Local Beer: Tour The Appalachian Brewing Company

One of the favorite attractions of visitors to the Gettysburg Pennsylvania area is the Appalachian Brewing Company. Located on Buford Avenue in Gettysburg, the restaurant and bar are an extension of the original brewing company located in Harrisburg. Still, the beer is great and the food is awesome.

The Gettysburg microbrewery doesn’t schedule tours, but you can stop in and take a “guided visit.” There is also an ABC in Camp Hill Pennsylvania just a short stretch up the road between Gettysburg and Harrisburg. However, if you really want to see a site then show up at the Harrisburg plant at 1 p.m. on Saturday for a schedule tour. Be early because many times they have more tourists than they can handle and you’ll have to wait a week.

The Harrisburg Appalachian Brewing Company is located at 50 N. Cameron St. in Harrisburg. For more information on touring the facility call 717-221-1080.

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 Pennylvania Wanderer Blog

I just discovered a new blog. The Pennsylvania Wanderer lives in Harrisburg and travels to nearby places writing about them.

Much of what you’ll find on his blog is about wine and in his sidebar you’ll find the links to Pennsylvania wineries. So if you like wine and you have an interest in visiting the local wineries then I’d recommend visiting The Pennylvania Wanderer and seeing what he has to say about events, people, and places in the area.

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.

Brian Culbertson’s “A Soulful Christmas”

Brian Culbertson, to be joined by Vesta Williams, Tony Maiden of Rufus, and Mike Phillips, brings you for the third year in a row “A Soulful Christmas 2008.” The nationwide tour kicks off in Seattle, Washington and makes a stop in our capital on Sunday November 30th. The event, sponsored by Higashi Pearls and Fine Jewelry, will be held at the Whitaker Center in Harrisburg.

Culbertson and the gang will serenade you with holiday favorites and will also provide you with hits from their own albums. This is an amazing opportunity to listen to some of the foremost contemporary jazz singers and performers on one stage. Culbertson says that he’s “thrilled to share the Holiday season and the stage with such an amazing group of performers!”

“A Soulful Christmas” is another great way to enjoy the holiday season. Tickets can be purchased in advance by calling 717-214-ARTS. Don’t wait too long because these tickets will go fast!

Pennsylvania State Capitol – A Masterpiece Of Architecture

This afternoon, my wife and I took the family to see the Pennsylvania state Capitol building in Harrisburg. We went with my grandson’s Cub Scout troop.

When we first planned to make our visit I though it would be just like any other state Capitol. Being from Texas, I’ve had several chances to see that Capitol building, which is huge in comparison, but nowhere near the work of art. The Pennsylvania Capitol was built in 1906 and cost $13 million to build. In 1906, $13 million would have been a fortune. There aren’t enough zeros in the solar system to cover what that would be in today’s dollars.

From the green glazed terra cotta tile on the outside roof to the inlaid 24-karat gold ornaments on the inside chambers, the Capitol building is a site to see. I’m sure the Senate and House chambers would have been 10 times more beautiful had there been sunlight instead of cloudy skies as the stained glass windows were incredible.

Architect Joseph Huston blended Greek, Roman, and Victorian styles to create a masterful Renaissance-era architectural work of art in the state’s capital. I highly recommend a visit to the Capitol building while you are in Gettysburg. Harrisburg is straight up Hwy. 15 about 40 miles. It’s worth the drive.

Harrisburg’s Annual Holiday Parade

Get the holiday season started with thousands of Harrisburg residents and visitors on November 22, 2008. Harrisburg’s annual Holiday Parade brings together people of all ethnic and religious backgrounds to commemorate Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanzaa, and the New Year. Mayor Reed launched the Holiday Parade in 1986, now the celebration boasts it’s place as one of the region’s largest holiday festivities.

The merriment begins at 10:00 AM on City Island where you can listen to Harrisburg locals Kathleen Torchia and Lynn Panattoni belt out the National Anthem. Holiday Parade participants head off on their city-wide trek as the air force flies overhead; they’ll work their way downtown and back with a stop at Market Square. Listen as high school bands show off their school spirit; watch with honor as veterans march with pride; and gaze up as giant helium filled balloons soar over downtown Harrisburg. Be sure to get a peak of Hyleas Fountain, a Beijing Olympics medal winner.

If Olympic medalists don’t excite you, then you may be excited to know that Santa Claus makes his first visit to Harrisburg on Parade day. Beginning at 1:00 PM, children (of all ages) will be able to submit their requests to Jolly Ol’ St. Nick at Strawberry Square where their will also be complimentary refreshments.

Free parking will be available throughout the city, and why not take advantage of the Mayor’s gratuity by spending the entire day exploring Harrisburg? Dine at a downtown eatery, visit the Whitaker Center for an IMAX film, or even turn back time at the National Civil War Museum.

You do not want to miss this exciting opportunity to experience Harrisburg’s strong sense of community pride. Just a short trip from Gettysburg, you won’t be disappointed at what this tight knit, vibrant city has to offer, especially on Holiday Parade day 2008.