Out and About: Fall events cropping up around the valley
LEBANON >> No sooner have the summer carnivals and church fairs gone by, then it's time for fall festivals and corn mazes. Looking for something absolutely delectable? Try the Dessert Festival at Chocolate World!
And might I add - "Let's do the Time Warp again!" The Rocky Horror Picture Show will be shown in October at the Hershey Theatre - be sure to get your tickets now for a wild, fun evening!
7 P.M. TONIGHT >> At the Central Pennsylvania World War II roundtable, Hilda Mantelmacher will be the featured speaker. She is a survivor of the notorious concentration camps Auschwitz and Bergen-Belsen and will talk about her experience. Free and open to the public, the event will take place in Grace United Methodist Church, 433 East Main St. in Hummelstown. For information, call Terry at (717) 939-3629 or Charlie at (717) 503-2862.
10 A.M. FRIDAY >> Calling all Time Warp freaks! The classic films "Ghostbusters" and "Rocky Horror Picture Show" will be shown at the Hershey Theatre on Saturday, October 24. "Ghostbusters" will be shown at 7 p.m. and "Rocky Horror" will start at 11:59 p.m. Tickets go on sale Friday at 10 a.m.
"Rocky Horror" is the 1975 cult classic that started the midnight-screening craze, inspiring audience members to dress like their favorite characters, sing along and use props. At this showing, prop bags are available for $6 (no outside props will be permitted) and tickets are $8 for each show for general admission seating.
Tickets and prop bags are available at Hershey Theatre Box Office, by phone at (717) 534-3405 or online at www.HersheyTheatre.com .
7 P.M. FRIDAY >> Singer, guitarist Danny Gokey will present a concert of Christian music at Kochenderfer's United Methodist Church, 1105 Kochenderfer Road. For tickets or information, call (717) 273-0525 or go to: www.kochenderfer.com.
7:30 P.M. FRIDAY >> The Mt. Gretna Area Historical Society will present a program on "The History of the Jigger Shop" in the Hall of Philosophy. For information, call (717) 964-1830.
9 P.M., FRIDAY, SEPT.4 >> The Luv Gods will be rocking it in the Hollywood Casino at Penn National, Grantville. This has "good time" written all over it. The band will play until 1 a.m.
9 P.M., FRIDAY, SEPT. 4 >> With the start of the academic year comes the start of the "Friday Night Comedy Series" at Lebanon Valley College in Annville. Comedian Alex Stone begins the series Sept.4 with his wry brand of storytelling. The show will be held in the Leedy Theater in the Mund College Center. Stone was one of the top 100 comics selected for NBC's "Last Comic Standing" in 2014. For more information, contact LVC at (717) 867-6034 or go to: news@lvc.edu.
9 A.M. SATURDAY >> Artists of all ages are invited to a chalk art contest, called "Chalk It Up" to be held at the Campbelltown United Methodist Church in Palmyra. The event will last until 1:30 p.m. Admission to the event is free, and those who intend to participate in the contest will be charged a $5 fee. That fee includes chalk and a 38- by 50-inch space in which to draw. Artists age 4 and up may decorate a space reflecting the theme of love. Prizes will be awarded in various categories. Proceeds go to the non-profit "Pillows of Love," which provides homemade pillow cases to crisis shelters.
The event will also include free family activities, including games and face painting. Food is available for purchase. Check out www.PillowsOfLove.com.
9:30 A.M. SATURDAY >> The Berks Community Hiking Club will meet at the visitors' center parking lot of the Middle Creek Wildlife Center near Kleinfeltersville to begin their hike. The event is free and open to the public. For more information, call Dave at (610) 777-3569.
10 A.M. SATURDAY >> For a special day, come out to the butterfly release to be held at Dreamscapes Watergardens, North Seventh Street, Lebanon. The event will last until 3 p.m. It's free to come and watch the release, or your family may reserve a butterfly to release for a nominal cost. For more information, call (717) 272-6555 or go towww.dreamscapeswatergardens.com.
