Harrisburg proposes 2026 budget with no tax hike; council approves two housing developments

November 25, 2025 | by Maddie Gittens

Mayor Wanda Williams presented her proposed 2026 budget to City Council on Tuesday.

Harrisburg began its annual budget review process with City Council on Tuesday.

Mayor Wanda Williams announced the city’s proposed 2026 general fund budget of $88.1 million, which does not include a property tax increase.

“This is a balanced budget with no tax increase,” Williams said. “That achievement required discipline in a year marked by sharply rising insurance costs, a volatile fuel market and inflation that continues to strike nearly every municipal service.”

The total proposed budget, including the capital projects fund, state liquid fuels fund and neighborhood services fund, among others, is $127.4 million.

Of note in the proposed budget are significant raises for several city officials—including a $20,000 raise for the mayor. According to Interim Business Administrator Sam Sulkosky, the mayor’s current $80,000 annual salary has remained the same for 20 years, since 2006.

City Solicitor Neil Grover said that the mayor decided to propose the raise, describing the move as a “tough political call,” which has discouraged elected officials in the past, but saying, “it makes good sense.”

“It’s been a long time. It’s something that needed to get done,” he said.

In addition to the mayor, the proposal includes $5,000 raises each for four city council members: Ausha Green, Jocelyn Rawls, Ralph Rodriguez and Rob Lawson, who was elected in November and will take his seat in the new year.

The city controller would receive a raise as well, $5,000. Newly elected, Karen Balaban will take the seat from current controller Charlie DeBrunner in January.

Sulkosky said that, according to the law, elected officials may only get a raise at the beginning of their term, which is why only some elected officials would get a raise this year. Others who begin a new term in two years would get raises at that time, he said.

In addition to the financial burdens that Williams said would impact the 2026 budget, officials said that a large number of county property tax reassessments and dismal parking revenue still impact the city—issues that they had highlighted during last year’s budget presentations. Williams said that the city plans to save money by bringing more work, such as road paving and demolition, in-house.

Currently, however, the proposed budget includes a surplus, with general fund revenues projected at $92.3 million. Sulkosky explained that some of that was due to the city’s $2 million increase in fire protection revenue from the state, bringing that total to $7 million. Additionally, Sulkosky said that, because the city’s union contracts are not approved yet, possible pay increases are not yet factored into the proposed budget.

Council will review and discuss the proposed budget with each department head at hearings on Dec. 2, 3, 4 and 8.

In other news, council gave the green light to two housing projects planned for the city.

Harrisburg-based WCI Partners plans to convert an office building at 1909 N. Front St. into 60 market-rate apartments. The building is currently occupied by Hersha Hospitality, but according to WCI, the company is downsizing and moving locations.

Under the proposal, WCI would create all one-bedroom units in the four-story, 58,832-square-foot building. There are also 71 off-street parking spaces.

Council approved the land development plan by a vote of 5-2, with council president Danielle Hill and member Crystal Davis voting against it. Hill said her “no” vote was due to the project not including affordable housing.

Also, Handles Helping Hand Foundation received approval to construct four attached, three-story affordable townhomes on vacant land at 1605 to 1613 Market St.

The project site is currently owned by the Harrisburg Redevelopment Authority. A small community garden used to operate onsite, but the lot has since become blighted. The developer will consolidate the five parcels on the land and subdivide it into four lots.

The $1.5 million project is expected to be completed in the spring of 2026, according to foundation president Chris Franklin, a Harrisburg native and former Harlem Globetrotter. Townhomes would be sold to lower-income families for around $120,000.

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It Happened on Herr: Harrisburg abstract artist returns home for a major exhibit at SAM.

November 25, 2025 | by Alexandra Jones

Alteronce Gumby

These days, Bronx-based artist Alteronce Gumby spends most of his time in a New York City studio creating abstract, cosmic paintings. But the painter’s first fascinations with light, color and perception began in his native Harrisburg.

His current Susquehanna Art Museum exhibition, “If Herr Street Could Talk,” has returned 25 pieces of his mixed-media art just a few blocks away from the childhood stomping grounds that shaped his artistic eye.

“He was right here in our backyard,” Susquehanna Art Museum Executive Director Alice Anne Schwab said.

With this homecoming show, the Harrisburg High graduate hopes to inspire the city’s young artists.

“You can come from humble beginnings and still be a creative person,” he said. “You can be whatever you want to be.”

As a child, the now internationally celebrated, award-winning painter didn’t realize that being an artist was a career path available to him. His mother worked as a pastor and a secretary, and his father was a custodian for the state. He said there was no talk of exploring creative careers in his working-class family. He stumbled into it.

After completing a drafting and design vo-tech program in high school, he entered an architecture program at HACC and signed up to study abroad in Spain. While visiting the Picasso Museum in Barcelona, he had an artistic awakening.

“That was what really opened my eyes to fine art, painting, drawing, ceramics and sculpture,” Gumby said.

When he returned home, he remembers visiting the Susquehanna Art Museum and other contemporary art galleries in the area. Soon after, he moved to New York City, where he continued thinking about Picasso and eventually enrolled in the city’s Arts Students League to practice figure drawing.

During this time, a friend invited him to the Museum of Modern Art.

“She kind of ghosted me, and so I ended up going by myself and seeing this amazing show by abstract expressionists,” he said. “From there, I was just really in love with painting and abstraction.”

He started painting with bright colors in his room, and soon, an instructor at the Art Students League suggested that he go back to school for art.

He did just that, enrolling at Dutchess Community College in Poughkeepsie, N.Y., as an art major. From there, he transferred to Hunter College and got a BFA in painting and, subsequently, an MFA in painting and printmaking from Yale University.

He’s since spent nine years out of the classroom, honing his unique technique.

Common materials of Gumby’s include oil and acrylic paint, gemstones, resin, shards of glass and fabric.

“And imagination,” he said.

His pieces put color theory into practice—sometimes playing with monochromatic hues, other times, high contrast opposites. The highly reflective materials that Gumby applies to the surface of his paintings alter the color of his pieces when the observer moves.

His fascination with the viewer’s shifting perception of color is rooted in his experience as a person of color, he said, and seeing how color could be used to “open up the conversation” around color and the human condition.

Rachel O’Connor, director of exhibitions at the Susquehanna Art Museum, said his art is transportive in this way.

“One of the wonderful things that his work can do, is give you this moment to intentionally observe color, to intentionally observe light,” O’Connor said. “On top of that, he welcomes the viewer to take space to think even further about what color can mean to us.”

Nostalgically, Gumby also draws inspiration from light and colors he saw growing up on Herr Street, where his maternal and paternal grandmothers lived, respectively, on the 1700- and 1500-blocks.

He can still vividly see the shadows dancing across the brick houses as he walked between his grandmothers’ houses after school—the light dancing across the leaves he’d rake or the snow he’d shovel for them, and the rainbow casting through a suncatcher hung on one of their windows.

He’s described the exhibition as both a tribute and an offering to his home city.

“To bring the experiences I have had back to Harrisburg and to share my work with the community that helped raise me — it’s pretty big,” he said.

“If Herr Street Could Talk” runs through Feb. 22 at the Susquehanna Art Museum, 1401 N. 3rd St., Harrisburg. For more information, visit www.susquehannaartmuseum.org.

