Posts in Heritage | Blog

Sheep shearing & more this weekend in Berks County, PA

By Lisa Haggerty on Apr. 20, 2018

Have you ever watched a sheep get shorn? Here's your chance. It's just one of the many things to do this weekend in Pennsylvania’s Americana Region. We’ve put together a few of the many activities available to you across Berks County. The options are varied, fun, and interesting and it's just the…

The Union Canal in Berks County, Pennsylvania

By Lisa Haggerty on Mar. 20, 2018

By Cindy Ross The weary plodding of mules’ hooves carved out the dirt trail that slips away beneath my feet…thousands of trips back and forth, pulling the canal boats that floated the Union Canal. It once ran nearly 80 miles from Reading on the Schuylkill River to Middletown on the Susquehanna…

Reading’s Middleby Automobile—Air Cooled & on Display at Boyertown Museum of Historic Vehicles!

By Lisa Haggerty on Mar. 09, 2018

By Kendra Cook Curator/Manager - Boyertown Museum of Historic Vehicles It’s a question we often hear from visitors at the Boyertown Museum of Historic Vehicles: “Why aren’t the hoods open on the cars? We want to see the engines!” Well, this weekend, March 10 & 11, during regular hours from 9:30 am -…

Punxsutawney Phil’s Worst Nightmare: Groundhog with a Side of Carrots & Potatoes

By Lisa Haggerty on Feb. 08, 2018

Blog by Berks History Center Originally posted February 2, 2018 While some might consider him a sign of the season, some Berks County residents consider him dinner! That’s right, groundhog is a little-known culinary secret in Berks County. As an avid hunter, Berks History Center Executive…

Pig Stomach & Other Berks County Foodways

By Lisa Haggerty on Jan. 25, 2018

Photo courtesy of Berks History Center Pig Stomach & Other Berks County Foodways By Berks History Center Vicky Heffner, Education Curator at the Berks History Center, has fond memories associated with pig stomach. In her family, it’s a tradition to make pig stomach every year on her father’s…

Reading Railroad Heritage Museum & PA's Americana Region

By Lisa Haggerty on Dec. 27, 2017

Reading Railroad Heritage Museum By Bryan Hay In “Life’s Railway to Heaven,” Johnny Cash sings, “Heed the curves and watch the tunnels, never falter, never fail, keep your hand upon the throttle, and your eye upon the rail.” It’s a relevant creed for the generations of people from Pennsylvania’s…

PA Americana Christmas & PA Dutch Traditions

By Lisa Haggerty on Dec. 22, 2017

Christmas and PA Dutch Traditions by Bryan Hay I grew up in a Pennsylvania German household, and the one memory that sticks out is the annual PA Dutch tradition of a Christmas visit from the Belsnickel, who was portrayed by my great-uncle. Not nearly as jolly as St. Nick, the Belsnickel, dressed in…

PA Dutch Holiday Foods & PA's Americana Region

By Lisa Haggerty on Dec. 15, 2017

PA Dutch holiday foods - this time of year it doesn’t take much to get Steve Stetzler talking about holiday memories surrounding PA Dutch foods. “On Christmas Eve, we’d always have pig stomach at grandma’s house,” says Stetzler, chef, and owner at the Deitsch Eck Restaurant at 87 Penn St.…

Potato Filling & PA's Americana Region

By Lisa Haggerty on Nov. 21, 2017

What would Thanksgiving be without potato filling? In Pennsylvania’s Americana Region, this yummy dish graces many a Thanksgiving table, and for that I am grateful. Of course I like the standard fare - turkey, sweet potatoes, assorted vegetables, and pies, but it is this PA Dutch dish that makes my…

A Different Kind of Thanksgiving

By Lisa Haggerty on Nov. 15, 2017

A Different Kind of Thanksgiving Celebration By Cindy Ross I steady the tray of warm cornbread as I walk across the orchard in the November twilight. The 22-foot canvas tipi looms in front of me, beautifully lit up from the glowing fire inside. Native American flute music fills the air. As I push…

Category: Heritage