Explore Wellsboro, 2024

Open All Four Seasons!

Open All Four Seasons!

Open All Four Seasons!

Each beautiful lodge offers privacy and serenity for your relaxing stay.

BEAR MEADOWS LODGE

Each of our unique and beautiful lodges offers the privacy and serenity you need for a relaxing stay.

Each of our unique and beautiful lodges offers the privacy and serenity you need for a relaxing stay.

131 MAIN STREET LODGE

131 MAIN STREET LODGE

offers elegant comfort after a hike, kayak or bicycle adventure in Pennsylvania’s Grand Canyon area.

131 MAIN STREET

offers the convenience of Wellsboro’s downtown shops and restaurants as well as the charm that only a circa 1860 home can offer.

offers the convenience of Wellsboro’s downtown shops and restaurants as well as the charm that only a circa 1860 home can offer.

BEAR MOUNTAIN LODGE

offers Wellsboro’s downtown shops and restaurants as well as the charm that only a circa 1860 home can provide.

BEAR MOUNTAIN LODGE

casual elegance and romantic rooms offer the perfect getaway while still being convenient to downtown Wellsboro.

BEAR MOUNTAIN LODGE

casual elegance and romantic rooms offer the perfect getaway while still being convenient to downtown Wellsboro.

BEAR MEADOWS LODGE

BEAR MEADOWS LODGE

romantic rooms and casual elegance offer the perfect Wilds getaway convenient to downtown Wellsboro.

provides elegant comfort after a long day of adventure. Guests may hike, raft, bird or cross country ski the forests near Pennsylvania’s Grand Canyon.

provides elegant comfort after a long day of adventure. Guests may hike, raft, bird or cross country ski the forests near Pennsylvania’s Grand Canyon.

ALLURE WELLNESS SPA

WELLNESS MASSAGE

Deep Tissue • Cupping

Sports • Prenatal

Manual Lymph Drainage

Trigger Point Therapy

Myofascial Release

Craniosacral Therapy

FACIALS

Signature & Customized

RF Skin Tightening & Resurfacing

Explore Wellsboro

Editors & PublishErs

Teresa Banik Capuzzo

Michael Capuzzo

AssociAtE Editor & PublishEr

Lilace Mellin Guignard

AssociAtE PublishEr

George Bochetto

Art dirEctor

Wade Spencer

Accounting

Amy Packard

contributing WritErs

Anne Alexander, Chris Espenshade, Jimmy Guignard, Don Knaus, Karin Knaus, Gayle Morrow, Janice L. Ogurcak, Kelly Stemkosky, Carolyn Straneire

contributing PhotogrAPhErs

Robert Blair, Bernadette Chiaramonte, Jimmy Guignard, Don Kelly, Gayle Morrow, Jason Robson, Linda Stager, Matt Stevens, Carolyn Straniere, Curt Weinhold

sAlEs rEPrEsEntAtivEs

Shelly Moore, Amy Woodbury

distribution

Michael Banik

thE bEAglE

Nano Cosmo (1996-2014) Yogi (2004-2018)

Explore Wellsboro is published by Beagle Media, LLC, 39 Water Street, Wellsboro, PA 16901, in partnership with the Wellsboro Area Chamber of Commerce. Copyright © 2024 Beagle Media, LLC. All rights reserved. E-mail info@mountainhomemag. com, or call (570) 724-3838. Explore Wellsboro is distributed at hundreds of locations in Tioga, Potter, Bradford, Lycoming, Union, and Clinton counties in PA and Steuben, Chemung, Schuyler, Yates, Seneca, Tioga, and Ontario counties in NY. 12,000 copies are delivered to PA On Display to be distributed to welcome centers across the state.

Wellsboro welcomes you to the home of the Pennsylvania Grand Canyon, where you can find recreation and amusements all year long. Festivals, fairs, performances, and sporting events will keep you entertained in every season. Our natural beauty beckons year-round. Ospreys arrive in March to announce spring, followed by the mountain laurel ushering in summer. Waterfalls tumble into Pine Creek and through the gorge. Trails and lakes entice fishers and hikers whatever the temperature. Outdoor activities also include rafting, kayaking, canoeing, stand up paddleboarding, cycling, cross country skiing, and birdwatching. Whether you’re looking for an adventure or a chance to unwind, Wellsboro has what you want.

Enjoy our downtown district’s unique shopping and dining experiences with the friendliest people imaginable. From brewery to bookstore, and creamery to country club, our independent businesses will delight. Explore our many state parks and recreational areas. The PA State Laurel Festival Parade and Arts Fair, Endless Mountain Music Festival, Dickens of a Christmas, and Christmas on Main Street are a few of our annual celebrations.

Any time is a good time to visit Wellsboro. Contact us at the Wellsboro Chamber of Commerce, and we’ll be happy to help get your stay with us started.

We welcome you to Explore Wellsboro!

Julie Henry Executive Director

Wellsboro Area Chamber of Commerce (570) 724-1926

info@wellsboropa.com wellsboropa.com

Pine Creek rail Trail

FesTivals & evenTs

June 1

God’s Country Marathon Potter County rungcm.com

June 8-16

PA State Laurel Festival (see pages 18-19)

June 8 & 9

Rattlesnake Roundup Morris Twp Fire Company, Morris morrisfire.org

June 22

Tioga County Pride Event Coolidge Theatre, Deane Center

June 28 & 29

Waste Management’s Susquehannock Pro Trail Rally stpr.org

July 5 • 5 p.m. - 9 p.m.

Wellsboro First Fridays Downtown Wellsboro

July 5 & 6 • 9 p.m.

Cocaine Werewolf World Premiere Arcadia Theatre, Wellsboro

July 5 & 6

Galeton’s Independence Day Celebration John J. Collins Park, Centertown, Galeton

July 5-7 • Various times

Hamilton-Gibson Productions Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat Straughn Auditorium, Mansfield hamiltongibson.org

July 6 & 7 • 9 a.m. - 5 p.m.

Bark Peelers’ Festival Pennsylvania Lumber Museum, Ulysses Twp lumbermuseum.org

July 12 • 6 p.m. - 8 p.m.

Free Concert: The Ruta Beggars Deane Center Outdoor Stage deanecenter.com

July 19 • 7:00 p.m.

Opening Night Orchestral Fireworks

Endless Mountain Music Festival Steadman Theatre, Mansfield University

July 19-August 4

Endless Mountain Music Festival Multiple Locations endlessmountain.net

July 21 • 2:30 p.m.

Endless Mountain Music Festival

Neil Diamond to Funk free concert Wellsboro High School Auditorium

July 24 • 6:00 p.m.

Endless Mountain Music Festival

Free Concert on the Porch Green Free Library, 134 Main St., Wellsboro

July 25-28

Eastern Traditional Archery Rendezvous

Ski Sawmill Family Resort, Morris archeryfestivals.com/etar

July 26 • 6 p.m. - 8 p.m.

Free Concert: Drowsy Maggie

Deane Center Outdoor Stage deanecenter.com

August 2 • 5 p.m. - 9 p.m.

Wellsboro First Fridays Downtown Wellsboro

August 2 • 6 p.m. - 8 p.m.

Free Concert: The Hey! Makers

Deane Center Outdoor Stage deanecenter.com

August 5-10

Tioga County Fair Tioga County Fairgrounds tiogacountyfair.com

August 8-11 • Various times

Hamilton-Gibson Productions Puffs Warehouse Theatre, Wellsboro hamiltongibson.org

August 9 • 6 p.m. - 8 p.m.

Free Concert: The Wildwoods Deane Center Outdoor Stage deanecenter.com

August 10 • 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.

Wellsboro Comic Con Downtown Wellsboro wellsborocomiccon.com

August 13 • 5:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.

18th Grand Slam Parade and Festival Downtown Williamsport

August 14-25

Little League Baseball World Series Williamsport

August 15-17

Tioga Old Home Days Tioga tiogaoldhomeday.com

August 16 • 6 p.m. - 8 p.m.

Free Concert: Logan Route Deane Center Outdoor Stage deanecenter.com

August 23 • 6 p.m. - 8 p.m.

Free Concert: Cold Chocolate Deane Center Outdoor Stage deanecenter.com

August 31

Morris Old Home Days

Morris Twp Fire Company morrisfire.org

September 1 & 2

Morris Old Home Days

Morris Twp Fire Company morrisfire.org

September 6 • 5 p.m. - 9 p.m.

Wellsboro First Fridays Downtown Wellsboro

September 7

Pine Creek Challenge

1551 Marsh Creek Road, Wellsboro sites.google.com/site/pinecreekchallengepa

September 7 • 7:30 p.m.

Hamilton-Gibson Productions

Broadway Under the Stars

Stony Fork Creek Campground hamiltongibson.org

September 14 • 12 p.m. - 9 p.m.

Liberty Fall Festival Blockhouse Rd/Old Rte 15, Liberty

September 21 • 9:30 a.m.

