Downtown Improvement District and Sprocket Mural Works strengthen and beautify our community,” Jones said. “With the addition of these three murals, Blackberry Street will now become a central corridor for the mural trail.”

Artist Emily Matusz works on her mural on Blackberry Street beneath the Chestnut Street parking garage.

The McCormick Foundation has also contributed to some of the projects, Jones said.

Over the past few years, Sprocket has painted, commissioned and collaborated on some 85 mural projects in the greater Harrisburg area. This includes two, 10-day long mural festivals that resulted in dozens of works of new art throughout the city.

“Murals promote a sense of identity, belonging and attachment, strengthening community identification,” said Megan Caruso, Sprocket president and co-founder.

For more information about Sprocket Mural Works, visit their website.

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The Week that Was: News and features around Harrisburg

October 16, 2020 | by Lawrance Binda and Maddie Conley

Midtown Scholar Bookstore this weekend hosts the annual Harrisburg Book Festival.

This past week, the weather gave us a little bit of this and little bit of that—and so did the local news. If you missed any of our original coverage, we have it all summarized, listed and linked below.

Central PA Food Bank has reported record fundraising, thanks to generous community response to a virtual fundraiser in September. The funds are being used to feed growing numbers of food insecure individuals, our news feature reports.

Fall activities in central PA have been impacted greatly by the pandemic. However, as our magazine story explains, the fun is still on, just in a somewhat different form.

Harrisburg City Council last week took another pass at a proposed police advisory board, approving several key amendments. The final legislation still must be voted on, our online story states.

Home sales and prices in the greater Harrisburg area rose again, continuing a months-long climb. Our monthly update has the facts and figures.

Midtown Scholar Bookstore this weekend hosts its annual Harrisburg Book Festival. There will be an outdoor book sale, but much of the festival will take place online, including an event with one of the world’s most famous novelists.

New COVID-19 cases continued a month-long rise in PA, along with a sharp increase in testing. Our weekly update has a breakdown of the data.

Sara Bozich highlights all-things fall in her weekly list of fun things to do this weekend around Harrisburg. She has all the pumpkin-y details for an autumn outing.

Tyrai Anderson wanted to give back to his community, so he has taken the first steps towards becoming a Harrisburg police officer. Our magazine feature explains his motivations and goals.

UPMC Pinnacle, along with the Peyton Walker Foundation, donated life-saving devices to the Harrisburg Police Bureau last week. Our online story explains the details of this special gift.

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New COVID-19 cases rise again in PA, as testing also increases

October 16, 2020 | by Lawrance Binda

COVID-19 cases and tests, over time. Source: PA Department of Health

New COVID-19 cases continued a month-long climb in PA over the past week, though fatalities from the disease rose more modestly.

Since last Friday, the commonwealth recorded an average of 1,397 newly diagnosed cases per day, according to the state Department of Health.

This compares to an average of 1,146 new daily cases last week, and 1,011 and 788 new daily cases per day for the prior two weeks, respectively. The department also reports that testing has increased substantially over this time (see chart).

Locally, diagnosed cases over the past week are as follows:

Adams County: 971 cases (prior Friday, 916)
Cumberland County: 2,195 cases (prior Friday, 2,049)
Dauphin County: 4,340 cases (prior Friday, 4,093)
Franklin County: 1,975 cases (prior Friday, 1,875)
Lancaster County: 8,812 cases (prior Friday, 8,421)
Lebanon County: 2,495 cases (prior Friday, 2,265)
Perry County: 300 cases (prior Friday, 260)
York County: 5,708 cases (prior Friday, 5,333)

Today, the department reported 1,566 newly positive cases throughout Pennsylvania for the past 24 hours ending at midnight.

With today’s update, 179,086 Pennsylvanians have now been diagnosed with the coronavirus, an increase of 9,778 over the past week, according to the health department.

Recently, counties that host major college campuses have seen their case numbers rise. This week, department also reported substantial increases in Philadelphia, Allegheny and Westmoreland counties.

The health department also reported an additional 149 deaths since last Friday, meaning that 8,457 Pennsylvanians have died from the disease since March. Fatalities totaled 129 and 98 over the prior two weeks, respectively.

