Explore the SRV
Explore the Susquehanna River Valley with Lura Good!
Explore the SRV
Summer Fun in the SRV
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Summer in the Susquehanna River Valley is packed with festivals, fireworks and one-of-a-kind finds! In this episode of Explore the SRV, we're going behind the scenes with the people who make it all happen.
Host Lura Good sits down with the producers of three beloved Central PA summer events - Pineknotter Days, the Union County Veterans' 4th of July Celebration, and Antiques in the Grove - to talk about what it takes to pull off a community event, what keeps visitors coming back year after year and what's new this summer.
Whether you're a longtime local or planning your first trip to the region, this episode will have you reaching for your calendar.
Explore the SRV with Lura Good! Learn more at www.VisitCentralPA.org. #ExploreSRV
Welcome back to this month's episode of Explore the SRV. I'm Laura Good, your host. We are exploring the Susquehanna River Valley and talking about summer events throughout our Tri-County area. Joining me on the podcast is Jim Kimball with Pine Notter Days. Jeff Kimbel Days. Jeff, that's the second time. We're not editing that out. I don't know why I want to call you Jim. I introduced myself. I'm like, hi, Jim, it's Laura. And he's like, no, it's Jeff. And I just did it again. So Jeff Kimball, J-E-F-F, Jeff Kimball with Pine Notter Days, which we know and love. We have Terry Burke from Union County with the Veterans Fourth of July celebration. Hello.
SPEAKER_02Hi, how are you doing?
SPEAKER_03And last but certainly not least, uh, Ms. Helen Walter with the Sealands Grove Chamber of Commerce. You also have Cottage on Pine, right? Cottage on Pine Antique Shop. Yes. And then Antiques in the Grove. Yes. A wonderful event. So welcome. Who wants to go first? Let's introduce you and get into the nitty-gritty of who you are, who you are representing, and then the events that are happening this summer because it's getting warmer, it's getting nicer, and we're very excited to celebrate all things summer in the SRV. Jeff.
SPEAKER_01I'll go first. There you go.
SPEAKER_03I looked right at you.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, Pine Otter Days is Northumberland. Uh we're celebrating our 53rd annual edition of Pine Notter Days this year. Uh we started in 1973, right after the year after the Bicent Daniel celebration in Northumberland. And we um dates for it is June 27th through July 3rd. Um Pine Notter Day starts off with a soapbox derby uh race on Saturday, sponsored by our local police department. Uh we have a pine mutter for kids where they get very muddy through an obstacle course event. Awesome. Uh we have food stands, uh, games for kids, nightly entertainment crafts, uh craft show, antique show, uh that are all that are held on July 3rd, and it's all in the King Street Park in Northumberland.
SPEAKER_03Right there in the middle.
SPEAKER_01Yep. And I've been doing I've been president of Pine Mutter Days for uh I've been involved with Pine Lotter Days since 1981. I've been president off and on since then. Really? Yep.
SPEAKER_03Okay. That is well over 40 years. Yeah. Oh my goodness gracious.
SPEAKER_01I'm ready to retire.
SPEAKER_03Okay, well, you can solicit for volunteers later on if you would like to. All right. I'm looking at you, Terry, in Union County, Lewisburg has a big celebration for 4th of July, but I'm using those air quotes, right? Because it's always that last weekend in June.
SPEAKER_02That's right. We uh our event is in this year, it'll be June 26th and 27th. Uh, we say we are the pep rally for the region for the fourth. So this year, the 27th actually falls exactly uh one week. That'll be parade day that Saturday, exactly one week before the fourth. So we have time to get everybody amped up, get to Pine Notter days, get to everything else in your communities, and away we go.
SPEAKER_03I love it. And um, I am good friends with Madame Mayor in Lewisburg, the one, the only Ms. Kendi Alvarez. And luckily, I have free parking in her porch.
SPEAKER_02Beautiful.
SPEAKER_03Because it's a big event in Lewisburg. It really is a thing.
SPEAKER_02It is. We've uh tried to do what we can with the parking. We have golf cart shuttles and things like that to try to alleviate some of it that they've got. Yeah, we uh kind of uh have people park up at Bucknell's campus and then they can shuttle down and uh yeah, we get them around.
SPEAKER_03Very good. And Helen, I'm looking at you, all things Sealins Grove.
SPEAKER_00Yes, we're excited to be hosting the 37th annual Antiques in the Grove. And it's the same as it's always been for 37 years. We've just changed locations a couple times out of necessity, and finally came up with a name that we can stick with since it's no longer on the aisle or on the avenue. We're in the grove, period. Done. Sealings Grove. It makes sense.
