Tag Archives: Strawberry Square

“Winter Wonderland” set to march for Harrisburg’s annual holiday parade

Harrisburg Mayor Eric Papenfuse spoke today while announcing the details for the city’s annual holiday parade.

With Thanksgiving right around the corner, Harrisburg is welcoming the holiday season with decorated floats, balloons and food trucks for its annual holiday parade.

This year’s theme is “Winter Wonderland,” which will be showcased through various activities on parade day. The festivities begin at noon on Saturday.

“There is no bad seat for this parade,” Harrisburg Mayor Eric Papenfuse said.

There will be over 100 floats from various organizations as well as musical acts, vintage cars, theater groups, marching bands and characters from the “Grinch,” “Star Wars” and “Paw Patrol.”

Large snowflake, Rudolph, turkey, snowman and snow globe-shaped cold air and helium balloons will hover over the street during the procession. The balloons are about 15-feet tall and provided by StarBound Entertainment.

The route begins at Market Street then heads to 2nd Street. From 2nd Street it marches toward North Street, then Front Street and ends at City Island.

Not only will there be plenty to feast your eyes on, but to actually feast on as well.

“This year, we’ve got some incredibly exciting food trucks,” Papenfuse said.

These awards will be handed out at the Holiday Parade.

Along Market Street will be five food trucks, including 717 Tacos, Tiki T’s Mini Donuts and More, Knead HBG, Get Rollin’ Gourmet Eggrolls and Bartlebaugh Concessions. A map and menu show the trucks’ locations and what they’ll be serving up. Food will be available beginning at 10 a.m.

During the parade, there will be a carnival game for the kids and after the parade, families can head to Strawberry Square to meet Santa and enjoy hot chocolate and cookies.

Awards will be given for marching bands and drill, step-and-dance teams. Winners will be chosen on the basis of the music, performance and theme of the act, explained ExploreHBG’s Director of Marketing and Communications Devan Drabik. Judges will include members of the local media, and an awards ceremony will take place in Strawberry Square.

“We have some fantastic new awards this year,” Papenfuse said.

Parking for the parade will be $10 at the Market Square Garage from 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. Street parking is free for four hours by using the code “LUVHBG” on the ParkMobile App. Parade route roads will be closed from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Sponsors for the event include Visit Hershey & Harrisburg, ExploreHBG, Capital BlueCross and others.

“I hope everyone will make it out and get in the holiday spirit,” Papenfuse said.

Harrisburg’s holiday parade begins on Market Street at 12 p.m. on Nov. 23. For more information, visit www.harrisburgpa.gov/holiday-parade.

 

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More apartments headed for downtown Harrisburg as building project evolves

Plans have changed for 17 S. 2nd St. (building on left) and 21 S. 2nd St. (empty lot on right).

A plan for a downtown Harrisburg office building has evolved and now will consist of two separate projects—one residential and one office.

Harristown Enterprises has decided to split a Market Square project into two pieces, said CEO Brad Jones.

The first building, an existing, century-old office building at 17 S. 2nd St., now will become a 30-unit, market-rate apartment building with a mix of one- and two-bedroom units, with retail or restaurant space on the first floor, Jones said. That six-story project will go before the city’s Planning Commission next month.

The neighboring building, new construction at 21 S. 2nd St., still will become an office building, Jones said.

Originally, Harrisburg-based Harristown had planned one large, interconnected office building spanning both sites, but hasn’t been able to secure an anchor tenant for it.

“The original plan was to do an office complex,” Jones said. “We spent the last year shopping that concept. We had a number of prospects, but didn’t find the right deal on that.”

In 2017, Harristown acquired 21 S. 2nd St. and later knocked down the small, dilapidated building on that site, which now is an empty lot. Last year, it bought the building next door, 17 S. 2nd St., most recently the home of the Skarlatos & Zonarich law firm, which has relocated to Strawberry Square.

Jones said that he didn’t want 17 S. 2nd St. to sit empty, possibly for years, while his company searched for a large anchor tenant for the office complex, nor could Harristown build it on spec. So, they decided to convert that existing building into apartments, as demand has been strong for other downtown residential projects.

