Children’s book release party in Reading – Reading Eagle

The community is invited to a release party for the children’s book “Together We Grow: A Story of Food, Support and Community” on Thursday, Oct. 3, from 4 to 6 p.m. at the community garden next to GoggleWorks Center for the Arts, 237 Walnut St., Reading.

Penn State Health, in collaboration with Rite Aid Healthy Futures, teamed with author Floyd Stokes and illustrator Sheena Hisiro to create a book that highlights food access resources such as pantries and gardens. The book aims to reduce the stigma around using these resources while emphasizing their inclusivity and how community members can improve their health through gardening.

The rain-or-shine event will feature book readings in English and Spanish along with snacks, arts and crafts and games. Free parking in GoggleWorks lot. RSVP to Laurie Crawford at [email protected].

County parks

Berks County Parks & Recreation is presenting the following programs in October:

Fall Frolic Wellness Walk, Saturday, 9 a.m. at the Rebers Bridge parking lot. Walk the connector trail to the Stilling Basin and back. Free but registration recommended.

Theorem Painting Workshop – Botanical Pears, Sunday and Oct. 26 from noon to 2:30 p.m. at the Beidler House in Robeson Township. Join instructor Peggy Allen to learn the art of decorative painting with the aid of stencils. Call 610-374-8839 to learn more. Registration fee is $5, and there is a $25 material fee per class. Registration is required.

Fall Forage ID with the Wild Edibles Lady, Sunday, 1 p.m., Bingaman House at Antietam Lake, Lower Alsace Township. Learn about foraged foods that are found in the fall. There will be a small tasting following a presentation and hike. Cost is $5 per person. Registration required.

Basket Weaving with Invasives, Oct. 9, 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., Berks County Heritage Center, Bern Township. Create a simple foraging basket using invasive species gathered from the park. Free but registration is required.

Trail Tales, Oct. 10, Bingaman House. This toddler-age program focuses on a nature topic partnered with a story and a craft. Geared toward children ages 3-5. Free but registration is required.

Epler’s Schoolhouse Pork Dinner Fundraiser, Oct. 10, 3 to 6 p.m., Heritage Center. Meal for $10. Tickets must be purchased in advance either at the schoolhouse on Saturday, Oct. 5, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sunday, Oct. 6, from noon to 4 p.m. or by calling Bonnie at 610-507-2263.

Gruber Wagon Works Lantern Tours, Oct. 11, 5 to 9 p.m., Heritage Center. An evening tour of this landmark. Tours will start every half-hour beginning at 5:30 with the last tour starting at 8:30. Tours will last about one hour and are best enjoyed by children and adults ages 7 and older. Ticket costs are $7/adult, $6/senior and $5/child ages 6-12. Registration required.

Heritage Haunts, Oct. 11, 5 to 9 p.m., Heritage Center. Explore the history of Halloween and encounter some of Berks County’s spookiest history. Actors from Yocum Institute’s Teen Ensemble will be offering performances and storytelling. Free.

Full Moon Halloween Hike, Oct. 17, 6, 7 and 8 p.m., Heritage Center. Walk the trails with a guide during a full Hunter’s Moon. $5/person, and registration is required.

Cat Head Basket Workshop, Oct. 20, noon to 4 p.m., Heritage Center Barn. Supply cost: $40; registration fee, $5. To learn more call 610-374-8839. Registration is required.

Register for programs at countyofberks.recdesk.com/Community/Program. To learn more, email [email protected] or call 610-374-2944, ext 2611.

Art Park debut

GoggleWorks Center for the Arts, 201 Washington St., Reading, is holding a ribbon cutting for its Art Park on Friday at 5:30 p.m.

The park includes two new outdoor cultural spaces — The Courtyard and Thorn Alley — and a renovated restaurant space.

There will be food and drink, interactive art activities and a 7 p.m. performance by the Bread and Puppet Theatre. The event is free to attend and open to all ages.

Theology with a Twist

Theology with a Twist  meets Tuesday at 7 p.m. in the Kutztown Tavern, 272 W. Main St., for a program on faith and the upcoming elections presented by Dr. Lee Barrett.

