New COVID-19 cases bump up in PA, but remain in long-term downward trend

June 12, 2020 | by Lawrance Binda

COVID-19 case and test charts in PA. Source: Department of Health

New COVID-19 cases bumped up somewhat today in Pennsylvania, exceeding 500 daily cases once more.

The state Department of Health today reported 686 new cases for the 24-hour period ending at midnight. This breaks a trend of four days around or below 500 daily cases.

Cases peaked in early April at nearly 2,000 daily new cases. Since then, cases have shown a gradual decline, despite increasingly greater testing levels for the virus.

With the additional cases, 77,999 Pennsylvanians have now been diagnosed with the coronavirus.

Locally, total diagnosed cases are as follows:

Adams County: 284 cases (yesterday, 279)
Cumberland County: 709 cases (yesterday, 692)
Dauphin County: 1,587 cases (yesterday, 1,561)
Franklin County: 837 cases (yesterday, 827)
Lancaster County: 3,682 cases (yesterday, 3,632)
Lebanon County: 1,140 cases (yesterday, 1,106)
Perry County: 70 cases (yesterday, 69)
York County: 1,141 cases (yesterday, 1,117)

Overall, 13.7 percent of PA residents tested have shown to be positive for the virus.

The department also reported an additional 49 deaths, meaning that 6,162 Pennsylvanians have died from the disease since March.

Around central PA, the COVID-19 fatality data now stands as follows:

Adams County: 9 deaths (yesterday, 9)
Cumberland County: 58 deaths (yesterday, 58)
Dauphin County: 107 deaths (yesterday, 104)
Franklin County: 42 deaths (yesterday, 40)
Lancaster County: 325 deaths (yesterday, 322)
Lebanon County: 39 deaths (yesterday, 38)
Perry County: 5 deaths (yesterday, 4)
York County: 31 deaths (yesterday, 31)

Statewide, Philadelphia County continues to have the most confirmed cases with 19,746 cases, followed by Montgomery County with 7,834 cases. The two counties also have reported the most deaths statewide from the disease: 1,487 and 753, respectively.

“With more than half of the state now in the green phase of the process to reopen, it is essential that we continue to take precautions to protect against COVID-19,” health Secretary Rachel Levine said. “The commonwealth’s careful, measured approach to reopening is working as we see case counts continue to decline even as many other states see increases. But the virus has not gone away.”

Today, three local counties—Cumberland, York and Adams—entered the “green” phase of reopening, which means fewer restrictions on businesses and gatherings. The rest of the Harrisburg area remains in the more-restrictive “yellow” phase.

Nursing homes and personal care facilities have been particularly hard hit by the virus. Of total deaths, 4,249, or 69 percent, have occurred in residents from nursing or personal care facilities, according to the health department.

In nursing and personal care homes, there are 16,450 resident cases of COVID-19, and 2,899 cases among employees, for a total of 19,349 at 635 distinct facilities in 45 counties, according to the health department.

In addition, about 5,931 of total cases in PA are in health care workers.

Statewide, 566,384 coronavirus tests have been performed, with 488,385 people testing negative, according to the state health department. Yesterday, the state reported that 553,752 people had been tested for the virus.

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

Nearly 1 percent are aged 0-4
Nearly 1 percent are aged 5-12
Nearly 2 percent are aged 13-18
6 percent are aged 19-24
Nearly 37 percent are aged 25-49
25 percent are aged 50-64
28 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.

Levine 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.

“Each of us has a responsibility to protect ourselves, our loved ones and others by wearing a mask, maintaining social distancing and washing our hands frequently,” Levine said. “Together, we can protect our most vulnerable Pennsylvanians, our essential workers and our healthcare system.”

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

Harrisburg Regional Chamber talks systemic racism, changes needed in business

June 12, 2020 | by Maddie Conley

Screenshots from today’s “Chamber Live: A Conversation about Systemic Racism.” Pictured: Meron Yemane (left) and Amma Johnson (right).