Step Outdoors Tryathlon

Hills Creek State Park stepoutdoors.org

FesTivals & evenTs

October 4 • 5 p.m. - 9 p.m.

Wellsboro First Fridays Downtown Wellsboro

October 12

Trail Challenge Ives Run Recreational Area stepoutdoors.org

October 13

The Green Monster Trail Challenge 176 Straight Run Road, Wellsboro sites.google.com/site/ greenmonstertrailchallengepa

October 25-27

Hamilton-Gibson Productions Night of the Living Dead Warehouse Theatre, Wellsboro hamiltongibson.org

October dates TBD

Community Wide Yard Sales Downtown Wellsboro

October 31

Halloween Parade

Trick-or-Treating to follow Downtown Wellsboro

November 1 & 2

Hamilton-Gibson Productions Night of the Living Dead Warehouse Theatre, Wellsboro hamiltongibson.org

November 2

UPMC Halloween Path UPMC Wellsboro Hospital

All events are tentative and subject to change. Call (570) 724-1926 or check website listed with each event to confirm.

FesTivals & evenTs

December 7 • All Day

Dickens of a Christmas Downtown Wellsboro wellsboropa.org

December 7 & 8 • Various times

Hamilton-Gibson Productions A Christmas Carol Warehouse Theatre and Coolidge Theatre, Wellsboro hamiltongibson.com

December 10-15

Christmas on Main Street Downtown Wellsboro wellsborochristmasonmainstreet.com

December 12-14 • 7:30 p.m.

Hamilton-Gibson Productions Holiday Cabaret Warehouse Theatre, Wellsboro, hamiltongibson.org

December 15 • 2:30 p.m.

Messiah Community Sing

St. Paul’s Episcopal Church hamiltongibson.org

January 18

Step Outdoors Winterfest

Hills Creek State Park stepoutdoors.org

February 7-9

Wellsboro Winter Celebration Downtown Wellsboro wellsboropa.org

February 9 • 9 a.m.

Mount Tom Challenge

Darling Run Trailhead sites.google.com/site/mttomchallenge/home

February 14, 15, 16, 21 & 22

Hamilton-Gibson Productions Miss Holmes Returns hamiltongibson.org

May 2 • 5 p.m. - 9 p.m.

Wellsboro First Fridays Downtown Wellsboro

May 18

Step Outdoors Springfest

Hills Creek State Park stepoutdoors.org

May 23 & 24

Blossburg Coal Festival Blossburg

May 23-25

Corning GlassFest Downtown Corning

May dates TBD

Mammoth Endurance Gravel

May dates TBD

Community Wide Yard Sales Downtown Wellsboro

May date TBD Canyon Man 100 Burnin’ Barrel, Wellsboro

All events are tentative and subject to change. Call (570) 724-1926 or check website listed with each event to confirm.

Find your Festival

FAMILY DAY AND CHILDREN’S HEALTH FAIR

Start off the week of Laurel Festival with this popular family day, Saturday, June 8, on the Green, from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Community businesses and organizations provide fun-filled family-focused information. Kids will have opportunities to create interesting take-home projects and learn how to safely enjoy warm weather activities like bike riding and water sports.

LAUREL FESTIVAL CONCERT SERIES

Enjoy live music every evening at various locations through the borough, Monday through Thursday, June 10 through 13. The week of Laurel Festival is a chance for a host of impressive local talent to shine as they entertain you with their best oldies, country & western, blues, and rock-n-roll.

LAUREL FESTIVAL 10K FOOT RACE

If you’ve been thinking about trying your skills and stamina in a race, this is a great time to see if your sneakers have wings. The course is a mix of terrains and surfaces, with great views as another benefit. What better time than now to start training? For the not-sure-I’m-quite-ready-for-that crowd, there is a two-mile fun run, with all participants guaranteed a commemorative ribbon. The 10K is on Saturday, June 15, with runners leaving from Packer Park at 9 a.m. Course maps and registration information are available from the Wellsboro Area Chamber of Commerce.

PENNSYLVANIA STATE LAUREL FESTIVAL PARADE

Save the date of June 15 for a welcome sight—high school marching bands, bagpipers, Mummers, fire trucks, and floats overflowing with fun, creativity, and Laurel Queen candidates. The parade starts at 2 p.m. at the high school, meanders down Queen Street to Main Street, then travels west to the judges’ stand in front of the Tioga County Courthouse.

ARTS & CRAFTS FAIR

A crowd-pleasing favorite, the Arts & Crafts Fair on the Green brings back your favorite vendors and new vendors alike. The juried event showcases award-winning artists and artisans. Stroll the Green and look for an outstanding and eclectic mix of old and new handcrafted favorites including art, jewelry, home décor, furniture, accessories, caricatures, and locally designed, unique-each-year Laurel Festival apparel. Grab a bite at the International Street of Foods where food vendors offer fresh strawberry shortcake, freshsqueezed lemonade, gyros, hot sausage sandwiches, french fries, and kettle corn. All found on the Green Friday, June 14, from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., and Saturday, June 15, from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.

DICKENS OF A CHRISTMAS

For about forty years, if all Wellsborians have been good (and they always have been), on the first Saturday in December Wellsboro’s downtown transforms itself into a Victorian wonderland. Everything from apple dumplings and crab cakes to handwrought Christmas decorations. The streets are full of music, impromptu theater, and plenty of holiday cheer. Come as you are or dress the Victorian part and enter the Dickens Costume Contest. Parking is available at various lots throughout the downtown, and shuttle service is offered. A schedule of events will be available on Dickens Saturday, December 7.

CHRISTMAS ON MAIN STREET

The second weekend in December is the Ninth Annual Christmas on Main Street. This year, Tuesday through Sunday, December 10 to 15, you can experience hometown shopping at its finest. The Shiny Brite vintage Corning glass ornaments made here in Wellsboro during World War II will be on display at downtown businesses. Shoppers can purchase a passport/guidebook, with stamped passport holders eligible to win a grand prize. See why Wellsboro is “the town that saved Christmas!”

WINTER CELEBRATION

By the time February rolls around, even Cupid needs a weekend away. The Winter Celebration February 8, 2025, is a delightful mid-winter break full of music, shopping, pots of homemade chili to sample and vote on (which comes with a chance for chocolate and an opportunity to raise money for Second Chance Animal Sanctuaries), and ice carving—all guaranteed to lift your spirits out of their chilly slump.

For the most up-to-date information on festivals and events, visit wellsboropa.com or call the Wellsboro Area Chamber of Commerce at (570) 724-1926.

The Potter-Tioga Visitors Center welcomes you to Potter & Tioga counties! Our knowledgeable staff are here to assist you with any information you may need. We’re happy to help with maps and directions, itineraries, trail guides, lodging, restaurant recommendations & more. Conveniently located on the way to the east rim of the Pennsylvania Grand Canyon (on Route 660).

First Fridays

Friday, no matter how you slice it, is always a pretty great day, right? Fish fry dinners, closing out the work week, and no homework often rank at the top of a list that’s filled to the brim with good reasons to make merry. In Wellsboro, one of the best reasons is First Friday, celebrated May through October down Main Street and its offshoot streets from 5 to 9 p.m.

Each month follows a playful theme and promises free family fun, activities, sidewalk sales, discounts, and an abundance of local entertainment. While the musical line-up for the entire summer is yet to be announced, many Wellsboro favorites will entertain on Main Street, each promising a distinct sound.

Wellsboro duo Distracted Kin, starring Molly Cary and Brandon Lusk, always draw a crowd with their harmonious acoustic originals and covers of all your favorites from Fleetwood Mac to Old Crow Medicine Show. They can be seen most weekends playing to a crowd locally and in nearby Corning.

Fan favorite Chris Eckert (above) will also use his velvet-smooth vocals to please what’s sure to be a sizable crowd. Chris’s forte is crooning well-known songs in a repertoire that covers 1940s standards, pop, country, and Motown. Chris has been entertaining in Wellsboro for the last few years, volunteering his talents at First Friday, and playing a number of other concerts in the community and fairs across the state.

Pine Pitch, an a capella group based in Wellsboro, hit harmonies on pop favorites from several generations, featuring soloists you’ve seen performing in local musicals, on stage in concerts, and more. Their renditions of “I Want it That Way” and the hits of Michael Jackson, John Lennon, and Lady Gaga always entertain.

In addition to the musical talent lined up, at First Friday you can enjoy carnival games, giveaways, chalk art, and crafting opportunities. Several restaurants offer deals, from discounted kids’ meals to free desserts. The evening is always made more fun by participation in the First Friday scavenger hunt, which can yield lively prizes for participants. Don’t forget to stop on the lawn beside the Deane Center for the Performing Arts and see what the PA Wilds Astronomy Club has to teach and share.

For updated themes and activities, follow Wellsboro First Friday on Facebook.