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Vision & Values: New directors take the helm at three of Harrisburg’s longest serving homelessness providers

November 25, 2025 | by Maddie Gittens

George Chochos

George Chochos has never liked the term “at-risk youth.” He prefers “youth with potential.”

That’s a phrase that could have defined the Albany, N.Y., native’s younger years, though he likely didn’t think so at the time.

In many ways, Chochos, the new executive director of Harrisburg’s Bethesda Mission, may have been just like the clientele that Bethesda serves.

In his youth, he got in trouble in school, began facing legal issues, experienced family trauma, started using drugs and faced homelessness. Eventually, he got jail time in the maximum-security Sing Sing prison in New York.

Chochos was later moved to Eastern NY Correctional Facility and became one of 15 students to participate in Bard College’s prison initiative, which offered inmates an opportunity to get a degree.

“Everything changed,” he said.

Chochos found a different path in life, earning a college degree while in prison, working as a chaplain at rescue missions and, a year after being released from prison, was accepted into Yale Divinity School.

“My first semester, a front-page article in the New Haven Register came out that said, ‘From Jail to Yale,’” Chochos said.

Chochos graduated with two master’s degrees and went on to work for Georgetown University and Vera Institute, creating college programming for people in prison and advocating for federal Pell grants for the incarcerated.

Afterwards, working his way out of several jobs by creating and implementing solutions, Chochos went on to find the next, leading him to Harrisburg late last year. With not only an impressive professional background in the field, Chochos feels that his personal history makes him well-suited for the job.

During his first time preaching at Bethesda’s chapel service, Chochos shared his story. Later, someone told Chochos that they asked a Bethesda client if they knew the new director.

“Supposedly, they said, ‘oh yea, that brother understands,’” he said.

Chochos is not alone as the new director of one of Harrisburg’s longest serving homeless and community service providers. In addition to Bethesda, both Downtown Daily Bread and Christian Churches United of the Tri-County Area have new top officials.

In our October issue, we published a story on organizations that are taking unique, innovative approaches to housing the unhoused locally. However, nonprofits like Bethesda, DDB and CCU have logged decades marked by service to the community and have become institutions that residents, and even transplants to the city, rely on.

Still leaning on the tried-and-true service methods, new leaders at the top of each of the three pillars are casting their own visions for the future of service in Harrisburg.

“Many times, places like rescue missions and shelters, it can almost feel like how prison felt for me. It was like a bracket in my life,” Chochos said. “It’s not like when I got to prison, I knew there was going to be a pathway to some kind of life post-incarceration. What I would like to see with Bethesda Mission is for us to have pathways to education, pathways to employment, pathways to long-term housing.”

Kristen Herman

Puzzles & Potential

For a decade, Kristin Herman worked in the prevention field, serving at the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Domestic Violence.

She advocated for grant funding for domestic violence programming and studied how trauma, systemic barriers and other experiences can lead to relationship violence.

Now as the executive director of Downtown Daily Bread, Herman is working on the other end of the service spectrum.

“This is very much the opposite end. This is crisis work. We’re giving meals, we’re giving showers, we’re giving day shelter,” she said. “I interact with clients here. I get to do things like fix the dishwasher and unclog the toilets.”

And while her work now is very hands-on, Herman feels confident that her prevention background will be an asset to the nonprofit.

“It was a way for me to transition and take the skills that I have in prevention and seeing the bigger picture of how folks end up on DDB’s front doorstep,” she said. “I really like puzzles and, I would say, potential. So, looking at something and being like […] ‘how do all these pieces fit together?’”

Like Herman, Matt Reichard was looking to move into a more direct assistance role.

Reichard most recently served as the associate pastor at CrossPoint United Methodist Church in Lower Paxton Township and has also worked at Paxton Ministries and operated a medical clinic with his wife in Haiti.

When Reichard saw the opening at Christian Churches United, he decided to apply.

“It piqued my interest as something that’s a little bit different than the church setting and back into the community work like I had done in Haiti,” he said.

Reichard started as director earlier this year, at a time when there have been a lot of changes and uncertainty at the local, state and federal levels regarding human services.

“It’s always kind of in the background, but it doesn’t keep us from doing what we do, for now,” he said.

Fortunately, federal budget and funding changes and pauses haven’t caused any service or program cuts yet for CCU, because homelessness continues to rise in Harrisburg, as it does nationally.

“It’s a growing problem,” he said. “That’s something that I wanted to try to do something to help with.”

Matt Reichard

Everything Approach

For CCU, Reichard sees one of the biggest needs as continuing to beef up the organization’s homeless prevention efforts through programs like rental assistance. He’s also focused on keeping CCU’s shelter space for adults, which is heavily utilized, running smoothly. In the future, he hopes to expand shelter options to include families with children.

Reichard sees the work that other, newer community groups are doing to address homelessness, such as through building tiny homes and organized tent encampments. He appreciates the fresh attempts at finding solutions, but emphasized the need for a variety of approaches, including older, more established ones.

“I think the two have to work together,” he said. “The newer things are great, and I love new ideas, but I think it takes an everything approach. It’s going to take everybody working together. Some of these newer things will work for some people, but not for others. Some of the older things will work for some people, but not for others. It just depends.”

At DDB, Herman would also like to expand existing programs to make more space for highly-in-demand shelter beds and hot meals.

For Bethesda, Chochos has a vision to bring his expertise in college programming to the shelter by offering pathways to education to clients, possibly even partnering with a university to open a satellite campus onsite.

“That way when somebody comes to Bethesda Mission, there’s not that uncertainty at the back end, but there is a pathway,” he said. “I think that would also motivate people to want to be in our programs. When you know there’s housing at the end, there’s employment at the end, or I can get my education while I’m here.”

While the issue of homelessness continues to climb, all three of the new directors have plans to continue growing their organizations to meet the needs in Harrisburg.

“When I was a chaplain, [my goal] was to help people move from hopelessness to hopefulness. And that’s really what I want to instill,” Chochos said. “Hope can motivate you in ways that other things can’t.”

For more information about Bethesda Mission, visit www.bethesdamission.org.

To find out more about Downtown Daily Bread, visit www.downtowndailybread.org.

To learn more about Christian Churches United of the Tri-County Area, visit www.ccuhbg.org.

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December Publisher’s Note

November 25, 2025 | by Lawrance Binda

At the end of the year, our schedule gets tossed into the air.

While everyone decorates and parties, TheBurg staff scrambles to meet early deadlines, finalize our stories, and get our monthly magazine into your hands.

The rapid-fire Thanksgiving to Christmas to New Year’s train of holidays is always challenging, and this year is especially tough for us, given the quirks of the calendar.

Nonetheless, no worries. As always, we’ll meet our deadlines, with our print magazine packed with community news, commentary, features, events and fun. And, like each December, this issue focuses heavily on the holidays and how we celebrate here in the Harrisburg area.

This month, we have holiday stories that range widely from local attractions to light displays to seasonal entertainment and more. We also have some great ideas on ways to give back to the community, if that’s on your to-do list.

If it is, we hope that you’ll consider putting something special from TheBurg under your tree, as merch sales help fund our mission of serving this community. Currently, we offer sweatshirts, T-shirts and ballcaps through our website or, if you prefer, just drop by our office. Donning your Burg gear also shows the world (or at least your fellow Wegman’s shoppers) that you support our work and your community.

