by Nancy Bishop

It’s cold. It’s January. There’s still a pandemic.

Tired of staying in the house watching TV?  What is there to do? Well, put on a mask, grab your hand sanitizer and your car keys. There’s still plenty to do while staying safe.

Back last March when this all started, we stayed in the house the first week, but then needed to get out and do something – anything really! So, what started as going to pick up a newspaper because we prefer an actual paper rather than reading it online, became a daily drive exploring the area. After buying the paper at one of the outdoor boxes, we would pick a different road every day and see where it took us. No GPS allowed. This was to be an adventure. Sometimes, while sitting at the end of a dead-end road, we’d wonder why this was “fun,” but it did keep us busy and entertained.

So here we are 10 months later and with a few more businesses open, there really are a lot of interesting possibilities for an adventure.

Over off Rt. 93 in Nescopeck is Country Folk Gifts. Home décor and much more. It’s a country store with a little bit of everything. Unfortunately, it’s only open by appointment now because of the pandemic. Nearby on Rt. 93 is Broyan’s Farm Market. Open year-round, Broyan’s not only offers seasonal fresh produce, it has products ranging from its own spice blends, salsas, salad dressings, homemade pies and cookies, soup and sauce mixes to Pixie Soaps and – my favorite – Milkhouse Creamery ice cream! The deli offers homemade soups and hoagies, so grab some lunch to enjoy on your day of adventuring.

The day I visited I could not resist buying Broyan’s Roasted Garlic & Parmesan salad dressing and their Mild Summer Salsa. So good!

While you’re in the area, you also could visit the Amish Pantry. Family-owned and operated, the store offers Amish-made foods and other products. They have a deli and even a large line of gluten-free products. I love their sliced American horseradish cheese.

Next on your adventure, head to Berwick for a little history. The Jackson Mansion, located in downtown Berwick, was built between 1877 and 1879 for Colonel Clarence Jackson and his family. Jackson was a Berwick native who was active in the American Civil War. While the mansion is currently closed through April 2021 for tours, you can still enjoy the mansion from the sidewalk and snap a few photos. When the mansion re-opens for tours, you can call 570-520-4110 for tour information and reservations.

Another interesting place to visit in the area is the Beyond the Blend Market, located on Front Street in downtown Berwick. Open Monday and Wednesday 2 p.m. to 7 p.m. and Saturday 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. it’s a year-round farmers market that has local meats, cheeses, eggs, fruits and veggies and a variety of local artisans and vendors.

While you’re over in the area, another unique destination is Bill’s Old Bike Barn. You know it’s going to be unique when the directions have you turn off Route 11 between Berwick and Bloomsburg at the two dinosaur statues! Bill Morris has assembled a large collection of vintage motorcycles and Americana memorabilia, especially 1939 New York World’s Fair items. Opened in 1998, the Barn has everything from vintage European carousel horses to a military display complete with foxhole, a ’45 NOS Military Bike, a 30-caliber machine gun and palm trees finished off with Spanish moss. No detail was left out, right down to the 1940 Military parachute that covers the display. The museum recently unveiled handheld audio tours so visitors can learn some of the back-stories of the museums treasures, told by Bill himself. Call 570-759-7030 for hours of operation and any pandemic restrictions.

Follow up your visit with lunch at the Forge Pub & Eatery Forge Pub & Eatery on West 11th Street in Berwick. Call 570-520-4165 for reservations. Their house-made chips that come with the sandwiches and burgers are delicious. I’ve also enjoyed their tuna/cheese salad – tuna, cheese, tomatoes and cucumbers over spring mix.

Looking for some time outside in the fresh air? Hiking and exploring at the Montour Preserve near Danville is always a great option to pass the time and get some exercise. Unfortunately, because of the pandemic the popular annual maple-sugaring program in late winter has been canceled this year, but the more than seven miles of trails around the 165-acre Lake Chillisquaque are still available. The Preserve is open dawn until dusk daily. Like to cross-country ski? The Preserve is a great place to do it if there’s snow on the ground.

