Dedicated to bringing the arts to all communities throughout our region, The Exchange again presents Columbia County’s biggest one-day outdoor art-and-music event of the year. We have moved ArtFest to the other side of Main Street – just as lovely and shady, but with more room!  Bigger than ever before, the fifteenth annual ArtFest will take place on Saturday, the 19th of August, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., in its convenient, attractive, and slightly adjusted location on the Square in downtown Bloomsburg, now surrounding the monument and down Market Street.  ArtFest will showcase more than 50 artists’ original work,…

Berwick, PA – First Columbia Bank & Trust Co. will host their second annual Photography Competition on Sunday, October 15th, 2023 at the Berwick First Presbyterian Church, 320 Market St., Berwick, PA. The Bank is a proud supporter of local artists and art programs within the local community and looks forward to spotlighting these talented individuals at the competition. The contest features local photographers who reside or study within a 50 mile radius of any First Columbia Bank location. The competition is free to enter. Both amateur and professional photographers are encouraged to participate along with students enrolled at local…

The Bloomsburg Children’s Museum has partnered with Lykens Valley Children’s Museum, Lewisburg Children’s Museum, and the Discovery Center for the Heart of PA Children’s Museum summer passport program.Visit all four Heart of PA Children’s Museums this summer and be entered into a prize drawing!Visit each museum before August 31st, 2023, and receive a stamp on your card. Once you collect all the stamps, leave your card at the last museum you visited. Prizes will be drawn on September 8th.“We love teaming up with like-minded organizations, so when the Bloomsburg Children’s Museum reached out to us about their passport idea, we…

The 2023 Briggs Farm Blues Festival is just around the corner! Music-lovers from far and wide are packing their coolers, getting ready for world-class music, and planning time well spent with friends and family! “The Best Weekend of the Year” is happening July 6th, 7th, and 8th on the rolling hills of Briggs Farm in Briggsville, Pa. And while Briggs Farm Blues Festival has grown into the largest blues festival in Pennsylvania, its down-home feel remains. Everyone is friends at Briggs Farm. Two stages with over 20 international and regional acts will ignite the calm country air for a weekend…

by Nancy Bishop Well, it was time to hit the trail again. My beer loving companions have been anxious to try Super Beeroes ever since they first heard about this year’s River Rat Brew Trail special brew. And according to them, it was well worth the trip. They pronounced Super Beeroes, the special brew that nine of the 15 breweries on the River Rat Brew trail collaborated to make in April led by Rusty Rail Head Brewer Logan Powell, “excellent.” Collaborators were Lost MineD, Rusty Rail, Rock God, Eclipse, Jackass, Hidden Stories, Covered Bridge, Old Forge and Marley’s. The brew…

by Nancy Bishop It didn’t take long for my beer trail traveling companions to call and ask when we were going to hit the Trail after they heard about this year’s Super Beeroes theme. But it was only early March. I reassured them that I wouldn’t forget my loyal beer friends when it came time to visit the breweries on the River Rat Brew Trail, but I didn’t tell them that there’s a special beer being brewed that will be offered at the breweries this year. And I certainly didn’t tell them that I was about to attend a meeting…

The River Rat Brew Trail Passport is back for another round! This year, transcend beyond the average craft beer drinker and become a “Superbeero” craft brew aficionado. With the most participating breweries EVER, this year’s trail is a can’t miss event! The 2023 trail features fifteen super brewers across five counties, and will run from April 7 through October 31. As you tour each location along the Trail, be sure to check-in using your digital passport to verify your visit. No purchase is necessary, but we think you’ll want to try some of the delicious craft creations on tap along…

Covered Bridge Photo Contest & Puzzles Each year, the Visitors Bureau holds a photo contest to produce a 550-piece puzzle featuring one of the area covered bridges. Limited-edition puzzles have been produced the past ten years and have featured the East & West Paden bridges (multiple times), the Knoebels Bridge, Keefer Mills Bridge, Esther Furnace Bridge, Stillwater Bridge, Josiah Hess Bridge, Rupert Bridge, Kramer Bridge, a special Twin Bridges 10th Anniversary Puzzle, and most recently, the Wanich Bridge.  The 2022 edition of the puzzle will be released this fall, and will be based on the winner of this year’s photo…