SPEAKER_03I love it.
SPEAKER_00Yes, so that will be held the third Sunday in July, the 19th, at the Rotary Field, which is across the street from the high school. Okay. A nice big open field, lots of space, lots of parking all around.
SPEAKER_03And so when we say Susquehanna River Valley, it's interesting because all three of the communities we're talking about today, Northumberland, Lewisburg, Sealands Grove, we're on our beautiful Susquehanna River. Absolutely. We're river communities. If you had someone new, Helen, coming into the area, and you, you know, maybe someone who was like, oh, you know what, I think I am gonna come for Antiques in the Grove, how would you describe it to them?
SPEAKER_00Well, it's all quality antiques. It's not a flea market, it's not a yard sale, it's not junk. Um, we require all of our vendors to have a sales tax ID number, so they're they're real antiques dealers. Um it's a nice quality show, which kind of is a change from a lot of places you go these days. Um and it's an outdoor event, it's beautiful, and it's the same weekend as the Sealands Grove Brew Fest. So we've kind of part in a sense partnered the date at least together. Yeah. So a lot of people come and then stay overnight in the area. That's great. And it's, you know, it's a short, really a short walk or a quick drive down to the river, and you can walk a three-mile walk or ride on the Isle of Kew along the river, and it is gorgeous.
SPEAKER_03All right, we'll have to save the date. I did learn something speaking with some of our local antique merchants a few podcast episodes ago. The difference between antique and vintage. And antiques have to be a hundred years old. Give or take. Technically, give or take. Which when I think the 70s, that's 30 years ago. And apparently that's not the case anymore. Right.
SPEAKER_00Well, that's vintage, yeah. Right? That's vintage.
SPEAKER_03But a hundred years ago is antiques, I guess.
SPEAKER_00Right.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, which is pretty cool.
SPEAKER_00Right.
SPEAKER_03So if we go a little bit uh upriver onto the West Branch, we get to Lewisburg, and the Fourth of July celebration. I like what you said, Terry, which was your kind of like the the pep rally for the rest of the celebrations.
SPEAKER_02Yes.
SPEAKER_03I love that. Yeah.
SPEAKER_02And it's really nice because we doing it the last weekend in June, it allows the the other communities to kind of start their activities and and and do what they want to do on the 4th of July. Um, so we're also not competing for resources and bands and you know, the the Mifflinburg and Lewisburg bands would have to play, I don't know how many different parades or whatever functions on the 4th of July. So doing it, you know, that last weekend in June really helps us. And uh we're we're pumped to do this every year to honor our veterans and the difference makers um in our community. And, you know, we uh humble brag, we we think we do a pretty good job and we'll we'll put ourselves up against um, you know, probably anybody else in the state, maybe, maybe the country, if I dare say say that. Um, you know, as far as other communities, bigger communities with bigger resources, we think we fit in right there with them and we're we're proud of that.
SPEAKER_03So if there's sort of one moment or one thing from the Union County veterans celebration that you could kind of highlight, what what keeps people coming back year after year? Don't humble brag brag.
SPEAKER_02I think it's the the patriotism, probably some nostalgia at this point, because we've been doing this for probably about 30 some years. We lost track with some repaving of Market Street and COVID times, right? So the annual thing we're not so sure of anymore. Sure. Um, but just that nostalgia that people are bringing their kids to experience this patriotism to thank our veterans. Um, you know, stuff that we feel like is slipping away. And we feel that at least one weekend a year it's it's our job to to bring that back, to bring that patriotism back as you know, we're all in this as Americans, and and we just want to do a great job to to honor our veterans and our first responders.
SPEAKER_03So, um, Jeff, pine knotter days, I have to ask, because I'm sure people who are from outside of the area are wondering, what what is a pine knotter? What is it?
SPEAKER_01I get asked that all the time.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, what is it?
SPEAKER_01It stems from back when the uh be Northumberland high school, and um there was a lot of pine trees up in uh Northumberland. And the um people across the river and Sunbury uh used to say that Northumberland people were as tough as pine knots. And that's how they got the name pine notters.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, like when you're making florine, those knots are really hard.
SPEAKER_01Exactly.
SPEAKER_03Oh wow, who knew? Yeah that's incredible. So now for pine notter days, I mean Helen, your event's a weekend, um Terry, your event's a full weekend. Pine Notter days, that's a little bit lengthier. It's a week.