Over the past few years, Harristown has built—or is building—about 150 apartment units in downtown Harrisburg, mostly conversions from aging office buildings. Its largest project, two attached, mid-century buildings on the 100-block of Pine Street, will deliver 74 units early next year.

Meanwhile, Harristown continues to search for an anchor office tenant for 21 S. 2nd St. Jones said that he envisions that new building to be four to six stories tall, with 10,000 to 15,000 square feet of new office space. Harristown would like to break ground on it in 2021, but timing depends on interest, as the company requires at least 50 percent of the space to be pre-leased to start construction, he said.

“There’s a sense of urgency on both of these projects,” Jones said. “We’d like to do them as quickly as possible.”

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New office, retail building proposed for downtown Harrisburg

A rendering of the proposed project

Over the last few decades, Market Street in downtown Harrisburg has been transformed by such projects as Whitaker Center, Harrisburg University and the Rachel Carson Building.

Another project is now on the boards that again would change the complexion and the skyline of the key commercial corridor.

Harristown Development and Select Capital Commercial Properties are teaming to build a new, mixed-use building in the center of the 300-block of Market Street, directly across from Strawberry Square.

“This is the last area on Market Street in the core of downtown that needs redevelopment,” said Harristown CEO Brad Jones. “This is the final piece.”

The 300-block of Market Street in Harrisburg, the future site of a new mixed-used building.

The developers envision a 10- to 12-story, 100,000-plus-square-foot office and retail building at 307 to 313 Market St. The building–called 311 Market Street–also would have several floors of parking and might include residential space.

For the past few years, Harristown has been purchasing properties to assemble the site. Last week, the company closed on the final, and largest, piece, buying the former Rite Aid drug store from the Camp Hill-based company for just over $1 million. That low-slung building has been empty since Rite Aid relocated a few years ago into Strawberry Square.

Jones said that plans are to demolish the existing structures, probably next year. In the meantime, the developers hope to recruit an anchor tenant.

He said that the building would suit any company or organization seeking a large amount of new office space in the heart of Harrisburg, such as a corporate headquarters. The building would be able to support 500 to 1,000 workers, he said, depending upon office configurations.

If construction is delayed following demolition, the developers would turn the site into a “pocket park” in the interim, a space that could be used for events, Jones said.

“We would have a nice transitional use,” he said.

Harristown this year applied for a state Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program (RACP) grant in the amount of $5 million for the project, which is estimated to cost $25 to $40 million in all. It didn’t receive the funds, but will apply again next year, Jones said.

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Burg Blog: Art Impact

Artist Juuri and her husband Eric stand on a lift as they continue painting their mural today at 1005 N. 3rd St. in Harrisburg.

Art is often hard to put into words, to measure and quantify its effects on a community.

But if Friday night’s VIP kickoff celebration of the Harrisburg Mural Festival is any indication, many in the Harrisburg community are embracing, excited and uplifted by the 14 new murals being created under the umbrella of the nonprofit Sprocket Mural Works.

More than 300 people gathered—artists, community leaders, mural sponsors and volunteers—on the plaza between the PA State Archives Building and the PA State Museum to celebrate the 2019 festival launch, which will add 14 colorful new murals to the city’s collection.

It was an impressive showing, and I was excited to emcee the event. Likewise, TheBurg is honored to be a strong supporter and media sponsor of the festival, as we believe that the murals both beautify Harrisburg and foster community here.

So, what is it about public art that has drawn hundreds of people together?

“Murals are making this town beautiful, interesting and dynamic,” said Brad Jones, president and CEO of Harristown Enterprises.

The company, which owns Strawberry Square, sponsored murals for both the 2017 and 2019 festivals. One such mural is currently being created on the entire back of International House, an apartment building housing students from around the country and world, located at 314 Chestnut St., with the mural along its rear-facing Blackberry Alley.

“I want to thank all the wonderful muralists who are bringing their art and their stories here to Harrisburg to share with us—you’re giving us a really special gift for our community,” Jones said to the crowd gathered Friday night.

Artist Marka 27 puts the finishing touches on his mural at the back of International House.

While Harrisburg’s mural gifts are still being unveiled and unwrapped, so to speak, other communities have already measured and studied the effects of murals, which send ripples beyond their colorful surfaces and into the surrounding community landscape.

