The Ginkgo biloba in front of our home lost the last of its leaves this week. The golden fan-shaped leaves created a beautiful makeshift blanket covering our sidewalk.

This week celebrates the one-year anniversary of the Lancaster Loop. I’m grateful for all four seasons and all of the good I’ve experienced over the past 52 weeks. Thank you for joining me in building this community and sharing in all the good Lancaster has to offer. Cheers to the first year of Loopin’.

See ya ’round the county!

-Ed (connect on LinkedIn)

This week’s cover is by artist Annelise Vuono, and it’s a big one: a 14' x 17' mural for Reist Popcorn at their Manheim Street location in Mount Joy. The new mural pays tribute to the original mural in the same spot. Annelise grew up in Lancaster and loved the original mural as a kid. See more of Annelise’s work on Instagram.

Let’s share a bowl of soup…

I’m aiming to share the soup recipes in the December 1st newsletter. If you have a favorite fall/winter soup recipe, consider adding yours below.

take my grammy’s 3×5 recipe and let’s slurp

Seventy-five films. Fifteen countries. Four days. Three theaters.

No passport needed.

The Red Rose Film Festival launches its 7^th year this Thursday. It’s a homegrown nonprofit working to bring the world’s indie films to Lancaster and put Lancaster on the map for filmmakers.

This year’s theme is Global Perspectives, Local Impact.

There are features, docs, shorts, and a whole lineup from student filmmakers. Somebody’s first film is playing here. One of your neighbor’s films is playing here.

Hyperlocal pick: Lancaster’s Best Chef: The Nathan Flaim Documentary by Logan Tremellen

The Kickoff | Thursday 530p
Welcome Party at Zoetropolis Stillhouse. They’ll screen DEI, last year’s Best Short winner.

The Freebie | Friday 7p
No Dogs or Italians Allowed, a documentary at West Art. Free, but reserve your seat.

The Red Carpet | Saturday 6p
Awards Night in the Penn Cinema IMAX. Doors open at 530p. $15 in advance, $20 at the door.

Popcorn is non-negotiable.

grab tix for any showing

The Red Rose Film Festival is giving away tickets to some Loopers. Big thanks to Ryan Shank and the RRFF crew for the gift.

Here’s how it works:

📍 Vote in the poll - right or wrong you can still win
📍 I’ll pull 30 names and email them tonight at 8p.
📍 First 3 readers to reply win tickets.
📍 2 winners for a pair of tickets to the Welcome Party @ Zoetropolis 11/12
📍 1 winner for a pair of tickets to the Awards Ceremony @ Penn Cinema 11/14

WIN FREE TICKETS: 👇

Sieggy hit over 5,100 runs in week one. His little hotdog lookin’ legs are whupped. Big thanks to Brandon from Growth-ish for sponsoring the game and backing something fun and homegrown.

Luke held the top spot for a long stretch at 7,594…then Karina came hopping and ducking back to grab first place yesterday with a high score of 9,307!

She wins a $100 gift card to Cabalar, plus $100 donated to her choice of animal charity in her name. Sieggy is patiently waiting on his burger scraps.

We’ll run this again. Week two is for full bragging rights.

Can you unseat Karina as the reigning Sieggy champ?

play.lancloop.com

put five cards in order from shortest to tallest

support local businesses by solving clues and winning prizes

This is the Loop’s 52nd edition.

52 Tuesdays at 7:17 am. 52 emails sent from a guy working to build a community. Thankfully, there are a ton of folks also working to build good here in Lancaster.

In ten days, ExtraGive kicks off on Friday, November 20th. One day when all of Lancaster County gives together. Spend this next week looking over the list. Find one or 52 that light you up and give to a great cause.

I picked 52 local nonprofits in celebration of every week I’ve hit ‘publish’ on the newsletter.

If the Loop has earned a spot in your inbox this year, consider giving $7.17 to a few different orgs. Some of ExtraGive’s bonus money goes to the orgs with the most donors, not just the most dollars. So, your $7.17 will help increase those organizations’ donor count list and maybe receive some extra funding!

