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…

September, 2022 BLOOMSBURG –The Columbia-Montour Visitors Bureau is excited to announce the arrival of its twelfth annual Covered Bridge puzzle. The newest limited-edition puzzle depicts a fall scene at the Parr’s Mill Bridge in Columbia County. Limited quantities remain available for the general public on a first-come, first-served basis. Puzzles are sold for $15, tax included.  A $2 donation from every puzzle sold will be made by the Bureau to the Columbia County Covered Bridge Association. Puzzles may be purchased at the Visitors Bureau Welcome Center, located at 121 Papermill Road in Bloomsburg during normal business hours (Monday – Friday;…

NOTICE: MONTOUR PRESERVE TRAIL AND PAVILION CLOSURES TO BEGIN WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 17 The Montour Area Recreation Commission (MARC) on Wednesday, August 17, will post temporary closures of portions of several trails and one pavilion at the Montour Preserve. These temporary closures are being made to protect visitor safety while Talen Energy and its subsidiaries continue the construction of a new natural gas pipeline to supply the Montour Steam Electric Station.  Closures are expected to last several weeks and will be lifted when conditions are safe to again allow use. These closures will affect the following locations: Goose Woods Trail (partial)Wildlife…

The Weis Center’s 35th Anniversary season will kick-off on Friday, August 26 at 6 p.m. with a free concert by global fusion/brass band Red Baraat on the Weis Center Plaza. The rain location is the Weis Center Concert Hall. Tickets are not required. Patrons are welcome to bring lawn chairs and blankets. The Exchange’s Art Cart will be on site from 5:30-7 p.m. with special all-ages activities. National Public Radio (NPR) called them “The best party band in years.” Red Baraat is a pioneering band from Brooklyn, N.Y. Conceived by dhol player Sunny Jain, the group has drawn worldwide praise…

Community Bulletin, by Alex Dubil Be a part of a community attempt to revitalize this forgotten piece of history where the people that built Bloomsburg rest. I ask the residents of Bloomsburg, descendants of those buried in Old Rosemont and those beyond Bloomsburg, if so inclined to join me to revitalize this asset.  Yes that is right, asset.  Not only do cemeteries serve as a link to our past, but they can be genealogical wonders even in the digital age.  They can be settings for town events, Halloween events.  Some tourists seek them out.  Our ancestors deserve better than the…

August, 2022 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.The 14th annual ArtFest will take place on Saturday, August 20th from 10 AM to 5 PM, in its convenient and attractive location on the Square in downtown Bloomsburg, surrounding the fountain and up Market Street. ArtFest showcases more than 40 artists’ original work, accompanied by seven hours of live music, local and regional food vendors, and fun and educational activities for people of all ages. A summertime art party, ArtFest draws attendees from…

Grab your phone or your camera and submit your best shot in the 11th Annual Susquehanna Greenway Photo Contest: Treasured Towns and Landscapes of the Susquehanna. This free-to-enter photo contest offers individuals of all ages and ability levels the opportunity to go outside, explore, and capture—via photography—the many landscapes, resources, and towns along the Susquehanna Greenway.  Cash Prizes will be awarded to the first through third place winners within each category: River Towns, Landscapes, Susquehanna Adventures, and Wildlife. Winning images will also be printed, framed, and added to a traveling gallery to be exhibited throughout the Susquehanna region within Pennsylvania, including the State Capitol Complex in Harrisburg.  “SGP seeks…

Contact: Oren B. Helbok, 570-317-2596, Exchange@ExchangeArts.org What place in our region means the most to you?  One of our state parks?  Your special place along the Susquehanna River or deep in the woods?  A public historic site?  Where you had your first kiss? We want YOU to participate in SITEexchange, a public art project conceived by artist Cindi Hron and produced by The Exchange to engage artists in the Central Pennsylvania region.  We want you to observe and record, through artistic means, a site within the region – a particular place, of each artist’s choosing, that exists in relationship to…

by Nancy Bishop Finally, after what seemed like an endless winter, it looked like Spring. Since my friends were anxious for an outdoor adventure, off we headed to Barakah Heritage Farm near Benton. Although the farm offers a variety of great tours and educational experiences, as soon as Joanne from our little group heard that you could get up close and personal with goats, she made it very clear that was the farm experience that we were choosing! In Arabic, “barakah” means blessing. And Barakah Heritage Farm certainly is a blessing. As Carrie Eastman (who owns the business with husband…

