Franklin County Visitors Bureau and Allison-Antrim Museum are teaming up for a Civil War Fall Ball on Saturday, September 23, 7 PM to 9:30 PM, in the Bank Barn on the museum grounds at 365 South Ridge Avenue in Greencastle. The Civil War Fall Ball is a teaching ball with instruction by the Victorian Dance Ensemble, which is the performing troupe of the Civil War Dance Foundation. Even non-dancers can enjoy this event. The Victorian Dance Ensemble demonstrates the dance, breaks down the steps, and everyone at the ball tries out the steps before trying the dance to music. The dancers of the Ensemble mix in with other attendees to make it easy to help new dancers learn 19th century dancing. It is a relaxing evening, suitable for beginning and experienced dancers.
Participants are invited to dress in Civil War era attire, contemporary formal attire, or relaxed contemporary attire. The important thing is to kick up your heels and have a good time. The ball is open to children ten and older and adults. Ball tickets are $15 for one dancer or $25 for two. The public can register online here. All admission fees support Allison-Antrim Museum.
Dancing was an important part of socialization in the 19th century. It transcended many boundaries—Yankee and Rebel, rich and poor, old and young. Just as in the 19th century, it is a chance to socialize and have a relaxing evening with old friends and new.
For more information about the Civil War Fall Ball, contact 866.646.8060 or 717.552.2977. To learn more about Franklin County and upcoming events, visit ExploreFranklinCountyPA.com.
A passion for American history is alive and well in Pennsylvania, with a monumental contribution of $1,000,000 to support the Conococheague Institute and Mercersburg Academy. This generous donation made by philanthropist Robert Kurtz Jr will be equally split between these two remarkable institutions, each providing new experiences for students and stimulating a passion for early American history in the community.
For the Conococheague Institute, a 30-acre, 18th century museum and homestead (located near Mercersburg, Franklin County, PA), this donation marks a giant stride towards securing historical opportunities for the local youth for the years to come.
“As our endowment builds, we’ll unlock new avenues of growth and become eligible for additional grant funding opportunities, further enhancing our mission,” said Matthew Wedd, Executive Director of CI. “Planning for the future, we can now look at 5 and 10 year goals, and can’t wait to share the journey with the community. The students who engage in our programs are a huge reason for this donation, as they prove to our donors that history matters to the next generation!”
Mercersburg Academy and the Conococheague Institute have a wonderful history of collaboration with students actively participating in preservation and conservation efforts. Students have been instrumental in cemetery restoration, tree plantings, invasive species removal, and gardening projects.
Last year, thanks to Mr. Kurtz’s previous endowment, a new annual program was introduced ‘Can You Live 18th Century.’ This initiative allows 12 high school students to immerse themselves in 18th-century life, complete with period clothing and technology, during a two-week experience at CI. Due to its novel nature the program received the prestigious PA Museums Institutional Achievement award.
More recently, Mr. Kurtz’s support enabled the Conococheague Institute to create two paid high school intern positions, providing early career development opportunities to budding historians and preservationists.
The future of the frontier is looking bright, and every contribution helps. Learn more about the Conococheague Institute at www.cimlg.org. The 30 acre site located at 12995 Bain Road, Mercersburg, PA, 17236 offers free historic programs every Saturday from 10am to 5pm, has nature trails and grounds open daily from dawn to dusk, and takes education bookings year round. Email info@cimlg.org for more details or call 717-328-2800.
Franklin County Visitors Bureau invites the public to celebrate Franklin County art with a new permanent exhibit of a 12-ft. tree called the Tree of Light. Crafted by local artist Brandii Kligge, the sculpture is made of honeysuckle vine and woven into a tree-shaped sculpture. Laced into the vines are 53 leaves with inspirational words. It is the largest piece of art Kligge created in her lifetime. The Tree of Light is attached to the center column in the lobby of the Franklin County 11/30 Visitors Center and is easy-to-see as visitors enter.
