This year's top community engagement stories showcase the region's culture, quirks and talent... with some gardening tips, too. Enjoy!
Chili’s opens ‘most unique’ Scranton location with photo ops and ‘The Office’ references
NBC’s hit mockumentary about a paper company in Scranton debuted 20 years ago, and still fans flock to our city just because of the show.
Chili’s Bar and Grill opened a “Scranton Branch” in Dickson City this year, complete with photo ops and The Office references.
This restaurant has nostalgic artwork and is a replica of a Chili’s restaurant in the 90’s, making it "the most unique" of more than 1,500 worldwide.
Read the full story and see a video here.
On the Fringe of Ireland: Cultural exchange to strengthen Scranton’s relationship with its Irish sister city
Scranton Fringe, a performing arts organization, launched a partnership with Scranton’s sister city in Ireland.
Local actors traveled to Ireland in October to perform for Irish audiences, and a group of musicians will perform here in March of 2026 as part of a cultural exchange.
Many Irish-Americans from the Scranton area have been able to trace their roots to the small town in County Mayo.
Read the full story here and watch WVIA’s Keystone Edition episode further highlighting the cultural exchange.
PLANT PEOPLE: Back Mountain gardens to be showcased in Luzerne County garden tour
I started a gardening segment this year to bring gardening tips and inspiration to our listeners.
For this feature, the Back Mountain Bloomers Garden Club invited me to tour of one of the area's most beautiful gardens ahead of this year’s garden tour.
You can read the full story here.
Other gardening features include a story about how microgreens are grown at a local organic farm and a community garden in Monroe County that donates produce to local food pantries.
PLANT PEOPLE: Way's Garden preserves history on Williamsport's 'Millionaire's Row'
This gardening segment tells the story of a community garden that was founded more than 100 years ago.
Sitting in the middle of Millionaires Row Historic District, the plot of land is surrounded by big Victorian homes.
The garden, owned by the city and maintained by volunteers and community support, highlights the history of the area.
Lackawanna County filmmaker’s 5th ‘Hell House’ film to premiere this week in regional theaters
A filmmaker from the region has gained a cult following for his “Hell House” franchise.
The fifth film in the series was released in 2025, and it was the first to be screened in theaters.
The Scranton native filmed parts of his movies in Northeast Pennsylvania, at spots including Carbondale City Hall and the Waldorf Estate of Fear in Carbon County.
Read the story and watch the trailer at this link.
Good Natured: Outdoors & optimism podcast
Another large community engagement project from 2025... The Good Natured podcast launched in December. Tune in every month for positive stories highlighting the great outdoors with DiscoverNEPA's Don Jacobs, WVIA's Kat Bolus and others.
Don't forget to follow along each day at WVIA.org as we publish WVIA 2025 Year in Review, recounting the top stories of the past year through New Year's Day.
