Submit events about 10 days in advance of publication date to lmitchell@berksmontnews.com.
Feb. 8
Roots to Wings Valentine’s Day Treats for the Birds: 10 to 11 a.m. at Angora Fruit Farm, 502 Angora Rd., Reading. Hands-on activities, games, and stories fill this 1-hour, content-rich natural science program. Examine mounted specimens, eggs, bones, nests, and more. A craft related to the topic of the day completes each lesson. This program is part of the larger Roots to Wings series, which occur monthly and are designed for children ages 3-5. $5 per Child. Call 484-509-2667, ext. 3 to register prior to the event. Presented by Berks County Parks and Recreation.
Feb. 9-11Glimpses of Love, a unique Valentine Day display: Boyertown Area Historical Society, 43 S. Chestnut St., on Friday, Feb. 9, at 5:30 p.m., Saturday, Feb. 10, and Sunday, Feb. 11, from 12 to 4 p.m. featuring antique and vintage wedding gowns, love letters, marriage certificates and rare, historic Valentines. A donation of $5 per couple includes refreshments and a lovely chocolate red rose. Children, age 12 and under, are free of charge.
Feb. 10 and 14
Saints or Sinners Valentine’s Ghost Tour: Feb. 10, 10 p.m., and Feb. 14, 6:30 p.m., Historic Brinton Lodge, 1808 W. Schuylkill Rd., Douglassville. The tour winds through the hidden halls and secret rooms of Brinton Lodge with a costumed storyteller sharing haunting love stories, shocking scandals, and local legends along the way. Evening ends with a nightcap from the on-site brewery, Hidden River Brewing Co., or wine, and local specialty chocolate. Proceeds benefit the preservation of Historic Brinton Lodge. 610-572-7121 or www.brintonlodge.com
Feb. 10
Valentines Sewing Circle: 10 a.m. to 12 p.m., Berks County Heritage Center, 1102 Red Bridge Rd., Reading. All are welcome to attend. Please bring along a project of your choice. For more information, call 610-374-8839.
Feb. 11
Faschnachts: Freshly made Faschnachts for sale from 12 to 2 p.m. at Friedens UCC, 337 Main St., OIey. Only $4 per half dozen. For pre-orders call 610-987-3536.
Feb. 11
Fausnachts Sale: St. Mark’s Evangelical Lutheran Church, 5 Brooke. Manor, Birdsboro, will be homemaking and selling Fausnachts. Fausnachts will be $7 per dozen and can pre-ordered by calling the church office at 610-582-8167 by Feb. 1. Fausnachts will be available for pick-up at 10:30 a.m. on Feb. 11.
Feb. 11
February Fireside Tales at Daniel Boone Homestead: 2 p.m. at Daniel Boone Homestead, off Route 422 near Birdsboro. Darius Puff will share Eastern Woodland Native American Tales in the Wayside Lodge. Cozy up by the fire with hot cocoa and cookies as Mr. Puff shares stories from his ancestors. A donation per person is suggested. www.danielboonehomestead.org or 610-582-4900
Feb. 11
Wear Your Heart on Your Hat Studio Crawl/Hat Contest: 12 – 4 p.m., GoggleWorks Center for the Arts, 201 Washington Street, Reading. To celebrate Mardi Gras and Valentine’s Day the Studio Artists at GoggleWorks invite you to create a handmade hat (headdress, tiara, light-up sculpture) and model it for the artists to win a prize, a framed gelatin-plate elephant print from Suzanne Fellows. Hats MUST be handmade and will be judged on qualities such as silliness, originality and out-of-the-box thinking. Must be 18 to enter. 610-374-4600, info@goggleworks.org, http://m.facebook.com/GoggleWorksArtists/
Feb. 15
Amity Township Crime Watch Monthly Meeting: 7:30 p.m. at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church, 548 Old Swede Road, Douglassville. Amity Police Department will share information about skimming devices and counterfeit currency.
Feb. 15
Free Alzheimer’s Association Support Group: 6:30-8 p.m. at Chestnut Knoll Personal Care and Memory Care, 120 W. 5th St., Boyertown. Public invited .to learn more about caring for your senior loved ones living with dementia or Alzheimer’s disease. Learn coping techniques presented by Linda Detwiler, LPN, director of Chestnut Knoll At Home Services. Free. Care is provided to loved ones while the caregiver is in the meeting, pre-assessment required. Please RSVP by calling 610-473-8066.
Feb. 15
Berks County Patriots: 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., Leesport Farmer’s Market. PA Gubernatorial Candidate Senator Scott Wagner, who won 2014 State Legislative seat in special election by write-in, gives Agenda 21 Update. Free to all.
Feb. 15Pizza Hut Fundraiser: 4 to 9 p.m. at Pizza Hut, 1111 E. Philadelphia Ave., Gilbertsville, benefiting the Boyertown Community Library. Present the flyer for 20 percent of the total to be donated to the library. Can be used for eat in, take out or delivery. Flyers can be picked up at the library.