For the holiday season, we also hope you’ll consider joining Friends of TheBurg, our membership program. To say “thanks,” we’ll send you a Burg-branded tote, delivered right to your door. You’ll also get an invitation to the Burg Bash, a huge annual party to honor our members (and my single-favorite night of the year). To date, we’ve had over 700 individuals, families, groups, companies and organizations become members—so please, join in the fun!

OK, I think I’m all pitched out for the month. It’s time now to turn the page and dig into our annual seasonal issue. TheBurg staff wishes you and your loved ones the happiest of holidays!

Larry, Lauren, Meg, Maddie, Natalie and Lex

Lawrance Binda
Publisher/Editor

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Lack of Capitol: In Harrisburg, an absent state workforce shatters small business dreams

November 25, 2025 | by Lawrance Binda

Illustration by Rich Hauck

When I first moved to Harrisburg, Aleco’s was my go-to spot for a quick, cheap meal.

At the time, the (very) casual eatery was located at North and 2nd streets, a cozy spot frequented mostly by neighborhood denizens like me.

Aleco’s was run by Jose, originally from Mexico and one of the hardest-working people I’ve ever met. If you dropped in at 7 a.m., he’d happily grill up a breakfast sandwich for you. For lunch and dinner, he furiously dished out burgers, cheesesteaks, sandwiches and huge salads. On Saturday nights, the late-night drinking crowd showed up, standing in a long line that often wound up the block, for greasy slabs of pizza at 2 a.m.

The place never seemed to close, and Jose never seemed to take a day off.

Mike, an older guy who lived nearby, waited every week for the Tuesday night pasta special—a mountain of spaghetti, meatballs, salad and garlic bread, all for about eight bucks.

“Look at all this food,” he said to me more than once, marveling at the pile on his plate. “It’s the best deal in town.”

Unfortunately, Aleco’s salad days (excuse the pun) wouldn’t last. About eight years ago, his landlord didn’t renew his lease, wanting the first-floor storefront for himself. So, Jose relocated a few blocks away, just across from the Capitol building, hoping to tap into the state worker market. Unfortunately, by now, we all know how this story ends.

A pandemic, 25,000 missing state employees, empty office buildings—and another Harrisburg small business down the drain, another dream shattered. In late October, I tried to stop in for lunch, but found the doors locked, the always-open place dark and empty. I tried calling, and the phone went unanswered.

Recently, TheBurg was named Small Business of the Year by the Harrisburg Regional Chamber, and, this month, I have the great honor of accepting this award on behalf of my amazing, creative, committed staff.

Because of this, I thought I might write a column about what it takes to be a successful small business in Harrisburg, an admittedly tough place to make it. I even sketched out a few ideas, addressing concepts like consistency, quality, flexibility, responsibility and dedication, which I believe are components of our success.

But then I realized that, no, that’s not enough. In Harrisburg, you can be a business that does all these things right—and still find yourself run over by some force beyond your control.

A pandemic might hit. Inflation may roar. And, worse of all, your Capitol customer base might stop showing up for work. Over the last five years, all these things happened to the hardest-working man in Harrisburg.

Of course, it isn’t only Jose. The catalogue of shuttered downtown businesses is a long one. Just last March, I wrote about another sandwich shop, Deco Grab & Go, which suffered a similar fate, and, well, I could go on and on. The list goes far beyond lunch spots, including law firms, lobbyists, banks, shops, consultants, bars, etc., which, since the pandemic, have closed, downsized or relocated, leaving many buildings half or fully empty.

My phone rang recently and a building owner, clearly upset, told me that he feared losing his anchor tenant, a downtown business that likely wasn’t renewing its expiring lease. He placed the blame squarely on Gov. Shapiro, who continues to allow most state workers, much of the time, to work remotely.

He said that he believed Shapiro had a responsibility either to order all state workers back to the office or to help fund the redevelopment of downtown Harrisburg—say, a one-time $100 million payment to help convert empty offices into residential space, where there is a demand.

Great idea, I told him, but, also, good luck with that. The problem, I said, is that Harrisburg is an orphan. Neither party gives a hoot about its own capital city.

For the Democratic governor, allowing state employees to continue working from home is the path of least resistance. Why rock the boat, upsetting the workforce, even if in-office work is superior? A future Republican governor might try to reverse that. However, that could prove difficult, considering that so many workers have grown accustomed to remote work or hybrid schedules.

Last year, I wrote a column saying that we, in Harrisburg, need to admit that state workers aren’t coming back and move on, opening a new chapter in the city’s history. I imagine a future in which Harrisburg finally fulfills its destiny as a great small city located on a majestic river, with a walkable, mixed-use downtown full of shops, restaurants and attractions. But, sure, such a transition will take gobs of money, and I have no idea where that will come from.

Even if it happened, it’ll be far too late for Jose and the many other small business owners who have become collateral damage since the pandemic. One day, a whole new crop of starry-eyed entrepreneurs will take their place. I can only wish them better luck than the poor souls who, deciding where to locate their businesses, once looked at the sprawling, stately Capitol Complex, with thousands of weekday workers, a guaranteed customer base, and confidently thought, “Well, at least this will never go away.”

Lawrance Binda is publisher and editor of TheBurg.

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December News Digest

November 25, 2025 | by TheBurg Staff

December News Digest

Williams Re-Elected Harrisburg Mayor

Harrisburg Mayor Wanda Williams won a second term last month, besting the city’s treasurer for the second time this year.

With all precincts reporting, incumbent Williams received 5,096 votes versus 3,837 for Dan Miller, currently Harrisburg’s treasurer.

“Thank you for giving me another four years,” said Williams, at her victory party in Uptown Harrisburg. “I promise as I did before: a new Harrisburg. Now, who’s with me?”

Like Williams, Miller is a registered Democrat. However, he ran on the Republican ticket after narrowly losing the Democratic primary to Williams in May, but garnering enough write-in votes to secure the Republican nomination.

After conceding defeat, Miller said that he gave it his best but couldn’t overcome running on the Republican side in such a Democratic city.

“It’s so disappointing,” said Miller, at his election eve gathering of supporters at the Millworks. “You don’t know how many people told me you have to win. They know that Harrisburg is in a bad place.”

Other than the mayoral race, Harrisburg’s other general election races lacked competition in the overwhelmingly Democratic city.

For City Council, Jocelyn Rawls, Ralph Rodriguez, Ausha Green and Rob Lawson all won, running unopposed for four, four-year seats. For school board, Roslyn Copeland, Danielle Robinson, Brian Carter and Jaime Johnsen all won, running unopposed for four, four-year seats, while Annie Hughes captured the lone two-year seat, also unopposed.

Democrat Karen Balaban, running unopposed, won a four-year term as city controller. She’ll replace long-time controller Charlie DeBrunner, who did not stand for re-election.

Dauphin County also had elections for several row offices and judgeships this year, with Democrats performing well.

For prothonotary, Democratic challenger Antonio Carreno of Harrisburg unseated the Republican incumbent, Matt Krupp, also of Harrisburg. For clerk of courts, Democrat Tina Nixon of Harrisburg bested the Republican nominee, John McDonald. For county coroner, long-time Republican incumbent Graham Hetrick squeaked past the Democratic nominee, John Harris Jr.

In close races for Dauphin County Court of Common Pleas judge, Democrats Katy Kennedy-McShane and La Tasha Williams defeated Republicans Fran Chardo and Jim Zugay.

Office Conversion Approved

An adaptive reuse project in downtown Harrisburg can move forward, having received the stamp of approval from City Council.