Every so often, the Harrisburg Regional Chamber & CREDC hosts a seminar, but this one was different.

It was one that chamber board Vice Chair Meron Yemane has waited years for.

Today, the Chamber held a webinar entitled, “Chamber Live: A Conversation about Systemic Racism.”

“Today’s event is part of the desire of our board to try to do better and try to make a difference,” President David Black said.

Yemane explained how he believes this is the beginning of the process towards change for the Chamber. He pointed out the power structures within the organization itself and the hope he has for positive movement towards inclusivity.

“Next year, I’ll be the first black chair of the Chamber, and that doesn’t mean anything if there’s not a second,” Yemane said. “The Chamber can lead in this.”

He cited statistics showing black people are less likely to occupy executive positions, have a seat in Wall Street and even less likely to be hired if their name sounds black on an application.

Another panelist, Amma Johnson, member of the Chamber board of directors, recommended specific ways for businesses to make changes in their organizations. She encouraged making a clear statement against racism, considering hiring a diversity and inclusions professional, letting employees and customers in on the conversation and promoting black employees to leadership positions.

“I’m a big fan of internal task forces and councils,” she said. “Blending voices is the most helpful.”

Johnson suggested hiring black interns, as well, and looking for ways to mentor and provide opportunities for youth.

Black addressed the growing percentage of people of color in the central Pennsylvania region, about 20%, and the Chamber’s awareness of that.

“Your workforce should look like your customer base […] your workforce should look like your executive team,” he said.

The Harrisburg Chamber did release a statement against systemic racism on June 2 and called for more inclusivity and diversity within the organization. Johnson thinks more businesses need to take this important first step.

“I would encourage any organization who has not made a statement to not be silent,” she said.

For more information on the Harrisburg Regional Chamber & CREDC, visit https://www.harrisburgregionalchamber.org/.

African American Music Appreciation Month: Sourface

June 12, 2020 | by Yaasmeen Piper

Jason McNeil, aka Sourface

I’ve heard of bedroom pop before, the lo-fi genre filled with purposeful imperfections in the name of aesthetics. But, I never heard of bedroom rap before. That was until I was introduced to Jason McNeil.

The 20-year-old Camp Hill resident fits the genre to a “T.” Under the pseudonym Sourface, McNeil creates unique DYI-sounding music that mixes rap, R&B, punk and electronic all into one song. His lyrics are almost like spoken word at times, pulling from words in his notes app, notebook or even freestyled; sometimes rhyming, sometimes not.

The rapper lives in an aura of mystery. You’ll rarely find a picture of him when scrolling through his social media. If you do, he’ll be rocking a custom-made mask filled with doodles and symbols.

“People tell me that [my music] has a very different sound and they enjoy it, and people say that they connect to it,” he said. “I appreciate it when they reach out and tell me stuff like that.”

McNeil’s love for music had a legendary start. When he was only 4, his grandmother took him to see Michael Jackson in concert. Before Jackson even hit the stage, people were screaming and falling all over the place.

“I was like ‘What is this? What is this guy about to do?’ Then I saw him perform, and I was like ‘Okay, that makes sense’ and I was like ‘That is something that I need to do.’”

Years later, McNeil started crafting his own music and developing his own sound. Then came the name. Originally, it was Golden Gordon and Fritz the Cat and a bunch more after that.

Then his friend, whom he was making music with, said to him: “I know you’re changing your name a lot. So, what is your new name?”

So, McNeil mixed “Bearface,” a singer from the R&B group Brockhampton, along with the rapper Busdriver’s song “King Cookie Face” and his favorite candy, and created “Sourface.”

But, his favorite artist and love for sour candy weren’t the only reasons why he landed on the name Sourface.

“I feel like a lot of the time, Black people are stereotyped as having mean faces,” he said. “So, I was thinking made I could have this alternate personality where I’ve very aggressive and mean and strange all the time. So, that’s why I picked Sourface.”

