The Montour Preserve’s Spring Newsletter has been released.  The publication provides seasonal updates on events and goings-on at the Preserve for the months of April – June.  An update is given on wildflowers, warblers, turtles, mayflies, frogs, and more creatures to be spotted around the Preserve. There is also a feature on the what to watch for in the spring night sky, including meteor showers and moon cycles.

Regarding upcoming events at the Preserve, there will be a “Birding Basics” presentation taking place from 8:30 – 10:30 AM this Saturday, April 7th. Various other weekend events are detailed in the newsletter, and will take place throughout the spring months.

Looking to Paddle at the Preserve?  There are several opportunities this spring and summer to paddle on Lake Chillisquaque, even if you don’t own a canoe, kayak or stand-up paddle board.

Pavilion rentals are also still available at the Preserve for the 2018 season, but space is limited. Check out the full spring newsletter here for more information, full articles, and schedules!

Have you longed to see many of the nineteenth-century covered bridges Columbia County has to offer, but didn’t want to travel off the beaten path alone?  If you are looking for a delightful and informative day touring our historic covered bridges, please join the Columbia-Montour Visitors Bureau for its fifth annual Covered Bridge Bus Tour on Saturday, May 19th, 2018. The tour will begin at 9:30 a.m. and end around 3:30 p.m. back at the Visitors Bureau.

Hop on the bus at the Visitors Bureau office at 121 Papermill Road in Bloomsburg to begin a historical adventure. Guests can unwind as the guided ride meanders through the picturesque Central Pennsylvania countryside to visit 13 of the area’s covered bridges.  Symbols of small-town America, these covered bridges coax travelers off the beaten path to explore little streams and forgotten dirt roads. At each stop, there will be opportunities for leisurely exploration and for taking photographs. Enjoy a picnic lunch provided by the Visitors Bureau at one of the only two twin covered bridges in the United States.

The entire outing costs $25 per person. For more information about the Covered Bridge Bus Tour or to reserve your spot on the bus, please call the Visitors Bureau Welcome Center at 570-784-8279 OR 570-284-4455. Seats sell out quickly, so do not wait until the last minute to reserve. Buses are not handicapped accessible.  PLEASE NOTE – no reservation money will be refunded for cancellations made after May 4th.

Below, please find a list of our area Easter Egg Hunts for 2018!

March 24 

• BERWICK — Easter Egg Hunt, 11 a.m., Ber-Vaughn Park’s lower softball field, for children in sixth grade and younger.

March 25

• BERWICK — Easter Egg Hunt, 2 p.m., First Presbyterian Church of Berwick, 320 Market St.; open to kids pre-K-fourth grade; held outdoors for older kids; downstairs inside in the Assembly room for pre-K and toddlers.

March 31 

• MILTON — Special Needs Easter Egg Hunt, 1:00 p.m., Kohl’s Stony Hill

• BLOOMSBURG —American Legion Post 273 Easter Egg Hunt, 10 a.m., Bloomsburg Fairgrounds; use Rt. 11 entrance; for ages 2-10.

• BLOOMSBURG —Fourth Annual Easter Egg Hunt at Incredible Popcorn, 11 a.m.

• LIGHTSTREET — Easter Egg Hunt, 2 p.m., fire company carnival grounds.

• MILTON — Adult Easter Egg Hunt, 3:30 p.m., Kohl’s Stony Hill

• LIME RIDGE — Easter Egg Hunt, 10 a.m., Columbia Park, more than 10,000 eggs, music, prizes, free face painting; sponsored by Sykes.

• MILLVILLE — Easter Egg Hunt, 2 p.m., The Gardens at Millville, 48 Haven Lane; for ages 2-12.

• NESCOPECK TWP. —Nescopeck AMVETS Post 93 Easter Egg Hunt, 1 p.m., Nescopeck Township Fire Company, for age 12 and younger

• ORANGEVILLE —Fire Company Easter Egg Hunt, 2 p.m., Orangeville Community Fire Company, 301 Mill St, Orangeville; for age 12 and younger.

April 7

• MILTON — Easter Egg Hunt, 1 p.m., Kohl’s Stony Hill, for children ten and younger.

April 8

• MILTON — Dog Bone Egg Hunt, 2:30 p.m., Kohl’s Stony Hill, all dogs welcome

Area residents and visitors alike can enjoy a week out on the town starting today in Columbia & Montour counties. Beginning today (Friday, March 16^th) and lasting until next Saturday, March 24^th, Restaurant Week in Columbia & Montour Counties will showcase 28 local restaurants, wineries, and breweries. Each location will offer special menus, discounts, live music and/or events throughout the week to encourage patrons to spend some time in their establishments.