~Karin Knaus

Deane Center for the Performing Arts

You’d have to be living under a rock in Tioga County to not hear about some of the many offerings at the Deane Center for the Performing Arts at 104 Main Street in Wellsboro, but hip tribute bands and exceptionally talented musicians aren’t the only excitement that the Deane brings to the area. The Deane Center and its many volunteers also focus on giving back to the community.

For starters, beginning July 12, every Friday night the Deane Center shares a free concert on their outdoor stage. From local singer songwriters to nationally touring bluegrass groups, community members and visitors alike are encouraged to bring their lawn chairs, revel in some great music, and dance it up if the mood strikes. The Outdoor Concert Series began during the summer of 2020, when large inside gatherings weren’t possible. It was a big hit with locals and tourists alike, and it’s now a Deane Center summer staple. This summer you can hear local favorites like Drowsy Maggie (July 26) and Logan Route (August 16), as well as The Ruta Beggars’ traditional bluegrass with a touch of swing (July 12) and Cold Chocolate’s folk, funk, and bluegrass fusion (August 23).

In addition, the Deane is offering three free concerts during Laurel Festival week. On Monday, June 10, enjoy a free show in the Coolidge Theater by Louise Bichan, a Scottish musician who blends her fiddle and storytelling crafts together. On Tuesday, June 11, local favorite Yetsu will perform a free show of their organic rock and roll straight from the soul. At the Friday, June 14 Laurel Queen’s Preview on the Deane’s Outdoor Stage, you can enjoy a free show by Molly’s Boys Jug Band. These boys always delight with their myriad instruments and talents.

The Deane Center also offers an opportunity to join the musicians. On Tuesday evenings, all are welcome to watch or participate in Open Jam Sessions in the lobby. Spots are also available at the Deane for lessons on viola, violin, cello, harp, piano, and voice.

Music isn’t the Deane Center’s only gift to the community. This year, the popular Deane Little Beans program returns, providing engaging, hands-on experiences with the arts for children. They also continue to offer Golden Afternoons, monthly activities and programs for seniors, and the Thursday morning ladies’ euchre game.

Find information on current events at deanecenter.com or call (570) 724-6220. Whether looking for never-ending entertainment or a brand-new hobby, the Deane Center for the Performing Arts keeps Wellsboro artfully busy.

~Karin Knaus

Bark Peelers’ Festival

In Ulysses, thirty miles west of Wellsboro, a rustic campus holds a yearly celebration of wood hick culture. Every July at the Pennsylvania Lumber Museum (5660 Route 6), the scent of sweet wintergreen from the birch oil still mingles in the air with biscuits fresh from a wood-fired oven and brings the 1800s alive. The ring of a hammer on an anvil rises above the din of laughing and cheering spectators. From some hidden hollow, a steam whistle sounds over the singing of the 52” head saw in the steam-powered sawmill. This is the annual Bark Peelers’ Festival, where volunteers step into authentic nineteenth-century roles—spinner, blacksmith, camp cook, and laundry washer—to demonstrate life in an authentic lumber camp.

Adventurous visitors wait in line to sign up for the Wood Hick Games, vying for a cash prize and the possibility of taking home the title of “Grand Champion Bark Peeler.” The first of the games is the greased pole. As its name implies, contestants straddle a heavily greased pole and attempt to knock their opponent into the pile of fresh sawdust below. Many teenagers sign up for this event, and it elicits the most laughs from onlookers.

Next is log rolling, an activity that tests teamwork as well as upper body strength and speed. A pair of contestants, each with their own peavey (a logging tool used to move logs while on the ground) is timed as they roll a log up and back down a lane. The crosscut saw challenge requires stamina as pairs try to be the first team to cut their disc off the ends of logs using the museum’s equipment.

The final challenge draws a crowd to the bank of the log pond, where contestants in the log birling event try to stay on their log the longest. Participants from high school age to retirement age are heckled and cheered as they lock eyes across the rotating log, each trying to read the body language of the other in an attempt to be the last to wetly succumb to gravity. Younger visitors pick out frogs for the frog jumping contest and wait with eager eyes as the eight-foot-long log cake is cut and shared with guests. Some may sign up for the kids’ sunflower seed spitting contest.

The 2024 festival is Saturday, July 6 and Sunday, July 7 from 9 a.m. until 5 p.m., both days. For more information, go to the events tab at lumbermuseum.org or call (814) 4352652.

~Anne Lugg Alexander

EMMF in Wellsboro & Mansfield

The eighteenth season of the Endless Mountain Music Festival opens at 7 p.m. on Friday, July 19, at Steadman Theatre on the Mansfield campus of Commonwealth University with the Pennsylvania premiere of Rhapsody in Red, White, and Blue, composed by Peter Boyer and featuring Jeffrey Biegel on piano. Jeffrey requested this composition to honor the centennial of Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue and celebrate America through music. He is performing this piece in every state in the nation. “So far,” says Jeffrey, “in each performance, the audiences cheer, cry, and stand together in solidarity.” EMMF Music Director and Conductor Stephen Gunzenhauser, who puts the eclectic programs together, says, “I’m thrilled this year to include many American composers who tend to be overlooked.” This includes Henry Cowell, whose Symphony #13 will be a part of the opening performance.

This year EMMF offers thirteen chances to listen to live music in the Wellsboro-Mansfield area. In addition to the main performances, a Free Inspiration Concert Series includes concerts at 1 p.m. on Monday, July 22, at Mansfield YMCA and 6 p.m. on Wednesday, July 24, on the porch of the Wellsboro Green Free Library. At 2:30 p.m. on Sunday, July 21 is another free concert, “Neil Diamond to Funk,” at the Wellsboro High School Auditorium.

The venues range from indoor to outdoor, large to intimate. On the intimate end of the scale, a perennial favorite is the performance in the dining room at the Penn Wells Hotel. On Wednesday, July 31, jazz pianist Ron Stabinsky and friends will entertain. The show starts at 7 p.m. and those wanting to dine beforehand should make reservations by calling (570) 724-2111, and then enjoy the concert from their table. Stephen describes Ron as “a brilliant pianist who’s able to capture the sound and soul of contemporary times.”

Dave Stahl, the lead trumpet for Liza Minnelli and Frank Sinatra, will be playing with friends at the Coolidge Theatre in the Deane Center for the Performing Arts at 7 p.m. on Thursday, August 1. You don’t have to be a classical music fan to enjoy what EMMF offers because their repertoire is much broader. “A lot of people say all we do is classical music,” Stephen explains, “and my response is we don’t, we do symphonic music.” Check the schedule on pages 32-33 or at endlessmountain.net, where you can also purchase tickets.

~Lilace Mellin Guignard

Wellsboro Comic Con

Imagine grabbing a cup of joe from your neighborhood coffee shop and seeing Batman standing in line or Captain America walking into the local candy store for a few sweet treats. Thanks to Julian and Anja Stam, owners of Pop’s Culture Shoppe at 25 Main Street, Wellsboro Comic Con makes this a reality one weekend every August.

“We wanted to say ‘thank-you’ to the town for supporting our business for ten years,” explains Julian. “We wanted to celebrate Wellsboro and make it family friendly.” They came up with a comic convention. “I had gone to the second annual New York City Comic Con with my daughter when she was ten or eleven. I thought why not bring this in our small town?” Now in its third year, Wellsboro Comic Con draws upwards of 2,000 people and has continued to grow.

“While comics are the central focus, it’s really an art festival,” Julian says. “It’s the creativity behind those comics that we highlight, such as the process of designing costumes and props, artwork, storyboards, writing. And of course, cosplay.”

“It’s so much more than dressing up in costumes,” says Maia Mahosky, the Stam’s daughter and Comic Con events manager. “It’s interactive with activities and workshops for people of all ages.” Maia continues, “There’s mask-making, sidewalk chalk art, and games to play.”

Julian continues, “You’ll meet some of the creators from Marvel, DC, Disney, Archie, and many more. We have guest artist panels, presentations, a scavenger hunt, and vendors selling everything from original art pieces to handmade jewelry, capes, and themed accessories.”

Coinciding with Comic Con this year is a production of Puffs. “I’m excited to collaborate with Hamilton-Gibson and Wellsboro Comic Con with this show,” says Cody Losinger, who’s making his directorial debut with Hamilton-Gibson Productions. “It’s a comedic spoof on wizardry, and a bit nostalgic for those of us who grew up with ‘Harry.’ I have this vision for Puffs and want people to feel as if they’ve entered another dimension.” Puffs will be held in the Warehouse Theatre at 3 Central Avenue. For more information, contact Hamilton-Gibson at (570) 724-2079, or purchase tickets at hgp.booktix.com.

“We’re looking forward to another great Wellsboro Comic Con this year,” Maia says with a smile.

