Your Move: At the Game Table Cafe, the pursuit of fun isn’t trivial.

August 31, 2016 | by Valarie Potell

Here’s a Clue: If you want a Monopoly on fun, take a Risk on a new spot on the West Shore. It may not be Candyland, but it does offer some 400 board games, along with great coffee and treats. You won’t be Sorry!

Since April, hundreds of gamers have rolled the dice and moved their thimbles into the Game Table Café, which stocks every board game from A to Z (seriously, from Above & Below to Zooloretto).

“Board games are a really nice way to spend time together as a family,” said Tom Keegan, the café’s owner and “game curator.”

In that role, Keegan makes sure the café has games that are fun to play—both classics and new releases. Board games, says Keegan, have seen a renaissance in recent years, and he credits three key reasons: the improvement of game designs, the cultural connection with games and the need for people to connect with friends and family.

“People put their cell phones aside for an hour and a half or two hours and interact, enjoying each other’s company and doing things in another world,” he said.

Since most people are not well versed in hundreds of games, the Game Table Café has “game gurus” who can teach anyone who’s interested in learning.

The gurus also serve as baristas in the café, where patrons can grab baked goods, snack foods, sandwiches and coffee. One of Keegan’s goals has been to work locally, both with local board game developers and with PA food companies (he uses beans from Lamont Specialty Coffee and Fine Teas, based in West Chester).

Keegan, a self-described “coffee nerd,” said he and his wife acquired a taste for fresh roasted coffee while he served 30 years in the U.S. Army. When he was nearing retirement, he began contemplating the next step and knew that he wanted to open his own business. After visiting the Game Haus Café in southern California, Keegan said to himself, “This is it, we’ve got the vision now.”

He saw a potential for success and a way to turn a passion into a business, as he grew up playing board games with his family and shared that tradition with his own kids.

“It’s amazing what you can learn about someone playing a board game, such as whether they’re a sore loser or whether they can bluff,” Keegan said with a laugh, adding that there are games he can’t play with his own wife because she knows when he’s bluffing.

Keegan said that the Game Table Café has gotten off to a great start, meeting or exceeding his business expectations each month. The café has reached capacity a few times already and hosted several large, corporate team-building events. The café also hosts events for the local Rotary Club, church groups, birthday parties and the like.

While some games are straightforward and easy to learn, others can be intimidating and overwhelming. To ease the learning curve, the café hosts learn-to-play events, which introduce patrons to games. Keegan said the first such group started in June with people learning to play Magic the Gathering, an event that attracted as many as 18 people on some nights.

For anyone interested in visiting The Game Table Café, there is a $5 cover charge if you would like to play games, though you can check out the café and order food without paying the cover. That $5 charge entitles patrons to stay and play as long as they like. There are also membership program options, including an annual membership.

“People have not only enjoyed coming, they’ve enjoyed it enough they want to come back,” Keegan said, adding that they’ve sold about 200 memberships already.

Friday Night is “family night.” Families who come into the café with three or more people and order meals for each person pay no cover charge. Keegan said they are also working on developing other monthly events, including a date night and “single mingle.”

Keegan also has big plans for the fall. To further his goal of working with local businesses and giving back to the community, he said he plans to partner with other local “geek industries” for an upcoming charitable event.

But, mostly, he just wants to bring people together for a few hours, a rare period of time that doesn’t include staring at screens.

“What really gets us excited is when we’re busy, hearing people laugh and seeing families together,” he said.

The Game Table Café is located at 4900 Carlisle Pike, Mechanicsburg. For more information, call 717-695-0836 or visit www.gametablecafe.com or their Facebook page.

Author: Valarie Potell

Musical Notes: Songwriters’ September–A month of diverse approaches to the art of the song.

August 31, 2016 | by Andrew Dyrli Hermeling

Songwriting is the backbone of contemporary music. While it may seem that many of today’s pop hits are cheaply manufactured rather than expertly crafted, there are still countless musicians creating fabulous music that tells a story and authentically expresses a mood.

Lucky for us, a great selection of songwriters, both local and touring, will make their way through Harrisburg this month. Whether you have fond memories of the confessional songwriting of the mid-‘90s or prefer troubadours that harken back to the Dust Bowl, there is sure to be something to appeal to your particular tastes this month. So, as the kids go back to school and the temperature finally starts to cool, take some time for yourself and make your way to one of our fabulous venues for an equally fabulous show.

VINNIE PAOLIZZI, 9/2, 7PM, MIDTOWN SCHOLAR: Vinnie Paolizzi is a Philadelphian singer-songwriter equally steeped in the sounds of Americana and college jam bands. The result is a confessional approach to songwriting that nonetheless packs a bit of a groove. He is touring in support of his latest EP release, “Waiting on Me.” In the process, he is moving out from the Philly coffeehouses and bars where he uncovered his voice, making his way up and down the East Coast. Though he is early in his career, his music is mature and well rounded. So, don’t show up expecting to see a kid still figuring it out on stage. He is an experienced performer who is sure to be appeal to fans of contemporary pop-rock.

VULCANS, 9/3, 2:30PM, WHITAKER CENTER: These Mechanicsburg roots rockers have started to make a name for themselves. Strong vocals, often arranged in tight harmonies, combined with equally strong songwriting, soar over plucked banjos and rhythmic mandolin strumming. Their latest release, “Semaphore,” is a testament to their maturity and mastery of their genre. They are performing at Whitaker Center as a part of the “Summer Music Series,” which is being offered in conjunction with the summer exhibit, “Guitar—the Instrument that Rocked the World.” This is a family-friendly and free show, so bring the kids and make sure to save time to tour the Harsco Science Center exhibit.

SAM GOODWILL w/BELL LUNGS, 9/10, 7PM, HBG MAKESPACE: Sam Goodwill is a moody performer, creating both angular and somber soundscapes that seem to expand beyond the typical capabilities of his preferred instrumentation. Rich in reverb and evocative lyricism, his latest record, “History,” is a powerful listen, and there is little doubt that he’ll bring the same power to the small confines of HBG Makespace. He will be joined by Scottish multi-instrumentalist Bell Lungs, resulting in “psychedelic folk noise” that will both beautiful and challenging. Together, this should be an incredibly fantastic and artsy show, perfect for those who have more experimental musical tastes.

Mentionables: Marco Benevento, 9/2, Abbey Bar; March Fourth Marching Band, 9/11, Abbey Bar; Blind Scout, 9/23, Little Amps Downtown; Chris Emkey, 9/24, Midtown Scholar; The Wiggles, 9/28, Whitaker Center

Author: Andrew Dyrli Hermeling

Unfriendly Fire: We’ve met the enemy–and he is us.

August 31, 2016 | by J. Alex Hartzler

Photo by Dani Fresh

Pennsylvania is on the national political map in 2016. Many pundits believe that the race for president will be close in PA, and the candidates have been paying attention. The Democrats hosted their convention in Philadelphia in late July, while Donald Trump campaigned in Scranton the same week.

Immediately following the DNC, Hillary Clinton staged one of her first rallies of the general election campaign in Midtown Harrisburg, right in front of the Broad Street Market. Not to be outdone, Donald Trump arrived a few days later for a rally at Cumberland Valley High School.

For a brief moment, it looked like the Harrisburg region had an opportunity to put its best foot forward, as the candidates and the national media turned their spotlight here. But instead of an opportunity for us to shine, things turned ugly quickly when Trump, while campaigning the day after his visit, said that Harrisburg “looked like a war zone” from his plane. Almost immediately, the offhand comment was put up on PennLive as the lead story, and, just as quickly, online trolls came out to vent their sympathetic loathing of Harrisburg in the comments section of the article.

The comments, more than 700 of them, shot the story to the top of the “active discussion” list, where it remained for several days. As expected of a story of such controversy, it generated a significant number of related stories, each with its own angle or opinion on the matter—and each with a new opportunity for anonymous posters to bash Harrisburg.