The program will explore the religious sources of seemingly political commitments, tracing the ways that they manifest themselves in specific policy proposals and electoral strategies. Barrett is a professor at Lancaster Theological Seminary.

The event is free. Food and drink can be purchased in the restaurant downstairs and brought up to our event space. Parking is available in the community lot behind the tavern or on Main Street. All are welcome.

President elected

Barley Snyder attorney Beth M. Kohl has been elected president of the Friends of Reading Hospital.

The organization works to further Reading Hospital’s mission of providing accessible and high-quality health care, promoting healthy lifestyles, educating health care professionals and participating in clinical research.

Kohl, who joined the group in 2015, served as chair of the Reading Hospital Road Run committee for and sits on the Advisory Committee.

Leesport history

The Leesport Area Historical Society presents the following events:

“Walking in their Shoes: Civil War” will be presented Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at 128 Main St. The program highlights some of the soldiers, regiments and stories from the Leesport area. schoolhouse museum tour included.

The society is holding a museum open house on Sunday from 1 to 4 p.m. Tour the 19th-century schoolhouse that served the community until 1961.

Photographic Society

The following events are coming up at the Berks Photographic Society, Suite 326 in the Goggleworks Center for the Arts, 201 Washington St., Reading:

On Monday at 7 p.m., local photographer Valerie Hoffman shares stories and photos of her 2022 journey to Norway. Non-members get in free but are welcome to make a donation

On Oct. 21 at 7 p.m., Jean Miele will present a hybrid Zoom session, “Trust the Process”. He will show some of his photographs to share his three-part creative process.

Request a Zoom link at store.berksphotographic.org/product/club-donation/ .

This will be a paid event for nonmembers with a $10 donation. Nonmembers can donate in advance at store.berksphotographic.org/product/club-donation/ or in person.

Art and music

The Walk In Art Center, 220 Parkway, Schuylkill Haven, presents its Coffee House Cabaret and  Artist Open House on Friday from 6 to 9 p.m. Tickets are $10 each, which includes beer, wine, desserts, refreshments and of course, coffee.

The program features artist Lawrence Sherman and his macabre and slightly off-centered works.  His “Once Upon a Midnight Dreary” exhibition  features Edgar Allen Poe and Frankenstein, skulls and skeletons and ghouls and goblins. The exhibition opens Friday and runs through Nov. 8. It can also be viewed weekdays and on Saturdays.

At 7 p.m. there will be a performance by Schuylkill Haven native and New York cabaret artist Corinna Sowers Adler and the WIAC Executive Director Jacquie Engel singing comedy duets from Broadway and beyond. Seating begins at 6:40 p.m. Tickets are available at walkinartcenter.org or at the door.

Pottery festival

The annual Stahl’s Pottery Festival is scheduled for Saturday from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. at  6826 Corning Road, Zionsville, rain or shine. The event features tours of the site, sale of contemporary pottery and food.  Admission is $5 per person; under 18 free, and parking is free. See www.stahlspottery.org. for more information and directions.  For questions about the festival call 484-306-3868.

Ghost stories

The Hamburg Area Historical Society presents local radio personality and writer Charles Adams III Thursday at 7 p.m. in the Hamburg High School LGI room. Adams will share tales of ghosts, spirits, and the paranormal from the Hamburg area. This meeting is free and open to the public.

Junior League bingo

The Junior League of Reading hosts its second annual bingo fundraiser Sunday at Bellevue Plaza Hall in Muhlenberg Township. Doors open at noon, and play begins at 1:30 p.m. A concession stand will sell lunch, snacks and treats.

Auction and prize items include products from local businesses, sporting event tickets, restaurant and dining gift cards, designer accessories, jewelry, health and beauty products, recreational gear, housewares and passes for local attractions.

Tickets are $25 and can be purchased at jlreading.org/fundraisers. Price for admission at the door is $30. All proceeds benefit the Junior League and Youth Empowerment Initiatives.

Harvest Fest

St. Mary Church, 94 Walnut Road, Tilden Township is holding a Harvest Fest on Friday from 4 to 9 p.m. and Saturday from noon to 9 p.m.

Flamin’ Dick & the Hot Rods perform Friday night. Performers Saturday are the Golden Tones Polka Band from 1 to 4 p.m.; Polka Mass at 4:30; and the Northkill Creek Band from 6 to 9 p.m.