BLOOMSBURG — March 24th, 2023 — The Renaissance Jamboree festival returns to the downtown of Bloomsburg on Saturday, April 29th after a four-year absence. The event will be held on Main Street from 10 AM – 5 PM. For over 42 years, residents from all over Northeast PA have gathered and celebrated Spring’s return at the annual Renaissance Jamboree in Bloomsburg.  “The festival was cancelled in 2020 and 2021 due to COVID-19 and had to move its location in 2022 due to a penn-DOT paving project.  We are excited to announce the return of Renaissance Jamboree to Main Street in…

BLOOMSBURG, Pa. – BTE is pleased to announce an audition date for this summer’s ‘Dragons Love Tacos.’ Auditions for children and teens ages 8 to 18 will be held on April 15th at the Alvina Krause Theatre, 226 Center Street, Bloomsburg. The doors will open at 9:30 am, and auditions begin at 10:00 am. ‘Dragons Love Tacos’ is a playful and funny family show. BTE is looking for two casts of community kids for a variety of roles. Everyone auditioning must prepare a 30-second funny pantomime of any activity of their choosing. Make the actions and choices very clear—the bigger,…

The Weis Center for the Performing Arts will present two Family Discovery performances in March: The Griegol by Trick of the Light Theatre on Tuesday, March 7 at 7:30 p.m. which is ideal for ages 10+ and Divi Roxx Kids on Saturday, March 11 at 1 p.m. which is ideal for all ages. Both performances will take place in the Concert Hall. ABOUT THE GRIEGOLTuesday, March 7 at 7:30 p.m. The Griegol performance is sponsored, in part, by the Mid-Atlantic Arts Foundation and Adriana Rojas and family in memory of Andrew. The Exchange’s Art Cart will offer free all-ages activities…

On Wednesday, February 22nd, The Exchange in Bloomsburg will feature Four Great Guitarists at their monthly Listening Room, beginning at 7:00 pm. Inspired by the Chester & Lester (Chet Atkins and Les Paul) jam session from 1976, which won a Grammy award, Four Great Guitarists will bring together four musicians from a variety of genres who have never played together for an evening of picking and strumming. Spanning several generations, the musicians include Jesse Loewy from Havertown, Pennsylvania; Gabe Stillman from Williamsport; Stew Cutler from Woodstock, New York; and Don Waller from Long Island, N.Y. There is a suggested donation…

Press Release from PA Department of Conservation & Natural Resources Harrisburg, PA — The North Branch of the Susquehanna River in northeastern Pennsylvania has been selected by a public vote as the state’s 2023 River of the Year, Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn and Janet Sweeney of the Pennsylvania Organization for Waterways and Rivers (POWR) announced today. “Through planned River of the Year celebrations, public awareness of the value of the North Branch of the Susquehanna River will be increased and major initiatives along this section of the river will be underscored,” Dunn said. “Economic…

𝗜𝘁’𝘀 𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗮𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿! Enjoy a sweet journey through the wineries of Columbia & Montour Counties this Valentine’s season with that special someone, or with your go-to group of friends! From February 10-19, visit seven participating area wineries and enjoy special wine & chocolate features for a chance to win wine-themed prize baskets. From Friday, February 10th through Sunday, February 19th, trail-goers can travel from winery to winery, tasting delicious seasonal wine features. Along the way, participants will be able to get their tickets stamped at each location. Trail-goers who visit every participating winery will be entered to win…

BLOOMSBURG, Pa. – Generally in professional theatre, actors, directors, and production staff spend more than six weeks preparing for a show. BTE’s next show throws all that out the window with White Rabbit Red Rabbit by Iranian playwright Nassim Soleimanpour. Each night will feature a different professional actor being handed a sealed envelope containing the unseen script. From there, anything can happen! The show teeters between comedy and drama, and is not particularly political. Bravely taking the stage will be BTE’s Education Director Abigail Leffler and Resident Acting Company member Elizabeth Dowd, last seen as the narrators in this season’s…

CLICK HERE TO VOTE FOR THE SUSQUEHANNA RIVER NORTH BRANCH! Department of Conservation and Natural Resources (DCNR) Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn announced the public is invited to again vote online for the 2023 Pennsylvania River of the Year, choosing from among four waterways nominated throughout the state. The Conestoga River, Perkiomen Creek, Schuylkill River, and Susquehanna River—North Branch are the nominations for the 2023 River of the Year. Nominations were based on each waterway’s conservation needs and successes, as well as celebration plans if the nominee is voted 2023 River of the Year. Dating back well over 300 million years,…

by Nancy Bishop Like most people just graduating from college, Jordan Franklin needed to find a job in 2013 to pay the bills. So, he went to work remodeling stores for a large national chain. It was good work. He got to travel, and he made money. But his first passion was art. After all, his bachelor’s degree from the Art Institute of Pittsburgh was in Video Game Art and Design. As a kid, he loved art and gaming. And he was a big fan of the late Frank Frazetta, often called the “Godfather of fantasy art,” who lived for…