Around central PA, COVID-19 fatalities now stand as follows:

Adams County: 27 deaths (prior Friday, 26)
Cumberland County: 78 deaths (prior Friday, 77)
Dauphin County: 185 deaths (prior Friday, 183)
Franklin County: 53 deaths (prior Friday, 52)
Lancaster County: 467 deaths (prior Friday, 462)
Lebanon County: 65 deaths (prior Friday, 63)
Perry County: 6 deaths (prior Friday, 6)
York County: 187 deaths (prior Friday, 176)

Statewide, Philadelphia County continues to have the most confirmed cases with 35,138 cases. Allegheny County ranks second with 13,821 cases, and Montgomery County is third statewide with 13,050 cases.

PA nursing homes and personal care facilities have been particularly hard hit by the virus. Of total deaths, 5,603, or 66.2 percent, have occurred in residents from nursing or personal care facilities, according to the health department.

In nursing and personal care homes, there are 24,334 resident cases of COVID-19, and 5,342 cases among employees, for a total of 29,676 at 1,015 distinct facilities in 61 counties, according to the health department.

In addition, about 11,559 of total cases in PA are in health care workers.

Statewide, 2,282,130 individuals have had coronavirus tests, with 2,103,044 people testing negative, according to the state health department. Last Friday, the state reported that 2,169,073 people had been tested for the virus.

The state reports a total of 3,517,687 PCR tests, which includes many people, such as health care workers, who have been tested more than once.

Of the patients who have tested positive to date, the age breakdown is as follows, according to the health department:

About 1 percent are aged 0-4
Nearly 2 percent are aged 5-12
Nearly 5 percent are aged 13-18
Nearly 14 percent are aged 19-24
Nearly 36 percent are aged 25-49
About 21 percent are aged 50-64
About 21 percent are aged 65 or older.

Most of the patients hospitalized are 65 or older, as are most of the reported deaths, according to the state. However, the health department has emphasized that, increasingly, younger people are being diagnosed with COVID-19.

The health department continued to emphasize that Pennsylvanians should do the following:

Wash your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds or use hand sanitizer if soap and water are not available.
Cover any coughs or sneezes with your elbow, not your hands.
Clean surfaces frequently.
Stay home to avoid spreading COVID-19, especially if you are unwell.
Wear a mask whenever out of your house.

For more information, visit the PA Department of Health’s COVID-19 website.

Currently, we are providing a COVID-19 update weekly, each Friday, or as breaking news warrants.

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“Epic” campaign helps Central PA Food Bank prep for Thanksgiving

October 16, 2020 | by Karen Hendricks

A volunteer helps distribute food for the Central PA Food Bank.

All records were shattered by the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank’s recent donation campaign.

“The generosity has been epic,” said Joe Arthur, the food bank’s executive director.

September’s virtual food drive for Hunger Action Month raised more than $62,000—equivalent to 375,000 meals or almost half a million pounds of food. Donations poured in from nearly 700 individuals, businesses and organizations—including a $15,000 contribution from PSECU, the state’s largest credit union.

“This was the best virtual food drive ever—it’s the most we’ve ever raised by far,” Arthur said. “One of side benefits of the pandemic is people are more virtually oriented than ever.”

This was the organization’s fourth annual campaign, and it netted three times the amount of donations realized in past years. Contributions typically total between $20,000 and $25,000.

Arthur calls the fundraising efforts “efficient,” because monetary donations allow the food bank to purchase specific food items needed within its 27-county service area. The food bank distributes boxes of fresh produce as well as kitchen staples such as pasta and canned goods to central Pennsylvanians via more than 1,000 partners—soup kitchens, food pantries, shelters and other programs. In Harrisburg, that includes the Bethesda Mission, Downtown Daily Bread and The Salvation Army Harrisburg Capital City Region.

Conditions triggered by the worldwide pandemic, including record unemployment, have strained the food bank since March. Demand has increased nearly 50%. In September, the food bank served about 200,000 people as compared to 135,000 people in September 2019.