I happened to be on a cross-country flight when the story broke, so I took time to read through many of these comments. It’s safe to say that anyone from outside the region reading through them would come away with a very bleak view of the people and area where we live and work.

To their credit, columnists John Micek and Nancy Eshelman wrote pieces condemning Trump’s flippant comment and offering more positive and accurate views of the city. Despite these efforts, as Micek’s engagement with the negative posters in the comment section of his own article illustrate, they still couldn’t escape the cycle of negativity and controversy that PennLive, and most of today’s media, is ultimately built upon.

Each and every article that appeared on Trump’s comment, whatever its content, served to sustain the negative headline about our community, generate clicks and provide further forum to all of the cynics and haters about all things Harrisburg, no doubt to the delight and benefit of PennLive’s advertisers and its owners, based in Manhattan, who depend on those advertisers for their income.

How else does one explain the headline, “Was Trump right about the Harrisburg ‘war zone’?” when the answer is so inherently obvious to anyone who lives here? In a sense, it’s not a dissimilar model from the one that Trump employs himself: It doesn’t matter what is said, as long as everyone talks about it, watches it and clicks on it—and the owner of the platform gets paid (in his case, Trump is the platform).

The problem with this model is that real damage is done to a community when the headlines and the anonymous online commentary are repetitively sensational, cynical and destructive. As I’ve often said, when the story we tell about ourselves to ourselves is relentlessly negative and bleak, our beliefs and actions eventually begin to fall into accordance with that view, whatever the reality might be, which is usually orders of magnitude better than what the headlines project. So, people may not buy a home or locate a business or rent an apartment or eat at a restaurant due to relentless and unfair negative media coverage. That community’s real and potential wealth then is destroyed.

But that’s only the half of it. There’s a flip side, and it’s that, while a community’s wealth is being destroyed by unnecessarily sensational and negative headlines, a billion-dollar media corporation’s wealth is being enhanced by the clicks and comments and advertising dollars that those headlines generate. I think it’s not too far of a stretch to state that every time we witness sensationalized and negative news coverage of Harrisburg on PennLive, a transfer of wealth occurs from a relatively low-income community to a billion-dollar corporation in Manhattan. Perhaps it’s indirect, hidden and hard to measure, but it’s no less real and right before our eyes (quite literally) with every headline we read.

Good and honest people, like the folks, I suspect, who work at PennLive, may try to dispute this reasoning by saying that they only report and write about what happens (they didn’t make Trump’s comment, he did), and that they only publish and promote the stories that people want to read, essentially by “voting with their clicks.”

While perhaps true, it misses the larger truth, where the real and fundamental logic of a privately owned, profit-driven media corporation exists—and that is to make money. However much the journalists and editors on the ground may try to work against this logic, it’s always there, in every sensational headline and every angry comment we read. And if the logic of making money requires sensationalized headlines and negative articles about Harrisburg—because it’s what drives comments and clicks and advertising dollars—then that’s what we’ll continue to see, to our own community’s detriment.

So what to do in response to this state of affairs? Well, perhaps lots of things, but let’s start by stating three.

First, and most immediately as it relates to Trump’s comments—let’s bluntly set the record straight. Harrisburg is not a war zone and doesn’t look like one. The comment is ridiculous on its face. Like so many things Trump has said, it was designed to garner headlines and focus on him, not to be an accurate statement of reality. In contrast, a more nuanced and accurate statement would have gained little attention. Sarcastic or not, the statement achieved exactly what it was intended to do—get people talking about Donald Trump.

Second, as it relates to the comments section on PennLive, it’s clear that the people in our region who habitually hate on Harrisburg have no idea what they’re talking about or what goes on in the city on a daily basis, except for what they may read or watch from the suburban media outlets. Readers of TheBurg know full well what I mean when I say there is a separate reality out there that exists for media outlets that continually report on crime and dysfunction in order to make money and another reality entirely—where 95 percent of daily life unfolds—that is quite different, quite enjoyable and well-worth reporting on.

Third, and on that point, I travel regularly both around the country and internationally, and I have seen many places that offer both more and much less than what Harrisburg has to offer. I’ve come to the conclusion that, whatever its flaws, Harrisburg and its region offer a relatively unique combination of affordability, opportunity, openness and compassion, natural beauty and accessibility to the wider world. We offer values like family, hard work, stability, charity and self-reliance with an important historical past.

Perhaps most importantly, we have a stunning, livable city, along a beautiful, scenic river, with wonderful architecture, thriving businesses and amazing, diverse residents. I love it here, and I know most of you do, too. Because of that, we at TheBurg, thanks to the support of our community publishers and advertisers, look forward to delivering that message and news to you each and every month.

J. Alex Hartzler is publisher of TheBurg.

Corn Meals: In central PA, it’s harvest time. And that means corn.

August 31, 2016 | by Rosemary Ruggieri Baer

Every year, around this time, I think the same thing: “How can summer be drawing to a close?”

My mother always talked about “September’s golden light,” the slant of the sun as it sank in the sky during a late summer afternoon. She said September is so lovely because it has all the warmth of summer without the humidity.

And while that is not always true, one thing is certain: Summer lingers at the market stands where the abundance of the garden remains—shiny purple eggplants, red and ripe tomatoes at their very best and fat, red peppers that are perfect for roasting. I bring armfuls of sunflowers, zinnias and gladiolas home to hold on to the brilliance of waning summer days.

And then there is fresh sweet corn. I love it and usually buy more of it than I can use—yellow, white and the luscious milk-and-honey variety. In my house, I look for corn recipes to serve my family other than “corn on the cob” (referred to by one family member as “barnyard food”). So, I have made corn fritters and muffins, rich corn puddings, smoky grilled corn with citrus butters, corn chutney (really), corn succotash and vegetable sautés of all kinds with handfuls of fresh corn thrown in.

But one of my very favorite corn dishes is a corn salad that is much more than a salad. I serve it as a vegetable side dish, a relish spooned over grilled chicken, fish or steak, or with a little cream added as a “sauce” for pasta. You can even stuff whole tomatoes with the mixture, topped with some breadcrumbs and roasted.

The recipe couldn’t be simpler but does require very fresh summer ingredients: corn cut from the cob, very ripe cherry tomatoes and bright green, fresh basil. It is also fun to add some unexpected things like sliced fresh jalapeno or diced red bell peppers. I sometimes vary the taste by sautéing the cut corn in butter rather than grilling it. And, for a little more substance, you can add some cubed cheese like cheddar, Muenster or Havarti (that can be lunch!).

FRESH CORN SALAD
Ingredients

6 ears fresh corn (white, yellow or bi-color), husked and brushed clean of silk
Olive oil for brushing on corn
½ small to medium red onion, cut into small dice
2 jalapeno peppers, seeded, and cut into small dice (or ½ red bell pepper diced)
1 pint ripe red cherry tomatoes, halved
A small bunch of fresh basil, leaves stripped from stems and julienned
Extra virgin olive oil and salt and pepper to taste to finish the dish

Recipe

Remove the husks and silk from 6 ears of fresh corn. Scrub gently and then dry the ears.
Rub or brush the ears with olive oil to cover all surfaces.
Grill the ears on your gas or charcoal grill (medium heat is best) until the kernels are softened and the corn is slightly charred in spots. Watch very carefully to avoid burning the corn. Remove the ears when done and let cool thoroughly on a plate.
Wash the cherry tomatoes, remove the stems, and cut them in half.
Dice the peppers you are using and set aside.
Wash the basil, remove the leaves from the stems, and stack the leaves together. Roll the stacked leaves into a little “cigar” and slice it into thin strands.
When the corn is cool, cut the kernels from the cobs into a medium-sized bowl using a sharp knife.
Add the peppers, onion, cherry tomatoes and basil to the corn in the bowl. Add enough olive oil to moisten and salt and pepper to taste. (Sometimes, I add a little white wine vinegar to give it a little “kick.”)
That’s all there is to it. And nothing could be easier!