Throughout September, the 11/30 Visitors Center is celebrating the Tree of Light by holding a drawing for Art is Awesome in Franklin County. The winner of the drawing will receive $60 gift certificates to The Foundry in downtown Chambersburg, Gallery 50 in downtown Waynesboro, and The Cumberland Shop in downtown Shippensburg. Also included in the package are dinner at Falafel Shack and two tickets to a 2023-2024 Capitol Theatre show. The total value of the packages is $300. The public is invited to stop by the Franklin County 11/30 Visitors Center to see the inspiration of the Tree of Light and enter the Art Is Awesome giveaway. To find out more about the Art Is Awesome giveaway or enter online, visit here.
The Tree of Light evolved from another tree artist Brandii Kligge crafted, the Wedding Tree. Earlier in 2023, the Wedding Tree was part of the IceFest exhibit at the 11/30 Visitors Center. When the tree moved to another location for display, the space looked bare. So, Franklin County Visitors Bureau asked Kligge to craft a tree as a permanent exhibit for the 11/30 Visitors Center.
“As I worked on the Tree of Light, I had an idea of what was needed for the Visitors Bureau. The more I worked on the tree, it evolved into an instrument to give peace and appreciation to others,” said Kligge.
Discover more about the inspiring sayings of the Tree of Light and learn about the artist Brandii Kligge here.
Brit Floyd is coming to the stage of the Luhrs Center on Wednesday, November 1. Widely regarded as the world’s greatest rock tribute show, Brit Floyd faithfully recreates the scale and pomp of the final 1994 Pink Floyd tour, complete with a stunning light show, iconic circular screen, lasers, inflatables, and theatrics.
Brit Floyd returns to Luhrs Center with a brand-new production celebrating 50 years of the ground-breaking and iconic musical masterpiece The Dark Side of the Moon. The show will feature classic tracks from the album such as “Time,” “Money,” “Us and Them,” and “The Great Gig in the Sky.”
Having performed over 1,000 shows since its launch in Liverpool, England in January 2011, Brit Floyd have circled the world, sold out tours across Europe, North America, South America, and the Middle East, and performed concerts at some of the world’s greatest venues, including London’s prestigious Royal Albert Hall, the awe-inspiring Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Denver, the historic Greek Theatre in Los Angeles, and Radio City Music Hall.
Serious fans may want to add a VIP Sound Check Experience to their tickets, which includes a bonus performance of two classic Pink Floyd songs not featured in the evening show and a Q&A/meet & greet with band members. Tickets available at luhrscenter.com/event/brit-floyd/
Quick Draw Competition is happening in Chambersburg on September 9. Quick Draw Competition is a plein air painting competition that asks artists to complete a painting in a set time frame. These competitions began in 2017 and are extremely popular. Now, one is coming to downtown Chambersburg…thanks to the work of local art cooperative The Foundry. Painters will be set up in a two-block radius of Chambers Fort Park. In case of inclement weather, indoor painting areas and subjects will be provided.
Painters will be using any medium to create 2-dimensional art such as oils, acrylics, watercolors, pastel, colored pencil, graphite, charcoal or collage are permissible. No photography or digital art is permitted. Other 2-d materials and mediums may be acceptable with permission of the Plein Air Chambersburg Planning Committee. Subject Matter is anything observed while standing within the Plein Air Chambersburg Quick Draw Area.
Works will be judged by Beth Bathe, who has been painting in oil en plein air since 2013. She participates in high-profile competitions from Maine to Washington State, including Plein Air Easton MD, Door County WI, Cape Ann MA, Sedona AZ, Telluride CO and others, for a total of 10+ competitions a year. In 2022 she served as the juror for the prestigious Plein Air Abingdon festival. Her paintings have won numerous awards and honors and she was a featured artist in the 2018 February/March and December/January 2020 issues of PleinAir Magazine.
