Browsing Category: "Events"
The Battle of Gettysburg Revisited
Exactly 147 years ago to this date – well, not EXACTLY, but thereabouts – the Confederate and Union forces fought a bloody battle, which came to be known as The Wheatfield Battle. The battle, also called The Harvest of Death, was fought on July 2, 1863, and is acknowledged as the turning point in Civil War history that saw many heroic stories and legends emanate from both sides.
Though argument still rages over who won the battle, each year, scores of people descend into Gettysburg to recreate Civil War history, more specifically, The Wheatfield Battle, and celebrate four days of gaiety with a lot of bonhomie thrown around. This year was no different, as Civil War buffs had four days of absolute fun indulging or watching mock reenactments of the battle coupled with merry making and learning about history at the same time. Many couples even exchanged sacred vows in these four days, making this year’s festival more special to the people of Gettysburg and to themselves.
Also check out Wexford Pennsylvania – the Wexford PA website.
10 Things To Do In Gettysburg (Besides Visit The Battlefield)
Visitors to Gettysburg, Pa. often don’t realize the many great things you can do here without visiting the battlefield. Of course, I’m not saying you shouldn’t see the bloodiest ground on the face of the earth. I’m just saying don’t stop there and stay. Here are 10 other wonderful things to do while in town:
- Ski Liberty – Just a couple of miles out of town and slopes for the entire family.
- Visit the National Apple Museum - Located in Biglerville, just a stone’s throw away from Gettysburg. A must see for the whole family using a pre-Civil War built barn as a museum to honor the nation’s fruit.
- Eisenhower Farm – Actually located in Gettysburg and one of the favorite sites among visitors to Gettysburg.
- Take a ghost tour – I think Gettysburg has more ghost tours than we have ghosts. Really. It’s not hard to find a ghost tour in Gettysburg any time of the year. And it’s something you’ve got to do at least once.
- Eastern Museum Of Motor Racing - Located in York Springs, Pennsylvania near the Latimore Valley Fairgrounds, this museum houses vintage racing cars and memorabilia of one of America’s favorite sports.
- Go on a scenic train ride - For 75 minutes, or three hours if you prefer, you can take a train tour through Adams County and see the beautiful landscapes from a different perspective.
- Gettysburg Bluegrass Festival – Like music? Like Bluegrass music? Then you can enjoy great Bluegrass music twice a year at the Gettysburg Bluegrass Festival. Takes place between Gettysburg and Fairfield in the spring and fall each year.
- Golf - The Links at Gettysburg is an 18-hole golf course carved out of indigenous red rock formations and meandering streams.
- Visit Washington D.C. - The nation’s capital is just a two-hour drive away.
- Ride a Harley – Every year, thousands of bike riders descend upon Gettysburg for Bike Week. You can join them.
There are lots more things to do in Gettysburg Pennsylvania. Don’t wait for an invitation. Plan your next trip now.
Pennsylvania Farm Show Got A Great Kick Start
This weekend the Pennsylvania Farm Show got its kick off. We’re now on day three of the greatest show in Pennsylvania and people everywhere are falling in love with tractors again. And if you think tractors are sexy, there is no better place to be.
This year’s farm show theme is “Keep Pennsylvania Growing.” The event takes place in Harrisburg every year and it’s just a hop and a skip, or a short tractor pull, away from Gettysburg.
The Pennsylvania Farm Show is a week long celebration of America’s agricultural heritage. The farm show started on Jan. 10 and will run through Jan. 17. Several hundred thousand people are expected to attend by the end of the week. Don’t you want to be one of them?
For more information, call (717) 787-5373.
The Pennsylvania Farm Show Kicks Off 2009 With Vintage Fun
One of Pennsylvania’s best events is the Pennsylvania Farm Show. Scheduled for January 10 through 17, 2009, the Pennsylvania Farm Show promotes agriculture, Pennsylvania’s biggest industry. The theme for this year’s farm show is “Keep Pennsylvania Growing”.