I made this corn salad recently to accompany grilled rib eye steaks, roasted small white potatoes with rosemary and a simply dressed baby arugula salad. It was a perfect summer meal.

My husband and I have a friend who often says, “Let’s not get carried away,” to a variety of situations. I thought of him when I found a recipe for corn ice cream, served with a cornmeal cake and fresh blueberries. I haven’t gone that far yet, but it could be a corn-lovers dream.

Author: Rosemary Ruggieri Baer

Language Barrier: The Spanish-speaking population is surging in the midstate. What’s a company to do?

August 31, 2016 | by M. Diane McCormick

Businesses that want to sell to and serve our area’s growing Latino population find themselves in something of a double bind.

They need to be able to communicate with consumers who frequently feel more comfortable speaking Spanish than English. But, to do so, they first must attract qualified workers who are bilingual, a high-demand skill set often difficult to find.

“Hiring bilingual talent is incredibly important to PNC’s business strategy, especially as our customer and client base becomes increasingly diverse,” affirmed Amanda Snow, vice president, talent acquisition for the Pittsburgh-based financial services company. “Having employees with diverse experiences and skills, including bilingual, can better serve clients and customers throughout our footprint.”

PNC has a great need for English/Spanish speakers across many different lines of business. It employs bilingual employees in customer service, retail banking, investments, wealth management and corporate and institutional banking.

Data show the challenges that companies like PNC face in our area. Dauphin County’s total population rose a scant 1.8 percent from 2010 to 2015, but Latino residents jumped by 25 percent. Today, about 23,400 county residents, 8.6 percent, are of Hispanic origin, according to the U.S. Census.

It’s no surprise then that south-central Pennsylvania’s Latinos wield a hefty buying power of $2.1 billion, according to George Fernandez, CEO of Latino Connection, a marketing and communication firm linking businesses with Latino audiences. But are businesses doing enough to attract Latinos as both customers and employees? While some companies say they’re trying, Fernandez is calling on the business community to do more.

Many companies have “put a certain dollar value” on trying to reach Latino customers and potential hires through advertising, but “that amount is next to nothing,” Fernandez said. “It’s withholding them from success and from attracting more and more multicultural talent moving to the region.”

In the meantime, young Latinos are finding opportunities in other parts of Pennsylvania, including Philadelphia and Berks and Lehigh counties, he said.

Why Diversity?

As with the banking sector, health care companies face similar dual-language barriers.

As in any business, communication assures delivery of quality services, but health care providers must also “make sure patients are receiving the information you’re giving them and complying with the information you’re giving them,” said Tina Nixon, PinnacleHealth vice president, mission effectiveness and chief diversity officer.

In the past, children were often de facto interpreters for non-English speaking parents, but that meant translating medical terms and “information that is really not age-appropriate,” she said.

Today, PinnacleHealth relies on phone and Skype interpretation services to translate many conversations. But, when live translation is needed, the call goes out for a certified healthcare interpreter. At Pinnacle, the staffer responding might be Patient Representative Elisabeth Pérez.

Pérez, who grew up speaking Spanish at home, pursued the rigorous certification because she was often getting calls to interpret but, lacking the authorization to join healthcare conversations, couldn’t intercede. Effective communication assures that patients understand their plan of care, comply with instructions, and “are more compliant in returning for follow-up care,” she said.

“They will return because they know there’s someone to assist them,” she said. “The patient does feel more comfortable in that environment when someone’s there who’s familiar with their language.”

Hiring Challenges

Businesses seeking bilingual employees must understand that language gaps also signal cultural differences, said Fernandez. One client from an elderly-services business got little traction from an ad showing a woman playing cards, because “for some seniors and Latinos that are considered Catholic or Christian, that ad would be offensive,” he said.

Businesses advertising in Spanish to attract Spanish-speaking customers better have bilingual staff and materials to serve them, he added.

“It all boils right back down to recruitment,” Fernandez said. “The common goal is to educate the corporate organizations and help them strategize where they are now, where do they want to be, where do they need to go, and where do they start. That’s the key. Where do you start?”

For PNC, corporate-wide “and in Harrisburg specifically, finding and hiring bilingual employees is a constant challenge for us,” said Regional President Jim Hoehn. “Being bilingual is always a difference-maker when considering employment decisions.”

PNC seeks talent through online posts, working with Latino Connection and other outlets, and partnering with national and local diversity organizations, he said.

That may be a good start, but not enough businesses are on board, said Fernandez. His new membership-based initiative “Hola Harrisburg,” founded to attract Latino professionals by touting the midstate’s quality-of-life advantages, has signed only two members toward the goal of 15.

And yet, Latino audiences are as non-homogenous as any other, demanding specialized outreach, he said. As consumer researcher Nielsen classified them, they may be traditional “Latinistas;” bicultural but preferably Spanish-speaking “Heritage Keepers;” progressive “Savvy Blenders;” or culturally American “Ameri-Fans.” Each group demands different messages and tactics to reach them at their specific phases of life and circumstances, Fernandez said.

Some Solutions

Businesses should become not just bilingual but bicultural, said Fernandez. Bicultural means recognizing the perspectives and values shared by customers and potential hires.

“They need to welcome upper management and executives that are bilingual, that look like the population they are looking to hire, to welcome more than one language being spoken in the business place,” he said.

Immigrants should learn English, he said, but “it does take its time.”

“In order for businesses in southcentral Pennsylvania and all of Pennsylvania to become more successful and to get a return on investment for doing business with the largest-growing minority population in the United States, they must become bicultural businesses,” he said.

At PinnacleHealth, Nixon is revising the certified healthcare interpreter process to train more people more cost-effectively. She also schedules “cultural awareness trainings,” well received by staff accustomed to lifelong learning and intent on communicating in terms their patients understand.

“We have to look at our footprint and the individuals we are serving and educate our medical staff on how to provide those services,” she said. “We did cultural awareness trainings for how to understand our Muslim patients, how to understand our Somali patients, how to understand our Nepali patients, because those are some of the communities that are growing in this area.”

Patient Representative Pérez has been with PinnacleHealth since 1992. In her daily work, she greets former patients who return to express their appreciation, and she gets thank-yous from co-workers thrilled by any aid that bridges language barriers in delivering medical care.

“I can honestly tell you that I love my job,” she said.

That infusion of cultural awareness and language capabilities throughout the system, including executive offices, helps attract and retain bilingual staff, said Nixon.

“If people see that, and they see that dedication, they think, ‘This is great. This is where I want to be,’” she said. “All of it comes from the top.”

For more information on this issue, including how to market to the area’s Latino population, visit Latino Connection at www.thelatinoconnection.net.

Author: M. Diane McCormick

Still Beauty: “The Makings of You” is a quiet, gentle film.

August 31, 2016 | by Sammi Leigh Melville

“Nothing happens until two people fall in love—and then the whole world changes.”

These are perceptive words from writer/director Matt Amato’s feature, “The Makings of You,” a simple slice-of-life love story that will soothe moviegoers with its gentle beauty.

Judy (Sheryl Lee) is a quiet, dreamy woman who lives with her mother and two adult sons. Wallace (Jay R. Ferguson) is a cheerful, laidback man who lives with his dog. The two meet at the old junk shop that Wallace inherited from his father, but their relationship doesn’t really begin until Wallace shows up at her work (she is a lunch lady at the local elementary school) to ask her out.

The two hit it off (maybe a little too abruptly), and their chemistry makes them an instantly likeable couple. The film centers around their relationship with each other and their relationship with Judy’s family.

The plot is meandering and nearly non-existent, but the characters will enrapture you. Judy’s mother Margaret (Grace Zabriskie) is a testy but protective woman, and her two sons, Roy (Grant Leuchtner) and Eric (Michael Varble), have their rebellious moments, but it is clear they love their family. Fueled by quiet romance and an affinity for music, their story reflects the simplicity of life and the importance of family and being together. What a heartwarming, still film in such a busy society!