Our expressions aren’t the only Black stereotypes that he hopes to diminish. Too often, he felt like the “weird Black kid” for liking the type of music and activities that he did, such as skateboarding. That was until he was introduced to the rapper Tyler the Creator.

Like McNeil, Tyler the Creator was given the “strange Black kid” label when he first broke into the music scene in 2011. Instead of trying to change himself, Tyler embraced it.

“I was like ‘Oh, I can be Black and like skateboarding, and I can like fashion, and I can like color….I feel like all the stereotypes that people put on me got shed away,” McNeil said. “I genuinely think that Tyler gave me that confidence that you can just be you. You don’t have to conform to whatever people want you to be. You can be yourself.”

And McNeil plans to continue being himself in his life and music. Currently, he doesn’t have any big projects planned, but the quarantine has caused a lot of artists to reach out to him. He hopes a few projects come out the situation, as well as more solo music.

In the next few years, McNeil plans to move to Lancaster and join the folk-punk music scene there and even help build more of a rap scene.

Overall, he plans to keep moving and making music and making sure he doesn’t become stagnant and is always challenging himself.

His only goals are to make good music, get his own place, and buy his mother a house. If he achieves those three things, in his book, he’s successful.

“If I hit that point, I’ll be happy.”

To hear McNeil’s music, visit his SoundCloud, and follow him on Instagram.

This story is one in a series of local musician profiles in celebration of African American Music Appreciation Month.

TheBurg Podcast: Innovation Inspiration, June 2020

June 11, 2020 | by Karen Hendricks

In the face of the pandemic, innovation and creativity abound.

TheBurg’s June podcast expands upon several examples of innovative change, forged by the crisis, found within the pages of our June magazine:

First, innovative strategies are helping to feed the hungry—and capitalizing on the timing of the summer produce season—at the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank. Joe Arthur, executive director, provides details. (Based on the magazine story, “Hunger Pains.”)

Secondly, we hear from Sheila Dow-Ford, executive director of Impact Harrisburg. Their innovative grant program swung into action in record time, to help city businesses lessen the pandemic’s impact—with a significant portion going to minority-owned businesses. (Based upon the magazine’s “News Digest.”)

Editor of TheBurg Lawrance Binda reflects on the links between tension and change, city and state, in his reoccurring TMHT feature (“the most Harrisburg thing”).

Finally, we switch gears, to innovation with a “fun factor.” Straight from the front cover of TheBurg’s June issue, we bring you an exclusive interview with Harrisburg’s newest celeb, “Sharkman” himself. (Here’s our digital June issue.)

Meet some of the Harrisburg area’s most fascinating people, and hear their own authentic stories, expanded from every month’s magazine, on TheBurg Podcast—because there’s always “more to the story.”

Hosted by Karen Hendricks. TheBurg is a monthly community magazine based in Harrisburg, Pa.; Lawrance Binda, co-publisher/editor.

Interested in sponsoring TheBurg Podcast? Contact Lauren at [email protected].

Karen Hendricks is a lifelong journalist; visit her website here.

Camp in the Burg: Summer youth programs test out virtual, in-person approaches

June 11, 2020 | by Maddie Conley

The Bethesda Mission Community Center on Herr Street in Harrisburg

School is finally done, now what?

Many Harrisburg summer camps are still planned despite having to adapt in the COVID-19 pandemic.

Bethesda Mission’s Community Center in Allison Hill plans to hold camps for all age groups of kids. Beginning June 22, they will launch a program spanning about seven weeks.

“We are looking forward to opening,” Executive Director Scott Dunwoody said.

The program will only take around 25 kids in each age group for safety reasons, and much of the activities will be outdoors, Dunwoody said. Programming for elementary, middle and high school students is included.

Dunwoody explained how the teen group is especially beneficial because it provides internships and job training for young people.

Similarly, the Harrisburg Area YMCA will offer a youth program. However, this year it will look more like summer childcare than summer camp, explained Director of Marketing and Communications Rosie Turner.

“We know parents are going to have to go back to work so we had to provide some type of bridge care,” she said.