The event includes food, activities, entertainment and games for all ages.

Admission is free. Do not bring coolers or food.

To learn more, call 610-562-7657 or visit www.stmaryhamburg.org.

Conestoga talk

Veterinarian Dr. Katelyn Reist will speak at the annual membership dinner of the Tulpehocken Settlement Historical Society Oct. 14 at 6 p.m. at Ozgood’s Neighborhood Grill in Robesonia.  Her topic will be the Conestoga wagon and its importance in American transportation history.

Tickets are available until Oct. 7. Contact the society at 610-589-2527.

Fundraising run/walk

The Adalyn Rose Foundation, a Reading-based nonprofit organization, is holding its fifth annual Empty Stroller Run and Walk on Oct. 13 at the Berks County Heritage Center, Bern Township. Funds raised help support families grieving the loss of a baby during pregnancy or early childhood.

After the race there will be a performance by Erich Cawalla and Friends from the Uptown Band. A kids’ area will have free caricature drawings, face painting, magician, vendor stations, photo opportunities with favorite characters and a bubble show.

Register at www.adalynrose.org/upcoming-events.

ARF trains health care professionals, provides immediate resources and remembrance keepsakes in hospitals and ensures families don’t have to navigate

Yoga and more

Several new programs are scheduled at the Wyomissing Public Library, 9 Reading Blvd.

On Monday at 6 p.m., Dr. Sonya Mann-McFarlane, a Higher Education Access Partner, will explain how financial aid through the Pennsylvania Higher Education Assistance Agency works, who it is for, how to apply, what paperwork you need, and more. It is geared toward parents whose children are considering postsecondary education, people who are thinking about continuing their education, guidance counselors and teachers.

The program is free and open to the public. Registration is requested in-person, at www.wyopublib.org or by calling 610-374-2385.

On Thursday at 12:30 pm, yoga teacher Linda Zogas will begin a weekly series of Chair Yoga. The class will meet Thursdays for one hour weekly though Nov. 21. Fee is $96 for the eight weeks or $15 per class. A portion of the fee benefits the Wyomissing Public Library.

Zogas also will be offering a “Release the Week!” yoga class on Fridays from 4:30 to 5:30 p.m. through Nov. 22. No yoga experience is necessary. There is a $96 fee for the eight weeks, or $15 per class. A portion of the fee benefits the Wyomissing Public Library.

Penn State Master Gardener Mary Ellen Mahan will lead a program on Wednesday at 6 p.m. in the library. Ask questions about fall gardening, leaf cleanup, mulching and more. She will offer tips on what to do now to ensure your garden thrives in the spring. The program is free and open to the public, but registration is requested: wplfallgardening.eventbrite.com, or call 610-374-2385.

League of Women Voters

The League of Women Voters of Berks County’s October BCTV program features a discussion about misinformation and disinformation. It will air every Tuesday in October at 9 p.m.

Guests are league executive director Amy Widestrom and Spotlight PA reporter Kate Huangpu.

On a daily basis, Americans are bombarded by information, but what are we to believe? The program focuses on the many questions surrounding this issue.

The program is available streaming at www.bctv.org or on YouTube at www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLjuI03soTP4EUm_7lawBYq81L4Sjr2sgp

Beer and wine

The ninth Annual Carsonia Craft Beer and Wine Festival will be held Saturday, Oct. 12, from noon to 4 p.m. at the Reading Liederkranz, 143 Spook Lane, Lower Alsace Township.

There will be a cornhole tournament at 10 a.m.

Tickets available at www.antietamvalley.org/events/9th-annual-carsonia-craft-beer-and-wine-amusement

Pastries for sale

St. John’s Lutheran Church, 99 Church St., Hamburg, is selling apple dumplings and sticky buns Friday, Oct. 18, from 4 to 6 p.m. and Saturday, Oct. 19, from 9 to 11 a.m.  Dumplings are $4.50 each and available with sugar or sugar free. Sticky buns are $4.50 per half-dozen plain. Buns with raisins or nuts cost $5.Call 610-562-4440 or 610-562-4025 to order by Oct. 11.

Send items to [email protected].