Developer Breneman Properties plans to transform three attached office buildings at 315 N. 2nd St. into a 10-unit apartment building.

Council passed the apartment conversion by a vote of 4-2, with council member Jocelyn Rawls and president Danielle Hill voting against the project. Hill prefaced her vote by saying she would vote “no” because the development did not include affordable housing, as defined by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

The vacant 8,300-square-foot office building formerly housed the Pennsylvania Healthcare Association. The renovation will include constructing one- and two-bedroom units ranging from 500 to 1,200 square feet. Eight off-street parking spots exist on site.

Units are expected to rent from $1,000 to $1,400 a month, the developer said.

At the same meeting, council approved allowing the city to negotiate and enter into a professional services agreement with Ellen Freedman Schultz and Associates, LLC to develop an urban forestry and watershed education curriculum in partnership with the Harrisburg School District. The city will pay $25,000 for the program, money that will be reimbursed by a federal grant that Harrisburg received in 2023.

In other council action, Yvonne Marie Jackson was appointed to the Harrisburg Housing Authority board.

Council OKs One Project, Tables Another

One major adaptive reuse project can move forward with construction, while another has been tabled.

Harrisburg City Council last month approved one of two projects, giving the green light to an apartment project at the former Polyclinic building and stalling a downtown housing project for seniors.

Council voted in favor of a proposal by Pennmark Harrisburg Holdings, an affiliate of Montgomery County-based Pennmark Management Company, to transform the building that historically housed the Polyclinic Hospital at 2601 N. 3rd St.

The approved land development plan is for phase one of a three-phase proposal for the campus, which includes three buildings. The first phase targets the northernmost building on the property, which previously housed nurses’ quarters and more recently offices, and building out 96 market-rate units, with first-floor commercial space.

Council also voted on a plan by Harristown Development Corp. to renovate 333 Market Street, a 22-story building downtown that previously housed state government offices. At first, council’s vote resulted in a 3-3 tie, with council member Ralph Rodriguez absent.

“I want to maintain affordability, especially for our seniors,” said council President Danielle Hill, who initially voted against the project.

After City Solicitor Neil Grover told council that a tied vote would mean that the project was voted down, council decided to bring the development plan back up for reconsideration. Council tabled the vote for council members to ask further questions of the developer.

Harristown has proposed renovating floors 11 through 19 of the building, which are currently vacant, and creating 81 one- and two-bedroom apartments. Harristown is currently looking for an organization to master lease the units and provide senior housing.

At a previous work session, council members expressed concern about the affordability of the units. Harristown President Brad Jones said that he did not know what the unit rates would be, because they would be determined by the company that master leases the apartments.

Council member Shamaine Daniels advised council members who still had questions or concerns to meet with Jones but said that she believed council should pass the land development plan. If they wanted affordability to be a requirement, council should have the law bureau draft an ordinance, Daniels said.

“As far as I’m concerned, his application met the requirements,” Daniels said. “There’s nothing that mandates affordable housing.”

Hill responded, saying, “We understand that there’s no mandate for affordability, but when we’re dealing with seniors, we want to know a range of something. Being given a blanket answer isn’t sufficient enough for me.”

But Daniels noted what she saw potentially becoming a “recurring issue” if council votes down land development plans that meet all city statutes.

“If it gets denied, then it gets appealed, then we have to spend money defending an appeal that’s not defensible and is just a waste of money for everybody,” Daniels said.

In other news, council voted to accept a $101,000 payment from PennDOT to purchase a plot of city-owned land located in Swatara Township, near Paxton Street and City Park Drive, related to the I-83 widening project.

Grass Campus Playgrounds Open

Harrisburg kids now have another place to play.

The Jewish Federation of Greater Harrisburg announced that they have constructed two new playgrounds for schoolchildren and the community at their Alexander Grass Campus for Jewish Life in Uptown.

The playgrounds were built on the Etter Family Green, a large green space on the Grass Campus.

They are already being used by Jewish Community Center participants and students at the Brenner Family ELC and The Silver Academy, housed on the Grass Campus.

Additionally, the playgrounds are open to the entire community outside of school hours, after 6 p.m. Monday through Friday, and until dusk on Saturdays and Sundays.

“With immense pride and happiness, we celebrate the opening of our new playgrounds—a vibrant space where laughter, imagination and community come alive,” said Christine Cutuli, the federation’s chief operating officer. “Deepest thanks to every generous contributor who made this dream a reality. Your support and kindness will echo in the joy of every child who plays and learns here.”

The playgrounds, designed by BCI Burke, include slides, enrichment features, seating spaces and a xylophone. The Jewish Federation also upgraded the Etter Family Green with a fence and safety infrastructure.

Funds for the project came through numerous grants, including a Neighborhood Assistance Program grant from Capital Blue Cross, a Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency Non-Profit Security grant and a Dauphin County Local Shares Municipal grant, among others.

The Alexander Grass Campus for Jewish Life is located at 2986 N. 2nd St., Harrisburg. For more information, visit their website.

So Noted

Adam Santucci last month was elected to the executive committee of McNees Wallace & Nurick, a Harrisburg-based law firm. The executive committee is McNees’ senior leadership team, which guides the firm’s strategic direction and operations, according to the firm.

Lacie Parker last month was named regional vice president of Community Options, a national nonprofit that develops housing and offers employment support for people with disabilities. In this position, she will oversee operations in Pennsylvania, Maryland and New Hampshire.

Midstate Shows last month announced its first show as part of the 2026 Dauphin County Live Concert Series. Alt-indie band Rainbow Kitten Surprise is slated to take the stage in Riverfront Park on Tuesday, Sept. 15, as part of its “bones” North American tour.

Changing Hands

Bailey St., 1245: People First Homes LLC to M. & J. Natal, $107,000

Balm St., 52: R. Rammouni & W. Othman to Dream Kasa Properties LLC, $125,000

Bellevue Rd., 2304: K. Hurst & C. Reinhold to A. Reber & C. Dietz, $495,000

Berryhill St., 1414: O. Conde & N. Esquea to A. Bisono, $67,000

Berryhill St., 1609: C. Wheeler & A. Swann to A. Tejada, $140,000

Berryhill St., 2158: T. Deangelis to Cleveland Association LLC, $110,000

Boas St., 109: J. Holloway & JNB Properties to J. Castro, $180,000

Boas St., 257: M. & J. Rivino to J. Johnson, $194,000

Boas St., 1713: Sunrise River Investments Inc. to A. Ventura & M. de la Cruz, $210,000

Boas St., 1800, 1001 N. 18th St. & 1201 N. 6th St.: Fernandez Realty Affordable Homes LLC to Woodward Lofts LP, $240,000