The capacity for children will be smaller than usual due to the limited number of schools allowing groups on their properties.

Opting out of the in-person approach Open Stage of Harrisburg announced it will hold virtual summer camps.

The program will run for 10 weeks and include live and pre-recorded instruction on musical theater, acting, theater history, design and tech. There will be two different age groups including 8- to 12-year-olds and 13 and up.

“Things are different this summer, but I think that has given us license to change things up,” Producing Artistic Director Stuart Landon said. “We’ve put together a really cool curriculum.”

Landon added that the course will be low-cost this summer as part of Open Stage’s effort to make their education accessible.

Open Stage has been more hesitant to reopen, but others, like Whitaker Center, are ready to open their doors.

They are offering a range of STEM, culinary and theater classes. Campers’ temperature will be checked at the door each day and all equipment and classrooms will be sanitized after each group’s use, according to a statement on their website.

Bethesda Mission’s Community Center is at 1438 Herr St., Harrisburg. For more information, visit https://www.bethesdamission.org/our-ministries/community-center/. To learn more about the Harrisburg Area YMCA’s summer childcare, visit https://ymcaharrisburg.org/. For more information on Open Stage’s Alsedek Theatre School, visit https://www.thealsedektheatreschool.com/. Whitaker Center is located at 222 Market St., Harrisburg. For more information or to register for camp, visit https://www.whitakercenter.org/camps.

Pandemic Pinch: More than 50 grants help nonprofits’ needs

June 11, 2020 | by Karen Hendricks

The Habitat for Humanity ReStore was one of the nonprofits helped by the COVID-19 Community Response Fund.

Janice Black was in a unique position to recognize the scope of the COVID-19 crisis—and to do something about it.

The 25-year president and CEO of The Foundation for Enhancing Communities (TFEC) also has a background in healthcare and nursing.

“When I realized the depth this virus was going to have, I knew we would be in trouble, and I immediately in early-to-mid March realized we needed to do something quickly,” said Black (pictured). “We needed to start thinking about the ultimate effects on nonprofits.”

She approached Tim Fatzinger, president and CEO of United Way of the Capital Region and proposed a powerhouse of a partnership. The two organizations quickly came together to pool resources, secure corporate as well as individual donations, and offer area nonprofits an emergency grant program.

To date, their COVID-19 Community Response Fund has awarded $127,000 in grants to 54 nonprofits in five counties (Cumberland, Dauphin, Lebanon, Perry and York).

Two rounds of grants have been awarded; a third round is expected in about a week. Nonprofits can request up to $2,500.

Black said three major trends are emerging in grant requests.

Many nonprofits are trying to offset food insecurity; others need to purchase personal protective equipment (PPE) such as masks and cleaning supplies; and still other nonprofits need funding to provide job skills to adapt their services amid the COVID-19 landscape.

“The way I look at these funds is that they’re helping to close the gaps because of COVID-19’s unexpected administrative costs beyond the scope of their regular needs,” Fatzinger said. “Some are using technology creatively, creating virtual environments.”

One of the grant recipients is Habitat for Humanity of the Greater Harrisburg Area. Their $2,500 award is being used to purchase cleaning supplies, PPE items such as masks and gloves, and plexiglass barriers for the nonprofit’s retail store (ReStore).

“Going forward in the future, I think we’re going to see a lot more folks experiencing housing insecurity, so we’re expecting increased asks for home repair services, and extra traffic at the ReStore because people will be in need of items for their homes on a budget,” said Lyndsey Sturkey, Habitat’s executive director.

The nonprofit had three home repair projects underway, with three more in the pipeline, when the pandemic struck. Sturkey is optimistic that work can resume soon. The ReStore is currently open to customers and donors.

The LGBT Center of Central PA, located in Harrisburg, has been operating virtually since mid-March. A $1,000 grant from the COVID-19 Community Response Fund is underwriting general operating expenses.