After spending time outdoors and building up an appetite, head to Danville and enjoy dinner at one of the many great restaurants there like LT Evans Eatery & Draft House on Walnut Street. LT Evans is currently offering both takeout and dine-in options. Whether you’re in the mood for wings, a burger, crab cakes or a prime rib dinner, you’ll find it at LT Evans.

Even though many activities have been cancelled during this pandemic, there’s still lots to do in Columbia and Montour counties. Please support local businesses while practicing safety. Wear a mask, observe social distancing and wash your hands!

by Nancy Bishop

Does everything seem different this 2020 holiday season? Don’t let the COVID Cooties ruin your joy in shopping for the holiday. Small local businesses are the way to do it! And this area is the best place. Most of the businesses have online shopping if you really don’t want to leave your house, and all need your business to STAY in business.

My friend AnnMarie was up for a bit of an adventure one recent Friday and we both have lists of children and grandkids to shop for so we headed out to see what we could find.

First stop of the day was Wild for Salmon on Route 11 in Bloomsburg. You’ll find seafood options from wild Alaska salmon to dog treats, pet products and gift items. You also can order fresh oysters – a great addition to the table if you follow the Italian Christmas Eve dinner tradition of the Feast of the Seven Fishes.  

Into my cart went salmon fillets to go in the freezer and then gifts for my son and granddaughter — who both love smoked salmon — to share. Wild for Salmon has an amazing smoked salmon spread that my granddaughter likes to put on a bagel so of course I picked that up!

Store owners Jenn and Steve Kurian are passionate about seafood. They’ve said “We created this business to provide natural, sustainably harvested salmon products of superior quality, priced for the common good. We offer wild, Alaskan sockeye salmon because we believe the health benefits received from wild salmon are an essential part of our mind and body health.”

Next we headed to Danville. Needing a cup of coffee since we started our day’s adventure at 9 a.m. — kind of early for retired folks like us – we headed first to Bason Coffee Roasters. We were barely inside the door when AnnMarie caught sight of the jars of jelly. Neither of us could resist picking up the “Yuengling Lager” jelly made by J&M Wine Jelly of New Columbia. (My purchase will be going to the same son who loves smoked salmon to eat with his Yuengling Lager!) I lost track of how many jars AnnMarie bought in flavors like “Blueberry Wine” and “Black Raspberry Merlot.”

But we were there for the coffee. Bason buys its coffee beans from Rwanda and other countries, helping the local economies in disadvantaged areas around the world, JoAnn Bason told me. They roast and grind the beans right there at their shop at 50 East Mahoning St. in Danville. The aroma is heavenly for a coffee lover. And they even fill the little individual cups for Keurig® coffee machines. I picked up a dozen pods in a variety of flavors including “White Chocolate Raspberry Truffle,” “Gingerbread Eggnog” and “Cookie Doodle,” for my daughter-in-law who likes her coffee sweet.

Plan to stop at Bason Coffee Roasters on Saturday, Dec. 12, when they will be hosting a book-signing by local author Terry Diener for his book “A Deed of the Foulest Kind” about the 1858 Danville murder cases of William J. Clark and Mary Twiggs.

After our coffee stop, we headed over to Mill Street to explore the shops there. Stopping at Flavor City Oils, we met Greg Ash, who, along with co-owner Deb Greerly, took the brave step of opening the shop during the pandemic after COVID-19 caused them to lose their previous jobs.

If you or someone you need a gift for loves to cook, you need to stop at Flavor City Oils. The shop offers a variety of flavored olive oils and vinegars along with barbecue sauces and delicious items like stuffed olives and tapenade. We sampled several in the shop’s tasting room. Heavenly! I left with Smoked Fig BBQ Sauce (my gift to myself), a sweet bell pepper tapenade, olives stuffed with parmesan and Romano cheeses, Dark Balsamic Cranberry and Dark Balsamic Basil vinegars and Roasted Garlic and Basil olive oils to give as gifts.

Next we headed to Twice As Dear, another shop that opened on Danville’s Mill Street during the pandemic. Mother-and-daughter owners Cheryl Getkin and Macey Getkin offer American-made products created by small business owners throughout the United States. They look for products that are environmentally friendly.