Briggs St., 2028: AUM Investments LP to DM Capital Holdings LLC, $95,500

Brookwood St., 2462: J. Dodson to A. Madrid, $126,000

Derry St., 2705: E. Beiler to H. Uppal, $150,000

Division St., 503: H. Moyer to B. Saveleski, $148,900

Emerald Ct., 2456: D. Tamang & R. Bhandari to N. Myers, $185,000

Emerald St., 229: M. Temba to HPC Properties LLC, $220,000

Emerald St., 613: JRHeller Com LLC to Chappel Capital LLC, $70,000

Forster St., 1837: D. Hall to House Cash LLC, $110,000

Fulton St., 1734: J. Thomas to R. Simms, $210,000

Green St., 807: V. & A. Jones to K. & A. Burgess, $345,000

Green St., 1509: W. Hughes & I. Wright to M. Murray, $245,000

Green St., 1932: M. & T. Kohera to N. & M. Faubion, $305,000

Hale Ave., 393: F. Ramirez & J. Polanco to C. Wells & C. Kenley, $160,900

Hale Ave., 412: Integrity First Home Buyers LLC to J. Perez, $160,000

Holly St., 1709 & 1715: K. Kadel to L. Stewart, $70,000

Holly St., 1933: T. Davis to Echo Propco LLC, $93,000

Hummel St., 426: C. & S. Orellana to C&P Property Management LLC, $70,000

Lewis St., 421: J. Barber to BP Real Estate Investment Group LLC, $153,805

Locust St., 119: HBG Locust LLC to J. & D. Jones, $300,000

Logan St., 2249: Gilligan Realty LLC to Echo Propco I LLC, $82,000

Maclay St., 235: F. Contreras to Rebuild the Capital LLC, $220,000

Market St., 1705: Y. Guzman to A. Diaz, $80,000

Mulberry St., 1811: MR RE LLC to M3 Legacy LLC, $219,900

Naudain St., 1624: S. Brown to JL Mar Investments LLC, $65,000

N. 2nd St., 400: Murphy & Laus Real Estate LLC to Milan Property Group LLC, $650,000

N. 2nd St., 814: Pennsylvania Conference of Teamsters to Academy HBG Realty Inc., $232,500

N. 3rd St., 3214: J. & E. Connolly to Red Giraffe Group LLC, $140,000

N. 4th St., 1625: J. Wolfe & K. Hunt to E. & L. de la Cruz, $210,000

N. 4th St., 2242: J. & A. McArthur to J2J Holdings LLC, $72,450

N. 5th St., 2405: Stoute Housing Inc. to J. Moody, $175,000

N. 5th St., 3135: J. Vega to E. Medina & D. Rivera, $273,000

N. 6th St., 1531, 1533, 1539: Buonarroti Trust to Pendleton 1521 North Sixth SPE LLC, $225,000

N. 14th St., 1201: Bedon Flooring LLC to E&R Realty Legacy LLC, $65,000

N. 14th St., 1203: Bedon Flooring LLC to M. Poles Jr., $159,000

N. 15th St., 1523: K. Braddock to E. Cook, $120,000

N. 17th St., 40: Bridger Investments LLC to Halden Horizons Group LLC, $70,000

N. 18th St., 86: DKH Homes LLC to J. Lapp, $73,500

N. 18th St., 122: Gilligan Realty LLC to Knight Development & Management LLC, $80,000

N. Front St., 1525, Unit 506: I. Hooker to A. Yau, $169,000

Park St., 1632: M3 6 Realty to Nachmo LLC, $83,500

Penn St., 1922: August W. Geise 2005 Trust to H. Rivera, $282,500

Regina St., 1412: M. & R. Rammouni to K&M Home Investment LLC, $80,000

Regina St., 1505: J. Jackson to Leos Property Care LLC, $93,000

Regina St., 1855: Mau Properties LLC to TR Property LLC, $277,628

Rudy Rd., 2488: N. Rivera to 2020 Real Estate Ventures LLC, $60,000

Rumson Dr., 2920: W. & D. Illanes to C. Chapa, $170,000

Showers St., 613: L. Plummer to S. Hull & A. Zimmerman, $269,000

Showers St., 617: D. Nomie to L. Pierce, $229,000

S. 13th St., 401: C., A., F. and S Weaver to M. Ginder, $121,000

S. 13th St., 436: J. Torres to J. Morales, $155,000

S. 13th St., 1449: Integrity First Home Buyers LLC to DKH Homes LLC, $60,000

S. 15th St., 537: JRHeller Com LLC to Chappel Capital LLC, $60,000

S. 17th St., 923: J. Hawkins to Richie Property Management Services, $270,000

S. 17th St., 1122: A. Bratina to W. Melgarejo, $135,000

S. 18th St., 1301: House Cash LLC to Family 1st Estate LLC, $135,000

S. 25th St., 736: L. Crowder to B. Epwene, $101,000

S. 26th St., 625: Quick Holdings LLC to Z. & T. Walizer, $180,000

State St., 1412: S. Lee & M. Prokopy to PACC HBG 2 LLC, $190,000

State St., 1426: BRC 2 Properties LLC to Pichardos Realty LLC, $165,000

State St., 1512: Penn RM Properties LLC to Halden Horizons Group LLC, $99,000

Susquehanna St., 2120: W. Sheaffer to JRHeller Com LLC, $146,667

Swatara St., 2109: Swatara St LLC to La Swtara LLC, $90,000

Verbeke St., 1713: R. Green to Cleveland Association LLC, $125,000

Waldo St., 2707: S. & T. Johnson to U. Thapa, $90,000

Walnut St., 1854, 1856, 1858, 1860: A. Sullivan & A. Adams to Zook Rentals LLC, $460,000

Wiconisco St., 529: C&C Homes LLC to M. Bellamy, $160,000

Woodbine St., 633: S. Ali to C. Torres, $157,000

Zarker St., 2045: G&W Rentals LLC to G. Garcia, $143,000

Harrisburg property sales, October 2025, greater than $50,000. Source: Dauphin County. Data is assumed to be accurate.

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Spark of Support: New organization aims to help families with autism assistance, advocacy

November 25, 2025 | by Phyllis Zimmerman

Kyrie, Christina & Kahlik Carden

Christina Carden knows well the challenges of parenting children with autism, as she is the mother of two young sons on the autism spectrum.

“I live and breathe the daily realities that so many families silently endure—juggling therapies, navigating school systems, attending countless appointments, and still showing up for work and community responsibilities,” said the Camp Hill resident.

Such was Carden’s motivation earlier this year for founding K & K Connections—Spectrum Spark Society.

“I just feel, in my heart, that I was meant to do this so that parents don’t feel so alone,” said Carden, who serves as executive director. “Our mission is to uplift, support and advocate for individuals and families affected by autism through education, resources and community connection.”

The “K & K” stands for Carden’s two sons, Kahlik, 16, who attends a charter school with an Individualized Education Plan (IEP), and Kyrie, 4½, who’s enrolled in an Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) Therapy program.

About 1 in 31, or 3.2% of U.S. children aged 8 are identified with autism spectrum disorder, or ASD, according to estimates provided by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control’s Autism Disabilities Monitoring Network. It’s reported to occur in all racial, ethnic and socioeconomic groups and is three to four times more likely in boys than girls.

The latest CDC statistics are up from a previous rate of 1 in 36 children in 2017. In fact, autism rates have risen by about 300% over the past 20 years, according to the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. The university cites a partial factor behind this as a recent broader definition of ASD to include some conditions that once had a separate diagnosis, such as Asperger’s Syndrome or Pervasive Development Disorder.

Secondly, the school notes that more public health programs now include screenings at wellness visits for children ages 18 to 24 months. Parents, caregivers and community members are also said to have greater awareness of symptoms, with the disorder more accepted in the general community.

Organizations like Carden’s help erase any remaining public stigma over ASD.

“I want a neurotypical child to feel that it’s OK to be friends with a neurodiverse child,” she said.