Sprocket co-founders Meg Caruso and Jeff Copus are inspired by many city mural programs, including the groundbreaking Philly Mural Arts, considered a national and international leader in the mural arts movement.

What started as an anti-graffiti movement in 1984 has blossomed into an organization considered the nation’s largest public art program with a portfolio of 3,600 murals.

A 78-page, 2003 impact study cited both economic and social benefits from Philly Mural Arts’ work.

“For a government agency or public program, costs and benefits are never calculated only in economic terms,” stated the report. “A community mural represents a public good, both as a process and product, and is therefore worthy of public investment.”

“Murals are part of a community ecosystem in that they are a way to engage and mobilize people to address other local issues,” the report said. “Murals are part of a cultural ecosystem in that they intersect with other cultural programs and traditions, urban design and local history.”

While Harrisburg’s mural program is still in its infancy compared to Philadelphia’s program, many in the community recognize the power of the arts to energize Harrisburg.

“Nothing is better than seeing local businesses and artists from all over the world come together to make our city a more beautiful place and we are honored to be a part of that,” said Anna Vazquez, marketing director at XL Live, which is sponsoring an abstract mural incorporating Jimi Hendrix, by nationally known artist Ryan “ARCY” Christenson, on the exterior wall of the live music venue.

Friday night, Jones acknowledged that Sprocket’s second full-length festival is only the beginning for Harrisburg.

“We are so excited for the 2019 murals to be done because then we will truly have a mural trail connecting the many murals in downtown walking up to Midtown,” Jones said. “Public art like this inspires people in so many positive ways.”

The Harrisburg Mural Festival runs through Sept. 8, with a block party on State Street in front of the state Capitol building, and coinciding with 2019 Gallery Walk. This week, many artists will be painting their murals, and they urge you to stop by and watch them at work. For more information, visit the Sprocket Mural Works’ website.

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VeggieFest returns to Strawberry Square, dishing up vegetarian, vegan cuisine

A tray of samples from last year’s VeggieFest.

Strawberry Square may be named after a fruit, but it surely won’t be left out at this year’s VeggieFest, which showcases plant-based cuisine.

For the third year in a row, event coordinator Sara Bozich, in conjunction with Strawberry Square, will welcome local vendors to downtown Harrisburg next month to share their take on vegetarian and vegan lifestyles and diets.

“It is intended to be a very inclusive event that is vegan- and vegetarian-friendly,” Bozich explained.

While not exclusively a vegan event, vendors will distinguish whether their products are vegetarian or vegan.

Vendors will include restaurants like Arooga’s Sports Bar & Grillhouse, giving a taste of its meatless menu, and Harvest Seasonal Grill & Wine Bar with its vegan menu options. There will also be plenty of beverages to sample from breweries such as Crook & Marker Spiked & Sparkling, HOLLA Spirits, Ploughman Cider and Tröegs Independent Brewing.

“We are really about showcasing the offerings our area has,” Bozich said.

Vendors will offer samples, and items will be available for purchase. Bozich pointed out that VeggieFest isn’t only for the herbivores, but those who are “veg curious” are welcome as well.

Plant-based skincare retailers and health practitioners will be in attendance along with treats from Cocoa Creek Chocolates, Boom! Crafted Pickles and Sarah’s Sweet & Savory Snacks, among others.

“A lot of times, people stay away from vegan or gluten-free products because they think the flavor experience won’t be the same, but it is,” said Diane Krulac, founder of Mechanicsburg-based Cocoa Creek Chocolates.

At this year’s VeggieFest, these chocolatiers will hand out samples from their all-natural “Luther’s Trek Bars.” The bars are made with vegan dark chocolate and sprinkled with various fruit and nut combinations.

They will also share products from their upcoming veggie collection, which is all plant-based and vegan. The dark chocolate truffles are made with cashew cream, oat milk or almond milk, and some include raspberry, beet, cinnamon or orange flavors.

“You don’t have to be vegan to want to eat them,” Krulac said. “Flavor won’t be compromised.”

The crowd from last year’s event.