My granddaughter will find new socks and a lovely bracelet among her gifts while my grandson who finished high school in the Class of 2020 will be getting an “I survived 2020” ornament. His mom will be getting the “Lemongrass Lavender Gift Set” to pamper herself.

From there we headed back into Bloomsburg, stopping at The Exchange to see their “Mask and Carry” show going on through Jan. 8. There are some very creative pieces based on the face masks we all have to wear during the pandemic. You can even purchase the artwork online to support the Exchange!

By now we were hungry, so we stopped by Playa Cancun on Central Road in Bloomsburg to grab some lunch. Fajitas for me and enchiladas for AnnMarie who also had a delicious-looking strawberry margarita since I was doing the driving on our adventure.

Then it was up Route 487 to the Benton area. We stopped first to admire the Twin Bridges decorated with wreaths to celebrate the holiday season. Then on to Pickering Winery where there were a number of gift items for sale along with wine, and then to Colonel Ricketts Hard Cider. There I enjoyed a piping hot cup of non-alcoholic mulled cider (it was a very cold day) while we shopped. Our stops at those last two places pretty much filled up the car and the sun was setting so we headed home after that. It was a great day and so nice to see all the different options there are in this area for gift shopping. Try shopping local small businesses this holiday season. You’ll find unique gifts for everyone on your list and you’ll be supporting the businesses that support our communities in so many ways!

by Nancy Bishop

Halloween will soon be here. What better time to learn about some of the real-life ghost stories in Columbia and Montour Counties!

Among the most well-known is Katy’s Church in Washingtonville, Montour County. According to legend, Katy Vandine is sometimes seen on the grounds of the church or walking beside the road wearing a white dress and crying for the married man who betrayed her by telling people she had bewitched him. Pregnant with the man’s child, she decided to spare herself from her broken heart and the community’s ostracism, as well as a potential conviction for the crime of witchcraft, by hanging herself in front of the church.

Over at Bloomsburg University, several buildings are said to be haunted, including the Phi Sigma Sigma fraternity house, the Andruss Library and the Haas Center. Students at the Phi Sigma Sigma house report a ghost that messes with the lights, hides things, shakes beds, laughs out loud and even chokes sleeping residents. (Of course, maybe it’s just college students who did a little too much partying!)

The Library’s ghost is said to appear on the fourth floor asking library visitors to change his diaper. And over in the Haas Center campus legend says a past séance led to a haunting by a deceased dancer called Ned, who sometimes can be heard crying during productions.

Also in Bloomsburg, one of the buildings at the Inn at Turkey Hill is an old farmhouse in which an owner’s mother passed away. She’s said to wander the place at night, and people report having smelled her perfume. The rocking chair on the porch seemingly moves on its own, too.

And, of course, there has to be a haunted cemetery around! Behind Geisinger Medical Center in Danville is the abandoned Sidler Hill Cemetery. Once part of a Catholic parish, it’s on a steep hill behind the water tower. Strange lights have been reported, as well as the voices of adults speaking in their native Welsh and Irish tongues.

Over in Millville, the old Hotel Iola boasts shadowy figures appearing in long black dresses, and faces wearing Victorian-style collars materializing in the mirrors.

Not convinced ghosts are real? Then talk to Evelyn Moore. She and her husband Mark lived for a while in a house near Orangeville in Columbia County that had a lot of ghostly activity. She told me the home, which had been a parsonage for the church next door, got them interested in paranormal activity. One day her husband was sitting on the couch in the living room when he looked up to see half of a person’s shadow walk in the front door, look directly at him and then walk around the adjacent rooms before looking at him again.

From time-to-time the Moores also smelled cigarette smoke wafting through the house although they didn’t smoke. And once while Evelyn was watching TV late at night, she felt cold breath on her cheek.

Those experiences got Evelyn and Mark interested in finding out more about the area’s ghosts. So they started Moore Ghostseekers in 2010. Over the past 10 years, they’ve been called to many area homes to investigate ghosts.