Wellsboro Comic Con is a free event and will be held August 10, 2024, in and around the Deane Center, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. For more information, go to wellsborocomiccon.com, or contact Pop’s Culture Shoppe at (570) 723-4263.

~Carolyn Straniere

2024 Endless Mountain

Friday, July 19

“Opening Night Fireworks in Red, White and Blue!”

7:00 p.m. – Steadman Theatre, Commonwealth University at Mansfield, Mansfield, PA Sponsored by C&N

Bach ................................................. Suite No. 3

Creston .................................. “Dance Overture”

Cowell Symphony No. 13 (“Madras”) Intermission

Boyer PA premiere of “Rhapsody in Red, White and Blue” Featuring Jeffrey Biegel, piano

Saturday, July 20

“Happy Birthday, Gershwin!” A Celebration of the 100th year of “Rhapsody in Blue”

7:00 p.m. – Corning Museum of Glass, Corning, NY

Sponsored by Corning Incorporated and Mountain Home Magazine

Brahms Symphony No. 2 Intermission

Tsontakis

“Laconika”

Gershwin “Rhapsody in Blue”Featuring – Jeffrey Biegel, piano

Sunday, July 21

“Neil Diamond to Funk” Pops ConcertFeaturing the EMMF Orchestra playing a selection of popular favorites from “East St. Louis Blues” and “Also Funk Zarathustra,” to “Sweet Caroline,” “What a Wonderful World,” and “YMCA.” Also featuring clarinetist Trina Gross in “Viktor’s Tale” by John Williams.

2:30 p.m. – Wellsboro High School Auditorium, Wellsboro, PA - FREE Sponsored by the Dunham Family Foundation in Memory of Robert C. Dunham, UPMC & UPMC Health Care, and Wellsboro Electric Company

Sunday, July 21

“EMMF Brass Under the Stars!” featuring the EMMF Brass Section

8:00 p.m. – Cherry Springs State Park, Overnight Astronomy Observation Field (by the telescope domes) - FREE Sponsored by The David G. Patterson Foundation and The Gale Foundation

Monday, July 22

FREE Seminar: “Maverick American Composers” featuring George Tsontakis, Stephen Gunzenhauser, Hiroko Sakurazawa

12:00 p.m. to 1:30 p.m. –Corning Museum of Glass, Corning, NY

Sponsored by Corning Incorporated

Monday, July 22

“EMMF String Quartet Performs Classic Gems” featuring Lisa Scott, violin; Hua Jin, violin; Charlie Alves, viola; and Perry Scott, cello

7:00 p.m. – 171 Cedar Art Center, Corning, NY Sponsored by Corning Incorporated

Tuesday, July 23

“Flute and Harp Sister Duo!” featuring Melissa Mashner, flute; and Melanie Mashner, harp 7:00 p.m. – Deane Center Grand Community Room, Wellsboro, PA, — Sponsored by FCCB

Wednesday, July 24

“Music is My Weapon!” featuring Jason Mathena and David Wert, percussion

7:00 p.m. –Knoxville Yoked Church, Knoxville, PA – FREE

Sponsored by the Deerfield Charitable Trust

Thursday, July 25

“EMMF’s Famous Brass Quintet”

7:00 p.m. – Deane Center for the Performing Arts, Coolidge Theatre, Wellsboro, PA–BYOB Sponsored by Spencer, Gleason, Hebe, & Rague, PC

17 EVENTS IN 17 DAYS! JULY 19-AUGUST 4, 2024

Music Festival Season

Friday, July 26

“Hear the Voices”

7:00 p.m. – Commonwealth University at Mansfield, Steadman Theatre

Sponsored by Ward Manufacturing

J.G. AlbrechtsbergerConcerto for Alto Trombone

Featuring Alexander Walden, trombone

Arban Variations on “Norma” Featuring Brian Strawley, trumpet

Teresa Cheung, Resident Conductor Intermission

Rutter Requiem Peggy Dettwiler, Choral Director

Saturday, July 27

“Dvořák Shines”

7:00 p.m. – Corning Museum of Glass, Corning, NY

Sponsored by Corning Incorporated

Lyadov “Mazurka” Mozart ”Sinfonia Concertante”

Featuring Hua Jin, violin and Carol Argenta, viola Intermission

Dvořák

“In Nature’s Realm” Opus 91, “Carnival” Opus 92, “Othello” Opus 93

Sunday, July 28

“Sweet Sounds of Violin and Piano” featuring Noelle Tretick Gosling, violin and Erico Bazeera, piano

7:00 p.m. – Gmeiner Art & Cultural Center, Wellsboro, PA

Sponsored by Eugene Seelye

Monday, July 29

EMMF String Quartet featuring Jennifer Farquhar and Diane Joiner, violin; Lauren Strachen, viola; and Gita Ladd, cello

7:00 p.m. – Tioga County Courthouse, Wellsboro, PA

Sponsored by Guthrie

Tuesday, July 30

Clarinet Recital featuring Trina Gross

7:00 p.m. – Deane Center for the Performing Arts, Grand Community Room, Wellsboro, PA

Sponsored by Seneca Resources

Wednesday, July 31

“Endless Mountain Standard Time” featuring Ron Stabinsky, jazz piano and Friends

7:00 p.m. – Penn Wells Dining Room, Wellsboro, PA

Sponsored by Penn Wells Hotel - (Dinner available 5:30 p.m. – 6:30 p.m. For reservations, call 570-724-2111)

Thursday, August 1

Dave Stahl Jazz Sextet

7:00 p.m. – Deane Center for the Performing Arts, Coolidge Theatre - BYOB Sponsored by Hon. Daniel & Mrs. Mary Ann Garrett

Friday, August 2

“The Way Things Were”

7:00 p.m. – Commonwealth University at Mansfield, Steadman Theatre

Sponsored by Visit Potter-Tioga & Quality Inn of Mansfield

D. Shostakovich “Festive Overture” Schickele “Pentangle, Five Songs for French Horn and Orchestra” Featuring Robert Danforth, French horn Intermission

Schubert ................................... Symphony No. 5

Saturday, August 3

“Franckly Speaking”

7:00 p.m. – Corning Museum of Glass, Corning, NY Sponsored by Corning Incorporated Kabalevsky “Colas Breugnon Overture” Mozart Piano Concerto No. 20 in D minor Featuring Sheng Cai, piano Intermission

Franck Symphony in D minor

Sunday, August 4

“It’s Showtime!” featuring Anthony Nunziata, with orchestra

2:30 p.m. – Corning Museum of Glass Auditorium, Corning, NY - FREE Sponsored by Corning Incorporated, Community Foundation of Elmira-Corning and the Finger Lakes, the Rotary Club of Corning and Laura Douglas

A Lake for All Seasons

If a good thing ever came in a small package it’s Nessmuk Lake, located just outside Wellsboro south on Route 287. This sixty-acre reservoir might not be the biggest lake in the county, but it’s a success story that encompasses the friendly spirit of a tight knit community and the year-round outdoor recreation that this region is known for.

After being drained in 2014 for dam repairs, community volunteers and the local bass fishing club worked together with the Pennsylvania Fish and Boat Commission to obtain grants for a large-scale fish habitat improvement project. Thanks to their efforts, the barren bottom transformed into an angler’s paradise with new habitat structures supporting all species of fish and other wildlife. This project received both state and national recognition from the Pennsylvania Lake Management Society and the National Fish Habitat Partnership. Most importantly, these efforts have contributed to enhancing the fishery for years to come.

A decade later, we now enjoy exceptional fishing for bass, bluegills, crappies, perch, and catfish. Now, Nessmuk is managed under Panfish Enhancement and Big Bass regulations, and memorable fishing experiences are possible year-round for all ages.

January through early March typically offers fantastic ice fishing with chances to target abundant bluegills, perch, and crappies. Small jigs tipped with live bait and tiny artificials work well, or set up a few tip-ups with live minnows. Just remember to always check ice conditions before heading out for a day of fishing.

Once the weather warms and ice melts, the spring bite turns on and anglers can expect to catch hungry panfish and pre-spawn largemouth bass. The large, easily accessible dock and open shoreline at the dam are both good places to start from shore, or get out on the water with a kayak, canoe, or small boat. Electric motors can be used. Through the summer months, strong weed beds make topwater frog fishing for bass an absolute blast, and late into the night catfish will bite on worms or chicken livers.

As temps cool, the fall feed turns on and fishing can be excellent for bass, crappies, bluegills, and more. Try areas with artificial structures, fallen trees, or fish the edges around the dam and along the 287 shorelines.

A fun day of fishing awaits at Nessmuk Lake, just minutes from downtown Wellsboro!

~Don Kelly

E-Bikes on the Rail Trail

You’re following your riding partner on your rented electric bike, or e-bike, at an effortless nineteen mph on the Pine Creek Rail Trail. The mile markers from Darling Run to Tiadaghton zip by about every three minutes and fifteen seconds. Pine Creek flows on the right while sycamores and pines clip by on the left. Your partner suddenly stops pedaling to point out a rattlesnake. His speed drops to thirteen mph, while you’re still cruising at nineteen and looking at the kingfisher chattering over the crick. The four-foot gap between bikes disappears. You have a choice—crash into the back of him or swerve (but not toward the snake!). What do you do?