Customers will find great deals on buffet dinners, seafood entrees, prime rib, coffee and tea, and much more. Special features include handcrafted 3-course meals, tailored wine pairings, and free or discounted appetizers. You can even find traditional Irish fare at some locations, just in time for Saint Patrick’s Day! Make it a night out – stay for a show at the Bloomsburg Theatre Ensemble or visit a local art gallery after your meal. Visit a different location each night and take full advantage of the various specials or events.

A special giveaway will also be open for participants who submit photos of their meals during Restaurant Week on social media outlets. Patrons visiting one of the participating restaurants, wineries, or breweries are invited to post a photo of their food or drink on either Instagram or Facebook using the hashtag: #CMVBRestaurantWeek. One lucky winner will be selected to receive an overnight stay at the Pine Barn Inn along with a $100 gift card to the Pine Barn Inn Restaurant.

A full list of participating restaurants, wineries, and breweries can be found by clicking here. Each location will be listed by geographic area and will display their offerings, hours, contact info, and addresses.

Our very own town of Danville, Pennsylvania was included in a recent Expedia Travel Top 15 Places for the Perfect Child-Free Getaway.

From Expedia Travel

Kids are lots of fun, but they definitely change the vibe of a vacation! Sometimes, creating lasting memories for the little ones comes at your own expense, and that’s assuming you even have children. Whether by design or by circumstance, some folks don’t have kids—and they prefer to travel without the distraction of unsupervised children in hotels, restaurants, and attractions.

And there’s no denying it—childfree travel is trending in a major way. From childfree flights to adults-only resorts and cruises, the travel industry is paying attention. We scraped three years of conversations from Twitter and Instagram, looking at relevant hashtags related to taking vacations without kids (think terms like #childfree, #DINK, #nokids, #babymoon, #vacation, and #travel). More than ever, people are opting for childfree getaways when they plan their vacations—in fact, from 2016 to 2017, social media chatter about childfree travel literally doubled!

Social media conversations regarding childfree travel doubled from 2016 to 2017You’re certainly not alone if you’re considering a vacation where you specifically avoid kids. Whether you’re a parent craving some “me time” or you’re childfree and searching for travel spots that fit your vibe, we’ve got you covered. Here are 15 top U.S. travel spots where you can vacation to your heart’s content, without worrying about little ones skittering underfoot.

Danville

Danville should be on every childfree traveler’s bucket list. In addition to boasting plenty of fun activities to enjoy without little ones in tow, it’s just an overall easygoing area. The people are warm and welcoming, it’s brimming with historical houses, and there are plenty of scenic views to enjoy as you stroll along the Susquehanna River. It’s the perfect relaxing weekend jaunt for anyone, whether it’s overworked childfree jet-setters or frazzled parents seeking alone time. 

Unwind: Abigail House, which welcomes guests aged 13 and older, offers a peaceful respite that’s just minutes from Danville’s vibrant downtown. Fun fact: the original owner of the house, Abigail Geisinger, led quite the charitable and progressive childfree lifestyle! 

Indulge: Unlike larger bars in the area, pint-sized The Pub II caters to adults–you’ll be hard-pressed to find kiddos in this quiet pub, which also happens to offer legit eats. Opt for the mac ’n’ cheese skillet dinner. 

Experience: Enjoy a drive-in movie at Point Drive-in in nearby Northumberland. You’ll be blissfully free from worrying about noisy kids in the comfort of your car. If you’re visiting Danville for the scenery, enjoy the canopy of foliage at Robbins Trail Park or explore Montour Preserve. 

To read the complete article, visit Expedia’s website.

On Friday, March 2nd, don’t miss the Dublin Irish Dance at Haas Auditorium presented by the Celebrity Artist Series on the campus of Bloomsburg University. The show begins at 7:30 pm, and tickets can be purchased by clicking here.

Who would have predicted, when Riverdance exploded into world-wide popularity in 1995, that 22 years later audiences would still hunger for baroque-influenced traditional music combined with the spectacle of those rhythms thunderously pounded out by seemingly inexhaustable Irish dancers? Direct from Dublin, Ireland, Celebrity Artist Series will present Dublin Irish Dance. The Dublin Irish Dance company is vibrant troupe of world champion Irish step dancers, together with an eight-member traditional Irish band and vocalist, who have performed throughout the world with Riverdance, Michael Flatley’s Lord of the Dance, and Celtic Women. Producer/director Eric Cunningham and co-choreographers Ciarán Connolly and Alan Scariff with their all-star cast will bring to life in Mitrani Hall the epic tale of Celtic culture in a gala celebration of Irish music and dance. For the Irish and Irish at heart, this performance arrives just weeks before St. Patrick’s Day and recalls the rousing enjoyment from other great Celtic performers previously presented by Celebrity Artist Series.