“We’re seeing mental health as well as economic impacts,” said Amanda Arbour, executive director. “Within the LGBTQ population there are higher mental health needs such as suicidality due to social isolation in two specific sub-groups—youth isolated at home and older adults vulnerable to the virus.”

Her organization created a mutual aid network on Slack where people can post their needs—such as someone to pick up their medication or groceries—while others can post their availability to help.

At Diakon Permanency Services for the Capital Region, a $2,500 grant is allowing children’s foster and adoptive services to creatively continue online via Zoom. The platform is allowing training of foster parents to continue, as well as communication between birth parents and children, communication between separated siblings and court hearings.

“We have been pleasantly surprised by utilizing this new format,” said Kimberly James, director of Diakon’s Permanency Services.

“On a typical orientation night to learn about being foster families, we might normally have four or five families in person. During the past couple months via Zoom, that number has not gone down at all—in fact, one evening we had 30 families on Zoom and we were blown away.”

She actually credits the COVID-19 crisis with reenergizing families’ interest in fostering.

“I think it’s a combination of people having a little more time to follow their dreams of becoming foster families and taking the time now to invest in the process,” James said.

The nonprofit is currently overseeing the cases of 80 children in foster care. But she expects that number, sadly, to rise.

“One of the things we are sadly anticipating, as we move through the phases and more counties move to green, is that people and families will have more contact. We anticipate the number of reports to area children and youth services will increase, which will mean more referrals to us and higher placements in foster care,” said James.

Many nonprofits, Fatzinger noted, are facing financial hardships due to the forced cancellations of major annual fundraisers, and he predicts long-term impacts.

“During the 2007-08 recession, within a two-year period, charitable giving dropped 20%, and it took eight years for the charity sector to recover fiscally,” Fatzinger said.

He encourages people to make donations of any size if they can.

“The ask I make is on behalf of people in need,” Fatzinger said. “Significant mid- and long-term needs will come out of this. Some people are getting rent assistance, but those payments will come up. The same with utilities, and unemployment checks will be running out. This is far from being over.”

Major donors include The Hershey Company, Highmark Health and private donors, but Fatzinger said many individual donations of $5 each are quickly adding up, as well.

Black draws upon her background in healthcare to put the COVID-19 crisis in perspective.

“I never have experienced anything like this, even with outbreak of AIDS working at Georgetown University Hospital,” Black said. “When I think of COVID-19 and the effect it’s having… there isn’t a quick fix—it’s going to be ongoing until we have a vaccine, and the community needs to rally together and work together.”

Ongoing community-wide health and safety efforts are vital, she said.

“I want to stress that people need to be ready for more,” Black said. We cannot let our guard down. We need to maintain cleanliness and the physical safety of ourselves and others by wearing masks. I guess that’s the nurse coming out in me.”

Donations to the COVID-19 Community Response Fund can be made at tfec.org/covid19. Individual donors can also text “TFEC” to 56512 to receive a link to donate. Nonprofit organizations based in Cumberland, Dauphin, Franklin, Lebanon, Perry and Northern York Counties are invited to apply for assistance through the fund at tfec.org/covid19resources. For more information, see tfec.org and uwcr.org.

New COVID-19 cases remain flat in PA as much of Harrisburg area prepares to enter “green” phase

June 11, 2020 | by Lawrance Binda

An image from the state Department of Health lab in Exton, Pa.

New COVID-19 cases remained below 500 today, as the state health department reported 467 new positives.

Cases peaked in early April at nearly 2,000 daily new cases. Since then, cases have shown a gradual decline, despite increasingly greater testing levels for the virus.

With the additional cases, 77,313 Pennsylvanians have now been diagnosed with the coronavirus.

Locally, total diagnosed cases are as follows:

Adams County: 279 cases (yesterday, 278)
Cumberland County: 692 cases (yesterday, 688)
Dauphin County: 1,561 cases (yesterday, 1,541)
Franklin County: 827 cases (yesterday, 807)
Lancaster County: 3,632 cases (yesterday, 3,600)
Lebanon County: 1,106 cases (yesterday, 1,091)
Perry County: 69 cases (yesterday, 68)
York County: 1,117 cases (yesterday, 1,102)

Overall, 13.9 percent of PA residents tested have shown to be positive for the virus.