There are a few things that detract from the impact of the film—the random, electronic static in an otherwise organic, beautiful soundtrack, for example. But, overall, Amato boasts a stunning picture.

“The Makings of You” will play at Midtown Cinema this month as a part of the Harrisburg-Hershey Film Festival. Make sure to check this one out.

MIDTOWN CINEMA
SPECIAL EVENTS – SEPTEMBER

The Late Shift with Zeroday
“Cry-Baby” (1990)
Saturday, Sept. 3, 10:30 p.m.

Down in Front!
“Xanadu” (1980)
Friday, Sept. 9, 9:30 p.m.

Classic Film Series
“Seven Brides for Seven Brothers” (1954)
Sunday, Sept. 11, 6 p.m.

Harrisburg-Hershey Film Festival
Sept. 15-18

3^rd in the Burg $3 Movie
“Hairspray” (1988)
Friday, Sept. 16, 9:30 p.m.

Faulkner Honda Family Film Series
“The Wizard of Oz” (1939)
Saturday, Sept. 17, 12 p.m.
Sunday, Sept. 18, 2 p.m.

Digital Theatre Series
“A View From the Bridge”
Sunday, Sept. 18, 6 p.m.

Manhattan Shorts Festival
Sept. 23-29

15^th Anniversary Series
“Once” (2007)
Saturday, Sept. 24, 8 p.m.

Author: Sammi Leigh Melville

Student Scribes: “On Having It All”

August 31, 2016 | by Rachel Ginder

When I was an English major at Penn State Harrisburg, I wanted to be something different every semester. As a freshman, I wanted to become a teacher. When I was a sophomore, the goal was to become a librarian. Then there was a period right before my junior year when I got really into “Mad Men” and thought copywriting was my destiny. My 19-year-old self didn’t understand why making major life decisions based on an AMC show was a bad idea.

Part of the reason my imagination ran wild was because what I wanted to be was a writer, but, growing up, I never had anyone explain to me that writing is a useful skill, and it could be something more than just a hobby if I pursued it with passion.

I come from a long line of blue-collar workers: electricians, mechanics and truckers. I wouldn’t say I’m the black sheep of the family. I’m related to several farmers, and they know what sheep are like. However, if a UFO were to show up and start making weird designs in a nearby cornfield, and the locals had trouble deciding what to do with said UFO, I might identify with the space aliens.

I’ve always had a lot of people who believed in me, and, for that, I will always be grateful, but I never had anyone help me explore my strengths and weaknesses. I never had anyone say, “This is good, but you can do BETTER.” Until I entered the Penn State Harrisburg School of Humanities, I had no idea what my goals for my education were or how to achieve them.

I was the student who wanted to do everything. The second semester of my junior year, I was taking a lot of journalism classes. This fell outside the realm of my English degree and led me to explore the world of communications. I realized I wanted to also learn photography, graphic design and web layout, yet I wasn’t ready to give up on literature or creative writing either. I began to wonder—would it be possible for me to double major at Penn State Harrisburg?

The next several months were spent writing emails and meeting with instructors in both the English and communications departments. Never once did anyone tell me I couldn’t have it all. Instead, I was met with nothing but positive encouragement from professors who were willing to sit down with me, look at my credits, and help me devise a plan to double major while still graduating within four years.

During this time, I was taking a class where the instructor said something that shocked me. She said students studying the arts were the only students still receiving an education in the traditional sense. True education is pursuing knowledge for knowledge’s sake. In contrast, many students majoring in the sciences or math or technology study for a specific career path.

At the time, I wasn’t sure how I felt about this because it meant having to admit that I didn’t know what job I might land after college. I could almost hear my parents’ collective gasp— “What did we send you to college for if not to get a job?”

What I didn’t realize was my professor wasn’t telling me an English degree meant I couldn’t get a job. She was explaining an English degree meant more than just a job. It meant critical thinking, an appreciation for art, and the opportunity to see the world from multiple perspectives.

I did, in fact, start a career in publishing right after college, and I was grateful to have knowledge from a wide variety of classes. Yet, what helped me the most were not the skills learned in my web design workshops or Writing and Rhetoric 101. What now keeps me going from 9-to-5 (and sometimes long after) is my love of writing—not just the act of it but the celebration of the written word in all its many forms.

My education at Penn State Harrisburg taught me passion. I learned this as much during class as I did after hours when professors sat with me to go over the strengths and weaknesses in my papers and when I met with my English advisor and was encouraged to check out classes that were outside my original major. It was these moments that were most valuable to me after graduation.

Society will tell us that a career is mandatory, and, as a consequence, we think society is also telling us that art, passion and love for what you do isn’t. However, anyone with a humanities degree will tell you a different story. No one I met in college told me I couldn’t have it all, and, because of that, I left Penn State Harrisburg with two degrees—and I managed to get an education (and a job) in the process.

Rachel Ginder is a 2014 graduate of Penn State Harrisburg and now works in the academic journals department at Penn State University Press (University Park campus). She is a book reviewer for Publisher’s Weekly and a contributing writer for Literally, Darling and Elite Daily.

Happily Ever After in HBG: Popcorn Hat Players combine traditional children’s stories, improv wackiness and some adult-sized humor, too.

August 31, 2016 | by Meghan Jones

Going to see a children’s show without children is weird, right? Not in Harrisburg.

When thinking of a children’s theater show, it’s easy to think of the ones you went to see in middle school or have thoughts reminiscent of “Mickey Mouse Clubhouse.” This is not the experience that you will get at Gamut Theatre Group’s Popcorn Hat Players productions. Depending on your mindset, you may laugh more than some of the children. That’s because the Popcorn Hat Players are not only the only professional theater in the region with a dedicated children’s theater mission, but they know how to spice things up. Taking a classic children’s story, they make it their own—with original adaptations written by core company members, wonderful actor chemistry, and even a bit of improv.

The company caters to young children by telling a story that they may already know and then making it more exciting and engaging. That is not to say, however, that going to see the show is overwhelming.

At the beginning of every show, the actors come out as their real selves, talk to the audience and each other, sing a song, and let the children know what to expect. Unlike your typical theater experience, they never try to fool you into thinking that they are not the regular people in the beginning of the show. You know that they are acting, and that makes it so much more fun, and, as a result, more engaging. As a theater-goer who has seen multiple Popcorn Hat productions, almost never have I been with a child, and the Popcorn Hat Players have made me laugh every time.

This is something that Associate Artistic Director Thomas Weaver has found engaging and fun about doing Popcorn Hat Players productions—that is, when he’s not doing more serious Shakespeare shows.

“Popcorn Hat is more of an experience than it is a show,” Weaver said. “The shows are designed to be funny for the parents and grown-ups in the audience, too.”

Sometimes, parents come to the shows without their children. Sometimes, like me, they have no children and are just looking for a lighthearted afternoon.

With the mission of engaging the community in new and exciting ways, the non-profit makes it a primary focus to create shows that are completely original re-tellings of the stories we have all come to know and love. It is not uncommon at a Popcorn Hat show to hear references to the (very adult) TV show “Arrested Development,” singer Beyoncé, current events or other pop culture references, while still making the kids in the audience feel at home.

Popcorn Hat is actually where the Gamut Theatre Group was born. As a traveling children’s theater company, co-founders of Clark and Melissa Nicholson began touring their children’s shows in 1993. After more than 20 years of perfecting the skill, Popcorn Hat Players is an experience unlike any other children’s theater.

The shows, while written and adapted from a classic story by core company members like Tara Herweg-Mann, feature a great deal of personal character and improv. In the show “The Little Mermaid” (my personal favorite), Weaver, dressed as a sea witch named Debbie, exclaims—in a New Jersey accent—disdain for Avon door sales representatives, gets his cape stuck in a fan, has a conversation with a young audience member about it during the show, and still manages to tell the story in an impactful way. The actors really get freedom to have fun with the audience and enjoy the personalities they give to these classic characters.

“I’ve worked other places, and I’ve not experienced anything like it elsewhere,” Weaver said.