SPEAKER_01A little bit lengthier. It's an entire week. Uh we start off on a Saturday morning with the uh uh soapbox derby for kids. Uh soapboxes are provided, um, and the kids just have to show up and want to race the soapbox derby down the hill. Uh sponsored by our Northumberland Point Township police departments. Uh, then on Sunday we have the Pine Mutter for Kids, uh, which is an obstacle course event uh with mud involved. That's why it's called Pine Mutter. Uh last year we had a cancel because of storms threatening, so we had a cancel last year. So hopefully it'll go be a go this year.
SPEAKER_03Fingers crossed.
SPEAKER_01Yeah, exactly. Yeah, exactly. And then we open Monday night in the in King Street Park, then with entertainment and food stands. A lot of great food there. There's vendors from all over that come in for the food stands. Uh we have local vendors, we have the Northumberland uh number one fire company who sells their famous fish sandwich. There's always a line at that stand. Uh we have great milkshakes there, we have uh great hot saucy sandwiches, soft pretzels, and great sticky buns from Mr. Sticky.
SPEAKER_03So people see the finished week-long event and they come, they enjoy, they're with their families, they're inviting relatives in for the weekend or the week. They're, you know, they're really enjoying what you've worked on for, I'm sure, a very, very long time. Exactly. What's one thing behind the scenes that it takes to pull off an event like this?
SPEAKER_01Um great uh group of volunteers.
SPEAKER_03Okay.
SPEAKER_01Uh we have a concession chair person that's been running it for years. He handles all the concessions. Uh I've been involved since 1981, so I have a lot of experience with running Pine Notter days in that. Uh, we have several other people that have been involved for many years also. So it's uh uh great to have some dedicated volunteers that come out every year and support it and get us running in that.
SPEAKER_03So this is the point where you now solicit for somebody to help you.
SPEAKER_01Yep, right? Exactly. Exactly. Looking for somebody. But I have a uh great um assistant uh entertainment chairman. I handle all the entertainment lineups and that. So I'm booking all the bands and shows for those um for Pine Otter Days. Uh but I have a great backup who's also a member of a local band, too.
SPEAKER_03That's really cool. So we're inside the Susquehanna River Valley Visitors Bureau building, which you know recently moved to Montanan, which is now kind of becoming a hub with the new bypass. Sheets is going in next door. But um, all of these events being week-long or a weekend. Helen, what kind of impact, especially from the Sealance Grove Chamber perspective, what kind of impact does your event have on the local community and local businesses?
SPEAKER_00Well, one of our taglines is to to help people discover Sealins Grove. And we we kind of strive to just bring more people into town. And even in my shop, so many people stop in, see my sign as they're driving through town and say, Oh, this is such a great little town. I'm glad or they Google looking for antique shops and find me and say, Oh, we just love this little town. We never pulled off the by the bypass before to see it. So we just want to get more people into town to discover Sealens Grove.
SPEAKER_03And I think major community events like this do help those from outside of our area come in with the help of the internet. You're Googling, you're looking for specific things like antiques, and you're like, Oh, I've never been there. Exactly. Why not drive to the middle of nowhere, Pennsylvania? Because we're pretty awesome. But yeah. So, Terry, over in Lewisburg, what's one thing that keeps people coming back year after year for the celebration?
SPEAKER_02I think it's that community pride still exists. Uh pride in your nation still exists. Um, our our tagline for the last several years has been One Nation Communities United. And, you know, we're in Lewisburg. We're the Union County Veterans Fourth of July Parade celebration, but but also we're we're not just Union County. We're we're the whole region. We want everybody to take part in this. Uh we're always, again, we're pride, proud that we have people come up from Philadelphia. Veterans will come up from the Philadelphia area. We have bands from Philadelphia, Baltimore, New York, everywhere. Um, so it's it's not just Union Counties, it's for this whole region, for for the whole uh Northeast, whoever wants to come. We had somebody from Kansas come, a veteran came in. Oh my gosh, no way. Yeah, I think they happen to have some family here. Um, but yeah, that's that's really um exciting. And and we think once people come downtown, even if it's just for the parade and they see Lewisburg and Lewisburg downtown, the rest of this region, they're gonna come back. They're gonna come back to stay longer.
SPEAKER_03Every every single downtown that we're talking about here, I mean, you have amazing local breweries, wineries, restaurants, antique shops, boutiques. I mean, we could start to list them if we wanted to in Sealins Grove, Lewisburg, and and Northumberland.