A faux burger challenge, sponsored by the Hilton Harrisburg, will give attendees a chance for local grills to serve up their best meatless burger to a panel of judges, letting the audience have a bite, as well.

While perusing the vendors, attendees will hear from His and Hers Vinyl, a duo of DJs.

Tickets are required for VeggieFest and are $20 for an adult, $10 for an adult or minor not including alcohol, and free for children under 12.

Proceeds this year will benefit the Central Pennsylvania Food Bank. According to Bozich, the partnership is a perfect fit.

“Our event is about food, and clearly we want to help feed people in the area,” she said.

Harrisburg VeggieFest takes place on Saturday, Aug. 17, 1 to 4 p.m., at Strawberry Square in downtown Harrisburg. For more information, visit www.hbgveggiefest.com.

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The Week that Was: News and features around Harrisburg

Dueling designs for N. 2nd Street

The news week around Harrisburg began slowly but then picked up steam as the city unveiled its redesigns for N. 2nd Street. Take a few minutes to catch up on news you may have missed this past week.

2-Way 2nd Street got closer to reality this week as the city unveiled its final two designs for the project. We published a summary of the designs, covered the public meeting then wrapped up our coverage with a blog post.

Capital Region Water will hold three community meetings to present information and get feedback on its proposed stormwater fee. Click here to find out where they’ll be.

Jambo Fashion is a new African-style boutique in downtown Harrisburg. Read how the owners made it to Harrisburg and why they decided to open up their store.

Market Square Concerts features several can’t-miss performances this month, which is just a taste of what’s to come for the 2019-20 season. Click here for the details.

Methodist churches in the Harrisburg area have hit the market in bulk, with six currently for sale. According to the realtor, interest in the buildings has been strong.

Salvation Army Harrisburg took up residence last week in the Strawberry Square atrium, as it accepted donations for its “Christmas in July” fill-a-backpack initiative. Find out how you can help.

Sara Bozich has dozens of fun things to do this weekend, both inside and out. Beat the heat with music, festivals, art and more.

Susquehanna Art Museum will host a screening of “Las Madres de Berks,” a documentary about four women detained at the Berks County Residential Center. Click here for details of the Sunday screening.

Urban Churn received some high-profile visitors this week, as the governor and lieutenant governor stopped in for a cone and to promote the state’s ice cream trail. Click here for the details.

Valley Youth House in Harrisburg is dedicated to helping children in foster care. Check out our feature from this month’s magazine.

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Salvation Army, Harristown team to “fill a backpack” for Harrisburg schoolchildren

The Salvation Army Harrisburg has set up a donation table in Strawberry Square.

Many students look forward to the start of a new school year, but buying supplies can place an extra burden on Harrisburg families already facing financial stress.

That’s why the Salvation Army Harrisburg, along with Harristown Enterprises, is reviving its “Christmas in July” fill-a-backpack initiative.

During lunchtime this week, the charity will be in Strawberry Square to collect donations of money and new school supplies.

Backpacks donated by Harristown and others then will be filled with the supplies before they are distributed to local children in need in early August.

“We’re hoping for great things again this year,” said Cindy Minnich, the special events and communications coordinator of the Salvation Army Harrisburg.

Through the initiative, which is in its eighth year, families in need can apply to receive backpacks for children in elementary school through high school. This year, the Salvation Army hopes to fill at least 120 to 150 backpacks.

Harristown is donating 50 of the backpacks.

“Harristown and Strawberry Square are delighted to support the Christmas in July event with the Salvation Army this week in the atrium,” said Harristown CEO Brad Jones.

Minnich said that it costs about $40 to fill a backpack.

“People don’t realize that when they go shopping, but based on the list that the Harrisburg School District has given us, it costs that much,” she said.

Last year, about 150 children received backpacks full of supplies. However, the Salvation Army would like to serve even more students in need.

“When our application appointments [to receive backpacks] go live, they fill up in about three hours, and we have waiting lists,” Minnich said.