While maintaining professionalism and getting across the morals of the stories they tell, the Popcorn Hat Players are able to give a unique theater experience for children that also is entertaining for parents. In this way, Gamut keeps with its mission—encouraging creativity, dancing, laughing and singing in ways that benefit the entire family.

With a light-hearted approach to serious life choices and problems that children have to learn—and a platform that encourages not only seeing but engaging in live theater—it is easy to follow the Popcorn Hat Players No. 1 rule—have fun!

September Theater Events
At Harrisburg’s
Professional Downtown Theaters

AT GAMUT THEATRE
www.gamuttheatre.org

TMI 3^rd in the Burg Show
Sept. 16
Doors and bar open at 6:30 p.m. Performance at 7:30 p.m.
Tickets are pay what you will.

Popcorn Hat Players Present
“Rapunzel”
Sept. 17 to 24
Saturdays at 1 p.m.
Wednesdays and Thursdays at 10 a.m. available by request for groups of 20 or more

Stage Door Series Presents
“Shakespeare in Hollywood”
Sept. 23 & 24
Doors and bar open at 6:30 p.m. Performance at 7:30 p.m.
Tickets are pay what you will.

AT OPEN STAGE
OF HARRISBURG
www.openstagehbg.com

Season 31 Subscriptions
on sale now until October
$120 for 5 plays

Open Call Auditions
OSHKids Performance Company
Sept. 8 at 5:30 p.m.
Acting course for youth ages 8 and up
Openstagestudioschool.com

Acting Classes for Adults
Now enrolling
Acting Technique & Scene Study
September to November
Openstagestudioschool.com

Author: Meghan Jones

August News Digest

August 31, 2016 | by Lawrance Binda

Bar Decision Appealed

Harrisburg is appealing a judge’s ruling that requires it to issue a business license to an embattled city bar.

The city administration last month provided notice that it intends to appeal a decision by Dauphin County Judge Andrew Dowling, who mandated that Harrisburg issue a 2016 business license to the Third Street Café. It did not immediately cite the grounds for its appeal.

In July, Dowling rejected the city’s argument that the Third Street Café is a magnet for trouble. He also said that state regulations override city rules for establishments that hold a liquor license.

Harrisburg has been trying to shut down the Midtown bar since early last year, when it revoked its 2015 business license. It then refused to issue the bar a 2016 business license, leading the bar to file suit.

The administration has successfully closed two other bars after revoking their business licenses. Those bars did not appeal the decision to the court.

Calls for Healing, Peace

Both the city and the family have issued calls for peace following the police-involved shooting last month of a Harrisburg resident.

Police shot and killed Earl Shaleek Pinckney in his Uptown home after responding to a call that the 20-year-old man was threatening his mother, Kim Thomas, with a knife. Last December, Thomas requested court protection from Pinckney after he allegedly threatened to kill her, and he was arrested several times last year for domestic incidents.

Thomas later disputed the police department’s version of events, stating that her son didn’t have a knife at her throat and that there was no need to shoot him.

Nonetheless, she asked the community to come together and not resort to violence during a meeting at Goodwin Memorial Baptist Church. City Police Chief Thomas Carter and other city officials also spoke at the meeting.

Thomas had her harshest words for demonstrators, saying that she didn’t want outsiders causing trouble in Harrisburg, as well as for the media, which she said provided misleading information and exploited the situation.

Shortly afterwards, a group called This Stops Today Harrisburg sent a letter to the U.S. Department of Justice asking for an independent investigation of the incident.

Samarin Pleads Guilty

The man who posed as a Harrisburg High School student pleaded guilty last month to a litany of charges that could lead to his deportation.

Artur Samarin, a citizen of Ukraine, admitted guilt on fraud and sex-related charges and said he planned to plead guilty to federal fraud charges, as well.

For several years, Samarin posed as a teenager named Asher Potts, attending high school and receiving numerous academic accolades. In fact, he was in his 20s and in the country illegally after his visa expired.

He faces sentencing this month in Dauphin County court on several charges, including allegedly having sex with a 15-year-old girl he met in school. The federal case relates to alleged passport and Social Security violations.

Housing Sales Up

Area housing sales continued a yearlong climb in July, with unit sales and median prices both rising 4.8 percent, according to the Greater Harrisburg Area Association of Realtors.

GHAR reported that sales totaled 938 units compared to 895 units in July 2015, while the median price climbed to $175,500 from $167,500 for the area that includes Dauphin, Cumberland and Perry countries and portions of York, Lebanon and Juniata counties.

In Dauphin County, sales edged up to 308 units versus 307 units in the year-ago period, while the median price rose to $155,900 from $155,000. Cumberland County saw significant increases, with unit sales totaling 374 units against 335 units in July 2015 and the median price rising to $217,642 from 216,646.

In Perry County, sales increased to 34 units from 33 last July, while the median price rose to $187,400 from $155,000.

So Noted

Bollywood Bar & Grille opened for dining last month in the heart of “restaurant row” in downtown Harrisburg. The Indian-style restaurant serves both lunch and dinner at 110 N. 2^nd St., the long-time home of Zia’s at Red Door.

Buddy Boy Winery has begun offering samples and selling bottles from a satellite location in the Broad Street Market in Harrisburg. The Perry County-based winery has become known for its sweeter wines, its fruit wines and its irreverent names and labels.

Harristown Enterprises last month previewed its two newest apartment buildings: Fifteen @ Twenty-Two and SoMa on Third. The buildings are across the street from one another in downtown Harrisburg and both begin leasing this month. Earlier in the summer, Harristown began accepting tenants for its first apartment project, the Flats @ Strawberry Square.

The Millworks last month opened its rooftop beer garden and its new brewery, run by brewmaster Jeff Musselman. No reservations are needed for rooftop tables, as it’s first-come, first-served in the space at 340 Verbeke St., Harrisburg.

Nest Egg Interiors relocated last month from Marysville to Cumberland County. The home décor and specialty furniture shop is now located at 315 Bridge St., New Cumberland. Grand opening is scheduled for Sept. 3, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Pikowski’s Pierogi Place debuted last month to brisk business in the stone building of the Broad Street Market. Owner Carolyn Pikowski offers a wide assortment of the Polish staple, some traditional and others quite creative.

Changing Hands

Alricks St., 650: K. Gautsch to Consolidated Holdings International LLC, $160,000

Boas St., 428: C. Brown to B. Weber, $128,600

Brookwood St., 2408: J. McPherson to K. & M. Walter, $92,900

Caledonia St., 1917: S. Sabella to J. Gerena, $86,500

Chestnut St., 1940: PA Deals LLC to C. Austin, $63,000

Emerald Ct., 2450: J. Seaton & S. Beckner to E. Manly Spain, $67,000

Forster St., 212: J. & J. Spagnolo to N&R. Group LLC, $43,500

Forster St., 1600: A. & B. Briley to R. Lopez, $161,000

Green St., 1614: J. & MJ Hess to N. Foote & A. Schwarzl, $144,000

Green St., 1932: WCI Partners LP to M. Roos, $205,000

Harris St., 344: C. Wilson to PA Deals LLC, $45,000

Herr St., 215: Crested Enterprises to Z. & W. Zogby, $110,000

Kensington St., 2246: S. Duong to D. Tran & N. Nguyen, $61,000

Kensington St., 2341: Donald L. Pong Trust to I. Trigueros, $45,000

Market St., 2448: K. Haas & D. Maguire to B. Wilson, $110,000

N. 2^nd St., 1426: M. & K. Moosa to C. Albers, $153,000

N. 3^rd St., 2419: M. & S. Kreines to F. & K. Wilson, $154,900

N. 3^rd St., 3027: R. Finck to D. Myers, $127,000

N. 3^rd St., 3113: New 4 You Property Solutions LLC to J. & L. Kincaid, $107,500

N. 4^th St., 1632: K. & K. Leaver to A. Fiorucci, $87,500

N. 4^th St., 1725: LSF9 Master Participation Trust to PA Deals LLC, $54,900

N. 4^th St., 3209: C. DePauli to M. Schuessler, $106,500

N. 5^th St., 1630: Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corp. to R. Williams, $45,000

N. 6^th St., 3115: A. Starr to A. Smith, $30,000

N. 6^th St., 3205, 3209 & 3205 N. 7^th St.: D. & J. Klaiber to SBN LLC, $310,000

N. 7^th St., 3205 & 3133: Bass Pallets Realty LLC to Consolidated Holdings International LLC, $810,000

N. 16^th St., 1100: T. Simpson to HSBC Bank USA, $92,000

Paxton St., 118 & 109 Vine St.: R. Aronson, D. Stern & C/O Service Oil Co. to R. Aronson & R&D Landholdings LLC, $275,000

