Salute to vets
SteelStacks: Vet Fest returns to 101 Founders Way, Bethlehem, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. July 7 and 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. July 8. Highlights of the free festival include a motorcycle Bike Run at 11:30 a.m. July 7 and a 5K at 8 a.m. July 8. Bike Run registration is onsite only and costs $20 for riders and $10 for passengers. Participants in the 5K can register in advance at www.namknights-lvpa.org or day of for $25. Vet Fest will also have live music by Schubert and Binder, the Bryant Brothers Band and Kings of Sunday, and feature face painting and activities for children. Visit www.namknights-lvpa.org.
Pennsylvania heritage
Kutztown Folk Festival: The 69th annual festival runs kicks off June 30 and runs for nine days of folklife demonstrations, artisan crafts, antiques, food and drink, six stages of live entertainment and family fun. New for 2018 is a garden-scale, 30’x20′ model train display and railroad memorabilia presented in conjunction with the Allentown & Auburn Railroad. Also for the first time, the Kutztown Folk Festival will host a Harvest Home celebration at the Union Church. Visitors will witness the Pennsylvania Dutch tradition of adorning the local church with harvest decorations, fruits and vegetables in celebration of a successful harvest and safe storage of food before winter. At the conclusion of the festival, organizers will donate the food through a nonprofit organization to benefit local families in need. Admission is $14, $13 for seniors 55+, $5 for students 13-17, $24 for a week-long pass. Get more information at www.kutztownfestival.com.
Sweetest treats
Linvilla Orchards: The annual Blueberry Festival will be 8 a.m. to 7 p.m. July 7. Events include a blueberry pie-eating contest, “Summertime Sampling with Judi” from 11 to 2, pick-your-own fruit, games, fishing, train rides, face painting, pony rides and blossom hayrides. Linvilla Orchards is at 137 W. Knowlton Road, Media. Visit us at www.linvilla.com for more information.
Lighting up the night
Norristown Farm Park: On June 30 Join a field biologist for an evening to discover the world of fireflies, or lightning bugs (which, by the way, are neither flies nor bugs) Learn about their behaviors and life cycle, as well as how to distinguish different species of fireflies. The program begins at 8:30 p.m.; flashlights are optional. Meet in parking lot No. 3. This free program is appropriate for adults and children 6 and up. Pre-registration is required by calling (610) 270-0215 or emailing rking2@montcopa.org. Norristown Farm Park is at Barley Sheaf Drive and Germantown Pike, East Norriton.
Special trains
Morris Arboretum: Celebrate “Circus Week” June 30-July 8 at the arboretum’s Garden Railway, which is celebrating its 20th anniversary. See miniature circus trains chugging around the quarter-mile track. Children of all ages can delight in the theme “Time in the Garden,” that features structures that incorporate the concept of time in their construction. Come and see a grandfather “mouse” clock reminiscent of the nursey rhyme “Hickory Dickory Dock,” look for a giant rabbit with a watch fob who is late to return to the book “Alice in Wonderland” and discover an hourglass sculpture, a sundial and other time-related formations. The arbroretum is at 100 E. Northwestern Ave., Philadelphia. For more information visit www.morrisarboretum.org.
Memorable rides
Moravian Tile Works: The Road Angels’ Rod Run Car Show features street rods, custom cars, muscle cars, trucks, antiques and classic cars 30 years or older 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. July 8 at Route 313 and Cold Spring Creamery Road, Doylestown. Cost for spectators are $5, free for children 12 and under. Go to www.roadangelsdoylestown.com/rod-run.
Markey Park: A covered bridge tour and car show runs 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. June 30 in the park at 1418 Ridge Road, East Rockhill. Call (215) 536-6789 or go to the Good Time Motorvators Facebook page.
Tickets to taste
Mainland Grille: The Mainland Grille Summer Beer Fest is held 4 to 7 p.m. June 30, with VIP admission at 3, at 2250 Rittenhouse Road, Lower Salford. There will be live music by Two Rocks Rye and food will be available for purchase. Tickets are $35, $50 for VIPs, $12 for designated drivers, Call (215) 256-6192.
Skippack Village: From 4 to 9 p.m. June 30 it’s the Wine and Jazz Festival. Enjoy wine, food, live jazz, food trucks and more. You must have a wristband in all festival areas. Admission is $25, $30 for VIPs, $15 for designated drivers. See https://winetober.com/wine-jazz-2018.
Concert picks
Elmwood Park: Performing in the bandshell at 7 p.m. July 1 will be Wildflower. On July 4 at noon it’s Old School. Later at 7 p.m. July 4 Wildflower performs again. The park is off of Harding Boulevard, Norristown.
SteelStacks: At 8 p.m. June 29 at SteelStacks’ Musikfest Cafe Langhorne Slim and The Lost at Last Band will take the stage at 101 Fouders Way, Bethlehem. Tickets range from $19-$24. Visit www.steelstacks.org.