So far, K&K Connections offers family support services that include parental support groups via its website and navigating resources that help families access needed services.

The organization also offers access to youth and teen programs, educational advocacy and sensory friendly events, such as a “Boo Bash” autism art festival that took place in October. Carden also creates a monthly K & K newsletter for all registered to the organization’s website.

Carden presently runs and funds the organization on her own, in addition to holding a full-time job. However, she’s taking steps to obtain a nonprofit status for K & K that offers eligibility for obtaining financing grants and partnerships.

“Christina is really passionate about autism, and her passion is awesome,” said Nicole Williams, Carden’s work colleague. “Obviously, she has personal experience. It takes a very special person to deal with autism, and she has that experience.”

So, what keeps her going?

“Every day is something new with children on the spectrum,” Carden said. “It blows my mind whenever Kyrie learns a new word like ‘stop’ or ‘no.’”

Kyrie is a Level 2 non-verbal child on the autism spectrum who uses sign language and an augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) device. Kahlik is considered on a high-functioning spectrum level and recently returned to attending school because he “missed the socialization,” his mother noted.

“As parents in the autism community, we’re often not seen and not heard,” Carden said. “That’s what we go through on a daily basis. We are tough. We have our moments, but we can’t let our kids see it.”

For information or to register for K & K Connections—Spectrum Spark Society, visit www.knkconnections.net, Facebook or phone 717-612-8446.

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Everything You Need: Morning Glory will remind you of general stores of yore

November 25, 2025 | by Dan Miller

Marlin Enoch

Back in the day, before big box retail and the internet came to rule the world, you could find a general store in just about every small town.

It was a place owned and run by local folks, where you could stock up on basics like toothpaste, shampoo, a can of vegetables, toilet paper and coffee—maybe a simple homemade toy or knick-knack or two to brighten up the walls of your home.

It was a place where, if you were short on cash, the proprietor said it was OK. He—or she—figured you were good for it the next time you came in.

You can still find some of those places today. One is Marlin Enoch’s “Morning Glory” store on the square in Hummelstown.

The sign outside reads “A Family Store,” and that’s what Enoch intends it to be.

“I have something in here for every aspect of a family, from clothing to toys to furniture to decor,” he said. “It just goes on and on and on. When a person walks in here, I want them to be able to find something that they need.”

Enoch thought Hummelstown a good place for his store because of all the rental units in town, many four and five stories high. His furniture is lightweight, easy to carry and inexpensive, so “a person doesn’t have to go into debt to supply their apartment.”

By Myself

This is Enoch’s second version of Morning Glory in Hummelstown. He opened his first store on W. Main Street in March 2024.

It was only a few blocks off the square in this walkable town, but in a quiet residential area where foot traffic plummeted when winter weather set in.

He moved to his present location on the square, across the street from the local newspaper and a bank, in February 2025, but it took several months before he could reopen.

In the meantime, he took a part-time job at a grocery store to help make ends meet, as he didn’t want to borrow any more money.

He liked the job at the grocery store and the steady paycheck. But, at age 69, the work to prepare the new space and move everything while juggling a part-time job was a challenge.

“All this in here, I did it all by myself,” Enoch said, with a touch of pride. “One lady, she lives on the west end, she came in and said, ‘I’ve watched you Marlin, I saw you tie that stuff on the hood of your car with your trunk wide open traveling down the road.’”

Torn between the security of the part-time job and his passion for running his own retail business, Enoch gave notice to the grocery store at the beginning of November. Out on a limb, once again.

Entrepreneurialism is in Enoch’s blood. His father Clarence was his own boss for as long as Enoch could remember. He had a hauling and janitorial service and later opened a used furniture and appliance store.

Everything Enoch knows about business, he learned from his dad. From his mom, Mary, a homemaker, came much more. She molded his character, his faith in God and a love of caring for people.

“She used to tell me, ‘Marlin, if I can’t do kindness and be kind to somebody and help somebody today, I have no purpose for living.’ I believe that was instilled inside of me.”

Tough Decisions

Enoch worked for a vending company in Middletown for 15 years until being laid off, and then a car dealership in Hershey another 10 years before getting laid off again.

He struck out on his own in 2008, running small retail stores in Harrisburg until one day a call came from a doctor about his mom’s condition at a nursing home.

She had Alzheimer’s disease, and her organs were shutting down. The doctor gave her fewer than 10 months to live.

Enoch prayed about what to do. God told him to close his store and bring his mother home, he said.

“It was such a tough decision. I was afraid because being self-employed, that’s your livelihood. You don’t have sick days; you don’t have vacation days. I was fearful, but I followed God’s direction.”

After his mom died, Enoch, also a minister, opened a church in New Cumberland called House of Bethel. He pastored there for two years until the owner sold the building housing the church.

Two years later, a pastor, moving his wife and family to Houston, asked Enoch to “keep the doors open” at his church in Harrisburg until a full-time preacher could be found. Enoch led the flock for 18 months.

His desire to preach the gospel never left him. But he’s come to realize he doesn’t have to be standing behind a pulpit to do that.

Enoch believes his ministry now has evolved.

“Minister to the people who walk through my door, to show them love and kindness and to show them there are people that will treat them fair and will appreciate them for being a customer,” he said. “That’s what I have been doing for the last 10 years.”

Morning Glory is located at 13 E. Main St., Hummelstown.

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Community Corner: Notable December Events

November 25, 2025 | by Missy Smith

Holiday Market

Dec. 1: Penn Cumberland Garden Club hosts its 55th annual Holiday Market Benefit & Lunch at Penn Harris Hotel, Harrisburg, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Enjoy a luncheon, a presentation and a floral demonstration. www.penncumberlandgardenclub.org

Holiday Trains

Dec. 1-29: Take a magical journey at the Hershey History Center, 40 Northeast Dr., Hershey, viewing a festive display of model trains with intricate tracks, scenery and locomotives. Exhibit is included with admission. www.hersheyhistory.org

Giving Tree

Dec. 2: Join Dauphin County Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) for a virtual Giving Tree-Lighting ceremony, 5:30 p.m. at the Linglestown Christmas Tree at the Square, 5967 Linglestown Rd. Enjoy free hot cocoa and cookies. www.dauphincountycasa.org

Christmas Show

Dec. 3-7: Shop the 41st annual Pennsylvania Christmas and Gift Show for gifts, decor, apparel, jewelry, seasonal items, gourmet food and more at the PA Farm Show Complex, Harrisburg. www.pachristmasshow.com

Light Show

Dec. 3-31: Enjoy the holiday season at the Christmas Spirit Light Show at Clipper Magazine Stadium, 650 N. Prince St., Lancaster, with a festive drive-thru light show, including hundreds of thousands of color-changing lights, synchronized to Christmas music. www.christmasspiritlightshows.com

Book Launch

Dec. 5: Army Heritage Center Foundation will host a book launch and signing for “Operation Desert Storm” by Col. Frank Hancock, a West Point graduate and Dickinson College adjunct professor, at Whistlestop Bookstore, 129 West High St., Carlisle, 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. www.armyheritage.org

Makers Market

Dec. 5: Shop for gifts at the Holiday Makers’ Market at Ware Center, 42 N. Prince St., Lancaster, where you’ll find unique crafts, jewelry, fine art, homemade soaps and more, by local artisans, 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Millersville University’s National Society of Black Engineers will collect winter wear donations. www.artsmu.com