November 24, 2022 – December 4, 2022 The Holiday Season Kicks off! The holidays are a great time of year to spend time with friends and family. If your Thanksgiving travels bring you into Columbia & Montour Counties in the next few weeks, there are plenty of great events and area activities planned that will provide fun for the whole family, beginning Thanksgiving morning with this year’s Run for the Diamonds marathon. After Thanksgiving, the Christmas festivities begin in earnest, including the renowned 76th annual Berwick Christmas Boulevard. Thursday, November 24th – Thanksgiving Day Berwick’s 113th Annual “Run for the…

November, 2022 BLOOMSBURG, PA – Beginning November 25th, more than eighty Christmas trees decorated by community groups, families, and local businesses will be displayed during the Bloomsburg Theatre Ensemble’s annual TreeFest! Visitors can enjoy the dazzling trees and festive activities in the beautiful Caldwell Consistory at 150 Market Street. During this annual holiday event, locally grown trees, many of which are donated, are sponsored by businesses and patrons and decorated by community groups. Gift cards, toys, food, and clothing are also often gifted. At the end of the event, local families in need will take home a tree with lights…

Revised for October, 2022 There’s a cold wind blowing in from the west, the leaves are changing, jack-o-lanterns are being carved, and ghouls are lurking around every corner…Halloween is coming. To help you carry out your spooky plans, we’re sharing a list of upcoming eerie events, ghostly gatherings, and haunted happenings in Columbia & Montour counties. Plus, you’ll find trick-or-treat times for various local towns, boroughs, and communities. Happy haunting! Thanks to the Press Enterprise for the compiled Trick-or-Treat & Trunk-or-Treat times. October 21 ELYSBURG: Knoebels Hallo-Fun Weekends at the Park, 6-10 PM.CATAWISSA: Flashlight Nights in the Corn Maze at…

Article by Susquehanna Greenway Partnership Staff As the dog days of summer fade and the season shifts to crisper cooler weather, the verdant greens of the Susquehanna Greenway also transform to the colorful spectrum of fall. This phenomenon makes it a wonderful time of year to explore the outdoors of our region, but why do leaves changes color in autumn anyway? Why do some keep their foliage while others shed their leaves? What makes them red, orange, or yellow? How do we know if it’s going to be a colorful year? While you’ve been unpacking those sweaters and scarves, we’ve…

by Nancy Bishop Yes! These certainly aren’t the gumballs of my childhood where a nickel or dime would get you a prize if you were lucky or gum, which was even ok, at Gourlie’s, the corner store not far from my elementary school. These gumballs each hold a piece of art from one of more than 35 artists who submitted their work to The Exchange in Bloomsburg – 49 different pieces in all. From now until mid-November, you can buy a gumball for 50 cents from 26 vending machines located throughout four counties. Called SITEexchange, artwork in the project captures…

October, 2022 It’s the spookiest time of year but a visit to the wineries of Columbia & Montour Counties will be so sweet! This Halloween season, visit area wineries and enjoy wine tastings with special Halloween candy pairings. From October 22-30, visit a total of eight participating wineries on a special Wine & Witches Halloween Trail and get your wine trail ticket authorized. Once you’ve visited each location, you’ll be eligible to win one of eight $25 gift cards (one from each participating winery) as well as a Grand Prize bundle of gift cards. This year’s grand prize will feature:…

Original article by Nancy Bishop; revised by CMVB Staff for publication in September, 2022 If you love country fairs, you don’t want to miss the Bloomsburg Fair, which opens with Preview Day Friday, Sept. 23rd, and runs through Saturday, October 1st. Since the first Fair in 1855, devoted fair-goers have flocked to the Fairgrounds on Rt. 11 in Bloomsburg the third Saturday after Labor Day — always the official beginning of Fair Week. Walk into the Fair, which is the largest fair in Pennsylvania with more than 1,000 vendors in addition to all kinds of exhibits, and it’s hard to…