Top 5 weekend events: Ashcombe's Holiday Open House, Cumberland County Women's Expo
Celebrate the end of election season - and the end to those political ads - with some local indoor and outdoor events that range from holiday shopping to health care to arts and entertainment.
Ashcombe's Holiday Open House
Visit Ashcombe Farm & Greenhouses at 906 W. Grantham Road, Monroe Township, for its Holiday Open House , which runs from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday. Local craft and artisan vendors will be on site to sell their wares, and the business will also have samples from its bakery and gourmet food departments. Not all vendors will be able to accept credit card, so cash may be beneficial to carry.
For those planning to stick around in that neck of the woods on Sunday, the Willows at Ashcombe Mansion at 1100 Grantham Road will host its Autumn Wonderland Tea , which offers a traditional English tea service. This involves a two-hour reservation at a private table between 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday for a base price of $65.
Cumberland County Women's Expo
The Cumberland County Women's Expo returns to the Carlisle Expo Center at 100 K St., Carlisle, between 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday. The free event is presented by OLP Events and features exhibitors with a focus on beauty, health, wellness, fashion, nutrition, finance, home and technology. Attendees can shop at vendors, learn about products and also enjoy mini spa treatments. The 14th annual event will be the final one in the region this year.
Stevie Nicks tribute
Enjoy live music at the West Shore Theatre in New Cumberland, featuring a Stevie Nicks tribute band, Nicks in Time . The band previously has a sold-out debut at the theater, and the six musicians are back to highlight Nicks' career as both a solo artist and as part of Fleetwood Mac. The show will be at 7 p.m. Friday. Tickets are $20 for high top standard seating or $50 for double booth seating. For those who prefer the music Creedence Clearwater, there will be live entertainment and new arrangements at 7 p.m. Saturday at the theater.
Art across the county
There are plenty of art opportunities this weekend, including a new exhibit at Messiah University and a Fall Community Day at the Trout Gallery at Dickinson College. Messiah will host a reception for its new exhibit, "A Length of Time: A Retrospective of Works by Donald and Christine Forsythe." The reception will run from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. Friday at the High Center. On Saturday from noon to 3 p.m., the Trout Gallery will host its Fall Community Day where there will be artwork made by community members in response to the exhibit, "The Legacy of Two Centuries of Black American Art." The community event is free and open to the public, and activities include a scavenger hunt for children, exhibit tours and a dessert bar.
Bird watching at Thornwald Mansion
Andrew Dapkins, owner and guide of the Bird Guy Tours will continue his free series of bird watching tours at Carlisle Borough parks with a final stop at Thornwald Park at 9 a.m. on Saturday. Dapkins will lead a casual and informative walk through the park for attendees of all ages and levels of birding experience. Registration is not required for the free tour, and attendees should meet at the Bicentennial Road parking lot by the mansion.
For those who don't mind being outdoors this weekend, you can also check out the Camp Michaux Walking Tour at Pine Grove Furnace State Park from 1 to 2:30 p.m. Saturday. Dave Smith will lead the tour of the historic site. This tour costs $10 for Cumberland County Historical Society members, $15 for nonmembers and $5 for school-aged children.
Bonus Event: Veterans Day commemoration
While outside of "the weekend," there will be a number of Veterans Day events occurring on Monday, including a commemoration and concert at the U.S. Army Heritage & Education Center in Middlesex Township. The free event will run from 11 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. and feature U.S. Army War College Commandant Maj. Gen. David Hill deliver remarks. He will be joined by a quintet from the Carlisle Brass Band.
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