Feb. 17
Community lunch: Calvary United Church of Christ, 1231 Route 100, Barto, will have a free community lunch at 12 Noon. Everyone is welcome to attend.
Feb. 24
From Tree to Table Maple Sugaring 101: From 1 to 3 p.m. at Angora Fruit Farm, 502 Angora Road, Reading. Presented by the Berks County Parks and Recreation Department. Explore maple sugaring from start to finish as we tap trees, boil the sap, and taste the final product. The event will cost $3 per person and space is limited. Remember to dress for the weather. Snow Date Feb. 25. Call 484-609-2667, ext. 3 to register prior to the event.
Feb. 28
Know Your Symphony: 7:30 p.m. at the Highlands of Wyomissing. Dr. Graham Bier, music director of the Berks Choral Society, will lead a discussion of Reading Symphony Orchestra program, featuring violinists Christopher Collins Lee and Eliezer Gutman. Program sponsored by Penn State Berks and Reading Symphony League . Tickets $5.
March 3
Pancake breakfast: 8 to 11 a.m. Calvary United Church of Christ, 1231 Route 100, Barto. All you can eat pancakes, sausage, coffee, tea, orange juice and apple juice. Free will donation to our Relay for Life Team Calvary United Cancer Crusaders. 610-652-5023, calvaryucc@gmail.com
March 4
Annual Kitchen Essentials Bingo: 1 p.m. at Birdsboro Community Memorial Center. Prizes include restaurant & grocery gift cards, Pampered Chef & More. Doors open at 11:45 a.m. Tickets $25 for 25 games, plus specials, raffles, door prizes, homemade foods and fresh baked goods. Proceeds benefit the Woman’s Club of Birdsboro community service projects. Call Molly at 610-582-5112 for tickets.
March 10
Pancake breakfast: Bally Mennonite Church, Route 100 in Bally, will be serving pancakes, French toast, sausage, scrapple, OJ, tea, & coffee in the Church Fellowship hall, from 7 – 11 a.m. The cost is a donation. Proceeds will provide funds for the Bally Community Center, a non-profit organization whose goal is to provide a haven the for kids of the area to come and have some good clean fun, play games, sports or just relax. Christian owned and run, the BCC is based on Christian principles of relating to one another in conduct, word and attitude. For more information, visit www.ballymc.org.
March 10
24th Annual Daniel Boone Optimist Club Spring Craft Show: 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Daniel Boone Middle School, 1845 Weavertown Road, Douglassville. Quality Handcrafted Items. Over 100 crafters. Free admission, free parking, refreshments. Presented by Daniel Boone Optimist Club. www.danielbooneoptimist.com, email DBCraftShow@gmail.com. Call Lydia at 610-639-1439.
Recurring
Garden Club: Pottstown Area Garden Club meets on first Friday at St. James Lutheran Church, 1101 E. High St., Pottstown at 11:30 a.m. Open to anyone interested in all aspects of gardening, including opportunities for further education in horticulture, floral and landscape design, garden study and flower show schools. See us on Facebook.
Toastmasters: Improve Your Public Speaking Skills and Confidence with the Gilbertsville Toastmasters. Meetings are first and third Tuesday at 7 p.m. in classroom 205 at New Hanover United Methodist Church, 2211 Swamp Pike, Gilbertsville. For information, email Doug Maden at dougmaden@gmail.com or visit www.kstoastmaster.org.
Bereavement Seminars: Mondays from 7-9 p.m. offering wisdom, strength, and encouragement at St. Catharine’s Parish Center, 2427 Perkiomen Ave. Mt. Penn 19606. Call 610-370-1174 for details.
Birdsboro Rotary Club: meets 6:30 p.m. every Thursday at the Reading Country Club, 5311 Perkiomen Ave, Reading.
Pottstown Area Garden Club: meets on the first Friday of each month at St. James Lutheran Church, 1101 E. High St., Pottstown at 11:30 a.m. The club is open to anyone interested in all aspects of gardening, including opportunities for further education in horticulture, floral and landscape design, garden study and flower show schools. See us on Facebook.
Pagoda Writers: group gets together from 1 to 3 p.m. the first Saturday of every month on the second floor of the Pagoda, 98 Duryea Drive, Reading.
Boyertown Library
Scrabble Club: Every Thursday at 10:30 a.m. Join other adults in a friendly game of Scrabble, no sign up necessary.
Adult Book Club: First Monday at 10:30 a.m. Join other adults to discuss a book. November’s book is Rose Under Fire by Elizabeth Wein, no sign up necessary.
Book Mobile
Feb. 16: Upper Frederick Township Building, Rte. 73 (3205 Big Rd.), Obelisk, 10 a.m. to noon.
