There is plenty to do in the region for the first weekend of October. The weather will be comfortable with partly sunny skies and high temperatures right around 70 degrees.
Brewsterhout Rooftop Party
The annual fundraiser for the Osterhout Free Library allows guests to party on top of the Intermodal Center in Wilkes-Barre. Tickets are $30 and include food and drink from 20 local food vendors and seven breweries. The event will run from 5 to 8 p.m. Friday at 47 South Washington Street. Tickets will be available at the door while supplies last, but it is recommended to order them ahead of time.
Brewsterhout Rooftop Party
Friday, Oct. 4
5 - 8 p.m.
47 South Washington St., Wilkes-Barre
Blessing of the Animals
St. Luke’s Episcopal Church in Scranton hosts its annual Blessing of the Animals as part of the celebration of the Feast of St. Francis of Assissi, the Catholic church’s patron saint of animals and the environment.
All pets are welcome, leashed or in carriers, to a blessing service Friday at 6:30 p.m at 232 Wyoming Ave. St. Also, Cats and Dogs organization will be on hand with cats available for adoption, and Pawsitively for the Animals will give a presentation on pet aid. Craft vendors and animal-themed activities are planned.
Blessing of the Animals
Friday, Oct. 4
Doors open at 6, blessing at 6:30 p.m.
St. Luke's Episcopal Church
232 Wyoming Ave., Scranton
Mural Dedication
The Big Band mural on 217 Wyoming Ave. in Scranton is a vibrant tribute to the area's big band era and the Scranton Sirens.
The artwork by Eric Bussart will be dedicated on Friday from 5:30 to 7 p.m. at the Big Band Mural Dedication and Meet the Artist Celebration, hosted by Scranton Tomorrow and its Mural Arts Program Committee.
The party will continue with more performances from 7:15 to 8:30 p.m at the Christopher A. Doherty Park on the corner of Wyoming Ave. and Linden St.
The Big Band Mural Dedication and Celebration
Friday, Oct. 4
5:30 - 8:30 p.m.
217 Wyoming Ave., Scranton
Scranton Fringe Festival
The Scranton Fringe Festival continues to celebrate its tenth year through Oct. 6 with theatrical, musical and immersive performances at several venues.
The AFA Gallery will host a closing reception Friday for the ART FOR ALL: art exhibit and Fringe 10 year retrospective from 5 to 9 p.m. The exhibit is on display through Sunday.
Also Friday, the Fringe Cabaret will feature a variety of acts Friday at 9 p.m. at the Scranton Cultural Center.
Throughout the weekend, Luzerne County native Hope Austin will perform Love in White-Inked Mother’s Milk, a “meditation on self-love as an active practice,” at the Scranton Cultural Center. Party Robot, Mimosas, and Home Rule: An Irreverent Catholic Horror-Comedy will also take to local stages for several shows this weekend.
The Taking Up Space Film Festival is a “festival within a festival” that showcases the work of or about BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, Persons of Color) individuals.
“We want to take up space and let you know that these stories are here, they’re important and impactful,” said artistic director Dan Kimbrough.
Four films will be screened at the Electric City Trolley Museum Friday and Saturday at 7 p.m. The screenings are free, with reservations encouraged, and will last 90 minutes. A free shuttle will be available to and from other Scranton Fringe venues.
“The person telling the story does impact the story,” Kimbrough said. “So having a festival that looks at BIPOC storytellers or has BIPOC individuals… you get a different view on the exact same story sometimes.”
Comedian Shawn Wickens will perform in Time Machine Blueprints: The Show on Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. at the Scranton Cultural Center. Tickets are $15.
Local stand-up comedians and improvisers will perform in Funny at the Fringe presented by Scranton Improv & Comedy Saturday at 7 p.m. at the AFA Gallery.
Members of the NEPA Philharmonic will perform Once Upon an Orchestra Saturday at 1 p.m. The show at the Lackawanna County Children’s Library will teach young audience members about brass instruments and attending an orchestra concert.
There will also be a Teen Silent Disco at the Lackawanna County Children’s Library Saturday at 2 p.m.
Scranton Fringe Festival
Sept. 26 - Oct. 6
2024 Fringe Fest Guide
Other events
- The 5th annual Pickle Me Poconos Festival will be celebrated Sunday from 12 to 5 p.m. on Crystal Street in East Stroudsburg. Pickle flavored soda, ice cream, soup and more will be served. There will also be activities for kids and a beer garden for adults.
- The Covered Bridge & Arts Festival celebrates the start of fall at the Bloomsburg Fairgrounds. The 42nd annual event runs Oct. 3 through Oct. 6, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday through Saturday and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday. The event has free admission and parking, and more than 300 vendors. Columbia and Montour Counties have 25 covered bridges, and the Covered Bridge Bus Tour will take visitors to several of them on Saturday starting at 10 a.m.
- Geisinger will host the Susan G. Komen More Than Pink Walk Saturday at the Frank M. and Dorothea Henry Cancer Center in Wilkes-Barre. Also called the Pink Pathway Event, the 1.3 mile walk will follow a trail around Wyoming Valley Medical Center. Funds raised will go toward breast cancer research and patient support programs.
- A Women-Owned Small Business Vendor Event at the Milford American Legion on Saturday will give shoppers the opportunity to support 20 different vendors. The event is organized by Sacred Souls Studio, and will run from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
- The PASS Running for Autism 5K Run/Walk is scheduled for Sunday at 11:30 a.m. Pike Autism Support Services will host the event at Back Road Co., located at 248 Old Milford Road in Milford. Proceeds will support the organization’s latest project, Independence Village. Registration will start at 9:30 a.m. and will include a t-shirt.
