PAontheGo.com Weblog


La Festa Italiana
August 31, 2009, 1:03 pm
Filed under: Events, NEPA, Northeastern Pennsylvania, PAontheGo, Pennsylvania, Things to do, Tourism, Travel, Wyoming Valley

Labor Day is upon us and for most of us it marks the unofficial end of summer, but it also means an annual tradition is about to begin. On Sept 5th, 6th and 7th, La Festa Italiana will setup on Courthouse Square in downtown Scranton.

Over 60 vendors will line the streets for this three day block party, offering up some of the best Italian fare this side of the Atlantic.

There will also be continuous entertainment provided by over 25 local music and dance groups on various stages around the square.

Also available this year is a shuttle from La Festa to the Steamtown National Historic Site where they will be holding Lackawanna Railfest on Sept 5th and 6th. Using the theme of “The 1940s” the event will take visitors on some behind-the-scenes tours and special excursions out on the rails.  A full schedule of events can be found at their official site.

Hours for La Festa Italiana are noon to 11pm on Saturday and Sunday, and noon to 9pm on Monday. If you are planning to attend I recommend checking local weather reports as this is an outdoor event.

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New Feature! PAontheGo Calendar of Events
June 27, 2009, 8:53 am
Filed under: Events, NEPA, Northeastern Pennsylvania, PAontheGo, Pennsylvania, Things to do, Tourism, Travel, Websites | Tags: , ,

PAontheGo.com is proud to announce the launch of our newest feature, the Calendar of Events. We have integrated Google’s powerful calendar tool into our site and have configured it in such a way that makes finding an event in your area very easy! With this new tool we will be able to better update events, and make incorporating them into the site seamless.

By utilizing Google Calendar, PAontheGo gives it’s users a quality product as well as many powerful features they can use to keep track of upcoming events they may wish to attend. Each region page features a calendar specific to that region, this makes finding things to do in your area effortless. We also provide a comprehensive calendar which contains all of the regional calendars, events are color coded by region to make it easy to differentiate them.

Not only can you now find events on our site easier, but you can even add our events to your own Google Calendar! Add a single event, a regional calendar or our entire calendar to your calendar to stay informed of upcoming events.

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Boulder Field in Hickory Run State Park
June 21, 2009, 9:32 pm
Filed under: History, NEPA, Northeastern Pennsylvania, PAontheGo, Pennsylvania, Regional Stories, Tourism, Travel | Tags: , , , , , , ,

Boulder Field can be found in Hickory Run State Park and can be reached via car or the 3.5-mile long Boulder Field Trail from the parking area on SR 534.

The field is 16.5 acres in size and is made up of boulders of all sizes. A stream runs underneath the rocks and often can be heard when standing on the rocks, especially after it has rained recently. The boulders extend off a path leading from the parking lot nearby, the tops of the rocks are almost level with the ground, the soil below them being compressed about 12 feet from the weight of the stones.

Creating a field of boulders:

20,000 years ago, during the last Ice Age a massive mile thick glacier covered a large part of North America, including Pennsylvania. The ice caused temperatures in the region to plummet to below freezing for most of the year and the ground was frozen year round.

As the glacier moved south it unearthed rocks embedded in the soil. These rocks became attached to the ice and were pushed along its course. The rocks are made up of sandstone and conglomerates.

When the glacier receded billions of gallons of water from the melting ice formed the large valleys you can see today. The large amounts of water also carried the rocks from the surrounding hills and those attached to the glacier into the valley, thus forming Boulder Field.

Today, you can still see the rocks, some of which are pebble size and some that weigh as much as a small car. Boulder Field’s size alone is stunning but it’s story is equally as interesting.

Visitors to the park are encouraged to read about the field at the informational boards that are available as you approach the field. Many visitors also enjoy walking the field, jumping from rock to rock.

Boulder Field was designated a National Landmark in 1967. Please help preserve this natural wonder!

Important Note:

Please be careful on the rocks! Many rocks are unstable and will shift under your weight. Rocks can collapse under you if you step on them the wrong way and the uneven surface can cause you to fall, possibly resulting in injury.

Also, snakes often sun themselves on the rocks and spiders can be found in the crevices between the rocks. Do not harass these animals as they could be poisonous.

Medical facilities are not at hand if you should be injured, seek the attention of a Park Ranger immediately if you are hurt.