Community and business officials gathered to celebrate the official launch of the Downtown Danville Shoppers’ Shuttle on Monday, May 9. The shuttle program will provide free transportation throughout the Danville area to community members and visitors. The shuttle runs weekdays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Riders will be picked up and dropped off at various locations throughout Danville including local shops, grocery stores, and healthcare facilities. “This started as a labor of love and grew into a strategic partnership to provide free, convenient transportation for our community and visitors. It’s a wonderful opportunity to support our local businesses and…

by Nancy Bishop Trees. All you have to do is look around this area to understand what earned the state the name Pennsylvania — literally meaning “Penn’s Woods.” But did you know that some of the biggest trees in the state can be found right here in our area? From the state’s largest white cedar tree – found in Montour County – to a bitternut hickory tree in Bloomsburg’s Town Park that is one of the biggest of its kind in the whole country, this area can claim record-breaking trees. And with Earth Day just around the corner on April…

The American Pickers are excited to return to Pennsylvania! They plan to film episodes of The History Channel hit television series throughout the area in June of 2022. AMERICAN PICKERS is a documentary series that explores the fascinating world of antique “picking” on The History Channel. The hit show follows skilled pickers in the business, as they hunt for America’s most valuable antiques. They are always excited to find sizeable, unique collections and learn the interesting stories behind them. As they hit the back roads from coast to coast, the Pickers are on a mission to recycle and rescue forgotten…

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEFrom Pennsylvania Department Of Transportation March 30, 2022 Construction on the Route 11 / 487 project in Bloomsburg, Columbia County, will continue this week.  The roadwork improvement project will continue near the intersection of Sixth Street / Columbia Boulevard and East Street and will continue to East Main Street.  Upcoming Work On Thursday, March 31, the contractor, HRI, Inc. will begin to prepare the intersection of Main Street and Market Street, which will be used during the upcoming detour., Market Street will be closed between Main Street and Ridge Avenue with parking accessed from Ridge Avenue.  Signs and…

April 2 Berwick Police Benevolent Association, 11 a.m., Ber-Vaughn Park. April 3 Berwick Youth Football League, 1 p.m., Eaton Street football field behind former Kmart plaza, for up to age 13; area for special-needs children.Glen Brook Rehabilitation and Health Care Center, East 16th Street (former Berwick Retirement Village), 1:30 p.m., for age groups: 2-4; 5-7, and 8-10. Golden ticket prizes per age group. April 9 Bloomsburg YMCA, 10 a.m., Seventh Street, BloomsburgMontour Township Fire Department Easter Egg Hunt, 2 p.m., empty lot on Perry Avenue, Bloomsburg; rain date: April 10 at 2 p.m.BU Program Board and Kehr Union Operations and…

BLOOMSBURG, Pa. – Plays and literature about Faustian bargains of selling one’s soul are as old as time, but in Jen Silverman’s ‘Witch’ the script is turned on its head by the clever Elizabeth, the village outcast who many already believe is a witch. The forces of power, gender, succession, and more drive the play that StageScene LA called “devilishly clever, deliciously laugh-packed, decidedly dark.” BTE’s ‘Witch’ is helmed by director and resident acting company member Amy Rene Byrne in her mainstage directing debut. The resident acting company members Elizabeth Dowd, Eric Wunsch, and Andrew Hubatsek are joined by guest…

Popular photo contest opens for submissions on April 1st, 2022. 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 eleven 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…

Mexican-born singer-songwriter and guitarist Sonia De Los Santos will perform on Saturday, April 2 at 1 p.m. at the Weis Center for the Performing Arts. The performance is suggested for ages 4+. There will be free all-ages kids’ activities sponsored by the Bloomsburg Children’s Museum from 12-1 p.m. in the Atrium. The performance is sponsored, in part, by the Press Enterprise, Columbia Montour Visitors Bureau, and the Bloomsburg Children’s Museum. This engagement of Sonia De Los Santos is funded through the Mid Atlantic Tours program of Mid Atlantic Arts Foundation with support from the National Endowment for the Arts. Sonia…

BLOOMSBURG — Feb. 3rd, 2022 — The Renaissance Jamboree festival returns Saturday, April 30th with a new name, Renaissance Jamboree: Detoured to the River, in honor of its 2022 location in Bloomsburg adjacent to the Susquehanna River on Fort McClure Boulevard. For over 40 years, residents from all over Northeast PA have gathered and celebrated Spring’s return at the annual Renaissance Jamboree in Bloomsburg. The festival, previously held along Main Street, is moving for this year after the East Street paving project made its usual location unavailable.  “After cancelling the festival in 2020 and 2021 due to COVID-19, the committee…