The department also reported an additional 51 deaths, meaning that 6,113 Pennsylvanians have died from the disease since March.

Around central PA, the COVID-19 fatality data now stands as follows:

Adams County: 9 deaths (yesterday, 9)
Cumberland County: 58 deaths (yesterday, 58)
Dauphin County: 104 deaths (yesterday, 101)
Franklin County: 40 deaths (yesterday, 39)
Lancaster County: 322 deaths (yesterday, 322)
Lebanon County: 38 deaths (yesterday, 38)
Perry County: 4 deaths (yesterday, 4)
York County: 31 deaths (yesterday, 30)

Statewide, Philadelphia County continues to have the most confirmed cases with 19,572 cases, followed by Montgomery County with 7,754 cases. The two counties also have reported the most deaths statewide from the disease: 1,471 and 748, respectively.

Last week, the state moved the last of Pennsylvania’s “red” counties into the less restrictive yellow phase, including the entire Philadelphia metro area. Tomorrow, three local counties—Cumberland, York and Adams—are slated to enter the “green” phase.

Nursing homes and personal care facilities have been particularly hard hit by the virus. Of total deaths, 4,215, or 69 percent, have occurred in residents from nursing or personal care facilities, according to the health department.

In nursing and personal care homes, there are 16,357 resident cases of COVID-19, and 2,871 cases among employees, for a total of 19,228 at 627 distinct facilities in 45 counties, according to the health department.

In addition, about 5,888 of total cases in PA are in health care workers.

Statewide, 553,752 coronavirus tests have been performed, with 476,439 people testing negative, according to the state health department. Yesterday, the state reported that 544,175 people had been tested for the virus.

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

Nearly 1 percent are aged 0-4
Nearly 1 percent are aged 5-12
Nearly 2 percent are aged 13-18
6 percent are aged 19-24
Nearly 37 percent are aged 25-49
25 percent are aged 50-64
28 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.

Levine 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.

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

Expanded hours, locations this Saturday for Harrisburg’s outdoor dining event

June 11, 2020 | by Lawrance Binda

Diners chow down along N. 2nd Street during the first “Saturday Nights in the City” last weekend.

Harrisburg is making some big changes to its Saturday outdoor dining event, expanding hours, locations and street closures.

Mayor Eric Papenfuse today said the decision to expand “Saturday Night in the City” was made because of the success of last weekend’s initial event.

“We are pleased with the success of the first event last weekend, ” Papenfuse said. “This program is a great way for us to support our city restaurants, and I encourage residents to come out again this upcoming Saturday night.”

The city and the Harrisburg Downtown Improvement District launched the al fresco dining event to help restaurants comply with state regulations, as Dauphin County is in the “yellow” phase of the state’s reopening plan during the COVID-19 pandemic.

This Saturday, the event will run an additional two hours—from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m., meaning it will start an hour earlier and end an hour later.

In addition, several more streets will be closed as the number of participating restaurants has grown. The following streets will close beginning at 3:30 p.m. on Saturday:

2^nd Street from Market to Pine streets
State Street from Church to N. 2^nd streets, westbound
North Street, from Susquehanna to N. 3^rd streets, westbound, and from N. 2^nd to Buttonwood streets
Conoy Street (Shipoke)
3^rd Street, from Market to Chestnut streets

The participating restaurants now include:

El Sol
Stock’s on Second
Carley’s Ristorante and Piano Bar
Café Fresco
Taco Solo
Ad Lib Craft Kitchen and Bar
Sawyer’s
Bourbon Street Saloon
Zembie’s
McGrath’s
Arooga’s
Taste Buffalo
Cork & Fork
Federal Taphouse
Rubicon
Mangia Qui
BurgerIM
Bollywood
The Brick Haus
Los Tres Cubanos
Second Street Shawarma
JB Lovedraft’s
The Vegetable Hunter

Saturday Nights in the City also has been extended through July 4. Originally, the program was due to run just through the month of June. In addition, the city plans to have a food truck festival on City Island, along with Independence Day fireworks.