I’d never rank them, so here they are from A to almost Z…

1. A Week Away Foundation – a week of rest for families facing illness
2. Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay – I grew up on the Bay
3. ASSETS Lancaster – backing local dreamers & doers
4. Attollo – helping students achieve their dreams
5. Big Brothers Big Sisters – a good org to jump off a roof with
6. Bright Side Opportunities Center – kids = change
7. Chestnut Housing – a safe roof over every family's head
8. Conestoga River Club – PA's River of the Year
9. Conestoga Valley SEEDS – CV neighbors helping neighbors
10. Discovering Paths Mentoring – mentoring the next gen
11. Girl Scouts Heart of PA – I have 2 sisters who are Gold Awardees
12. Girls on the Run – move your body > screens
13. Historic Rock Ford – so many good events
14. Hourglass – I got to speak here last week
15. Immigreat Lancaster – helping refugee neighbors build careers here
16. Junior League of Lancaster – women leaders creating change
17. Kathy's Circle of Friends – work for neighbors of every ability
18. Lafayette Fire Company – hey Suzi 👋
19. Lancaster Clean Water Fund – local streams stay clean
20. Lancaster Conservancy – I belong in the woods
21. Lancaster County Art Association – where artists find their people
22. Lancaster County Career & Tech – I want to learn how to weld
23. Lancaster Downtowners – retire in place and stay active
24. Lancaster Farm Sanctuary – Jude & friends deserve some dollars
25. Lancaster Farmland Trust – farms are rad
26. LancasterHistory – the county’s attic & tales
27. Lancaster Hub – food, clothing, & dignity
28. Lancaster Improv Players – life is better when laughing
29. Lancaster Symphony Orchestra – turn the strings up
30. Landis Valley Village & Farm Museum – PA Dutch history
31. Leadership Lancaster – building the leaders who build Lancaster
32. Long's Park Amphitheater Foundation – summer concerts
33. Meals on Wheels of Lancaster – I used to deliver with my mom
34. PA College of Art & Design – makers of beauty
35. PA Dutch Council, Scouting America – Eagle Scout here
36. PA Guild of Craftsmen – learn to make something
37. PA Immigration Resource Center – supporting immigrant neighbors
38. PSPCA Lancaster Center – animals looking for love
39. Pet Pantry of Lancaster County – keeping pets in homes
40. Prima Theatre – bold new local plays
41. Red Rose Film Festival – indie films shown right here
42. RegenAll – Lanc climate solutions
43. Rocky Springs Carousel Assoc. – spin the Stoner Carousel
44. SCORE Susquehanna Valley – mentors for local entrepreneurs
45. Special Olympics Lancaster Co – athletes of every level
46. The Common Wheel – bikes > cars
47. The Edible Classroom – dirt don’t hurt
48. The Stone Independent School – small school with big ideas
49. Ware Center for the Arts – arts for all
50. Wolf Sanctuary of PA – wolf neighbors
51. YMCA of the Roses – the pool, the gym, the kids
52. YWCA Lancaster – supporting survivors

Give $7.17, $71.70, $717, or whatever you can.

find all the orgs here

Quick… Your in-laws are coming…

Whatever holiday you celebrate, someone’s headed to your house this season.
(Unless you’re a takeout-and-Netflix family. No judgment. Respect.)

For everyone else, the house is about to get looked at. That leaky faucet. The door that won’t quite close. The guest bathroom you’ve been apologizing for since 2019.

Or maybe the whole kitchen is calling your name. “Reeeeeplace meeee,” whisper your old cabinets. (Note: If your cabinets are actually talking to you, that’s a different kind of call)

Kitchens, basements, bathrooms, additions, and commercial builds: Roy Byler and the crew at Byler Build are ready.

His craftsmanship silences your father-in-law’s bathroom review.
The dry turkey’s still on you.

Call or text Roy: 717-404-5910

This is edition #52. One year of the Loop.

The first edition went out on November 18th, 2025, to exactly 6 inboxes. (Hiya, Mom!) Today, it’s landing in more than 16,000.

Many Loopers have already contributed this past year. Every dollar goes straight back into growing this community.

Help this one-candle cake grow toward a second candle and our 104^th edition.

Contribute to the Loop

Here are some clues: This week I’m standing where the apples outnumber the people. More than 15 varieties grow here. This fall we snagged apples, pumpkins, and raspberries. Pro tip: you can find a s’mores panini here. Yes, I said a s’mores panini.