Together with Fontana Candle Company
Last night over a hundred and twenty folks braved turning their phones in and sitting by candlelight. Connecting with new friends and old. The first phone-free event at Our Town Brewery filled me with all the feels of what makes Lancaster so beautiful. I enjoyed meeting so many of you and look forward to hosting another event like this soon.
Bonus: Last night I met two Lancaster Dinner Club guests happily dating each other after meeting at the Loop events. Wow. Such a neat outcome of neighbors meeting neighbors. And it mirrors all the people who comment that they met their spouse on the original “Loop” back in the 60s, 70s, and 80s. Cheers to both of you & thanks for sharing your story with me!
See ya ‘round the county…
-Ed (connect on LinkedIn)
Today’s cover art is by returning artist, Tatiana Tisdale. In the spirit of last night’s inaugural Our Town Unplugged event, she sketched the Our Town Brewery building. Tatiana is a local artist creating beauty in the city and supporting businesses with their social media. Connect with her on Instagram.
Unlawn Your Lawn
Turn Your Lawn Into a Meadow (free plants galore)
Ready to mow less and watch more flowers bloom? The Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay PA’s office has a DIY lawn conversion program. It’s available to folks in York, Lancaster, and Lebanon counties and swaps turfgrass for a native mini meadow. They'll supply the plants for free; you supply the patch o’ yard.
There are two ways to join: go big with free native seed for areas up to 5,000 square feet or start small with 100 free plant plugs for a micro-meadow about the size of a parking space. You'll need a sunny, mowed patch of lawn and the willingness to snap before-and-after photos…cc me on the pics!
The plug option is capped at 25 registrations, so decide and get to planting!
LOOPER LOCAL LEARNINGS
RegenAll Community Meetings
Get Paid $25 to Help Plan Lancaster's Future (no, really)
The Loop poll last week showed an overwhelming majority of you want to pool our collective good to support local nonprofits.
Since then, two neat opps have crossed my desk.
RegenAll is building a Community Resilience Plan for Lancaster County. A shared vision for what our farms, lands, and neighborhoods should look like by 2040. A quick baker’s dozen years away.
RegenAll is going on the road with five workshops across the county. The final meetup will be a Climate Summit at Hoffer Farms in November.
The next meeting is: Energy Independence on Monday, August 18, 830–1130a at the SECA Building in Quarryville. Think lower utility bills through locally-sourced energy. Then comes Food Security in Bird in Hand (Sept 8), Ecological Regeneration at Columbia Crossing (Sept 23), Carbon Neutrality at the Lancaster Chamber (Oct 14), and Thriving Communities in Ephrata (Oct 27). attend one
Here’s the fun part: attend a workshop in person, complete the short survey after, and RegenAll emails you a $25 gift card (one per person, first workshop attended only).
And here’s where we get to tie in the Loop community. I’m building a way for us to pool those $25 cards into something bigger…a Loop collective giving effort I’m launching called…
The Looper FUNd
Full details in next week’s newsletter. For now, just do two things: sign up for a workshop and hold on to that gift card.
RegenAll’s aim is sharp…nobody understands Lancaster better than the people who actually live and work here.
I happen to agree. Pick a RegenAll session (or a several) and let’s increase our impact.
Where should the first Looper FUNd gift go?
Rewrite Your Story
The second opp landing on my desk builds on the 97.45% of you who voted in favor of showcasing some ways in which the Loop community could impact local nonprofits.
This week an upcoming event landed on my radar. Monday, October 5, Tenfold and Peaceful Homes Property Management are taking over Decades (530–830p) to kick off fundraising for a new program called Rewrite Your Story, and I think it's worth our attention.
Peaceful Homes teamed up with Tenfold and built a four-week financial literacy course for folks here in Lancaster County. Graduates walk away with real-life skills, a completed budget, and a plan. And participating landlords and property managers will actually reward graduates with lower credit score requirements, smaller deposits, or waived application fees.
My fave part of the Loop is finding local businesses working to solve local problems and support local people.