The Salvation Army asks for the following supplies:

  • 1-subject spiral notebooks
  • Pencil sharpeners (small)
  • Wooden pencils
  • Highlighters
  • Pencil pouches (3-hole-punch)
  • Erasers (one pack of pencil toppers or two regular)
  • Boxes of crayons, colored pencils and markers
  • 12-inch rulers
  • Glue sticks
  • 2-pocket POLY folders
  • Packs of wide-ruled notebook paper
  • Binders (1.5 to 2 inch)
  • Post-it-notes
  • Wide-ruled index cards
  • Dry erase markers (black and blue)

“We’re not quite meeting the need that’s out there, but we hope to get closer and closer each year,” Minnich said.

The Salvation Army will be in the Strawberry Square atrium from 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. through Friday, July 19. Donations in cash, check and charge are accepted, as well as donations of new supplies. Donations can also be dropped off at 1122 Green St., Harrisburg. To donate supplies, visit https://bit.ly/SuppliesHBG or the donations page at https://bit.ly/DonateHBG.

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The Week that Was: A summary of news and features around Harrisburg

Lenwood Sloan speaks as the pedestal for “A Gathering at the Crossroads” is unveiled in Strawberry Square.

The news and the arts shared equal time this past week in our coverage. Did you miss a story that we published? If so, catch up on what happened over the past week.

Art Association of Harrisburg will hold five “summer soirees” this season in its annual series of summertime art and fundraising events. Click here for the full story.

Brain Vessel Gallery opened its latest show, “Along the Painted Journey,” an exhibit of works by the Pennsylvania Watercolor Society. Read what our arts reviewer had to say about the exhibit and about Brain Vessel’s unique collection of items.

Harrisburg City Council last week voted to spend $72,500 for a study as the city tries to lessen the impact of a planned widening of I-83. At the same meeting, council approved the final land development plan for Harrisburg University’s new downtown high-rise. Click here for the full story.

Harrisburg River Rescue received a check for $45,000 from Harrisburg Beer Week. The River Rescue is the beneficiary of the annual, 10-day tribute to the local craft beer community.

Harrisburg school district furnished its response to the state’s petition to put the district into receivership, denying many of the state’s claims. The court hearing on the petition is slated for Monday. Click here for the full story.

Judge William Tully issued his formal order stopping the Harrisburg school district from entering into contracts until he rules on receivership for the district. Click here for the full story.

Midtown Scholar Bookstore will host author Casey Cep this coming week, as she discusses her new book, which finishes the story that renowned author Harper Lee never completed. Click here for the full story.

Rapper Geniuz was the first central PA musician to be profiled as part of TheBurg’s new series in honor of African American Music Appreciation Month. Click here for the full story.

Sara Bozich has assembled a long list of things to do around Harrisburg during this early summer weekend. Click here for the full story.

Strawberry Square last week hosted the unveiling of the first part of a new monument meant to honor both voting rights and Harrisburg’s long-missed Old 8th Ward. The pedestal portion of the monument will be publicly displayed through the summer. Click here for the full story.

 

Also in TheBurg Daily last week:

Central Pennsylvania athletes make their mark at the National Senior Games.

The Eastern Hellbender is more than just the state amphibian; it’s also an indicator of environmental health.

 

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At a Crossroads: New monument to commemorate Harrisburg history, struggle for voting rights

Lenwood Sloan, with members of the Harrisburg Past Players, spoke on Tuesday at the unveiling of the pedestal portion of the monument, “A Gathering at the Crossroads.”

If you were passing through Strawberry Square late Tuesday afternoon, you may have been surprised to see the following: several gentlemen in top hats and tails, a big red ribbon and Lt. Gov. John Fetterman.

If you had stuck around, you would have learned what connected these very different things.

A crowd had assembled to watch the unveiling of the first portion of a monument that, around this time next year, is slated to be dedicated at N. 4th and Walnut streets in Harrisburg, on the lawn of the Capitol’s Irvis Office Building.

The monument, called “A Gathering at the Crossroads,” commemorates the Old 8th Ward, the densely populated warren of streets and alleys demolished a century ago to vastly enlarge the Capitol Complex. The expansion of Forster Street some 40 years later destroyed the final part of the working-class area, a largely African-American neighborhood that also housed much of the city’s immigrant and Jewish populations.

“The more you hear, the sadder you become,” Fetterman said during his remarks, referring to the destruction of hundreds of buildings and the displacement of thousands of people. “But all you can do is celebrate and promote the efforts to remember.”

