First-Ever Pottstown Eco/Vegan Fest Set for May 12

Blogger's Note: The following was provided by the organizers of EcoFest.
Three out of every four Americans are looking to help the environment as they go about their daily lives, according to a 2016 Pew survey. 

They'll get a chance to learn how on May 12 at Pottstown's first EcoFest where the focus will be on lifestyle changes that have the biggest impact. 

The Pottstown EcoFest will be held from noon to 4 p.m., at Smith Family Plaza Park, 100 E. High Street, Pottstown.

Everyone of all ages and outlooks can enjoy shmoozing with chickens and baby goats, test driving an electric scooter, posing with an adoptable dog at the world’s premier BFF kissing booth, plus:

• Dance to live music by Julia Othmer, Caitlin Jaene and Rick Denzien 
• Hear a talk by Christina Pirello, cancer survivor turned Emmy-award- winning chef and host of Christina Cooks 
• Get nutrition advice from Angel Santos, body-builder and organic farmer 
• Enjoy delicious earth-friendly entrees, desserts, and smoothies from nine local businesses. 
• Shop for Mother’s Day (locally-made chocolate, organic flowers, native plants, and more) 
• Make Mom a gift with with Pottstown Art Center’s kids activities 
• Choose from a variety of free saplings courtesy of Bartlett Tree Service 
• Get faces painted for free by Kiwanis Club 
• Earn a cookie from Crust Bakery by watching a video 
• Create a menu of favorite foods from 90 vegan options at the Vegan Challenge 
• Bring pets to a Blessing of the Animals 

The first 250 people to arrive at the EcoFest will receive a free tote bag with environmentally-friendly product and food samples. 

Local businesses and nonprofits will showcase food, products, services, and practices that protect people, animals and the planet. And vendors will set an example of green shopping by selling products made from eco-friendly materials, by using sustainable packaging, and by minimizing, recycling and composting trash. 

Rescue groups will also be there to find loving homes for animals.

Prospective vendors and non-profits can register at www.mobilizationforanimals.org. For more information or to volunteer, call: 267-647-4961 or email mfaevent@yahoo.com.

Doing it Right Downtown

Photo by Evan Brandt

One of Santa's elvish helpers gazes out the window of the Santa House in downtown Pottstown while Maggie McCullagh, 7, of North Coventry, reviews her Christmas list with that jolly old elf. 

Santa came calling to downtown Pottstown yesterday and if his visit wasn't enough to bring out the kid in you, there were enough happy kids to make it worthwhile anyway.

With the rain unwelcoming to his traditional red Corvette, Santa turned to the Pottstown Police Department, who know how to deal with a guy often found prowling around people's living rooms late at night.

The Phillies Fire Co. toasted hot dogs and marshmallows to go along with the hot chocolate they were selling and the ChesMont Jubilaires sang Christmas carols.

The tree was lit, the reindeer too, and other trees were decorated in store windows up and down High Street.

Here's some video from the event:



Or, if you're like me and want to read all about it, you can do so here in the Mercury story we already posted online, the highlight of which is the slideshow of photos taken by veteran Mercury photo chief John Strickler.

And of course, there was Tweeting, there's always Tweeting...

The First First Saturday

The season's first Nostalgia Night will be part of First Saturday

Sure, the economy may be recovering ... a little.

But who can afford to take the family for day out on the town?

Actually, you can.

Because it's free.

This Saturday, starting at 10 a.m., is the first of the warm season's "First Saturday" events, a collection of family fun in downtown Pottstown.

If you're a regular reader of this blog, you already know about the Colonial May Fair that takes place from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Pottsgrove Manor; and the Latin Night, put on by CCLU at Academy Hall that Saturday night.

But that's not the half of it.

Starting at 10 a.m. is the Pottstown Relay for Life's "Paint the Town Purple" event at Smith Plaza, opposite Pottstown Borough Hall, 100 E. High St.

From there you can take a free trolley to the Carousel at Pottstown site, take a look inside to enjoy the progress they're making there, and participate in an "interactive art event."

An "interactive art event" was held at previous First Saturdays

Round the clock entertainment will continue all day at Smith Family Plaza.

They include:

• 12:30 to 1 p.m.: The musical duo of Fiorenza-Dowlin;
• 1:10 to 1:25 p.m.: The stepping squad from The Heart of God Worship Center;
• 1:35 to 1:50 p.m.: The Coventry Christian School Elementary Chorus;
• 1:55 to 2:15 p.m.: The Community Theatre Project will present "Dramatic Scenes."
• 2:20 to 2:50 p.m.: Premiere Performers Competition Team;
• 3 to 3:30 p.m.: The Pottstown High School Jazz Band (Click here see videos of some of their work).

In addition, a variety of performers, artists and other arts and sports organizations will have tables set up to provide information.

Visitors are also asked to bring a non-perishable food item for the Pottstown Cluster of Churches food pantry.

In addition to eating in one of downtown Pottstown's eateries, you can also pick up a treasure at the Community Yard Sale being conducted by the Gallery on High.

From 5 to 9 p.m., the first Classic Car Show of the season will take place on High Street and Hanover Street.

If you can't find something to do in Pottstown this Saturday, you might want to have your pulse checked.

Pottstown Occupied!

POTTSTOWN -- More than 25 people showed up at Smith Family Plaza Thursday evening to be part of a nation-wide protest marking the two-month anniversary of the Occupy Wall Street protests, which have themselves spread across the country and beyond.

Dawn Lehigh Wilson, who helped to organize the event with just 36 hours at hand, said 28 people arrived to protest corporate greed.

"This is about the big corporations selling us out, getting bailed out and not paying the money back," Wilson wrote in a post on Occupy Pottstown's Facebook page.

"If I don't make my car payment, they take my car, if I don't pay my mortgage they take my house, so, why should they get away with it? Because they they can..is it fair?"

"The people I met tonight are far from lazy, you can't find work here," she wrote.

"This is so much more than out of work people, it's about people just being fed up. We cant sit back and do nothing any longer," she wrote.

The event staged Thursday is a preview of sorts to the one planned for Monday, from 4 to 7, at the corner of College Drive and South Hanover Street, the southern entrance to Pottstown.

Monday's event was the subject of an article published in Wednesday's paper which generated quite a bit of comment on-line, some of it directed at yours truly and not all of it terribly civil. (Sadly, that includes some of my responses as I had my dander up. So those fans of civil discourse, I apologize.)

In any case, it remains to be seen what will happen Monday. One way or the other, we'll be there. 

(For the record, we were there Thursday evening as well, but few protesters had arrived by then and we did not have the time or resources to devote to waiting to see what would develop. My thanks to Ms. Wilson for understanding sending the photos posted here for this report.)