Nature Journaling

September 6, 2026 · 5:00 AM · Willow Glen Park, 94 Park Avenue

The Willow Glen Market and Food Festival fills the grounds at Willow Glen Park in Sinking Spring, where rows of vendors set out fresh produce, new and used household goods, clothing, toys, sporting gear, crafts, and the kind of odds and ends that reward a slow walk through the aisles. Early risers get first look, and the morning has a steady, easygoing rhythm as tables fill in and shoppers make their rounds. Come hungry. More than twenty food vendors serve up plenty to eat on site, plus options worth carrying home for later. Between the browsing and the breakfast, it is an easy way to spend a Sunday morning close to home. The market runs Sundays through the spring, summer, and fall season, weather permitting. Cash is handy for smaller purchases, and a tote bag or wagon helps if you plan to load up on produce or larger finds. Parking is available on site.

September 6, 2026 · 10:00 AM · West Reading Park & Pavilion, 505 Sycamore Road

The West Reading Farmers' Market gathers a producer-only lineup of growers and food makers on Sunday morning at the West Reading Park & Pavilion. Every vendor is a small-scale farmer or food business based within 50 miles of West Reading, and each item on the tables is grown, raised, or made by hand. Shoppers will find seasonal vegetables and fruit, pastured meats, poultry and eggs, cheeses, and raw local honey, alongside artisan pastries, cookies, and organic breads. Other tables carry hand-made ravioli and pasta, olive oil, locally roasted coffee and blended teas, fresh cut flowers, herbal tinctures and body products, and locally fermented cider and beer. Live music and free samples are part of the morning, and the market is built to be a gathering place for neighbors who care about where their food comes from. Vendors set up rain or shine. SNAP is accepted at the market, and the vegetable and mushroom growers accept Farmers' Market Nutrition Program checks.

Hosted by West Reading Borough

September 6, 2026 · 7:30 PM · 136 N 6th St

Blackberry Smoke brings its Southern rock to the Santander Performing Arts Center on Sunday, September 6, 2026, at 7:30 PM. The Atlanta band, led by singer and guitarist Charlie Starr, has spent its career blending classic rock, country, blues and gospel-tinged harmonies into a sound rooted in Georgia musical tradition. On stage the group leans into twin guitar lines, organ and piano textures, and a rhythm section with room to stretch out. Songs such as "One Horse Town," "Pretty Little Lie" and "The Whippoorwill" have made them a favorite among fans of roots-driven American rock, and the theater setting in downtown Reading suits a band that puts the playing front and center. Doors open at 6:30 PM. The Santander Performing Arts Center is located at 136 North 6th Street in Reading, with a Dinner on the Mezz pre-show buffet offered as an upgrade for this performance.

Hosted by Santander Performing Arts Center

September 7, 2026 · 10:00 AM · Berks County Heritage Center, 1102 Red Bridge Road · Open to the public

The Ringgold Band brings a morning of traditional band music to the grounds along the Tulpehocken Creek, with the county's landmark red covered bridge as a backdrop. The group formed in Reading back in 1852 and counts among the earliest community bands in the country, drawing its players from music educators, working musicians, and neighbors who simply love to play. Expect the kind of program the band is known for: marches, familiar classics, symphonic overtures, and show tunes, performed outdoors where the sound carries across the creek. Concerts traditionally open with a march by Monroe A. Althouse, the longtime leader remembered locally as Reading's March King. Bring your own chairs or a blanket and settle in. The setting is a comfortable one for families, with walking trails and historic buildings nearby if you want to make a morning of it.

September 7, 2026 · 10:00 AM · Berks Heritage Center, 1102 Red Bridge Road · Free admission

The Ringgold Band brings a morning of concert band music to the Berks Heritage Center, playing through noon as part of a Labor Day celebration. Bring a chair or a blanket and settle in for a program built for listening outdoors. Formed in Reading in 1852, the Ringgold Band is one of America's first community bands, made up of amateur and professional players, including many music educators, who rehearse together year round. Their programs pull from familiar classics, symphonic overtures, show tunes, and marches, and the band traditionally opens with a march by Monroe A. Althouse, the Berks County composer known locally as Reading's March King. The band also carries a connection to John Philip Sousa, who conducted the last march of his life in rehearsal with the group in Reading, and concerts typically close with The Stars and Stripes Forever in his memory. It makes for an easygoing holiday weekend outing for families, neighbors, and anyone who enjoys a live band on a late summer morning.

September 7, 2026 · 5:00 PM · Carsonia Park, 209 Byram Street

The Antietam Valley Farmers' & Artists' Market brings growers, makers, and neighbors together for a Monday evening of shopping and mingling. Familiar vendors return alongside new and guest sellers who rotate through over the course of the season, so the mix of produce, handmade goods, and prepared food shifts from week to week. Come hungry and plan to stay a while. Shoppers can sample as they browse, pick up dinner and dessert on site, and listen to live music while catching up with people from around the valley. Community tables are set up with information about upcoming Antietam Valley Community Partnership events and other local happenings. The market operates rain or shine. There is an off-street parking lot on site, with additional street parking close by. The market is organized by the Antietam Valley Community Partnership, which can be reached at 610-779-6973 or info@antietamvalley.org.