Electric bikes, or e-bikes, are bicycles with an electric assist from a rechargeable battery. They have become A Thing. Along with the surge came a jolt in e-bike rider issues.

One reason for e-bike popularity is the speed. An e-bike raises the rider’s power-to-weight ratio, enabling a person to ride farther faster. Pennsylvania’s Department of Conservation and Natural Resources states in its regulations that e-bike riders must pedal to use the e-assist, and cannot exceed twenty mph. (Some e-bikes have a throttle that works independent of pedaling.) The regulations, which focus on behaviors, not bikes, are important to reduce risk; you can (and should) check them out at dcnr.pa.gov. The regs apply only to Pennsylvania state parks and forests.

Curt Schramm, the CS in CS Sports in Wellsboro, sells them. He suggested to Pine Creek Outfitters in Ansonia, a mile or so from the Darling Run rail trail access, that they take two e-bikes he’d ordered and rent them out. Now, PCO has eight. Other places, like Pettecote Junction Campground in Cedar Run, rent e-bikes as well. As Curt says, e-bikes aren’t going anywhere. Except maybe out on the trails.

Riding e-bikes in crowded places like the rail trail gets complicated fast when you add hikers, runners, kids, horses, and wildlife to the mix. Research suggests e-bikes cause worse injuries during crashes because of their weight (often exceeding sixty pounds) and speed. E-bike speeds rival bike race speeds. The skills of many riders don’t.

Riders should watch speeds in crowded areas. Warn others of your presence. Be prepared for mechanical issues. A battery can get a rider out there, but a dead one can’t get them back. And absolutely wear a helmet.

~Jimmy Guignard

Keystone Elk Country Alliance

Once wild elk roamed Pennsylvania, then the last was shot in the late 1800s. The combination of unregulated hunting, clear-cut logging, and slash fires and erosion in the aftermath of logging and coalmining left the region unsuitable for elk. But in 1913 fifty elk were purchased from Yellowstone and arrived in Pennsylvania by train. More were soon purchased for a herd of 177. The elk population grew to 200 in the early 1990s, then to 700 in 2001. In 2008, Pennsylvania state ecologists/biologists, the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation, and local citizens were successful in obtaining state funding to create the visitor center in Benezette. When the Rocky Mountain group refocused their efforts to the western states, the Keystone Elk Country Alliance was created to fill the void.

Best known for the beautiful Elk Country Visitor Center, an example of green building at its best, the KECA is a driving force in the successful reintroduction of elk to Pennsylvania. Based at the Visitor Center, the KECA is a nonprofit organization with a goal to educate the public on conservation, offering exhibits and educational programs. The ever-growing elk herd attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors annually.

The reestablishment of a viable elk herd in Pennsylvania provides an excellent case study in the government and private citizens working together for conservation. The KECA expects the elk population to exceed 1,500 this year, and there is sufficient range to support more than 3,000 elk. KECA has also been highly successful in working with farmers to best manage their lands to allow wildlife to flourish. The human environment has also improved. It is estimated that from 2010 to 2023, the elk herd, revitalized trout fisheries, and the visitor center and viewing areas have brought $250 million to the Pennsylvania Wilds Region. The region is now the best elk viewing destination in the Northeast.

The KECA has an excellent website at experienceelkcountry.com with hints on the best seasons and times of day to observe elk. The site lists upcoming events at the Visitor Center, which is also available for banquet and fundraising events. There are live webcams of the elk to get you in the mood for a visit. The Visitor Center also facilitates distance learning and guided field trips. Although the elk herd ranges from Weedville to Sinnemahoning State Park, most successful trips begin at the Visitor Center at 134 Homestead Drive in Benezette. The rangers can provide real time advice on where best to view elk.

~Chris Espenshade

Stony Fork Inn & Liberty Cabin

Bill and Ali Maciunski didn’t know where life would take them, but they didn’t expect it to be Tioga County. The New Jersey couple had an old Victorian home just one and a half blocks from the Atlantic Ocean where they ran a successful bed and breakfast. Their plan was to stay in New Jersey from May until October (which is their busy time), and then head down to Florida for the remaining months. “We were going to be snowbirds,” Bill says with a chuckle. However, as it does quite often, life happens when we make plans. “Our four grandchildren needed us, so we sold the bed and breakfast and moved to Tioga County, Pennsylvania, to raise them,” explains Bill.

“My wife and I had been coming to this area for almost twenty years, so it just seemed natural to put down roots here,” Bill continues. The couple were involved with an area ministry, as well as a local church, and eventually settled in Liberty. It wasn’t long before Ali and Bill found a property where they could continue their hospitality business. Bill says, “It was an old hunting cabin built in the 1800s and needed work. A lot of work.”

After a complete renovation, Valley View Cabin was the first of their properties to be a vacation rental. “It’s a three-unit dwelling, with a two bedroom, two bath unit upstairs, and two large studios downstairs,” says Bill. The cabin is tucked away on four and a half acres, perfect for guests who enjoy the quiet of the mountains, yet minutes from Routes 15, 414, and 287.

Soon after getting Valley View Cabin up and running, the Maciunskis purchased another vacation property just a short distance from historic downtown Wellsboro. The Stony Fork Inn offers guests nine different rooms to choose from. While each unit has its own private bath, some of the rooms share a kitchen. “It’s worked out well and people seem to like the set-up,” Bill says, referring to the common area. “We do have a couple of rentals with their own kitchen, however.” The Stony Fork Inn can accommodate two to six guests, depending on the unit.

And what of those who choose to travel with their four-legged friends? “Our vacation rentals are pet friendly,” says Bill with a smile.

Check them out at northerntiervacationrentals.com or contact Bill and Ali at (908) 705-6720 or info@stonyforkinn.com.

~Carolyn Straniere

Brown’s Produce

Red Tuesday. Strawberry-gate. Whatever you call it, the great mid-March strawberry sale of 2024 proved that Wellsboro has been craving a hometown produce store. It also proved how far Matt Brown, owner of Brown’s Produce at 111 West Avenue, is willing to go for his customers. Literally.

“Some weeks I go down [to Philadelphia] twice. Some weeks it’s once. But one week I went down three times,” says Matt.

That’s three eight-hour round trips, more than 1,300 miles total. All for strawberries. All for his customers. By the end of the week, he had sold more than 1,000 flats.

“It was fun,” Matt says. “I was not expecting that response. It was a learning curve for what the demand is.”

It all started in May 2023 when he visited longtime friend Dean Scott, who’d moved from Philadelphia to Galeton. “I came up for a weekend, and I just fell in love with it up here,” Matt says. “Then, I had a bad day at work one day and said, ‘That’s it, I’m coming up. Are we doing produce or pizza?’”

Quickly, the two friends set their sights on more heavily trafficked Wellsboro to open a business. They posed the “pizza or produce” question to Julie Henry, executive director of the Wellsboro Chamber of Commerce. “It seemed like produce was more needed than pizza,” Matt explains. “And I had been in the produce business for eleven years, so we decided to do this.”

They secured what locals know as the “old Niles building,” and opened in November 2023. Since then, it’s been a whirlwind of apples, bananas, lettuce, potatoes, honey, maple products, flowers, baked goods, and, yes, strawberries. And, if they don’t have it, they’ll try to get it. “I try to bring up two, three, four different new things every week,” he says.

Matt’s knowledge of the produce business and the Philadelphia area allows him to bring great deals and new products to his customers. It’s his love of his new home and an expanding selection of locally made items that brings a personal touch to the store.

“We’re just happy to be here,” he says. “We’re grateful that we have the best customers around.”

Brown’s Produce is open 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday, and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday. They’re closed Mondays. For more information, call (570) 948-2322, email brownsproducellc@gmail.com, or follow them on Facebook.

~Kelly Stemcosky

The Steak House

Fred and Annie “Jo” Howey probably had no idea when they started their restaurant that it would still be going strong sixty-seven years later, or that a third generation would own it. The Steak House, located at 29 Main Street, has been a mainstay in town since 1957. The current proprietors are Geoff Coffee and his wife, Christina, granddaughter of the original owners.

“We took over the reins from my parents, Dave and Barb Howey, in 2005,” Chris says. “They had bought the restaurant from Dave’s parents in 1979, and they were ready to move on to other ventures. It just seemed natural that we would be the next owners.”

She adds, “We were living in Northern Virginia, where Geoff is from, spinning our wheels, working two and three jobs, never seeing each other. We had two small children and knew we couldn’t keep this pace. So we moved to Wellsboro, where I was raised.”