It doesn’t matter where you are from. You will enjoy the farm show. This is one of Pennsylvania’s most attended events. More than 400,000 visitors are expected to run through the show that week.
During the week, visitors to one of the biggest farm shows in the country will see live livestock, vintage tractors, delicious regional foods, and grand world-class events. There will be a Best Chef In Pennsylvania Contest and a Sheep-to-Shawl competition. Other events scheduled for the week include:
- A wide variety of livestock shows and competitions
- Agricultural contests
- Educational opportunities
- State police mounted drill ceremony
- Cooking demonstrations
- Youth activities
- Historical exhibits
- Government celebrations
- Square and folk dances
- Family living demonstrations
- Dairy showcases
- Tractor pulls
- Flag races
- Talent contests
- And a whole lot more
The Pennsylvania Farm Show is always a week-long family extravaganza. Tourists and travelers from all over the world attend and are welcome. The location is in Harrisburg, just about 40 minutes away from Gettysburg so the drive is reasonable. For more information about the Pennsylvania Farm Show call 717-787-5373.
Gettysburg Pennsylvania Will Be On Fire For New Year’s Eve
Gettysburg Pennsylvania will be on fire this New Year’s Eve as entertainment on the square will include alternative country music, rock and roll, and pyrotechnics.
The show starts at 9 p.m. with DJ Denny white hitting the microphone. Class rock band Audacity will perform at 9:30 p.m. and Booker Lee and the County Fair, the country rock band notorious for their refined tastes, will go on at 10:15 p.m. From 10 to midnight, children and adults alike will be entertained by a stilt walker, a strolling magician, and balloon art.
But the real show will be the fire works – not fireworks. Pyrotechnoitics, a fire performance group, will hit the stage at 10 p.m. and again at 11:15 p.m. to indulge fantastic feats of fire eating, fire breathing, poi spinning, and other wild acts that involve flaming flames.
The countdown to midnight will begin at 11:30 p.m. with local radio personality Fred Snyder. There will be a funny hat contest and a vocalist as well.
Culminating in the bringing in of the new year will be a fireworks (yes, fireworks) show sponsored by the Adams County National Bank. Local residents and out of town visitors are welcome to attend. There will only be one New Year’s Eve 2008. Be a part of it in Gettysburg Pennsylvania.
Two Gettysburg Museums You Should Visit In February
If you’re planning a visit to Gettysburg Pennsylvania in February 2009, keep in mind two local museums as must sees: Shriver House Museum and David Wills House.
The Shriver House Museum tells the story of civilians during the Battle of Gettysburg. The house was built just before the war started and sat vacant, except for several families of wild cats, until 1996 when the house was rebuilt and research went underway to discover the story of this old structure. You’ll definitely want to visit this museum on Friday and Saturday, February 13 and 14. The Shriver House Museum will host a Restoration Tour on both dates at 7 p.m.
Just a few blocks away, in downtown Gettysburg, David Wills House will host its grand opening on February 12, 2009 in honor of Abraham Lincoln’s 200th birthday.
David Wills invited Abraham Lincoln to stay at his house when the president came to Gettysburg to deliver the Gettysburg Address. Lincoln finished writing his speech in the David Wills House guest bedroom. You can learn more about that story by visiting the David Wills House and taking the grand opening tour on February 12.
Hershey Symphony Orchestra’s Christmas Spectacular
Picture this for me: you’re curled up on the sofa with a hot mug of cocoa. The steam curls off of the creamy concoction as light Christmas tunes resound throughout your living room. What could make this moment any better? Well, how about a live show in the chocolate capital of the world?
The Hershey Symphony Orchestra will preform their “Christmas Spectacular” at the Hershey Theater on Friday December 5. The show starts at 8:00 PM, so why not head over to Chocolate World before the show and indulge in a decadent mug of Cafe Mocha or a rich, thick hot cocoa made with none other than Hershey’s chocolate.