WE HAVE WINNERS! The results are in for the Columbia-Montour Wine & Chocolate Week:

GRAND PRIZE – Clint Y. from Danville
Colonel Ricketts Hard Cider – Melissa C. from Sunbury
Elk Mountain Winery Outlet at Stoney Acres – Delaine M. from Hughesville
Freas Farm Winery – Jake L. from Sweet Valley
O’Donnell Winery, L.L.C. – Rick H. from Mt. Pleasant
Pickering Winery Orangeville Location – Lisa J. from Coal Township
Red Shale Ridge Vineyards – Sue S. from Bloomsburg
Shade Mountain Winery & Vineyards Danville Outlet – David C. from Wilkes-Barre
Three Dogs Vino – Emily M. from Bloomsburg

Congratulations to all of our winners, and we hope everyone who participated in this year’s trail had a wonderful time.

The spirit of winter is alive and well at the Montour Preserve’s Environmental Education Center as we invite you to bundle up for a special pancake and maple syrup breakfast. Come out in the morning of Saturday, February 24th for a delicious breakfast, followed by the Preserve’s outdoor Maple Sugaring activities! The festivities begin at 8:00 AM.

Walk through the learning stations on Maple Sugaring to explore how the tasty topping is turned from sap into golden syrup. Then, sit down to satisfy your appetite with an all-you-can-eat pancake and sausage breakfast. Also, you can set out on a bird watching expedition of the preserve with David Brown at 9:30 am. Hot coffee, hot cocoa and other beverages accompany this tasty winter feast. Chef Curiel Bame and Erica Bame, owners of Real Taste, will be catering the event.

Admission is $12 for adults, $6 for children ages 3 – 12 and free for children under 3.  Preregistration is strongly recommended.  Get your tickets today at: https://pamasternaturalist.ticketspice.com/pancakes-and-maple-syrup-breakfast

All proceeds benefit Montour Preserve.

This February, treat your sweetheart to a romantic outing filled with wine and chocolate. The “Wine & Chocolate Week” in Columbia & Montour Counties is a great way to celebrate the Valentine’s Day season with a loved one, significant other, or group of friends. From Friday, February 9th to Sunday, February 18th, wineries will offer special chocolate pairings with their wines, and participants will have the chance to get tickets stamped at each location for chances to win a prize.  Each winery will provide an individual prize basket and one large Grand Prize basket will be compiled with bottles of wine from every winery. Tickets are FREE, but tasting fees may apply at several of the wineries.

The wineries participating in this year’s February Wine & Chocolate event are:

Colonel Ricketts Hard Cider Winery – Benton
Elk Mountain Winery Outlet at Stoney Acres – Benton Outlet
Freas Farm Winery – Berwick
O’Donnell Winery – Berwick
Pickering Winery – Orangeville Outlet
Red Shale Ridge Vineyards – Danville Outlet
Shade Mountain Winery & Vineyard – Riverside/Danville Outlet
Three Dogs Vino – Bloomsburg

To find a brochure of our wineries with directions and further info, please click here.  All of the wineries on the brochure will be participating EXCEPT Purple Cow Winery, who is closed for the season.  The other eight wineries are the participants to visit for the event.

**NOTE** The trail can be completed during each winery’s normal business hours. Please call or visit individual wineries’ websites for their hours of operation.  

How it Works

1. If you are interested in participating in the Wine & Chocolate Week, simply proceed to one of the wineries of your choosing during the posted event dates (you may start at whichever one you’d like).
2. Pick up an event ticket at the first winery you visit – all will have tickets available.
3. Fill out 1/2 of the ticket and turn it in at the first winery.  Keep the other half to record stamps/signatures.
4. Enjoy your first seasonal wine pairing and have your ticket authorized in the assigned space for that particular winery.
5. Proceed to the rest of the wineries during their normal business hours and enjoy delectable pairings + get more stamps/autographs!
6. At your final winery stop, turn in your completed second half of the ticket to be entered to win any of the prize baskets. All participants who complete every stop on the trail will have a chance to win any of the individual baskets and the Grand Prize basket regardless of where they turn in their ticket.