Feb. 17: Weis Market Shopping Center, Philadelphia Ave., Gilbertsville, 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Feb. 7, 14, 21, 28: New Hanover Township Bldg., 2943 N. Charlotte St., New Hanover, 10:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
Mifflin Community Library
Most programs encourage pre-registration and take place downstairs at the Mifflin Community Library unless otherwise noted.
Stitching Circle: meets every Monday from 6:30-8 p.m., and the Afternoon Stitching Circle meets every Wednesday from 1-3 p.m. Mifflin Community Library New members are always welcome and should bring their own materials. Currently 12-15 members who sew, knit and crochet. The group works on personal projects as well as service projects to benefit the community. Come join in loads of fun & stitching!
Mifflin Writers Group: meets 1st & 3rd Thursdays from 6:30-8 p.m. Group is composed of writers of all genres and levels of experience. Their purpose is to motivate, inspire, instruct, inform, share and critique each other in their writing efforts in a free flowing and relaxed atmosphere.
Exeter Community Library
4569 Prestwick Drive
610-406-9431berkslibraries.org/exeter
Winter/Spring Weekly Storytime Schedule January-April
Baby Lapsits: Fridays from 9:30 to 10 a.m. for ages Infant – 18 months (prewalking). Storytime encourages language development in babies with simple stories, songs, lap play, and creative movement. No Baby Lapsit held on March 9.
Toddler Storytime: Wednesdays from 10 to 10:30 a.m. for ages walking – 3 years, stories, songs, finger plays, activities and crafts. No Toddler Storytime held on March 7.
Preschool Storytime: Thursdays from 10 to 11 a.m. and 1 to 2 p.m. ages 3-5 Years. Hour of fun, reading, singing, learning and a craft. No Preschool Storytimes on March 8.
Library Scouts: Wednesdays from 7 to 7:30 p.m. for ages 4 and older. Library Scouts is a learning adventure. Each evening is themed to help us learn how to make the world a better place. Your child may earn a Library Scout bag and patches by attending programs. No Library Scouts held on March 7.
Oley Valley Community Library
Feb. 8: Family Game Night 6-7 p.m. Stop by the library for a family game of scrabble, memory or boggle!
Feb. 13: Make & Take Oils Class 5:30-7 p.m. Call ahead for reserved seating, 484-491-1278.
Feb. 14: Writing Workshop 1-2 p.m., bi-weekly writing workshop led by Denice Deantonio, Fleetwood, trained as a facilitator in Guided Autobiography. No experience necessary and all are welcome. Bring a paper, pen and your thoughts. Meet new friends and enjoy light refreshments. Call ahead 484-491-1278 or respond via social media.
Feb. 15: Traveling Trunk on how and why covered bridges were used and constructed 6-7 p.m. This is an educational experience for all ages. This program is made possible by the Berks County Heritage Center. Children welcome.
Feb. 17: What The Valley Knows’ Meet & Greet 12-1 p.m. Join local author Heather Christie for a reading and signing of her new book, “What The Valley Knows”. Books will be available for purchase in the library. A Q& A session will follow.
Feb. 20: Home School Hook Ups on Healthy Hearts 10-11 p.m. Monthly, educational programming for homeschool children. This month we will be discussing healthy hearts for Valentine’s Day.
Feb. 22: Family Movie Night 5-7 p.m. Bring your dinner and family and have a night out.
Feb. 24: Kathryn’s Grille Fundraiser 11-5 p.m. Kathryn’s Grille will be donating 10 percent of sales to the Oley Valley Community Library. Stop in for lunch or an early dinner and support this new establishment. Kathryn’s Grille is located at 1 Park Lane, Douglassville and offers a lively dining experience with a unique menu, www.kathrynsgrille.com/.
Feb. 28: Writing Workshop with guest Heather Christie 1-3 p.m. Starting From Solitude is an exercise to establish an authorial voice and generate the first draft of a one-person scene that will encompass a character’s wishes, fears, worries, regrets, and hopes. Participants will need to bring 32 index cards with them.
Feb. 28: Computer Class for Beginners 6-7 p.m. There are four computers available and reservations must be made. Call the library at 484-491-1278 to reserve your spot. Learn the very basics of computer navigation including the desktop, standard programs within the desktop (Microsoft Word, Internet, etc.) as well as navigating the internet and the programs themselves. Learn how to spot a scam, knowing when to NOT click that link and general things to spot and recognize to ensure safety and security when using the internet. Each class will progress in a linear fashion, so going to numerous classes will be very helpful.
Feb. 9: Preschool Story Time 10:30 a.m. Thank you for being my friend by Peter Bentley. Craft making a tree of love. This will be our Valentine Party. Please bring along 15 Valentine’s to share with friends.
Feb. 16: Preschool Story Time 10:30 a.m. Let’s share by Jillian Harker. Craft is making a friendship bracelet.
Feb. 23: Preschool Story Time 10:30 a.m. Excuse Me! By Moira Butterfield. Craft is Be Polite Pupper (Lacing).