Penn St., 924: D. Roberts to L. Felix & E. Smith, $35,000

Penn St., 1723: Pennymac Corp. to PA Deals LLC, $78,000

Pennwood Rd., 3207: J. Fry to C. Gaither, $104,000

Reily St., 223: M. Jameson to J. Chadwick, $149,900

Rudy Rd., 2413: PA Deals LLC to G. & J. Modi, $134,900

Rumson Dr., 321: J. Quinlin to S. Nguyen, $64,900

Rumson Dr., 2772: Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corp. to PA Deals LLC, $32,250

Rumson Dr., 2801: R. & M. Gingrich to R. Adams, $74,000

S. 18^th St., 1014: G. Stevenson to T. Martin, $112,000

S. 19^th St., 258: S. Sugden to A. Santos, $30,000

State St., 231, Unit 503: LUX 1 LP to G. Shook, $167,400

State St., 231, Unit 605: LUX 1 LP to A. Neilay, $160,000

Swatara St., 2045: COBA Inc., Oreo TD Bank NA & TD Bank NA to R. Williams, $47,000

Sycamore St., 1807: A. Williams to R. & V. Thompson, $30,000

Wiconisco St., 524: PA Deals LLC to S. Orr, $60,000

Harrisburg property sales for July 2016, greater than $30,000. Source: Dauphin County. Data is assumed to be accurate.

Author: Lawrance Binda

Happenings: Our September Calendar of Events

August 31, 2016 | by TheBurg Editor

Happenings

Museum & Art Spaces

3rd Street Studio
1725 N. 3rd St., Harrisburg
717-385-3315; Facebook: 3rd Street Studio

“Eating Ourselves,” fine art by Ted Walke, Sept. 16-Oct. 17; reception: Sept. 16, 6-9 p.m.

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

“Early Off-Roaders,” through Oct. 15.

“Mods vs. Rockers,” motorcycles and scooters, through Oct. 15.

“Steampunk U,” recycled gears and parts, repurposed with artistic and functional form, through Nov. 6.

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

“Off the Wall” sculpture exhibit, featuring the work of Mike Cerbone, Hannah Dobek, Jeremiah Johnson, Daniel Kalbach, Sean Matthews and Paul Nagle, through Sept. 1.

“Man’s Best Friend,” Fall Membership Show, Sept. 9-Oct. 13; opening: Sept. 11, 11 a.m.-6 p.m.

Aughinbaugh Gallery
Messiah College School of Arts
One College Ave., Mechanicsburg
717-766-2511; messiah.edu

“Student Juried Show,” featuring the artwork of Department of Visual Arts students, through Sept. 1.

The Cornerstone Coffeehouse
2133 Market St., Camp Hill
717-737-5026; thecornerstonecoffeehouse.com

Artist of the Month: TBD

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

“Downton’s Last Stand: A Reprise of the Fort Hunter Fashions of the Downton Abbey Era,” through Dec. 23.

Gallery@Second
608 N. 2nd St., Harrisburg
galleryatsecond.com

Works by Linda Benton McCloskey and Paul Gallo, through Sept. 24.

Works by Thom Kulp and Susan Benigni-Landis, Sept. 29-Nov.12.

Landis House
Perry County Council of the Arts
67 N. 4th St., Newport
717-567-7023; perrycountyarts.org

“Faith, Family and Community: Folk Art Links to the Early Pennsylvania Dutch in Perry County,” Perry Historians exhibition, through Nov. 5.

Little Amps Coffee Roasters, Downtown
133 State St., Harrisburg
717-635-9870; littleampscoffee.com

Fiber-based work and woven wall hangings by Jenna Carls, through Sept.; reception: Sept. 16, 5-7 p.m.

Metropolis Collective
17 W. Main St., Mechanicsburg
717-458-8245; Facebook: Metropolis Collective

“Summer of Speedee,” through Sept. 30.

“Dirt Floor,” southern gothic and paranormal artwork, Sept. 2-Oct. 31; reception: Sept. 2, 6-11 p.m.

National Civil War Museum
One Lincoln Circle, Harrisburg
717-260-1861; nationalcivilwarmuseum.org

“Tell Mother I’ve Been Good: Vice & Virtue in the Civil War,” illustrating the moral challenges faced by thousands of men in the ranks, through Dec. 31.

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

“2015 Youth Art Winners,” through Sept. 24.

Featured artwork from the 2016 Wildlife Art Auction, Sept. 3-Oct. 1.

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

“Dyeing for Peru,” eco-dyed and ice-dyed clothing, accessories and home textiles by Marcia LaBant of Luminous Nature, through Oct. 8.

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

“Full Contact Bowling,” graphic design by Scott Laserow, through Sept. 8; reception: Sept. 1, 5:30 p.m.

The State Museum of Pennsylvania
300 North St., Harrisburg
717-787-4980; statemuseumpa.org

“Art of the State,” statewide juried competition, through Sept. 11.

“We’re Here: Pioneering LGBT Rights in Pennsylvania,” through Oct. 30.

“Working Together for Wildlife: Three Decades of Pennsylvania’s Nature in Art,” through Dec. 31.

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

“The Luminous River,” works by John Pfahl, through Sept. 18.

“Recasting Nature: Selected Sculptures by Beth Galston,” through Sept. 18.

“Despues De La Frontera (After the Border),”a bilingual group exhibition honoring immigrants who fled their homes in Central America, through Dec. 4.

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

“Art in the Wild,” a nature-inspired outdoor art exhibition, with installations mostly including natural materials, through Oct. 31.

Yellow Bird Café
1320 N. 3rd St., Harrisburg
717-635-8991; yellowbird-cafe.com

Works by Elizabeth Campbell, through Sept. 11

Zeroday Brewing Co.
250 Reily St., Harrisburg
717-745-6218; zerodaybrewing.com

“Through the Seasons,” award-winning photos from the 2015 PA Parks & Forests Foundation contest, through Sept. 15.

“Mosaics” by Amanda Rife, Sept. 16-Oct. 20.

Read, Make, Learn

The Cornerstone Coffeehouse
2133 Market St., Camp Hill
717-737-5026; thecornerstonecoffeehouse.com

Sept. 7: Italian Villa Dinner & Wine Pairing, 6-9 p.m.
Sept. 15: Late Summer Grilling on the Deck, 6-9 p.m.
Sept. 21: Tour of Europe, 6-9 p.m.

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

Sept. 1, 8, 15, 22, 29: Device Advice, 5:30 p.m.
Sept. 2: Youth Chess Night, 6:30 p.m.
Sept. 3: Cookbook Club, 1 p.m.
Sept. 3: Storytime and Music Therapy, 3:30 p.m.
Sept. 6: Coloring for Grown-Ups, 7 p.m.
Sept. 8, 22: Drop-in Story Time, 7 p.m.
Sept. 9: Curl Up With the Classics—Planning Session, 3 p.m.
Sept. 9, 30: Foreign Film Friday, 2 p.m., 7 p.m.
Sept. 10, 17: Safe Sitter Workshop, 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
Sept. 11: Teen Crafternoon, 1:30 p.m.
Sept. 12: Twisted Stitchers, 6:30 p.m.
Sept. 15: READ to Dogs, 6:30 p.m.
Sept. 18: DIY Days—Yarn-Wrapped Wreaths, 1:30 p.m.
Sept. 19: Fredricksen Writes, 6:45 p.m.
Sept. 19, 26: Fall Story Times, 9 a.m.
Sept. 20: Fredricksen Reads—Planning Session, 7 p.m.
Sept. 20, 27: Gardening with Nature, 7 p.m.
Sept. 28: Adventure Crafts—Bookmarks, 4:30 p.m.