“We took what Barb and Dave had done and just built upon that,” Geoff says. “So many times with a new owner, they come in and make a lot of changes. We didn’t want to do that. We didn’t have to. They had a great foundation for us to continue.”

The original footprint consisted of the two front dining rooms. That changed when Barb and Dave—who grew up in the small apartment above—bought it. They converted the garage and parking spaces in the back into a third dining room. “We call it the ‘Tea Room,’” Chris explains, which pays homage to the Orange Tea Room that previously occupied this location.

Their menu offers a wide variety from which to choose. Besides steak and chicken, one can find some of the best seafood around, including lobster tails and scallops. On weekends, crab cakes, made by Geoff, and slow-roasted prime rib make the special feature list. The pies are from Chris’s grandmother’s recipes and may include English walnut and toasted coconut.

“It’s nice to be able to continue the family tradition in a small town like Wellsboro,” says Geoff. The Steak House is truly a family affair. Their son, Aidan, works both front and back of the house, as did their daughter, Jordyn, before moving out of state.

Hours are Monday through Saturday from 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. Call the Steak House at (570) 724-9092 to make a reservation or follow them on Facebook.

~Carolyn Straniere

Highland Chocolates

About thirty years ago, John Kravas was the administrator of what was then the Tioga County Human Services Agency. While in the Scottish Highlands for a work exchange—our social workers go there, their social workers come here—John met Garth Pattison during a castle tour and dinner. Garth was head of financial operations for the Highlands, and a chocolatier. Truffles were his specialty. John’s wheels were turning—why couldn’t some of his agency’s clients make chocolates to sell? Would Garth come to Wellsboro and show us how to do that?

He would and he did, and in 1994 Highland Chocolates—named for the Scottish Highlands— was born. The plan was always that Partners in Progress, the Mansfield-based nonprofit vocational agency serving “extraordinary people,” would end up with the chocolate factory. Truffles proved to be extremely time-consuming and not particularly cost-effective. So, says Erin Roupp, operations manager since 2022, “attention went to the next popular product, pretzel bark, which is still one of our top-selling items.” Now there are an abundance of chocolate options, including Flatlanders (coconut-filled), Ridgerunners (coconut-filled with three almonds sticking up, like ridges), and Tree Stumps (peanut butter and caramel between two pretzels).

Stop in for a free tour on Wednesdays, no reservation needed; for other days and for large groups, reservations are requested and payment may be required. While the chocolate factory is still on the corner of Route 6 and Shumway Hill, it’s in a new and improved building that contains the latest in chocolate-making equipment.

“We currently serve thirteen individuals, and, on any given day, there are six [working],” says Jae Zugarek, production manager. “They all have different skills and talents, and they all do it better than you or I could. We try to match their strengths with their tasks. We want productivity, and for them to be happy with what they’re doing.”

Last year, Highland Chocolates won the Champion of the Pennsylvania Wilds 2023 Business of the Year award. The year before, Highland Chocolates was named the 2022 Artisan of the Year by the Route 6 Alliance.

The 82 Main Street store is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Thursday, and from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. The factory is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday. Phone numbers are (570) 724-6777 and (570) 724-9334, respectively, or visit highlandchocolates.org.

~Gayle Morrow

Drink Local

Wellsboro is blessed with many independent restaurants where visitors can sample the local flavor. And when you want to wash that down with some local liquids, Wellsboro can make that happen. From bottle to glass to crowler, from wine to beer to cider to slushie, downtown has it all.

Oregon Hill Wine Co. at 87 Main Street is the drop-in site of Oregon Hill Winery, twenty minutes out of town. Whether you want to rest from shopping or stock up your vacation rental, Darcy Fuller is happy to help. As tasting room manager, Darcy encourages people to ask questions, whether they get a tasting, a flight, or a glass. “Some want to chat and learn about wines and some just want to sip.” They always have two slushie flavors made with their own wine, and on First Fridays provide live music inside. There is a 10 percent discount on a full case. Also ask for Oregon Hill wine at Timeless Destination at 77 Main Street and Penn Wells Restaurant and Lounge at 62 Main Street. Their crisp Mountain Laurel Blush has a hint of sweetness. Find out more at oregonhillwinery.com.

Innerstoic Wine & Cider Co. now has a satellite location downtown. All currently available wines and ciders can be purchased by the bottle at Hillstone Farms market at 76 Main Street. They don’t do tastings there, but take a short walk and you can be sitting down with a glass in a matter of minutes at either the Steak House at 29 Main Street (Vapor red blend, cab franc, or sparkling cider) or Beck’s Bistro at 104 Main Street (Vapor red blend or riesling). Aaron Rush, owner and winemaker, says cider has more in common with wine than it does with beer, and, like his wines, his ciders range from dry to semi-dry. Find out more at innerstoic.com.

Wellsboro House at 34 Charleston Street is a restaurant and brewery that not only has a wide variety of beers, they also serve Innerstoic wine and cider on tap. Their own beer is brewed in the historic 1914 train depot across the street, and they have sixteen house brews on tap. If you want to take some home, they can fix you a crowler on the spot. Chris and Laura Kozuhowski invite you to bring your family and enjoy their full menu as well. For more information, find them on Facebook and at thewellsborohouse.com.

~Lilace Mellin Guignard

Patterson Farms

Maple candy, maple cream, maple fudge, maple sugar, maple honey, maple jelly, maple salad dressing, maple coffee, maple tea, maple barbecue sauce, maple chipotle hot mustard. Oh, and maple syrup.

“Besides syrup, the maple sugar is really high in sales. Our barbecue sauce and mustards go really well,” says Terri Patterson, who owns and operates Patterson Farms with husband Terry. For four generations, the Patterson family has been keeping the people of Tioga County and beyond in maple—an average of 18,000 gallons of syrup a year, to be exact. They are the largest maple producer in the state that ships products worldwide, but Terri says seeing local customers is the best part.

While Patterson products grace the shelves at several Wellsboro locations, the real fun is taking that jaunt to the farm. It’s about a thirty-minute drive to 119 Patterson Road in Westfield from Wellsboro. There, visitors tour the maple-making process and the impressive gift shop with every maple item imaginable. That’s where Terri comes in.

“My husband keeps saying, ‘How many more things are you going to make?’ Well, when I come up with an idea, I’ll see if the customers like it or not,” she says, adding that she expects some new products—maple coated puffcorn and a maple peanut butter and honey ice cream topping—to be available soon.

It’s that go-getter spirit that’s made Patterson Farms a success since 1920, when Orin Patterson started tapping trees. The tradition was carried on by Clifton Patterson, then his son Richard, Terry’s father. Known as the sugarmaster who put Patterson Farms on the map, Richard died in 2017, and Terri and Terry took ownership.

“We didn’t just take this over and sit back and let it keep doing. We’ve got to keep up with the times. You got to figure out things that make it grow,” says Terri. “But I give all the credit to my father-in-law and my husband’s aunt. They pushed when they needed to push, and we’re here to carry it through.”

Check out Patterson Farms products in Wellsboro at Oregon Hill Winery and Highland Chocolates (Main Street), Slippery Elm Reflexology (Pearl Street), and Scheetz Sew Creative (Round Top Road). The farm is open 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Friday and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday. Tours are offered every day, year-round. Learn more or order products online at pattersonmaplefarms.com or call (814) 628-3751.

~Kelly Stemcosky

Brooks Shopping Plaza

Downtown Wellsboro has many things, but it doesn’t have a mall. It does, however, have Brooks Shopping Plaza, on East Avenue, behind the Wellsboro Diner. It’s home to five different but uniquely Wellsboro businesses.

From My Shelf Books & Gifts, an independent bookstore, has been “building community one book at a time” since 2006. Owners are the husband and wife team of Kasey Cox Coolidge and Kevin Coolidge. With help from Assistant Manager Kris Dickinson (and Huck and Finn, the resident bookstore cats) they keep the shelves brimming with tomes ranging from The Lyrics of Paul McCartney to the Foxfire Books series to science fiction to self-help to teaching your kids a foreign language, and all you might imagine that could come in between. Local authors, including Kevin’s Totally Ninja Raccoons series, are there, too. The TNR brothers are featured in a town-wide scavenger hunt starting July 1. Participating businesses will have a toy Ninja in their store—it’s up to you to find it. As for all the other books out there you may want to read, Kris says, “ninety-nine percent of the time, if we don’t have it we can get it.” Find out more at wellsborobookstore.com, on Facebook, or call (570) 724-5793.

Harer’s Coins and Collectables Looking for a Rolex you could afford? How about a few classic Hot Wheels for that special kid in your life (even if that kid is you)? Harer’s Coins and Collectables might have both. Or, if you have both, owner Gregory Harer might be interested in buying. “I buy a lot of estates,” he says. “I pay top dollar, and I’m not afraid to say I do.” He’s been at this location since February, and is still building shelves and unpacking boxes and totes he’s had in storage units. And while he’s been in business before—he owned a bowling alley—he appreciates the fun and excitement of going to an estate sale and coming away with something old, curious, or collectable for the shop— be it coins, jewelry, tools, or something you’ve never seen before but find you can’t live without. Find out more on Facebook or call (570) 948-1908.

