Penn Manor townlively.com
SEPTEMBER 29, 2021
SERVING THE LOCAL COMMUNITIES SINCE 1954
VOL LVIII • NO 23
Celebrating The Scary (And Hairy) Albatwitch will celebrate this unique part of Columbia’s history at the eighth If you’re ever driving down the annual Albatwitch Festival. The road in the early hours of the morn- event will begin at 11 a.m. on Saturing and you see a small, manlike day, Oct. 9, at Columbia Crossing creature peeking out of the woods, River Trails Center, 41 Walnut St. Fisher got the idea for the event don’t worry. It’s just the albatwitch. Sightings of “Albie” have been after visiting the Mothman Festival reported for years, and there are in West Virginia. “I came back and newspaper accounts going back said, ‘Wouldn’t it be neat to have more than a century of groups something like this in Columbia?’” searching for the creature, said Chris he recalled. Vera and Fisher thought Vera. Vera, along with Rick Fisher, the albatwitch, a sort of “baby Bigfoot,” would make the perfect subject for a festival. Each year, the festival has grown, Vera said. The event will feature live music, more than 40 food and artisan vendors, lectures and author visits. Vera will also lead trolley tours that will take groups through town to learn about the albatwitch and Columbia history. Rumor has it that the albatwitch loves apples (his name comes from the phrase “apple snitch”), so trolley riders will also have the opportunity to line up and throw apples into the woods to Chris Vera (left) and Rick Fisher are organizing the annual Albatwitch Festival feed the creature. BY CATHY MOLITORIS
Numerous apple varieties can be picked in the fall in Lancaster County.
Picking Fruit Can Be Berry Ap-peel-ing so they cut out the middleman and invited the consumer to come lthough summer has ended straight to the source. Another theand fall has officially begun, ory is that PYO fields have been there are many outdoor activ- around for as long as farmers have ities offered in Lancaster County. grown more than they can sell at Picking fruit from pick-your-own wholesale or consume on the farm. (PYO) fields is one of them. People Nevertheless, PYO operations have can enjoy the fruits of their labor become a fun and sustainable tradiand take home fresh produce tion that benefits both the farmer straight from the source. PYO oper- and the consumer. Picking produce from a PYO ations are said to have started in the Depression era, when farmers field can provide many benefits. couldn’t afford to pay their pickers, For one, it’s an adventure. People can go by themselves or with friends or family; bring a picnic lunch; get some sun; breathe in the fresh air; and surround themselves with nature. It’s also good for the environment because supporting local farmers promotes sustainability and ecological preservation, which benefits the Earth. The food people pick will likely be fresher than produce from any market and taste even Sunflowers are another crop that may be better. Simply being BY COURTNEY MENGEL
available at PYO fields.
See Albatwitch Festival pg 2
celebrating “Albie” (center).
Start An Autumn Morning With A Harvest Breakfast BY COURTNEY MENGEL
Lancaster Central Market is the oldest public farmers market in the country, and it’s located in the city of Lancaster at 23 N. Market St. Three days a week, more than 60 local vendors sell from their stands in the 1889 Market House. For over 20 years, Lancaster Central Market has hosted an annual Harvest Breakfast event. The breakfast was canceled last year due to the pandemic, but organizers recently announced that it will return.
INSIDE THIS ISSUE “Spooktacular” Organ Concert Planned . . . . . . . .2 Weachter To Display Paintings . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3 Sports . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4 Business Directory . . . . . .6 House Of Worship . . . . . . .7 Classifieds . . . . . . . . . . . .9
See Harvest Breakfast pg 6
Pick Your Own/Ready Picked
• 10+ Varieties Sweet to Tart PYO Hrs. Mon.-Fri. 9-5, Sat. 9-4
& www.cherryhillorchards.com 400 Long Lane at Marticville Rd. (Rts. 741 & 324 S.), Lancaster, PA 17603
717-872-9311
Fall Decorating Asters • Mums • Pansies Veggies • Pumpkins & More HAYRIDES Saturday! OUTLET HOURS MON-SAT. 8-6
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outside can improve a person’s mood, reduce stress, and boost the immune system. “Pick-your-own is an experience,” said Phyllis Shenk, who has worked at Cherry Hill Orchards in Lancaster since 1977. “At first, pick-yourown was a cost-saving measure, but now it’s recreation; it’s that experience of picking my own and eating my own.” In the local area, PYO options are available year round, with crops including cherries, strawberries, peaches, apples, pumpkins, blackberries, and flowers, including sunflowers. Fruits have different ripening dates, and autumn is the prime time for apples. Among the varieties that can be picked locally are McIntosh, early gold, Jonathan, Akane, smokehouse, Fuji, empire, honeycrisp, Cortland, Jonagold, JonaMac, Ida red, Stayman, and York. “People like to know where their food comes from, and they can do that with the pick-your-own field,” stated Corey McCleaf, co-owner of Cherry Hill Orchards.