SPEAKER_00Right. And we're actually Sealins Grove area chamber of commerce. We're not limited to the borough of Sealins Grove. And a month or two ago, um, I got an ugly email from somebody who just is an angry kind of person that said, How could you promote the new coffee shop on the strep? You're killing our downtown. I went, Oh no, no, no, no. I said, We're helping the downtown. I said, if somebody approaches us, we're not gonna turn them away from the chamber number one. Yeah, that's great. But I said, competition is the best thing for business. I said, you know, it helps, you know. Absolutely. I think. The more we grow as an area, Lewisburg grows, nor, you know, all the businesses. I mean, I would love if my whole street had was were full of antique shops because the more you have, the more people are gonna come to the area. If they find me, then they're gonna find the next person.
SPEAKER_03Well, then I asked this question to anybody how do you see your events complementing one another? Because I think that they do. I like like you said, Terry, somebody comes to one of the downtowns and they're like, oh, wait, this area is awesome, right? Maybe we could explore some other towns. So, um, Jeff or Terry, how do you see your events complimenting each other?
SPEAKER_02Well, I'm hoping they they come check us out, get on our our webpage, our Facebook page, see the links to the visitors bureau, and then see what else is going on in this region.
SPEAKER_03Yeah, absolutely. Do any of you have something super specific or exciting planned this year that people should be on the lookout for? It is a big year nationwide, right? America 250. Although personally, I'm like, oh my God, is it July 4th yet? That's like a lot of things happening. But but it's exciting stuff, um, especially being the state of Pennsylvania, right? We're or the Keystone state. America kind of started here, which is really, really cool.
SPEAKER_00We're working on some ideas. They haven't materialized yet. Um and actually just got this idea from my granddaughter yesterday, who is the children's director at the Rudy Gallnet Memorial Library, and she said for um she's working on uh programs through the summer for the 250th anniversary of demonstrations of things that used to be done a certain way. So she has um some crafters, some spinners coming in to demonstrate spinning wool and things like that. Oh, that's that'd be cool. That's right. Because uh on the rotary field where we hold our event, all the the dealers, the antiques vendors are around the outside, the perimet using my hands at the perimeter around the perimeter because you we're not a nobody's allowed to drive onto that lawn. So it's a little bit of a challenge. So they set up close to the sidewalk where they can unload and set up their tents, but I have the whole large lawn in the middle. So working on some ideas, maybe some art displays, maybe some demonstrations of things like spinning, that kind of thing. So I'm working on some fun ideas for that. And last year we even allowed a few people to pay for a small spot, not as large as the antiques dealers have, but a small spot if they had maybe um some items from an estate. Maybe grandma passed away or went to a nursing home and we don't have enough to do an auction sale, but we have to get rid of some of these things and they're you know regular antiques, so we would let some people come in and set up that way. And that worked pretty well too, just to fill up the center of that lawn so it makes it a little bit more full. And of course, then they had to carry all their items or put them in a wagon and pull them onto the center of the lawn. But you know, we're gonna need some fun ideas for them to bring more people in too.
SPEAKER_03Anything at Pine Notter Days that's special for this year?
SPEAKER_01Nothing yet as planned. Uh we're still working on all the plans for it. So well, there's still time.
SPEAKER_03There's still time. Yeah, there's still time.
SPEAKER_01I start off with uh helping with the uh Fourth of July celebration here in Lewisburg because I live in Lewisburg. So I'll be there flipping hamburgers and making hot dogs with the quantas on the uh at the fireworks and on the parade day then, too. So then that that always jumps me right into Pine Otter days then. Run down Northumberland and then right afterwards and start working on things down there. I will be. Very busy man. Definitely.
SPEAKER_03Anything new and exciting this year for uh Union County.
SPEAKER_02So, like like Jeff said, we have our our uh always awesome concert and and fireworks that the 26th, the Friday before. They're really cool. Um with that, we also have a drone show this year.
SPEAKER_03Oh, that's different. Yeah, should be cool.
SPEAKER_02250 drones for 250 years. So yeah, should be pretty cool. Um, and that's we we actually got a grant from America 250PA and uh to to thank Geisinger Wise and Wellspan uh for also contributing to that. Um so that's something new that this region uh hasn't seen.
SPEAKER_03I've seen I've seen drone shows like on the internet, but I've never seen one in person. So that's really, really cool.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, we're we're pumped. We've been talking about this for a long time now.