Krout’s Creations & More The “creations” part in this business is owner Lenora Krout putting your name, photo, or personal message on a variety of “blanks”—wallets, keychains, cups, coasters, window decals, and other types of keepsakes and mementos. It all gets done on location, she says, so the turn-around time is quick and you don’t have to

worry about your special photo being sent away somewhere and getting lost. The “more” part is the interesting mix of souvenirs, collectables, and locally-sourced must-haves she has on-site—her own things and those of the crafters and vendors to whom she rents space—including tree ornaments, ceramics from a Whitneyville crafter, jewelry, quilts, counted cross-stitch, bone china, and the book series of family-friendly mystery stories from Tioga County author P.J. Tremblay. Be sure to check out the unique picture of Wellsboro’s beloved Wynken, Blynken, and Nod statue—the weather had turned cold and someone forgot to turn the fountain off! Find out more on Facebook or by calling (570) 787-0585.

Antiques to Zebras Aleta Gregory, owner and operator, comes by her affinity for the old and the collectable naturally—her mom had an antique shop when Aleta was little. She admits—“I love too many things.” If you have that problem, too, then this is the place for you. “We are an eclectic shop,” she says, pointing out sterling silver, antique, costume, and ethnic jewelry (“I like jewelry,” she says.), vintage clothing, interesting shoes, old hats given new plumes, dishes (Pyrex, anyone?), old military medals, lamps, quilts, rugs, steins, a Magic 8 Ball (remember those?), primitives, dioramas, wine racks, a diminutive washboard that she says was used for hosiery back in the day, lots of mirrors, and the occasional zebra. “You’re going to see almost anything in here,” she says, and she’s right. Find out more on Facebook or call (570) 463-1946.

CBJ Collective Owner Justina Cvetkovski loves having her workspace in her store. “This location gives me the opportunity to have the shop and the making studio in one space,” she says. “I can work on things as people come and go.” Everything in the store is locally made, and she makes seventy percent of it, so being able to do that work while she’s at work is a big plus. The biggest sellers at the moment are the liquid soaps, soap bars, candles, and wax melts—she makes them all, with attention to using clean, skin-safe ingredients, along with other bath and body products, crocheted items, and smelly jelly air fresheners. She carries tie-dyed shirts, gnomes, wood-burned signs, jewelry, placemats, and table runners. Find out more on Facebook, at cbjcollective.com, or call (570) 4398486.

~Gayle Morrow

Flower Girl Florist

Last fall, Sarah Callahan, owner and operator of Flower Girl Florist in Wellsboro, agreed to help with a fundraiser for cheerleading teams participating at a competition at Wellsboro Area High School. She agreed to put together bouquets to sell, figuring on doing about thirty or forty. Over 200 bouquets later, she smiles and says, “No matter how big or how small, I’ll help you out.”

Sarah, who grew up in Little Marsh, says that when she was in school, she knew she wanted to do something with agriculture, but, short of going into farming, she wasn’t sure what that would be. She got an associate’s degree in floral design and interior plantscapes from Penn Tech, worked one summer for Martin’s Garden Center and Landscape Services in Middlebury Center, and then, in 2003, moved to North Carolina with her husband. Eighteen years later, the couple returned to Tioga County and moved into her husband’s grandmother’s house on Conway Street in Wellsboro. She’d been working for an event company in North Carolina, but, during covid, “all events just stopped.” By the time they’d moved in and remodeled, it was 2022, and, in February of that year, she was ready to open her own shop.

Sarah doesn’t have her own greenhouse. She does get some things locally, and she has a wholesaler who comes regularly from Bloomsburg, a delivery system that works well for her. He has a key, lets himself in, delivers fresh flowers into her cooler, and disappears into the night. At Christmas last year, she left him holiday goodies, and says “I felt like I was leaving milk and cookies for Santa.”

It’s a perk of doing business in a small town.

“Here, it’s personal,” she says. She knows people, she can remember the last time she made something for them, and she knows the area so deliveries aren’t a logistical hitch for her. She’ll deliver within about an hour’s drive of her shop, and says she’ll go a little further for weddings.

She welcomes in-person consultations but says it’s fine to talk flowers over video chat if needed or make arrangements via Facebook Messenger. She’ll ask about favorite flowers and favorite colors, but most people just tell her to make something pretty. She offers classes occasionally and hopes during the summer to do succulent classes on her porch.

Find out more on Facebook, under Flower Girl Wellsboro, or call Sarah at (919) 818-1539.

~Gayle Morrow

Premium Lawn & Landscaping

What do you do with a riding lawn mower when your yard is small and you live in town? You go around and take care of the neighbors’ yards! At least you do if you’re Cory Putnam, owner of Premium Lawn & Landscaping.

“I was working twelve-hour shifts four days a week in Portland, Indiana. On my days off I would help out a neighbor with their yard work. I really enjoyed it, and it grew from there,” Cory explains. After receiving the fateful gift of that riding mower for Father’s Day, Cory eventually quit his full-time job, and in 2019 started his lawn and landscaping business. Within a year, he had over seventy-five clients, including commercial businesses and a cemetery. A zero-turn rider and a stand-on mower were soon purchased to keep up with growing clientele needs.

“The business was doing really well. I was married, had two boys, a nice house in town. What more could I ask for?” Cory said. But something inside him was telling him it was time to come back home to Wellsboro where he had grown up and where his father lives. So, Cory packed up his family and made the trek here. “Do you know what it’s like to move a landscaping business over 950 miles round trip? It’s a lot.” Cory says with a chuckle. “I’ve got some big machinery that needed to be hauled by large trailers. It took a few trips back and forth to get it all here. Luckily my mother- and father-in-law had a truck and trailer and helped us with the move.”

However, it wasn’t all sunshine and roses after he arrived back in Wellsboro. “It was December of 2021, and the start of winter,” Cory explains. “I picked up a couple of snow plowing jobs right away.” He continues, “As spring arrived, word spread, and we quickly began picking up clients.”

These days, Cory and his wife, Rachel, are kept busy with their ever-expanding company. “We do it all,” says Cory. “Landscape design, debris and brush clean-up, planting, even power washing and regrading gravel driveways, you name it.” Is there anything he doesn’t do? “I don’t do tree removal,” Cory adds with a smile.

Cory Putnam can be reached by email at premiumlawnandlandscaping@gmail.com or by calling (570) 439-7876. Follow them on Facebook and check out their website at premlawncare.com.

~Carolyn Straniere

Ward Turns 100

Ward Foundry was the foundation for the small town of Blossburg, just sixteen miles southeast of Wellsboro. In 1924, J.P. Ward moved his foundry south across the New York line, where he was soon joined by his brother-in-law, John Kuster, because the town fathers of Blossburg promised a ready workforce and two 50-foot-by-150-foot fireproof steel buildings for the operation. In truth, the foundry saved the declining coal town, turning Main Street into bustling businesses. And the people of the town saved the foundry.

The founders, the Wards and Kusters, all worked there. Their employees were loyal, often for generations, many working over forty years at the place that mass-produced product from molten iron, brass, and stainless steel. The foundry fed many a family from the grocers and butchers on Main Street.

By 1928, the foundry facilities had doubled to accommodate increasing demand for their products. In 1938, the young sons of the founders, Charlie Ward and John. C. “Hap” Kuster, were tasked to lead a new project, which was a success. Things were looking up after the Great Depression. Then, J.P. died suddenly, and there were thoughts of closing. Instead, Charlie, at age twenty-five, became the youngest corporate president in the country.

Through decades of ups and downs, Charlie and Hap added innovations that kept the foundry competitive. And they were community leaders as well, putting in the baseball diamond at Island Park and funding the park’s restoration; securing aid for flood dikes; establishing the “Bank Scholarship” to send deserving students to college; and helping establish a first-class fire department and ambulance company.

In 1978, Charlie and Hap sold the company. The company changed hands several times after that, but Ward was usually in the name. The various owners have expanded aid and assistance to a wider area. They’ve contracted with the Mansfield-based Partners in Progress for twentyeight years, whose workers have assembled millions of parts. Ward donated $3 million toward the new emergency room at Soldiers + Sailors Memorial Hospital in Wellsboro. Their gifts include: $400,000 toward the all-weather football field at Wellsboro’s high school; $365,000 to Mill Cove Environmental Education Center in Mansfield; annual Platinum Sponsor to the Endless Mountain Music Festival; annual Season Sponsor for Wellsboro-based Hamilton-Gibson Productions; $75,000 toward the Workforce Development Program in county high schools; annual sponsor and funding for Blossburg Coal Fest—and so on.