Your ticket to the event at Decades covers dinner, two drink tickets, and entry into raffles stocked by Lancaster locals like Fontana Candle (shoutout to this week’s Loop sponsor) and Lancaster Cast Iron.
If your business wants to get behind this in an even bigger way, sponsorship packages are available. Connect with friend of the Loop Alex @ [email protected]
Many thanks to Fontana Candle Company for lighting up this week's newsletter. This Lancaster crew makes clean-burning candles from beeswax and essential oils, and nothing else. No mystery ingredients, no weird smells, just cozy and clean. Treat your nose and support a local business doing it right.
Fontana was an inaugural sponsor for last night’s Our Town Unplugged with 120+ guests. I can’t wait to see some of the film pics with the room lit up in Fontana candles!
The 5Ws of Lancaster
Featured Events
August 15-16 The 52nd Annual Mount Gretna Outdoor Art Show 9-6p 200 exhibitors with a gourmet food court plus kids art show
August 15 - Oct 25 Opening Weekend at PA Ren Faire - Proof: A Boozy Experience @ Mount Hope Estate 21+ interactive tasting show filled with humor, puns, and audience participation five cocktail shots
Thru August 16 Cirque de Paris @ Tanger Outlets. 162 of you voted last week 87 had never been and 75 wanted to go back! Many thanks to Tomi with Cirque de Paris who gifted 16 tickets to readers. 4 winners each received 4 tickets with many choosing to take their grandkids. I’ll include some photos next week. Attend a show thru Sunday
Plan Ahead
October 9 JOIN ME JUMPING OFF A ROOF- Over the Edge with Big Brothers Big Sisters @ Mid Penn Bank on 2nd St in Harrisburg- Harness up & rappel down 18-stories to raise money for BBBS of South-Central PA donate or join the Looper team with David, Melissa, and whoa…a guy who clearly needs to raise some money
Tuesday August 11th
Outdoor Movie: Johnny Tremain @ Historic Rock Ford 8-10p bring a chair or blanket for some ground time under the stars watching this 1957 live action Disney flick with some pre-movie live fife & drum music
Wednesday August 12th
Flourish Makers Market @ Kissel Valley Farm 6-9p shop, sip, and sunset local - ticket includes build-your-own bouquet, a charcuterie cup, live music, and a puppy snuggle station
Stealing the Bones of George Washington @ Sehner-Ellicott-von Hess House 6-8p story of a thief after president number one’s skull
Pops with Cops @ Locust Street Park Gazebo Columbia 1030-1130a learn about what police do, explore a cruiser, and enjoy a free popsicle
Thursday August 13th
Professional Development Series @ Attollo 4-5p Dana Hanchin delivers convo on affordable housing and building communities where everyone belongs
Derek Henry music @ Harvest Seasonal Grill 6-8p farm to table grub with jams
Friday August 14th
Central PA Sushi Meetup @ Hills to Sea 630-830p join the meetup and pay your own way mango sticky rice
Celebrate Lancaster Block Party @ N. Queen St Downtown 11-9p dozens of food trucks, vendors, live music, beer garden, and kid zone at this annual celebration
Saturday August 15th
Where the Light Finds Us @ Spooky Nook 6-8p join Spooky Nook Catalyst Dance Co for a dance performance of healing, hope, and quiet ways of self
Let’s Roll Opening Celebration @ Marietta 9-12p breakfast food truck, Philly Water Ice, test rides, and rail trail access
Pokemon PLAY! Tournament @ MVP Sports & Games 12-3p pokéman tcg play
Beginner Stained Glass @ PA Guild 930-4p (tmrw too) learn tools and techniques of the copper foil method and take home your art
Vegan BBQ @ Raney Cellars Brewing 1-4p by Southern Fried Vegan with fried chickun, mac n cheeze, beyond burgers, totchos, and more
Dirt Drags on the Farm @ Elizabethtown 830a bring a lawn chair and watch trucks run some drag races on a dirt strip
Exploring Beginner Astronomy @ Clark Nature Preserve 830-1130p learn some planets and constellations with astronomical instruments hercules cluster
Ferns & Flowers of Summer @ Ferncliff Wildlife & Wildflower Preserve 9-11a 2-mile walk along a creek and identify plants in an old-growth shaded and cool forest