One of the newest partners distributing those vital brown boxes is the Harrisburg Police Bureau’s community policing department. In March, they established a new food distribution system serving families within the Harrisburg School District, as well as neighboring districts such as Susquehanna Township and Central Dauphin.

“As the product of a single parent household myself, I was eligible for free and reduced lunches,” said Blake Lynch, community policing coordinator for the bureau. “I knew the closing of the schools and after school programs were going to affect the only food source for a lot of the children in our city.”

Every Tuesday since March 17, hundreds of volunteers have mobilized to pack school buses with boxes supplied by the food bank to key distribution points within the city. As the program marks its seven-month anniversary, it’s distributed nearly 650,000 pounds of food to 13,000 families.

Lynch said the program serves about 1,000 families per week on average.

“I’m grateful that we’re able to serve—especially that officers are able to serve in a positive light, because a lot of people don’t get to see policing in a positive light, yet it happens every day,” Lynch said.

Reflecting on what the program means to the community, Lynch said it “shows the determination and heart of our residents and community coming together to make sure we’re uplifting others.”

With an eye on the future, the food bank anticipates a greater need for food in the coming months.

“Right now, we’re at the tail end of the end of federal help with unemployment benefits running out and expiring,” said Arthur. “Moving forward toward the holiday season and winter months, with the resurgence of COVID-19 we’re starting to see, we think we’re going to see increasing demand the closer we get closer to the holidays.”

All the traditional trimmings that accompany the Thanksgiving turkey? That’s what the food bank is ordering and acquiring right now, so that central Pennsylvania families can celebrate the November 26 holiday, a little more than a month away.

Throughout 2020, the food bank added staff positions to adjust to the pandemic’s food crisis. That includes a first-ever nightshift crew at the Harrisburg warehouse, plus about a half-dozen administrative positions and two drivers. The food bank’s entire staff totals 115, including 95 workers in Harrisburg and 20 in Williamsport. Many continue to work remotely.

On any given day, at least 50 volunteers pitch in as well. Arthur said volunteers are still needed—a sign-up form is available on the website, centralpafoodbank.org.

As he thinks about the food bank’s future, Arthur is cautiously optimistic.

“I’m amazed at how generous people have been—I know it’s a national story, but it’s also a regional and central Pennsylvania story,” Arthur said. “At the same time, monetary donations are still needed. History tells us that recovering from a disaster or recession actually takes a couple years, so that’s how we’re preparing.”

If you or someone you know needs emergency food assistance, call the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank’s help line at 877-999-5964. To make a donation or for more information, see centralpafoodbank.org.

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Weekend Roundup with Sara Bozich

October 15, 2020 | by Lawrance Binda

There are plenty of things to do this weekend around Harrisburg and central PA.

Things on my agenda this weekend: donating blood, checking some items off my fall Bucket List, making beef stock, snuggling under a blanket, enjoying a cocktail.

For your weekend planning:

Our official Fall Bucket List → Check it out.
Create your own beer flight. Read our Fall Brew Review.
Passionate about Pennsylvania? Become a Friend of PA Eats.
See what else you missed on the blog.

Below are ample options for your weekend, whether you’re laying low (there is no shame in the stay home game!) or venturing out.

Oh hey, are you on the email list? In addition to getting this weekly update loaded with things to do each weekend around Harrisburg directly in your inbox, I load it with a bunch of other fresh, original content. Sign-up here. I also recommend following me on IG.

Top Weekend Recs

RG Hummer opened a second location at West Shore Farmers Market
Final weekend to celebrate Oktoberfest with Appalachian Brewing Co.
Sample fall meads with Haymaker Meadery
Tattered Flag is now shipping beer and spirits direct to your door!
Watch Poured in PA: The Series
Build your holiday wishlist at Meeka Fine Jewelry.

COVID-19 Disclaimer: As always, please click through the links or call ahead to get the most up-to-date information about venues and/or events below. It should also go without saying, but I’ll say it — Mask up, follow the rules, and be nice. And tip extra!

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

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For your weekend planning:

Top Weekend Recs

Thursday

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