Harrisburg Improv Theatre
1633 N. 3rd St., Harrisburg
717-798-6973; hbgimprov.com

Sept. 7-Oct. 26: Kidprov (ages 9-12)
Sept. 10-Oct. 29: Kidprov (ages 5-8)

Healthy Living Kitchen
16 S. Rosanna St., Hummelstown
717-512-0077; healthylivingkitchenpa.com

Sept. 8: Leafy Greens for Energy, 6-8 p.m.
Sept. 13: Healthy Fats will Keep You Moving, 6:30-8:30 p.m.
Sept. 19: Fermentation Health & How to Make Your Own Kombucha, 6:30-8 p.m.
Sept. 22: Food Therapy—Inflammation and Strong Bones, 6-8 p.m.
Sept. 28: 21-Day Cleanse for Fall

Landis House
Perry County Council of the Arts
67 N. 4th St., Newport
717-567-7023; perrycountyarts.org

Sept 10: A Novel Idea writing workshop, 9:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
Sept. 17: A Novel Idea 102

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

Sept. 3, 10, 17, 24: Weekly Meditation Practice, 11 a.m.
Sept. 4, 11, 18, 25: Common Roads Young Adults, 4 p.m.
Sept. 7, 14, 21, 28: Common Roads Youth, 6 p.m.
Sept. 8: Aging with Pride Lunchtime Discussion, 12 p.m.
Sept. 13: Seniors Group, 6 p.m.
Sept. 20: Women’s Group, 6 p.m.

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

Sept. 1, 8, 15, 22, 29: Almost Uptown Poetry Cartel, 7 p.m.
Sept. 2, 9, 23, 30: Nathaniel Gadsden’s Spoken Word Café, 7 p.m.
Sept. 3: Health and Wellness Meet-up, 10 a.m.
Sept. 4: Good News Café, 6 p.m.
Sept. 6, 20: Meet-up, 9 a.m.
Sept. 6: Sci-Fi Writer’s Group, 7 p.m.
Sept. 7, 14, 21, 28: Midtown Chess Club, 11 a.m.
Sept. 7: Marketplace HOA Meeting, 6:30 p.m.
Sept. 8, 15: Camp Curtin Toastmasters
Sept. 10: Go STEAM!, 11 a.m.
Sept. 13: Friends of Midtown Beautification Committee, 6:15 p.m.
Sept. 13: Dauphin County Young Democrats Meeting, 7 p.m.
Sept. 13: Men’s Conversation, 7 p.m.
Sept. 17: Story time with Lisa, 11 a.m.
Sept. 17: Author Talk and Signing: Paul Kahan, 2 p.m.
Sept. 18: Midtown Writers Group, 1 p.m.
Sept. 18: LGBT Book Club, 5 p.m.
Sept. 21: Sci Fi & Fantasy Book Club, 7 p.m.
Sept. 25: Harrisburg Young Professionals Book Club, 2 p.m.
Sept. 26: Feminism Book Club, 7 p.m.
Sept. 27: Friends of Midtown Safety Committee, 6:30 p.m.

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

Sept. 7: Magic Loop Socks, 6-8 p.m.
Sept. 10: Letting Go: Paint Night Party, 6:30-9:30 p.m.
Sept. 16: Abstract Painting Class, 6:30-9:30 p.m.
Sept. 24: Macrame Plant Hanger, 12-2 p.m.

The Movement Center
2134 N. 2nd St., Harrisburg
717-238-0357; themovementcenter.net

Sept. 11: Community Yoga—Free Beginner Class, 10 a.m.

The Ware Center
42 N. Prince St., Lancaster
717-871-2308; artsmu.com

Sept. 10: TEDx Lancaster, 9 a.m.

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

Sept. 3: Kids Discover, 10-11:30 a.m.
Sept. 4: Beginner’s Yoga & Walk, 10-11:30 a.m.
Sept. 4: Evening Bird Walk, 6-8 p.m.
Sept. 9: Girl Scout Workshop: Cadettes “Night Owl,” 4:30-9 p.m.
Sept. 10: Volunteer Work Day, 10 a.m.-1 p.m.
Sept. 14: Stress Relief Walk, 6-7:30 p.m.
Sept. 17: September Bird Walk, 9-11 a.m.
Sept. 17: Scout Workshop: Webelos “Into the Woods” Badge, 10:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m.
Sept. 18: Flower Walk, 1:30-3 p.m.

Live Music Around Harrisburg

American Music Theatre
2425 Lincoln Highway East, Lancaster
717-397-7700; amtshows.com

Sept. 8: The 50s Dance Party
Sept. 9: Kashmir, Led Zeppelin Tribute
Sept. 11: The Wess Cooke Show
Sept. 17: Fall Doo Wop Cavalcade
Sept. 19: Vince Gill
Sept. 24: Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons
Through Oct. 8: Crooners

Appalachian Brewing Co./Abbey Bar
50 N. Cameron St., Harrisburg
717-221-1083; abcbrew.com

Sept. 2: Marco Benevento
Sept. 11: March Fourth Marching Band
Sept. 15: Spiritual Rez

Carley’s Ristorante and Piano Bar
204 Locust St., Harrisburg
717-909-9191; carleysristorante.com

Sept. 1, 17, 27: Corinna Joy
Sept. 2, 10: Ted Ansel
Sept. 3, 15, 21, 30: Chris Emkey
Sept. 6: Daniel Sheehan
Sept. 7: Deborah Anderson
Sept. 8, 11, 22, 25: Anthony Haubert
Sept. 9: Roy Lefever
Sept. 13: Christine Purcell
Sept. 14: Maria Battista
Sept. 16, 20, 24: Noel Gevers
Sept. 23: Jessica Perla

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

Sept. 22: Outlaws w/The Steppin Stones

Chameleon Club
223 N. Water St., Lancaster
717-299-9684; chameleonclub.net

Sept. 2: From Indian Lakes, Dawns
Sept. 9: POP EVIL
Sept. 10: Diet Cig
Sept. 17: Box of Rain, Grateful Dead Tribute
Sept. 21: The Temperance Movement
Sept. 23: The Undead
Sept. 24: For Today
Sept. 25: Taking Back Sunday
Sept. 28: Assemblage 23
Sept. 30: Texas Hippie Coalition, Shaman’s Harvest

The Cornerstone Coffeehouse
2133 Market St., Camp Hill
717-737-5026; thecornerstonecoffeehouse.com

Sept. 2: Dan Zukowski
Sept. 3: Bob Ardern
Sept. 4: Hollan & Ghost Town Cinema
Sept. 9: Antonio Andrade
Sept. 10: Steven Gellman
Sept. 11: Shelba Purtle
Sept. 16: Kevin Kline
Sept. 17: Jeanine & Friends
Sept. 18: Crimson
Sept. 23: Jim Haas
Sept. 24: Doug Morris
Sept. 25: Dominick Cicco
Sept. 30: Kirk Wise

Gretna Music
Leffler Chapel and Performance Center, Elizabethtown College
717-361-1508; gretnamusic.org

Sept. 4: Trio Settecento
Sept. 11: Enrique Granados

Harrisburg Midtown Arts Center (H*MAC)
1110 N. 3rd St., Harrisburg
717-441-7506; harrisburgarts.com

