Hello neighbors! Summer is officially upon us. I love the sounds of summer - lawn mowers, mourning doves, thunderstorms, airplanes overhead, cicadas, sprinklers, and children laughing and splashing in the pool. Days full of sun and big, white, fluffy clouds followed by nights filled with fireflies remind me of my school-free summers full of play and adventures, with the only thing to worry about was getting home in time for dinner. I think summer brings out the kid in us all so be sure to embrace July and all it offers in the Susquehanna River Valley.
Chock full of festivals
July is chock full of festivals. We have Watsontown United Methodist Church's Blueberry Festival, Lewisburg's Sidewalk Chalk Festival, the Lycoming County Fair, the Sunbury Celebration, Mifflinburg's Blueberries and Bluegrass Festival, Selinsgrove's Antiques on the Avenue (formerly Antiques on the Isle), Danville's Iron Heritage Festival, and the 17th annual Nature and Arts Festival at the Ned Smith Center for Nature and Arts south of Sunbury. Roadtrip suggestion - take a scenic daytrip to attend Eagles Mere's 38th annual summer antique market.
The only thing better than acting like a kid this summer is to be one. July's "Just for Kids" events offer a variety of themed camps at Owens Farms, the Ned Smith Center for Nature and Art, the Packwood House Museum, the Mifflinburg Buggy Museum, plus you'll be amazed at all the events for children hosted by the Lewisburg Area Recreation Authority (LARA). And you won't want to miss Central Oak Height's Acorn Children's Festival. Its 2012 theme, "A World of Friendship," offers live music, crafts, dancing and games.
Sounds of music
More live music resonates throughout the Susquehanna River Valley. Enjoy the summer concerts at Shikellamy State Park, Central Oak Heights, Slifer House Museum or in the towns of Sunbury, Milton, Lewisburg, Selinsgrove, Mifflinburg and Catawissa - you'll find complete listings of concert days and times on our website. Roadtrip suggestion - head up north to Wellsboro and the surrounding area to enjoy their 2-week annual Endless Mountain Music Festival.
Outdoor lovers
If being outside and enjoying our great outdoors is your favorite type of summer fun, July provides you with a plethora of choices. Animal lovers will enjoy the Butterflies and "Dinosaurs Come to Life" exhibits at Clyde Peeling's Reptiland; the wild and exotic animals at T&D Cats of the World, plus our favorite and familiar animals found at Owen's Farm outside of Sunbury.
July showcases the Susquehanna River, offering the "Lewisburg Appetizer Kayak Trip," the "Peace of the Susquehanna Kayak Trip," the "McKees Adventure Guided Recreational Kayak Trip," the "Jewel of the West Branch Kayak Trip," and the Discovery Water Trail explored with the Selinsgrove River Paddle. Outdoor lovers will also enjoy fishing tournaments, the 2012 Bass Classic, the Seven Mountains Audubon Field Trip or a flashlight tour at Lincoln Caverns. Get your "golf on" at any of our amazing regional golf courses (our Golf Brochure can be downloaded from our website) or enter to win Tea-to-Green's annual Long Drive Contest. And if miniature golf is more your style, be sure to enjoy the re-opening of McClure's West Beaver Veterans Memorial Pool's miniature golf course.
History and more
History and heritage lovers can check out the Gutelius House Museum in Mifflinburg and enjoy the many programs offered by the Snyder County Historical Society in Middleburg that include the Civil War commemoration; blacksmiths ("the mechanics of their day")and farriers, and farm life in the 1940s and 1950s. View the Pennsylvania Quilt Exhibit at the Packwood Museum - which also includes "Quiltmaking Through the War Years: 1941-1945" on Saturday, or learn about cloth making at the Fleece to Shawl Demonstration at the Dale Engle Walker House in Lewisburg.
Summer is flying by fast so be sure to get out and enjoy all the fun and excitement the Susquehanna River Valley has to offer.
For more information on all July events in the Susquehanna River Valley go to VisitCentralPA.org; sign up for our weekly e-newsletter; call us at 1-800-525-7320; stop by our visitor center on Route 15, or download our new mobile apps at www.VisitCentralPA.org/ mobile.asp.
(Andrew Miller is the executive director of the Susquehanna River Valley Visitors Bureau.)