SPEAKER_03Is that with the fireworks or replacing fireworks?
SPEAKER_02No, drones, drones first, then fireworks.
SPEAKER_03Oh wow, okay. Double, all right, all right. It's a double show, double feature.
SPEAKER_02And concert before, so triple feature, right? Yeah. Um, we also have um there's always surprises that pop up parade day that I don't know whether or not to share just because I want people to be surprised. Sometimes I'm surprised. Like I have some of the weirdest phone conversations and things that I say like the week of the parade that I wasn't expecting.
SPEAKER_03But can we land a Black Hawk helicopter in the middle of Route 15? Is that allowed?
SPEAKER_02I've had close to those conversations. I figured. Uh things like, hey, we we got a tank. It's like you got a what? A tank? A tank. Yeah. Uh but also this year we we're doing a couple other things. We have a uh home and business decorating contest, and we've opened that up to anybody from the the Sun Counties, so Snyder Union, Northumberland. Um, right now the pot's at$100 for the best home uh and business. So two different awards there. Um we're looking for sponsors to try to up that that prize a little bit.
SPEAKER_03If um if people want to participate, how do they how do they participate? Especially you said Tri-County, right? So Northumberland Union and Snyder counties.
SPEAKER_02Yep, they could just uh email us through our website, um UCVeterans4th of July.org. Uh, we also have two other things. We have a t-shirt uh sale going on. The t-shirt was designed by uh McKenna Fogle. She's a student at Mifflinburg High School, so she designed the t-shirt. So that's for sale on our website. And we also have uh North Shore Railroad is doing train rides the day of the parade. So on the 27th of June, uh one ride at 130, one ride at 330. And of course, they have their awesome uh they have their military engines, but they also have their 250 engine that if they stuff to see them.
SPEAKER_03It's specially painted. I saw photos of it. It's like for America 250. It's really, really cool looking.
SPEAKER_02Yeah, it's amazing. Yeah, that's awesome. You could come and see them, or you can ride them, which is even better. So all that again is is on our website to get get links on on how to do all of that.
SPEAKER_03Very cool. And if someone is planning their summer trips now, they stumbled upon this podcast. Where can they learn more, Helen, about um not only antiques in the grove, but then also if they want to visit Sealins Grove, where should they head?
SPEAKER_00Discover Sealinsgrove.com is our website, or also on Facebook. Great chamber. And how about you, Jeff, for Pine Notter Days?
SPEAKER_01Pineotterdays.com.org, excuse me. Pine Notter Days.org.
SPEAKER_03Perfect. Hard like a pine nut. I love that.
SPEAKER_01And also on Facebook, too.
SPEAKER_03Awesome. Um, so as folks are planning their summer calendar right now, in a word, in a sentence, in a quick elevator pitch, why should your event be on their must do list? Don't go first. Don't don't go too quick. Who wants to go?
SPEAKER_01Uh we say the entertainment that we have. We have some actually great entertainment.
SPEAKER_03You guys do have really good music, yeah.
SPEAKER_01We have a new group this year. We had a new group last year, which is coming back this year also. Uh so we're looking forward to those groups being there. They play a lot of oldies type music. And we have a lot of people that love to get up and dance. And everybody enjoys it. I get a lot of. I get a lot of compliment, a lot of compliments every year from the group on the groups we bring in for the entertainment.
SPEAKER_03Perfect. How about you, Terry?
SPEAKER_02It's the place to be to jumpstart your American pride and show your support for our veterans.
SPEAKER_03Love it.
SPEAKER_00All right. And whether you're an antique lover or a collector or just looking for a fun event, there's something for everybody. And um, I always say you may might not be an antique lover yet, but wait till you come. You'll be surprised at the treasures you find.
SPEAKER_03Helen, that was perfect. It's like y'all have done this before. As always, visit centralpa.org. That's the Susquehanna River Valley Visitors Bureau. Of course, all of you are members of this amazing organization who not only puts on this podcast, but then talks about the awesome area that we all live, work, and play in. So I'm Laura Good. Helen, Jeff, and Terry, thank you so much for joining me. I wish you all the bet all the sunshine. Never any clouds on any of your event days. Please and thank you. Yes, everyone listening, put out the vibes. It is sunny skies only for all three events. Um, if you're looking to learn more, visit centralpa.com. The Susquehanna River Valley Visitors Bureau on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, all of the things. I'm Laura Good, and thank you for exploring the SRB with me. Thank you so much.
SPEAKER_00Thank you. Thank you.