After you warm your body, warm your soul with familiar Christmas melodies played by the talented Hershey Symphony Orchestra. The Orchestra has been performing for over 40 years and have created a longstanding tradition of excellence at the Hershey Theater.
Tickets can be purchased at the door, but you can also contact the Hershey Theater Ticket Office to place advance orders. 717-533-8449.
Jeff Shaara Book Signing
You may first know Jeff Shaara for his cooperative effort with his father Michael Shaara; together they brought the Civil War into comfy chairs all across the country. The two partnered to render the thrilling Civil War trilogy: “Killer Angels,” “Gods and Generals” and “The Last Full Measure.”
Maybe books aren’t for you, but you’ve sat through all 261 minutes of Martin Sheen’s Gettysburg, or you’ve memorized all the lines to General Stonewall Jackson’s first brigade speech in the 2003 prequel Gods and Generals. Either way, Shaara’s ability to weave history into fiction has been capturing audiences for over a decade. In his newest novel, “Steel Wave,” Shaara trades Longstreet and Gettysburg for Eisenhower and Omaha Beach as he uses his pen to recapture the Allied invasion of France on D-Day 1944.
You cannot miss this opportunity to meet Jeff Shaara at the Gettysburg Gift Center on Thursday, November 20 and Friday, November 21. From 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM Jeff will oblige history buffs and fiction freaks alike, adding his autograph to his recently released WWII novel.
The Gettysburg Gift Center is located in the Gettysburg Museum, 297 Steinwehr Ave. For more information you can call the museum at 717-334-6245.
Calling All Midstate Foodies!
Do you pair your peppercorn encrusted lamb chop with a nice, full bodied Cabernet Sauvignon? I myself prefer a frosty, carmel Yeungling to wash down my secret recipe grilled flank steak — but there is room for both of us at the 2008 Pennsylvania Food and Beverage Show! Hosted by the the Toyota Arena York Expo Center on November 22 and 23, the Show boasts hundreds of different specialty food and beverage exhibitors.
Not only will you be able to sample the best treats the midstate has to offer, but you can even enter to win a slew of fabulous prizes from dining gift certificates to baskets filled with your favorite goodies. You might even rub elbows with some of Pennsylvania’s finest chefs and restauranteers. Also available are live cooking demonstrations; drool over the presentation of The Yorktowne Hotel’s signature Panko-Crusted Jumbo Lump Crab Cakes or sample some festive holiday cookies from Chef Lisa Ridenour’s new cookbook release, “A Cookie in Each Hand.” If adult beverages are more up your alley, listen in on the health benefits of wine or get tips from a beer tasting expert.
Free parking is available at the York Expo Center, but if you plan to enjoy the samples at the Beer and Wine Garden (part of premium admission at $15), you may want to spend the evening in one of York’s swankiest hotels, the Yorktowne.
For ticket information you can contact the York Expo Center office at 717-637-3831.
Washington D.C. and Green Living
A wise sage once muttered that, “it’s not easy being green.” Now, that may have been Kermit the Frog twenty years ago, but that sentiment may resonate with you today. We’re living in a new age of recycling, sustainable building materials, organic clothing, and that buzz word: carbon footprint. What are you doing to help? If you feel overwhelmed by the pressure to live green, then take a day trip down to Washington D.C. to learn about environmentally friendly living.
On Sunday November 16 from 2:00 – 5:00 PM, the National Building Museum will host a Family Workshop: It’s Easy Being Green. Admission is $5 for each child who participates in the workshop. The session will equip you with some easy tips and activities to help usher in your new green lifestyle. After the workshop, explore the Museum and take a look at their new exhibit: Green Community. The exhibition shows how some people have always lived green by preserving their resources and providing spaces for recreation, and how people are working together today to create more sustainable communities.
“Green” has become part of our everyday jargon in this society, but maybe Kermie was wrong after all..it just may be easy to live green! Find out for yourselves this weekend at the family workshop in Washington D.C.!