Rock Food

Dec. 5: River 97.3 and the Central PA Music Hall of Fame present Rock the Food Bank, a benefit concert at XL Live, 801 S. 10th St., Harrisburg, 7 p.m. The show features the Van Wirsing Valen Talen Tribute and The Jelly Bricks, among others. All proceeds benefit the Central PA Food Bank. www.theriver973.iheart.com

Light Parade

Dec. 5-6: Camp Hill hosts the Parade of Lights for Toys for Tots on a walking trail through Willow Park, 6 to 8 p.m. New, unwrapped toy donations are requested as admission. www.camphillborough.com

Black Nativity

Dec. 5-7: Sankofa African American Theatre Co. returns to the West Shore Theatre, 317 Bridge St., New Cumberland, for its annual gospel musical celebration, Langston Hughes’ “Black Nativity.” Performances are 7:30 p.m. on Dec. 5, 2:30 p.m. and 7:30 p.m. on Dec. 6 and 2:30 p.m. on Dec. 7. www.sankofatheatrehbg.com

Greens & Gifts

Dec. 6: Shop for festive greens and gourmet gifts at the Gettysburg Garden Club annual Christmas Greens & Gourmet Gifts sale at Gettysburg Fire Hall, 35 N. Stratton St., 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. www.gettysburggardenclub.org

HBG Flea

Dec. 6: Explore the HBG Flea for local art, vintage treasures, curated curios and unique gifts, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., at Strawberry Square, 320 Market St., Harrisburg. The mission of the HBG Flea is to create a platform for community growth by bringing artists, small businesses and patrons together. www.hbgflea.com

Mystery Parties

Dec. 6: Fredricksen Library, 100 N. 19th St., Camp Hill, hosts mystery parties for tweens and teens to solve a fictional “Murder at the Ugly Sweater Party.” The tween session (ages 9 to 12) runs 1:30 to 3:30 p.m., and the teen session (ages 13 to 18) runs 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. Attendees should wear ugly holiday sweaters. www.fredricksenlibrary.org

Elegant Progressions

Dec. 5-6: Kidney Foundation of Central Pennsylvania and the Historic Harrisburg Association host the 34th annual Elegant Progressions over two evenings, 5:45 to 11 p.m. An all-inclusive reservation includes transportation between stops for hors d’oeuvres and aperitifs, a formal dinner and a dessert buffet. www.historicharrisburg.org

Holiday Homes

Dec. 6: Strasburg Heritage Society hosts the 14th annual Strasburg Holiday Home Tour, with unique historic district homes decorated for the season, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Presbyterian Church Event Center will have tickets, lunch, greens and vendors beginning at 9:30 a.m.. www.strasburgheritagesociety.org

Natural Ornaments

Dec. 6-7: Use items found in nature to create unique holiday ornaments at Wildwood Park, 100 Wildwood Way, Harrisburg, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Craft ornaments using provided materials like pinecones and milkweed pods. Pre-registration is required. www.explorewildwoodpark.org

Festival of Trees

Dec. 6-21: View Christmas trees decorated with handmade ornaments and trimmed by local garden clubs at Fort Hunter Tavern House, 5300 N. Front St., Harrisburg, Saturdays and Sundays, 12:30 to 4:30 p.m. Trees will be up for raffle, and a selection of ornaments available for purchase. www.forthunter.org

Toy Train Exhibit

Dec. 6-21: Keystone Model Railroad Historical Society returns to Fort Hunter Centennial Barn, 5300 N. Front St., Harrisburg, with a display of HO gauge trains that travel over a large layout representing communities in central PA and interactive elements, Saturdays and Sundays, 12:30 to 4:30 p.m. www.forthunter.org

Wilson Commemoration

Dec. 7: The Woodrow Wilson Birthday Association of Cumberland County will host a dinner to mark its 100th anniversary at the West Shore Elks, 108 St. Johns Rd., Camp Hill. Social hour begins at 12 p.m., followed by a 1 p.m. buffet lunch and an address by historian Richard Striner. www.arundelynn.com

Mansion Concert

Dec. 7: Manor on Front, 2917 N. Front St., Harrisburg, will host a Mansion Concert with Swearingen & Kelly with Jon Beedle at 6 p.m. Doors open at 5 p.m. Guests should register for the invitation list on the Mansion Concert website. www.mansionconcert.com

Photo Display

Dec. 9-Jan. 24: View photographs entered in Friends of Wildwood Park’s annual contest in the Olewine Nature Center, 100 Wildwood Way, Harrisburg. Vote for your favorite photos. Winners announced at a reception on Dec. 14 at 1 p.m. www.explorewildwoodpark.org

Holly Luncheon

Dec. 9: Friends of the New Cumberland Library hosts their annual Holly Luncheon, with entertainment by the Cedar Cliff Singers Octet, at Foundation House, 100 Bridge St., New Cumberland, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. The performance is free to attend, and the luncheon is $10 per person. www.newcumberlandlibrary.org

Food Rally

Dec. 11: Enjoy fresh, savory foods at the New Cumberland Food Truck & Restaurant Rally every second Thursday of the month, 5 to 8 p.m. Grab dinner from food trucks or New Cumberland restaurants and enjoy shopping and promotions. www.newcumberlandpa.org

Curiosity Kids

Dec. 12, 19: Kids ages 3 to 6 are invited to the State Museum of Pa., 300 North St., Harrisburg, to learn about the winter solstice on Dec. 12 and 1970s and 1980s holiday traditions on Dec. 19, 11:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. Curiosity Kids events included with general admission. www.statemuseumpa.org

Contra Dance

Dec. 12: Harrisburg Area Contra Dance Association hosts a 2nd Friday Contra Dance with live music, 8 to 10:30 p.m., at Silver Spring Presbyterian Church, 444 Silver Spring Rd., Mechanicsburg. There will be a free beginner lesson at 7:30 p.m. www.harrisburgcontra.org

Christkindlmarkt

Dec. 13: Enjoy a holiday outing at the Lower Paxton Christkindlmarkt, a traditional German Christmas market with more than 100 juried craft vendors, craft activities, German and festival food, a live nativity, pictures with Santa, live music, dancing and more, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. www.facebook.com/LPChristkindlmarkt

Lessons & Carols

Dec. 14: Pine Street Presbyterian Church, 310 N. 3rd St., Harrisburg, presents “A Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols” service of scripture and song at 4 p.m. A gala reception will follow. https://maps.pinestreet.org

Candlelight Tour

Dec. 14: The 52nd annual Candlelight House Tour will showcase Harrisburg residences and architectural landmarks decorated for the holidays on a self-guided tour, 1 p.m. to 6 p.m. Admission ticket includes a 60-plus page guidebook with a map and property descriptions. www.historicharrisburg.org

Candlelit Carols

Dec. 14: Enjoy Arts on the Square’s Carols by Candlelight at Market Square Presbyterian Church, 20 S. 2nd St., Harrisburg, 4 p.m., with its 50-voice Sanctuary Choir, an orchestra and harpist. www.marketsquarechurch.org

3rd in The Burg

Dec. 19: Explore the best of Harrisburg during 3rd in the Burg, the monthly arts and culture event, where you can visit and enjoy galleries, restaurants and art spaces throughout downtown and Midtown, 6 to 9 p.m. www.thirdintheburg.org

