Recent and Upcoming

The July program page has events listed through the end of the month. I've highlighted some of this weekend's events below.

Before we jump ahead to the weekend, I thought I'd share some coverage of recent events at sites, ongoing projects, and well, just some stuff I found interesting. Thanks Facebook, Twitter, and Google Alerts!

Independence Weekend programming

Horse-drawn log skidding demo at 2017 Bark Peelers' Festival (via Facebook)

The long holiday weekend provided lots of time for programs and events on the Trails of History. See more at the links below:

• Pennsylvania Lumber Museum's annual Bark Peelers' Festival (which commemorates the early 20th-century gatherings of lumbermen for feats of strength and airing of grievances) drew about 2,000 people June 1-2 for music, food, history, and demonstrations of skill. The museum shared photos of the overall event and the birling (log rolling) contest on Facebook. Aerial/Renegade/AlexanderRenn Photography shared a great overview video on their Facebook page.
• 450 people attended the annual Ringgold Band concert at Conrad Weiser Homestead, honoring local veterans and carrying on a long-time tradition. You'll find info in this Reading Eagle article.
• The Reading Eagle also reported on Daniel Boone Homestead's Independence Day Celebration on July 1 (see article here).
• Somerset Historical Center's 3rd annual "Frosty Mugs of Thunder" brewfest took place on July 1 and the Daily American has photos to prove it.
• Young visitors to the PA Military Museum on July 4 were given the opportunity to try on military gear from the museum's education collection and sit in a World War II era jeep. "Kids' Day: Dress Up and Discover" is presented 3-4 times throughout the year as part of PMM's hands-on history offerings (next event is August 12). There are photos on Facebook.

High season for tourism

• Ephrata Cloister museum educator Michael Showalter (left in photo above) led a recent field trip to New England (group shown here at Plimoth Plantation). You'll find more photos of the trip on Facebook, along with lots of other photos of the site highlighting its history and activities.
• An article in the Wilkes-Barre Times Leader highlighted numerous visitors who attended Patch Town Days at Eckley Miners' Village to explore their Irish roots.
• Several Trails of History sites are included in VisitPA's summer road trip itineraries: Pennsbury Manor and Washington Crossing Historic Park are found on Day 2 of the "Philadelphia and Countryside North" road trip, and The State Museum of PA (Day 2) and the PA Military Museum (Day 3) are on the Military History road trip.
• The Anthracite Heritage Museum's blog recently featured several guest posts about a choral group from Valley View High School's recent tour to Wales. On a related note, the museum will host a lecture on July 16 about movie star and singer Allan Jones, an Old Forge native who grew up in a family of Welsh coal miners.

Coming up this weekend

Bushy Run Battlefield
July 8: Annual Classic Car Cruise—classic and custom cars, live music, food, drink, and more. Event is free; regular admission applies to visit the exhibits. 11 am-4 pm.
July 9: Annual 5K Bushy Run Trail Run/Walk—Bushy Run is the site for this annual event benefitting the Penn-Trafford Area Recreation Commission (PTARC). For more info and to register, contact PTARC at 724/744-2171 ext 205 or lbires@penntwp.org.

Conrad Weiser Homestead
July 9: Living History Sunday—enjoy a summer afternoon at the homestead learning about life in the Tulpehocken. Noon-4 pm.

Daniel Boone Homestead
July 8: Presentation—"18th-Century Law" will explore legal issues and include some 18th-century law books and forms. 2 pm.

Drake Well Museum
July 8-9: open hours—Historic Pithole Open. Admission charged. 10 am-4 pm.

Fort Pitt Museum
July 8-9: Guided Tours of the Museum—museum docents will offer overview tours of the museum's exhibits twice daily on weekends this summer, hours will vary. This weekend, tours are at 11 am and 2 pm both days.

Old Economy Village
July 8: Saturday Spotlight—this week, Meet the Gardeners. Included in regular admission. 11 am-4 pm.

Pennsbury Manor
July 9: Special Sunday Programming—this week, Pirates in the Tavern! (living history theater). Included in regular admission. 1-4 pm.

Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania
Thru July 9: Reading Railroad Days—offered in conjunction with the Reading Company Technical & Historical Society, this program features an enormous HO-scale model railroad and highlights Reading Company rolling stock in the Museum’s collection. Details are on Facebook. Included in regular museum admission.

Somerset Historical Center
July 8-9: Living History Weekend—help commemorate the 100th anniversary of U.S. involvement in World War I. Regular admission charged. 10 am-5 pm.

State Museum of Pennsylvania
July 7: StoryTime—this month's selection is Roadwork, by Sally Sutton. The read-aloud session will take place in the Pennsylvania Turnpike exhibit and children will have a chance to explore. StoryTime is geared to children ages 3-5. Included in regular admission (which is free on July 7). 10-11 am.
July 7: Artist Conversations—artist and PA First Lady Frances Wolf and artist Andrew Guth, winner of this year's first place award for Works on Paper, will lead an informal tour of the 50th Art of the State exhibit. Admission is free today. 12:15-12:45 pm.