Special Events: 2023
All events listed below are subject to change. Please check the museum website and Facebook page for the latest event information.
April 22 & 23–Spring Antique Show & Sawmill Run: Antique vendors selling a wide variety of items; sawmill demonstration on Saturday (ONLY), and birch still and other historic demonstrations all weekend; a cooking demonstration and tasting featuring wild leeks from 11am-1pm both Saturday and Sunday; food available for purchase. On Saturday (ONLY), in celebration of Earth Day, craft activities will take place from 2-4pm.
April 29, 1pm–Arbor Day Book Talk: “Lancaster’s Good Man: John Piersol McCaskey, A Biography:” In 1884, John P. McCaskey organized the first Arbor Day celebrations in Pennsylvania. Join author Dolores Parsil as she explores the life of this beloved educator, politician, editor, and journalist whose love of nature, and belief that children should be exposed to the wonders of the outdoors, helped push legislators to designate a day for the entire state to plant trees.
May 13, 1pm–Book Talk and Signing: “River Boots: A Fish Warden’s Tales of Pennsylvania Fish and Game Law Enforcement:” Join author Robert Lynn “Bob” Steiner for an informative and, at times, belly-laughing look at enforcing laws for the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission. Part career synopsis, part training manual, part history talk, learn about one conservation officer’s slightly twisted view of a quarter century in the business. Copies of the book are available for sale in the museum gift shop and can be signed after the talk.
July 1 & 2–Bark Peelers’ Festival: Our biggest event of the year! Lively special programs, contests, and demonstrations all celebrating “wood hick” skills. Unique food and craft vendors, live music, games at the kid’s corner, operation of our sawmill and birch still, blacksmithing, camp cooking, and chainsaw carving. Visitors are encouraged to compete in the greased pole, log rolling, crosscut saw, and birling competitions to earn the title “Grand Champion Bark-peeler” and the associated cash prizes.
August 4 & 5–History Camp: A hands-on history camp for kids 10 and older. Kids will explore the history of PA’s forests and immerse themselves in the lifestyle of 19th-century “wood hicks” by learning the skills of the trade. On the 2nd day of camp, participants will demonstrate what they have learned at the Cherry Springs State Park Woodsmen Show. Pre-registration is required.
October 7 & 8–Fall Antique Show & Sawmill Run: Antique vendors selling a wide variety of items; sawmill demonstration on Saturday (ONLY), and birch still and historic trade demonstrations all weekend; food available for purchase. Northern PA typically reaches peak fall foliage conditions around this time so the forests surrounding the museum will (hopefully) be displaying some rich and beautiful colors.
October 21, 6:30pm-8:30pm–Spooky Lantern Tours: Join us for a walk through the site by lantern light. Listen to ghost stories and trick-or-treat along the way. Decorate pumpkins, make pinecone birdfeeders, and have some refreshments in the museum program room. Costumes encouraged. Lantern tours are on-going. Ghoulish fun for the whole family.
December 9, 12pm-3pm–Santa in the Shay: Santa will be in the cab of the museum’s Shay locomotive to listen to your holiday requests. Take an instant pic with St. Nick and make a special ornament for your tree. Cookies and hot coco will be served in the museum program room.
PA Lumber Museum- Virtual Programs:
PHMC Monthly Virtual Collections Showcase program
Please join us for the next installment of the What’s in a Theme? – Virtual Collections Showcase. Museum professionals from PHMC’s historic sites and museums will be presenting and discussing objects from their collections that relate to a different shared theme each month. Sites will have 5 minutes to make the case as to why their object best embodies that theme. Then, the audience will vote for their favorite. The winning site will get to host a future episode of this program and select a theme of their choice. Look for PHMC Virtual Collections Showcase programs to happen on a regular basis throughout 2021. And, if you miss the live program be sure to check out the recording on PHMC’s YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL8ZjZK2E6_Ot1vdHpLSkULu3P21iccgH5
Thank you for your support of PHMC, and we look forward to having you join us! Information on upcoming episodes can be found HERE: https://www.phmc.pa.gov/Pages/Events-Calendar-.aspx