Evelyn also told me about “orbs” they’ve seen in various places where they’ve been investigating ghosts. Orbs are free-floating lights — transparent balls, or globes, of light energy that may be connected to spirits. They can be a variety of shapes, sizes and colors. You can see them in these photos taken by the Moores.

If you have a home you want investigated that seems to be haunted, you can reach Moore Ghostseekers at 570-204-4902.

And for a final ghost story. There’s a legend about Johnny Martin, a railroad engineer from back a hundred years or so ago, who is said to hang around the Boy Scout’s Camp Lavigne near Benton, Columbia County. There’s even a cave at camp called Johnny Martin’s Cave. Tales of Johnny’s ghost told over the campfire have probably given many a Scout a sleepless night at camp!

Happy Halloween from your friends at the Columbia Montour Visitors Bureau 👻

by Van Wagner

COAL IN JERSEYTOWN, PA?

About 20 years ago, while I was listening to bluegrass music at the Jerseytown Tavern, I listened to stories about the coal mine of Jerseytown. Several local patrons told me about their memories of the bicentennial celebrations in the summer of 1976, when they rode in a horse-pulled wagon to the site of the mine. Some people even remembered going into the mine. I left the tavern that Wednesday night wondering if this was a tall tale that locals tell as a gag, or maybe I had gotten into a bad batch of lager, or if perhaps there was indeed a coal deposit in Madison Township, Columbia County, Pennsylvania.

I received my bachelors of science degree from Penn State in 1998 and had taken several classes on the geology of Pennsylvania. Nothing I had ever heard or researched indicated any coal being in the vicinity of Jerseytown, PA. My curiosity finally got the better of me in 2004 when I began exploring Madison Township history in more depth. My friend Aaron Myers and I spent an entire afternoon exploring the area north of Jerseytown, which was the site of the supposed coal mine, with no luck whatsoever. We looked for any signs that would indicate coal or a coal mine. However, we found no mine tailings (dump piles of waste rock from mines), no acid mine drainage in the water (often orange in appearance), and no signs of coal anywhere. At that point, I was convinced the story was a myth.

In February 2005, I received new information from Edith Hess, of Jerseytown. She gave me several pages of information about the “Jerseytown Coal Mine” compliments of the Madison Township Historical Society. The packet of information was titled “McMichael Coal Mine Near Jerseytown” and was put together by David Nichols in 1989. It is with the help of this document that I will attempt to tell the story of the Jerseytown Coal Mine.

The story begins in the 1800’s, when wells were dug and some residents of Madison Township thought that a trace of coal was showing in the rock that was dug out of these wells. A coal company was formed and named “McMichael Coal Company.” They held their first business meeting on June 27th, 1903, in Jerseytown, PA. Interesting to note, one of the first orders of business was to issue one million shares of stock at $1 each. The following were the seven original directors: J.E. Shuman, Jerseytown, PA (Chairman); Wm. F. Crawford, Jerseytown; Jacob E. Wintersteen, Jerseytown; M.A. Berger, Watsontown, PA; Philip Lawrence, Huron, South Dakota; M.H. Lawrence, Huron, South Dakota; & M. Hoke, Huron, South Dakota. They decided that Huron, South Dakota would be the principal place of business transaction. It is unknown as to why this was the case. The term for this corporation was set for 20 years.

At the first meeting, and after the stock was issued, the three men from South Dakota resigned; Philip Lawrence, M.H. Lawrence, and M. Hoke. In trade for 999,993 shares (out of the 1,000,000 shares created), Dr. J.E. Shuman gave the company his “right, title, interest owned by him.” This included several hundred acres owned by local persons. In other words, it appears Dr. Shuman had obtained mineral rights to mine in this area and then gave those mineral rights to the McMichael Coal Company in exchange for stock shares. The directors agreed on digging two shafts in search of coal. The shafts were dug by directors and local residents at the rate of pay of $1 for an 8-hour day. Supplies were purchased from local businessmen: lumber from P. Nick Beagle, picks and other supplies from Geo. S. Lee, and lumber and carpentry work by Cyrus Hartline. From the findings in the shaft, it was agreed upon digging a tunnel in the base of the ridge.