10 A.M., SATURDAY SEPT. 5 >> Start a lifelong hobby when you try "Beginning Bird Watching" at the Governor Dick Environmental Center on Pinch Road in Mt. Gretna. Participants will meet at the Center to see what birds are about as the fall season approaches. With luck, some migrating species will be spotted. Please call 964-3808 to pre-register. If possible, bring binoculars and a field guide.
7 P.M. SATURDAY >> The Mike Schwartz Band, formerly Skid Marks, will bring the best of classic rock to the dance floor when they perform at Johnny and Hons' Smokehaus in Robesonia. From the Kinks to Elvis to the Beatles, this is the classic music everybody wants to hear. The guys will be playing until 10 p.m.
1 P.M., SUNDAY >> It's "Music on the Porch" at the Governor Dick Environmental Center. Bring an instrument and a lawn chair to join the bluegrass and old country style music jam. Please call 964-3808 to pre-register. Then, get ready to have some old time fun!
1:30 P.M. SUNDAY >> The Lebanon Valley Hiking Club will meet at the Lebanon municipal building and carpool to The Pretzel Hut, where they'll pick up the Horseshoe trail. Hikers will do a moderate in-out hike of about five to six miles on the trail. The day includes an animal zoo and ice cream at The Pretzel Hut. For information, contact Sharon at 274-5509.
7 P.M. TUESDAY, SEPT. 8 >> Friends of the Cornwall Iron Furnace will present speaker Dick Martin, whose topic will be "The Ironmasters of Lancaster County." Martin will speak in Freeman Auditorium on the campus of Cornwall Manor. The event is free and open to the public. For information, call 272-9711 or go to: www.cornwallironfurnace.org.
10 A.M. FRIDAY, SEPT. 11 >> Explore the many wonders of chocolate this fall with new events at Hershey's Chocolate World. New for 2015, sample special seasonal desserts at the "Flavors of Fall Dessert Festival." Venture to five locations inside Hershey's Chocolate World and enjoy a new dessert at each stop. This tasty event begins Sept.11 and runs every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday until Nov.1 during operating hours. Tickets are $9.95 each and can be purchased at the central ticketing counter.
10 A.M. SATURDAY, SEPT. 12 >> The Historic Schaefferstown Harvest Fair will usher out the summer and welcome fall at the Alexander Schaeffer Farm at 213 S. Carpenter St. in Schaefferstown. The Harvest Fair will continue on Sunday, Sept. 13, from 11:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Admission is $5, with children under 12, free. Enjoy craftsmen demonstrating 18th century work, bake oven cooking, apple cider making, horse and farming demonstrations, and sawmill and blacksmith demonstrations. Guided tours of the Schaeffer house and garden are available. Wagon rides and games are on hand for the kids, and there will be music from the Colonial time period. For more information, go to: www.hsimuseum.org.
10 A.M. FRIDAY, SEPT. 18 >> Christmas - not as far away as you might think! The Trans-Siberian Orchestra will be on the road with their 2015 Winter Tour and will be making a stop at the Giant Center on Friday, Dec. 18, to present a Yuletide tale called "The Ghosts of Christmas Eve" at 4 p.m. and again, at 8 p.m. The Trans-Siberian Orchestra is well-known for their melding of rock, traditional ballads and Broadway that creates their one-of-a-kind music.
Tickets for this show range from $34.35 to $74.35 and are available at Hersheypark Stadium Box Office. They can be charged by phone at (717) 534-3911 or 800-745-3000 and online at www.HersheyEntertainment.com or www.TicketMaster.com. For more information, visit www.Trans-Siberian.com.
3 P.M. SUNDAY, SEPT. 20 >> The Lebanon County Community Concerts will begin its 82nd season by honoring composer Harold Arlen, with a concert entitled "The Wonderful Wizard of Song." The concert will be held in the William Starr Auditorium in Lebanon High School at 1000 South Eighth Street. A multi-talented cast accompanied by piano and bass will provide the music of classics such as "That Old Black Magic," "Stormy Weather," and "Somewhere Over The Rainbow." For more information, call (717) 838-2812 or go to: www.LCCCA.net.