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RiverFest 2009 at Wilkes-Barre’s River Common
June 13, 2009, 7:22 am
Filed under: Events, NEPA, Northeastern Pennsylvania, PAontheGo, Pennsylvania, Things to do, Tourism, Travel, Wyoming Valley, wilkes-barre | Tags: , , ,

RiverFest, an annual event celebrating the Susquehanna River and “Rivers Month”, turns 10 this year and will do so in style at the newly revitalized River Common in Wilkes-Barre. Nearly $30 million was spent on the project which will officially open on June 19 after Luzerne County officials hold a ribbon cutting ceremony to mark the event. The River Common now features a 750-seat amphitheater, two fishing piers and a paved walkway which stretches from the Courthouse to the Dorothy Dickson Darte Center a few blocks away. The ribbon cutting will kick off RiverFest, which hosts a whole weekend of festivities around the River Common and in nearby Nesbitt Park.

RiverFest will commence at 4 p.m. on Friday June 19th and will run though Sunday evening. The event will feature food and performances by the Wyoming Valley Concert Band at 6 p.m., Bobby Bath at 7 p.m. and finally Don Shapelle at 8 p.m on Friday. Other activities around the RiverCommon include a free fishing clinic by the Fish and Boat Commission, kayak demonstrations, mural painting by DCNR and the Keystone Active Zone Passport Station presented by the Wyoming Valley Wellness Trails.

The music and fun will continue to liven up the river with shows on stages at Nesbitt Park and the River Common on Saturday. Performances on the River Common stage will start with the NonRefundables at 12:30 p.m., Nowhere Slow at 2:15 p.m., the SW!MS at 4 p.m., Woody Browns Project at 5:45 p.m. and finally George Wesley at 7:30 p.m. Appearing on the Nesbitt Park stage will be Charles Havira at 1 p.m., K8 at 2:30 p.m., George Wesley at 4:15 p.m. and Don Shapelle at 6 p.m.

Music is just a start of all the activities there are to be had at RiverFest on Saturday! Nesbitt Park will be full of things to do throughout the day, including Story Telling by the Osterhout Free Library, rock climbing, tie-dye t-shirt making and lots more. See www.rivercommon.org for more details and a full list of all the activities available.

In addition to all the great exhibits and activities you can also sign up to paddle down the Susquehanna River. Enjoy the beauty of the Susquehanna River from a whole new perspective! You can expect to see lots of wildlife including river otters, bald eagles and other large and small birds. The paddling trips are 4 hours long on both Saturday and Sunday. On Saturday the trip will run from Harding to Wilkes-Barre and on Sunday the trip will depart Wilkes-Barre to arrive in Hunlock Creek.

Kayaking rentals are available from Endless Mountain Outfitters, Susquehanna River Adventures (570-328-4001), and Susquehanna Kayak and Canoe Rentals (570-388-6107). Costs range from $40 to $60 depending on size plus $17 to participate. A mandatory safety training will be provided to all participants by the PA Fish and Boat Commission, shuttle service is also included.

PAontheGo.com is a free resource for all things travel and tourism across Eastern Pennsylvania. Visit us at http://www.PAontheGo.com today for more information.

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Featured Location: Eckley Miners Village
May 31, 2009, 2:53 pm
Filed under: America, History, Life, NEPA, Northeastern Pennsylvania, PAontheGo, Pennsylvania, Regional Stories, Tourism, Wyoming Valley | Tags: , , , , , , , ,

The village of Eckley was actually built by a coal company to provide housing for its workers and their families. In the late 1850s, Sharpe, Leisenring and Company built the homes and other buildings, like the company store and church. By owning the homes and other structures used by the miners, the company had great control over their workers.

As the anthracite mining industry declined, the need for a company owned town like Eckley became unnecessary. The land and buildings were sold to a group of Hazleton business men in the late 1960s, and in turn was deeded to the state for historical preservation in 1971.

The breaker that stands on the grounds today is actually a replica, built for the filming of ‘Molly Maguires’, a film about the famous (or infamous) group of miners who may or may not have conspired to commit crimes in order to focus attention on the plight of the American coal worker. Evidence of who the Molly Maguires actually were and what there purpose was still remains a contested subject.

Today, Eckley serves as a window to the past, showing what it was like for the workers of an anthracite coal mine in Pennsylvania. Along with the village, a museum is also on the site, which shows artifacts and other items relating to the lives of Eckley residents and workers.

Special events, such as Patch Town Days and the Civil War Weekend are also held during the summer months. Patch Town Days will be held June 20th and 21st, 2009. PAontheGo.com will be there, along with a number of other exhibitors and food vendors. So mark your calendar, and come out for some fun, food and heritage!

PAontheGo.com is a free resource for all things travel and tourism across Eastern Pennsylvania. Visit us at http://www.PAontheGo.com today for more information.

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