Indeed, yesterday’s two-hour ceremony was a celebration, led by local arts activist Lenwood Sloan, who is spearheading the project. It featured speeches, songs and dramatizations by the Harrisburg Past Players, a group that represents figures from local history.

Sloan said that the monument has a dual purpose. While it honors the Old 8th, it also is designed as a tribute to voting rights—specifically, the U.S. Constitution’s 15th and19th amendments, which secured the vote for African Americans and for women, respectively.

Next year marks the 150th anniversary of the 15th Amendment and the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment, making the monument a timely endeavor.

“This project is about vigilance, about being vigilant about the blood, sweat and tears it took to advance these things,” Sloan said.

The monument’s Orator’s Pedestal in Strawberry Square, where it will be displayed through the summer.

The statue depicts four figures with strong Harrisburg ties meeting in the Old 8th Ward, conversing and sharing a text of the 15th Amendment. They’re gathered around the “Orator’s Pedestal,” the completed part of the bronze-cast monument unveiled on Tuesday. The pedestal features images from the Old 8th around its four sides, along with a high relief map of a section of the ward at the top (close-up below).

Sloan and his team still must raise about two-thirds of the $360,000 needed for the project, he said.

“The next step is the casting in clay and the molding of the four figures,” he said.

Those life-sized figures are civil rights activist William Howard Day, Harrisburg native, journalist and lawyer Thomas Morris Chester, musician and restaurateur Jacob T. Compton and abolitionist and suffragist Francis Ellen Walker Harper. The third piece of the monument, besides the pedestal and the figures, is the circular landing, meant to mimic cobblestone, on which the figures will stand.

“We’re thrilled to be a part of this,” said Becky Ault, president of Lancaster-based Art Research Enterprises, which is sculpting the monument. “This is so much more than just art. It’s history, it’s social studies, it’s everything.”

Sloan said that much work lies ahead before the planned June 2020 monument unveiling, coinciding with the anniversaries of the 15th and 19th amendments. A large sum of money still must be raised to complete the project. Afterwards, the state legislature must vote to accept the gift.

In the meantime, visitors can drop by Strawberry Square to see the pedestal, which will be on display, along with an explanation of the project, until Labor Day.

“This will not just be a place for pigeons,” Sloan said of the completed monument. “It is about that junction in time through which we make the awareness of the vote.”

To read more about the project, read our March story, Pieces of the Puzzle, and watch our Burg in Focus video, featuring interviews with Lenwood Sloan.

Click here to contribute to the monument project.

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The Week that Was: A summary of news and events around Harrisburg

A scene from Wednesday’s school board candidates debate

What happened around Harrisburg last week? Here’s a summary of news and events that you may have missed.

Harrisburg city administration briefed City Council on a proposed five-year financial plan for the city, which shows essentially a flat operating budget through 2023. The city and the state-appointed Intergovernmental Cooperation Authority must approve a plan before Harrisburg can exit Act 47. Click here for the full story.

Harrisburg school board candidates held their final debate before the May 21 primary election. Once again, the stage was left to the challengers, as no incumbents (with one brief exception) showed up to engage in the discussion. Click here for the full story.

Harrisburg voters will experience changes to their polling locations in three wards. Voters in the 6th Ward, the 11th Ward and the 9th Ward, 2nd Precinct will have new voting sites for the May 21 primary. Click here for the full story.

Sara Bozich listed more than 100 things to do for this weekend, with something to suit about every taste and interest. Click here for the full story.

Sprint soon will open a new store inside of Strawberry Square. The store will occupy space on the first floor recently vacated by GNC. Click here for the full story.

 

Additional stories from TheBurg Daily over the past week:

Allison Hill stakeholders wonder why their neighborhood was selected for a medical marijuana facility.

Andrew Guth is our “Artist in Focus” for the month of May.

Cost of housing is on our editor’s mind as he ponders the question: What can you buy for $200,000?

Harrisburg Symphony Youth Orchestra will hold its annual Mother’s Day concert this weekend.

Our Musical Notes columnist opines on several shows this month that aren’t exactly youth-oriented.

 

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