Sunday August 16th
36th British & Classic European Vehicle Car Show @ Sylvan B Fisher Township Park 10-2p food trucks, rain or shine, and awards in a variety of car categories
Toy Story Paint Night @ Southern Market 3-4p any age welcome for guided painting with professional artist
Wrestle Party 360 @ Tellus 3p drink, party, & wrestle but not actually wrestle like watch other people wrestle
18th Century Fashion Symposium @ Historic Rock Ford 2-7p see a really old dress, catered dinner and catch a lecture evolution of dress
Open Air Jam Session @ West Art with Cathedral of Funk 2-4p jams on the patio
Cars & Coffee @ Urban Werks 9-11a every model welcomed hot dead plant juice provided
Dragon & Faerie Con @ DoubleTree Resort 10-6p fantasy event with merchants, quests, workshops, and mythic beings
Monday August 17th
Lancaster Community Gospel Choir rehearsals @ Bright Side Baptist Church 6-830p never sang or always sang show up and raise your voice
Infamous Unstoppables Drill Team & Drum Squad @ The Mix 6-8p recruiting new members ages 6+ for drill and 20+ for drum squad
The Loop is independently and locally written by a guy who 💚s Lancaster. All support is welcome - the biggest compliment is forwarding this email to a friend & asking them to subscribe. -Ed
📣YELL at the Loop (or tell me something on your mind)
LOOPER EVENTS
NEXT DINNER CLUB: September 17th
I didn’t launch the Dinner Club for love, but who am I to stand in the way of what hearts do when neighbors meet neighbors?! Join us for the next one and enjoy a table of five rad strangers who might just become a new friend.
Side Quest: Currently seeking someone to make a “Looper: Dinner Club” button or pin. It’ll help us identify each other at the afterparty. Know anyone who could help me make some buttons? Send ‘em my way…and then join us at dinner for your free merch!
MAHJONG Open Play
Join me and Danielle from The 717 Mahj Circle for Mahjong open play from 6-9p at West Art on September 1st.
Danielle will be there to answer questions and offer support as you play at your own pace.
It’s also ‘Old Time Jam’ night at West Art so enjoy the free string jams as you move your tiles.
Where’s Wal’Ed’o?
Last week’s location was at West Art in Lancaster City. The lettering behind me was their “City Hall” - the name of their main venue room where the biggest gatherings happen. From Square Dancing to Live Music to Markets, West Art welcomes everyone to this neighborhood gem. The living room of Lancaster.
Carole Kirchner is the winner having guessed correctly. Enjoy a whole month of West Art’s Mug Club. This allows you to have unlimited drip coffee all-day long and the mug to drink it from. Check your email for details.
Know a local shop you’d love to see featured in Where’s Wal’Ed’o? - shoot me a reply or an introduction to the owner. Feel free to forward this email to them as a starter.
👇 Click the pic to guess this week’s “Where’s Wal’Ed’o?” location 👇
Click the pic to guess and win
Here’s a clue: This week I found myself in a newer business venture in Lancaster.
Founded by husband and wife duo, Julien and Flo. Not only do they supply some of your fave Lancaster restaurants and chefs with fresh greens, they also have subscriptions for home-based enjoyment. And as evidence of the yumminess, this kiddo crew of four ate a full cutting in-store and another cutting to go…kids eating veggies without prompting = dad wins
Where am I? (feel free to google it)
As always thanks for staying… in the ‘Loop! -Ed
P.S. Property Peek
$350,000 | 3 Bed | 3 Bath | 2-unit in the city - first floor is a fully operational salon and the upper two floors make a 3/2 dibs on free scalp massages
P.P.S. If you enjoyed today’s newsletter, forward it to a friend who would geek to go to the next Our Town Unplugged and know their phone will sit lonely wondering where its human is on a table with 70+ other phones while you unplug with friends
P.P.P.R. The ‘R’ stands for randomness; This Olympic gold-medal winner went to McCaskey, worked for Armstrong, and died in 1996. He also won 12 NCAA gold medals while attending Penn State who was he?