Chorale Concert

Dec. 19-21: Susquehanna Chorale presents its Candlelight Christmas Concerts, with a variety of traditional and contemporary seasonal pieces. Enjoy a holiday concert on Dec. 19 at Messiah University; Dec. 20 at Market Square Presbyterian Church, Harrisburg; and Dec. 21 at Elizabethtown Church of the Brethren. www.susquehannachorale.org

Sips & Sweets

Dec. 20: Attend the Sips & Sweets Market at The Winery at Hunters Valley, Liverpool, for a holiday shopping and tasting event with local bakers and sweet makers, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Guests can enjoy holiday cocktails, mulled wine and spiked hot chocolate and cookies, cupcakes and candies. www.huntersvalleywines.com

Candlelight Mansion

Dec. 20: Experience Fort Hunter Mansion, 5300 N. Front St., Harrisburg, by candlelight and see the historic halls decked for the holidays while hearing about past traditions. The tour is offered at 4:30, 5:30 and 6:30 p.m. www.forthunter.org

Dance Night

Dec. 21: Harrisburg USA Dance Chapter #3009 invites dance enthusiasts to a dance lesson at 2 p.m., followed by three hours of social dancing in ballroom, swing and Latin style, at PA DanceSport, 585 E. Main St., Hummelstown. All levels are welcome. Facebook: USA Dance Chapter #3009 Harrisburg Area PA

Candlelight Service

Dec 24: Historic Salem UCC, 231 Chestnut St., Harrisburg, hosts its annual Christmas Eve Candlelight Service at 6 p.m. Enjoy holiday decorations, special music, carols and listen to the Christmas story. Worship closes with a candlelit singing of “Silent Night” followed by refreshments. www.salemuccharrisburg.org

Last Laughs

Dec. 31: Gamut Theatre, 15 N. 4th St., Harrisburg, will ring in the new year with “Last Laughs of 2025,” a series of short comedy shows by TMI Improv Comedy Troupe. Three showtimes begin at 9, 10 and 11 p.m. www.gamuttheatre.org

Noon Countdown

Dec. 31: Families are invited to ring in the New Year early at Popcorn Hat Players’ 33rd annual “Countdown to Noon,” New Year’s Eve party. Doors open at 10:30 a.m. and the show, “The Ugly Duckling,” beings at 11 a.m. Attendees can dress up, walk the red carpet and celebrate with noisemakers and a balloon drop. www.gamuttheatre.org

Celebrate NYE

Dec. 31: Celebrate New Year’s Eve with the whole family at The Hershey Story, 63 W. Chocolate Ave., at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. Kids can get in the spirit stomping on bubble wrap and taking part in fun activities. www.hersheystory.org

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Light Makes Right: Some of the best holiday displays can be found in the neighborhoods

November 25, 2025 | by Susan Ryder

Photo from “Christmas Lights on Clouser,” courtesy of Lori & Brian Foust.

Climbing into the car on a cold December night to drive around and see the holiday lights is a tradition for many—but where does one find these luminous treasures?

One place is the home of Lori and Brian Foust in Mechanicsburg. Better known as “Christmas Lights on Clouser,” this display has a 30-plus-year history of bringing joy to those who view it. The Fousts fell into the tradition of hosting the lights.

“The former owners did it for 25 years,” said Lori Foust.

They weren’t obligated to hold a display but felt compelled.

“We’ve just always liked Christmas, and we knew the house was known for it, so we decided to continue it,” she said.

While the Fousts inherited the tradition, they didn’t inherit all the lighting and had to start collecting from scratch.

Their large garage loft stores all of this Christmas magic. Neatly lined up and organized, the army of blow mold (large, colorful plastic figures, lit from within) Santas, candles, snowmen and candy canes await their mission. Not visible is the 20-foot, blow-up Santa and blow-up snowmen that will sit in a forest of lighted trees—and the bins upon bins of lights.

Christmas wreaths and lights began peeking out of the bushes and hanging on poles in October. The Fousts don’t do this alone.

“We have neighbors, friends and family that come over,” Foust said.

Speaking of which: How do the neighbors feel about the nearly 6,000 cars that drive through the one-third-mile display?

“They’re all in,” Foust said.

In fact, neighbors also decorate. The Fousts refer to those displays as “the opening act to the main event.”

Friendly Competition

Another local light display that started small and continued to grow is “Holiday Lights in the Park” at Adams-Ricci Park.

“Everyone’s idea was, let’s just do the pavilions, simple, easy. We have five or six of them,” said Charley Gelb, township commissioner and president of Friends of Recreation at East Pennsboro Parks, a nonprofit that organizes the event.

Then people began noticing dark areas in between the pavilions that just had to be filled.

In its fifth year, this drive-through experience runs three days, the first Thursday through Saturday in December. The park’s trees and fences are wrapped in lights, sponsor organizations light the pavilions, and families and nonprofits take a hand lighting the open spaces. New this year are the animatronic “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” characters Yukon Cornelius, Hermey the Misfit Elf and a huge Abominable Snow Monster.

“We have them!” Gelb said.

All of this sounds like a lot of work—and it is. But for folks who might want to light the night, but can’t climb a ladder, or simply don’t have the time, other options exist. Harrisburg-based Utopian Lighting can create this holiday magic for you.

“For a lot of people, it’s just being a part of the Christmas spirit, decorating their homes,” said owner Nikos Phelps.

Hanging lights isn’t safe for everyone, so Utopian is happy to do the job and participate in some neighborly rivalry.

“You see neighborhoods that have some friendly competitions,” Phelps said.

Gelb and Foust both cited community engagement for holding their displays.

“We had people come through that were kids and now bring their kids,” Foust said.

The lights also help to assist organizations and people. Holiday Lights in the Park sponsorships and a $5 donation per carload help fund projects in East Pennsboro Township.

“We have eight staff and administration for the township and recreation,” Gelb said. “[We ask] ‘What is it that you need this year?’”

Through donations, Christmas Lights on Clouser assists a young man with muscular dystrophy, Operation Warm Hearts, The Nobody’s Cats Foundation and Wounded Warriors Project.

To keep the holiday light viewing a fun, philanthropic event, there are a few things to know about driving through these displays. Lights on Clouser is open every night—rain, shine or snow—unless the roads are dangerous, beginning the Friday after Thanksgiving, generally through Jan. 1. Both events are drive-through, which means staying in your car and continuing to move. No pictures with Santa; a wave will have to do.

Christmas Eve at Lights on Clouser is a very busy night, so expect waits and traffic out on to Clouser Road. East Pennsboro Township has its tree lighting at Adams Ricci the Wednesday before Holiday Lights in the Park opens, so that adds an extra evening of fun.

Holiday Lighting experiences happen all over the Harrisburg region. If you know where to find them, they can provide plenty of holiday spirit. Regardless of where and when you view, consider the words of Lori Foust: “Be happy. Be merry.”

Light Fare

There are many other popular neighborhood light displays in the Harrisburg area. Here are a few good locations, according to Utopian Lighting.

Braeburn Estates, Mechanicsburg
Messiah Lifeways, Mechanicsburg
Wentworth Estates, Enola
Orchard Glen, Mechanicsburg
Deavon Woods, Plowman Ridge Road, Harrisburg
Amber Fields, Harrisburg
Meadow View, Mechanicsburg
Jillian Way, Hummelstown
Willow Creek Lane, Hummelstown area
Breeches Run, Boiling Springs
Kitchen Kettle Village, Lancaster

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