And so, for 100 years, the Ward foundry operation has been a steady employer, boon to local nonprofits, and backbone of Blossburg and Tioga County.

~Don Knaus

The World of Little League Museum

The World of Little League Museum holds more than baseballs, bats, and gloves. The interactive hands-on exhibits spark everyone’s interest, even those who are not so into sports, by showing how the game of Little League baseball (and later softball) helped shape world history.

When Little League began in Williamsport in 1939, it was “a game for boys,” and girls were encouraged to sew, cook, and bake. But some girls bucked the system and pioneered their way into baseball history by cutting off their braids and pretending to be boys because they knew they were just as good. A new permanent exhibit, Girls with Game, coinciding with the fiftieth year of girls playing LL, opens the second weekend in June 2024 during the first ever Girls Baseball Event at Lamade Stadium, adjacent to the museum.

Race was of little significance when LL was founded in Pennsylvania. Unfortunately, not so for Southern teams who segregated their players until administrators ruled all boys can play. Now chartered programs are found on every continent except for Antarctica, making it the largest youth sports organization in the world.

The Hall of Excellence recognizes LL graduates who have made significant contributions to society, including the youngest NYC firefighter to die during 9-11. Read the note he left for his family and discover why “No. 11” is posted on the right field fence of Lamade Stadium.

Other displays include a cannon firing a baseball at a helmet, an integral part of the early experiments to develop adequate safety gear. They command a presence and reveal the important role that safety holds for the organization.

Outside, the Viewing Plaza overlooks Lamade Stadium, where the final game of the Little League World Series is played each August. International flags representing teams that played or will play in this year’s series look across the diamond to where the flags of US teams gaze back from the third base line. Behind home plate, their permanent station, the US and Pennsylvania flags stand proud. To the left are the dormitories, medical building, and dining hall. Practice fields, stadiums, and the infamous cardboard “sledding hill,” flanked by administrative offices, are a testament to all the work required and lives touched.

The museum at 525 US 15, South Williamsport, is open Thursday through Monday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Find information on rates, booking group tours, and current exhibits at littleleague. org/world-of-little-league or call (570) 326-3607.

~Janice L. Ogurcak

Walking Tour of Wellsboro

A STEP-BY-STEP GUIDE & MAP OF HISTORIC WELLSBORO

courtesy of Linda Stager

120 Main Street is the Robinson House, home of the Tioga County Historical Society. The building was originally a tavern operated by Alpheus Cheney, Tioga County’s first Sheriff. In the early 1830s, Samuel Dickinson added four more rooms to the front of the tavern, two upstairs and two downstairs. It was later purchased by John L. Robinson. 4 5 2 3 1

The fountain in the middle of “The Green,” our town square on Main Street, is our starting point. This statue of Wynken, Blynken and Nod was given to Wellsboro in 1938 by Fred W. Bailey in memory of his wife Elizabeth, who was a daughter of Judge Cameron. This statue was inspired by “The Dutch Lullaby,” written by Eugene Field in 1889. There are several other statues and markers on The Green which are also of interest. Then we cross Main Street at the traffic light.

The red brick building on the corner at 114 Main Street is the former Tioga County Sheriff’s residence and was constructed in 1860 at a cost of $10,000. The two-story brick structure served as the Tioga County Jail until 1985. It is now occupied by Develop Tioga, Wellsboro Chamber of Commerce, and Growth Resources of Wellsboro. The elm tree in the front yard is one of the largest in existence and has been growing since sometime in the 1700s. This tree is older than Wellsboro and has been here since before the first settlers.

The Tioga County Courthouse was built in 1835. In addition to the court room and the judge’s chambers, it houses the offices of many county officials.

Wellsboro was founded in 1806 by settlers from Delaware, Maryland, and Philadelphia; it was incorporated in 1830. The town was named in honor of Mary Wells, wife of one of the original settlers, Benjamin Wister Morris. Mary Wells (1761-1819) was a Philadelphia Quaker who came with her husband to this part of Tioga County in about 1805. This life-sized sculpture of Mary Wells Morris, is located on part of the land deeded by Benjamin and Mary Wells Morris to Tioga County in 1806.

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126 Main Street, the law offices of Walrath & Coolidge, was the residence of the Honorable Henry W. Williams, constructed in 1885. At that time he was President Judge of Tioga County and in 1887 he was appointed to the Supreme Court of Pennsylvania.

The First Presbyterian Church at 130 Main Street was built in 1894. At that time it was held to be “the finest church of its size” in Northern Pennsylvania.

The Green Free Library at 134 Main Street was established in 1912 by an endowment from Charles Green of Roaring Branch. In 1916, the library moved into the beautiful house called “Chester Place,” which was built by Chester Robinson, brother and business associate of John J. Robinson. The Gmeiner Art and Cultural Center at the right of the library was a gift to Wellsboro from the late Arthur Gmeiner of Denver, originally from the Nauvoo area of Tioga County.

140 Main Street is known as the “Lincoln Door House.” The front door of this residence (painted red in contrast to the dark green of the building) was a gift from Abraham Lincoln to Dr. and Mrs. J.H. Shearer when they bought this house in 1858. Mrs. Lincoln and Mrs. Shearer were close friends in Springfield, Illinois and the door came from a building there.

Located at the west end of Main Street is the oldest grocery store in Wellsboro, the West End Market. First opened in 1902, the store has been operated as a convenience market, a fish market, and a bulk food store.

Just around the corner at 10 West Avenue is the Carleton Nursing Home. Formerly the home of Leonard Harrison, banker and businessman, who donated 121 acres of land bordering Pine Creek, and known as “The Lookout,” to the commonwealth in 1922. This area is now known as Leonard Harrison State Park.

Across the street and down a block on the corner at 141 Main Street is the Jesse Robinson Manor, which was built in 1887 by a son of John L. Robinson. It has been described as “Queen Anne style in the true English Spirit.”

As you start back toward The Green, the second and third houses were originally one building. It was constructed circa 1840s as the residence of the Packer family. After the death of the Honorable Horace B. Packer in 1942, the house was cut in two, the land divided and each piece sold separately.

Continue along Main Street to Charles Street, then turn right one block to Pearl Street. On the opposite corner is St. Paul’s Episcopal Church. This parish was organized in 1838 and the present building was erected in 1897.

The building at 33 Pearl Street was erected about 1846 as the office of the Bingham Estate, a land company. It was moved from its original site in 1897 when St. Paul’s Episcopal Church was built.

Across Central Avenue is a block of red brick buildings, in which law firms and insurance companies have their offices. These buildings date back to the 1860s and 1870s and several were built with law offices on the street floor and living quarters upstairs. This was the case with 19 Central Avenue, which was built by the Honorable Mortimer F. Elliot, who served as congressman-at-large in the Forty-Eighth Congress, now the law offices of Cox, Stokes, & Lantz, P.C.

Walk three blocks down Main Street through our central business district. Almost all of these buildings date back to the last century and are second- and third-generation family owned businesses.

Visit the Wellsboro Area Chamber of Commerce at 114 Main St. for a free full-size Walking Tour brochure & map.

Across East Avenue is the Wellsboro Diner, which opened in 1939. This is a fine example of the diners of the 1930s and is more unusual in that it has been in continuous operation as a diner and has never been removed from its original site.

Located next to the Diner is the former Shattuck House. Completed in 1909, this house is one of the last three homes in what was one of Wellsboro’s beautiful tree-lined residential sections on lower Main Street.

The Sherwood Motel, formerly the house of Walter Sherwood, Esq. and family, the son of the Honorable Henry Sherwood and US Congressman. The Sherwood House was built circa 1886. It was converted to a motel in 1952. The house is the oldest of the three remaining homes on lower Main Street and is the only one that is still a residence.

Crossing the street again to the corner of Main and Queen Streets you will find the United Methodist Church. This building was completed in 1905.

The Art Deco Arcadia Theater, at 50 Main Street, was built in 1921 for silent pictures. This theater was one of the first in the state to show talking pictures in 1929. The theater is still in operation with four state-of-the-art screens featuring films, which change weekly.

Just next door at 62 Main Street is the Penn Wells Hotel. Wellsboro’s first tavern or inn built in 1816 on this site, and the site has always been occupied by a tavern, inn or hotel. In 1869 A.P. Cone erected a four-story brick hotel. A fire in 1906 damaged the fourth floor so badly that it had to be removed. The building was purchased in 1885 by J.S. Coles and renamed the “Cole House.” A group of local residents purchased the hotel in 1925 when it was closed for extensive remodeling and the addition of a fourth floor. The hotel re-opened in 1926 as the Penn Wells Hotel.

The Tioga Central Train Station was a star of the rail line when it was rebuilt in 1914. Among other things, it boasted two toilet rooms and a “commodious” waiting room. Although now a brewery, the excursion train still picks up passengers here. For information about the excursion train please visit www.tiogacentral.com.