Sept. 2: Vetour First Friday
Sept. 3: Limbo Jimbo, Mowatt’s Steely Jam
Sept. 8: Seepeoples
Sept. 9: One Trick Grizzly
Sept. 10: Shana Falana, Des Sera, Concrete Beach & ExMag, Adam Stehr, That Girl
Sept. 23: Shea Quinn’s The Band Who Sold the World
Sept. 24: New World Trio & Jason Barshinger Band
Sept. 29: Iska Dhaaf

Hershey Theatre
15 E. Caracas Ave., Hershey
717-534-3405; hersheyentertainment.com

Sept. 13: “Weird Al” Yankovic
Sept. 17: Salute to John Williams w/ Hershey Symphony

Hollywood Casino
777 Hollywood Blvd., Grantville
717-469-2211; hollywoodpnrc.com

Sept. 2: Uptown Band
Sept. 3: DJ Dave Styles, Save the City
Sept. 4: Mountain Road
Sept. 9: JJ Rupp Band
Sept. 10: DJ Matrix, Another Lousy Cover Band
Sept. 16: The Luv Gods
Sept. 17: DJ Ray Rossi, Ryan Pelton, Restless
Sept. 23: Lima Bean Riot
Sept. 24: DJ Forest, Smooth Like Clyde

Keystone Concert Band
145 E. Main St., First Floor, Mechanicsburg
717-421-1512; keystoneconcertband.com

Sept. 18: Concert at Adams-Ricci Park

Little Amps Coffee Roasters, Downtown
133 State St., Harrisburg
717-635-9870; littleampscoffee.com

Sept. 2: TBA
Sept. 9: Downtown Boys
Sept. 23: Blind Scout
Sept. 30: Neveret

The MakeSpace
1916 N. 3rd St., Harrisburg
hbgmakespace.com

Sept. 10: Sam Goodwill & Bell Lungs

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

Sept. 2: Vinnie Paolizzi
Sept. 16: Chroma
Sept. 24: Chris Emkey w/Anthony Quirk
Sept. 25: Cloudship

The Mill in Hershey
810 Old West Chocolate Ave., Hershey
717-256-9965; themillinhershey.com

Sept. 3: Shea & Len (Luv Gods)
Sept. 10: This Side Out
Sept. 17: Josh Krevsky
Sept. 24: Mark DeRose and the Dreadnought Brigade

MoMo’s BBQ & Grille
307 Market St., Harrisburg
717-230-1030; momosbbqandgrill.com

Sept. 2: Miles Leonard Band
Sept. 9: The BC Combo
Sept. 16: Something Else
Sept. 23: Austin Rife
Sept. 30: Visitors Duo

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

Sept. 17: Shotgunn

River City Blues Club & Dart Room
819 S. Cameron St., Harrisburg
rivercityhbg.com

Sept. 1: Mark Santanna and the Snake Oil Salesman
Sept. 2: Ben Brandt Trio
Sept. 3: Crippled But Free w/Sons of Pitches
Sept. 8: Blue Elephant & Friends
Sept. 9: Nate Myers & The Aces, The Back Rhodes
Sept. 15: Shawan and The Wonton Open Mic/Jam
Sept. 16: Southern Avenue
Sept. 17: La Playa
Sept. 19: River City Big Band
Sept. 24: Shawan and the Wonton, The Ven Vo Band, The Outhouse
Sept. 26: Friends of Jazz Jam
Sept. 30: Middleton Brothers Band

St. Thomas Roasters
5951 Linglestown Rd., Harrisburg
717-526-4171; stthomasroasters.com

Sept. 1: Bryan Horton
Sept. 2: Crossroads Duo
Sept. 3: Just Dave
Sept. 8: Collective Academy
Sept. 9: Dan Zukoeski
Sept. 10: Craig Bonner
Sept. 15: Relics of Medievalism
Sept. 16: Channalia
Sept. 17: Itsy & Jim
Sept. 22: Craig Lambeth
Sept. 23: Cotolo
Sept. 24: Suzi Brown
Sept. 29: Rhodes & Purr
Sept. 30: Tim Zimmerman

Stock’s on 2nd
211 N. 2nd St., Harrisburg
717-233-6699; stocksonsecond.com

Sept. 2: US 2 Duo
Sept. 3: Houston Baker
Sept. 9: Josh Krevsky
Sept. 10: Up Pops the Devil
Sept. 16: Truth Seekers
Sept. 17: Shea Quinn and Friends
Sept. 23: Visitors Duo
Sept. 24: Song Smith
Sept. 30: TBA

Strand Capitol Performing Arts Center
50 N. George St., York
717-846-1111; mystrandcapitol.org

Sept. 24: The Music of John Williams w/York Symphony Orchestra
Sept. 30: Chris Botti

Suba Tapas Bar
272 North St., Harrisburg
717-233-7358; mangiaqui.com

Live music Friday and Saturday nights.

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

Sept. 6: Jaerv
Sept. 9: Bulgarika
Sept. 18: Fort Hunter Day
Sept. 24: Iliana Bozhanova & Todor Yankov
Sept. 25: Volunteer Picnic Open Mic
Sept. 29: Robin & Linda Williams

The Ware Center
42 N. Prince St., Lancaster
717-871-2308; artsmu.com

Sept. 18: “Trebled Voices” faculty concert
Sept. 20: David Cullen
Sept. 29: Robin & Linda Williams

Whitaker Center
222 Market St., Harrisburg
717-214-ARTS; whitakercenter.org

Sept. 3: Mark DeRose & the Dreadnought Brigade, Vulcans

Zeroday Brewing Co.
250 Reily St., Harrisburg
717-745-6218; zerodaybrewing.com

Sept. 3: Lost in Society

The Stage Door

American Music Theatre
2425 Lincoln Highway East, Lancaster
717-397-7700; amtshows.com

Sept. 18: Yakov Smirnoff

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

Through Sept. 24: Yeston and Kopit’s “Phantom”
Sept. 29-Nov. 12: “Anything Goes”

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

Sept. 16: TMI Improv
Sept. 17, 24: Rapunzel (Popcorn Hat Players)
Sept. 23-24: “Shakespeare in Hollywood”

Gretna Music
Leffler Chapel and Performance Center, Elizabethtown College
717-361-1508; gretnamusic.org

Sept. 3: BalletX

Harrisburg Improv Theatre
1633 N. 3rd St., Harrisburg
717-798-6973; hbgimprov.com

Sept. 2, 9, 16, 23, 30: Harold Hour
Sept. 3: Forte Largo
Sept. 3, 10, 17, 24: Free Improv Mixer
Sept. 16, 18: Class 1 Show

Hershey Theatre
15 E. Caracas Ave., Hershey
717-534-3405; hersheyentertainment.com

Sept. 25: Kevin James

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

Sept. 16: Comedy Night

Oyster Mill Playhouse
1001 Oyster Mill Rd., Camp Hill
717-737-6768; oystermill.com

Sept. 23-Oct. 9: “An Act of the Imagination”

Rose Lehrman Art Center
One HACC Dr., Harrisburg
717-231-ROSE; hacc.edu

Sept. 21: Soul Street Dance

Strand Capitol Performing Arts Center
50 N. George St., York
717-846-1111; mystrandcapitol.org

Sept. 27: “Swan Lake” w/Russian Grand Ballet

Theatre Harrisburg
513 Hurlock St., Harrisburg
717-232-5501; theatreharrisburg.com

Sept. 6-10: Harrisburg New Works Theater Festival
Sept. 22-Oct. 9: “Far from Heaven” (at Whitaker Center)

The Ware Center
42 N. Prince St., Lancaster
717-871-2308; artsmu.com

Sept. 18: Dance333
Sept. 25: Capitol Steps
Sept. 30: “Tres Vidas”

Whitaker Center
222 Market St., Harrisburg
717-214-ARTS; whitakercenter.org

Sept. 22-Oct. 9: “Far From Heaven” (Theatre Harrisburg)
Sept. 28: “Wiggle Town Tour”

York Little Theatre
27 S. Belmont St., York
717-854-3894; thebelmont.org

Sept. 23-Oct. 2: “School of Rock”

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