Weekend Roundup with Sara Bozich

June 11, 2020 | by Sara Bozich

We’re (mostly) green! What does that mean? Not much different from yellow but hey, now’s the time to (finally) get yourself cleaned up, continue to shop locally (but now in person, where you can), and dine outside! Are you on the email list? In addition to getting this weekly update directly in your inbox, I load it with a bunch of other fresh, original content. Sign-up here.

Top Picks:

Book your appointments at Bronzed Bunny now (I know I am)
Visit R.G. Hummer’s in the Broad Street Market for all your grilling needs
Need something pretty? Meeka Fine Jewelry is open!
ABC County Fair Food Fest
The Obstructed View | Episode 1 with Open Stage (Thursday)
An Iliad with Open Stage (Friday)
Boneshire Brew Works opens for outdoor seating 12 p.m. Friday!
Food specials at Appalachian Brewing Co. (Friday/Saturday)
Shrimp Band @ Sunset at ABC (Saturday)
3 Crowlers for $15 at Tattered Flag Brewery & Still Works (Thursday and Sunday)
Check out Midtown Cinema’s full list of on-demand films!
Grab some local brews and binge-watch Poured in PA: The Series free on YouTube!
Midtown Scholar Bookstore now offering curbside pickup.
The Millworks is now open Tuesday-Sunday at 4 p.m.

Top picks to-go/delivery

Need wine? Click here.
Need booze? Click here.
Need beer? Click here.
Need cocktails? Kits + premade options here.
Brunch? For serious. Click here.
Wait, what about coffee, kombucha, tea, juice? Got you!
Find Carry-Out options here
Ways to give back

Fourth of July celebrations are on, combined with “Saturday Nights in the City”

June 10, 2020 | by Maddie Conley

A past Independence Day Food Truck Festival.

Fourth of July celebrations may remind you of life as normal this year.

Harrisburg Independence Day festivities will be combined with Saturday Nights in the City for an evening of food, fireworks and more food.

Originally scheduled as a drive-through food truck event, Mayor Eric Papenfuse said the city decided to make it a traditional walk-up experience.

“We do think it’s appropriate given where we are to do a walk-up,” he said.

As usual, a multitude of food trucks will make their appearance, this time on City Island instead of Riverfront Park. Papenfuse said there will be fewer trucks than usual, but still more than a dozen. While no vendors will be in Riverfront Park, people are free to picnic there.

With the added twist of including the city’s outdoor dining event, Saturday Nights in the City, people will have the option of sitting for table service from downtown restaurants.

“It’s been so successful,” Papenfuse said of the Saturday night event. “We definitely wanted to include that and give people a chance to come downtown.”

Stock’s on Second, Café Fresco, Sawyer’s and Cork & Fork are a few of the list of 20 restaurants that have participated in the outdoor dining experience.

“I think people will have more culinary options than ever before,” Papenfuse said of the Fourth of July celebration.

As is tradition, fireworks will close out the night at about 9:15 p.m. Set off from City Island, the fireworks are visible to the East and West shores.

Throughout the event, participants are encouraged to practice social distancing, Papenfuse said.

Part of the reason for moving forward with Fourth of July activities was due to Capital Region Water’s wastewater epidemiology reports.

According to the mayor, scientists at MIT are working with municipal waste companies to test the wastewater for the virus and predict the number of people in the region who have the virus. Papenfuse said the reports have shown a decline in the number of cases in Harrisburg.

“We feel like everything is definitely moving in the right direction,” he said.

The Harrisburg Independence Day Food Truck event will take place on July 4 on City Island and in downtown Harrisburg. For more information, visit https://harrisburgpa.gov/.

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