Wm. Ivey and Wm. Holden were hired to dig a tunnel 6 feet high, five feet wide, and 15 yards long and farther if the company so ordered. They were paid $5 per lineal yard. The company furnished the explosive powder and fuses, the timber props, and material for track. Ivey and Holden were responsible for installing a car and buggy. Work was to begin within 10 days of the June 27th, 1903, meeting. It was also agreed that if Mr. Ivey or Mr. Holden revealed anything to any persons, other than the McMichael Coal Company, or if they failed to drive the tunnel the required 15 yards they would forfeit all pay due. The final notes on record say “Due to the quality of the coal and not knowing the amounts available along with a shortage of funds the company was discontinued in 1906.”

This brings us to present times. I was now convinced that indeed there was a deposit of coal in the Jerseytown area. I figured it was either the far west reach of the Wyoming valley anthracite deposit, or perhaps an island of bituminous or lignite as seen in Sullivan County. This feeling of confidence continued until February 2005 when I located the site of the McMichael “Coal” mine for myself. Upon extensive exploration and study I have not found even one piece of evidence that the mine produced anything other than very dark slate. In addition, the US Geological Survey classified the surface geology of that portion of Madison Township as part of the Hamilton Formation, which does not contain coal deposits.*

Granted I am not a trained, professional geologist. However, I did work for some time as an underground coal miner in Schuylkill County PA. I have explored coal workings all over the state. In addition I now teach high school environmental science and am constantly working with coal in the classroom. I can certainly understand how people might have mistaken this black siltstone as possible coal, but in my opinion it does not and never did burn. The Danville News (May 13, 1980) reported “the mine never produced good anthracite, but rather a slaggy, but burnable material that formed large fused clinkers rather than fine ash.” I disagree with the claim that this substance burned at all since is a siltstone, not coal. During my research, I did hear some stories that the McMichael Coal company may have “salted” the mine, or imported coal from an outside source and claimed it as coal from their mine. This has not been confirmed at this point.

Was there a “Jerseytown Coal Mine?” Yes. How much coal did it produce? In my opinion it never produced even a tablespoon of coal. Although one million dollars of stock were issued in 1903, it doesn’t appear that this was a racket scheme. Local people did have good reason to believe that a coal deposit may have been found in Madison Township. There is coal to the North, East, South, and even west if you travel far enough. I imagine there would have been great excitement in the area as speculation and rumors circulated. At this time in American history, coal was at the headlines of every paper. The Great Anthracite Coal strike had just brought the nation to its knees in 1902. The nation was starved of its primary fuel source for 160 days until the strike was resolved only after president Theodore Roosevelt intervened. Under the circumstances, there was a tremendous demand for coal. The Jerseytown “coal” almost certainly had people very excited and even relived.

Better off or worse off? Let us ask ourselves which would have been better; if coal had been found in Jerseytown or not. At one time coal brought a financial boom to many rural areas of Pennsylvania. However, many of these towns today are left with hard economic conditions and often environmental catastrophes. What were once streams teaming with native trout are now toxic rivers of acid mine drainage. Mountains which supported diverse Appalachian ecosystems are now covered in thousands of acres of acidic culm waste. Mining practices of 1800s and early 1900s have taken a terrible toll on the health of our people and places. Today Jerseytown is a beautiful picturesque scene of rolling fields and forests. Some of the best fishing and hunting can be found in these parts. Perhaps we should be thankful that all the McMichael “Coal” Mine ever produced was shiny black siltstone. Instead of hills of coal waste, today we are left with something more valuable, a beautiful community with an amazing history.

IF YOU GO – The location of the McMichael Mine is in Pennsylvania State Game Lands 226 near Chuck’s Archery. From Route 44 travel West of Jerseytown. Turn right onto Swartz Road. In about a half mile or so, you will come to an intersection, with a road coming in from the right, a road dropping steeply to the left and a road in front of you. Go straight, in less than a half mile, when the road branches, stay left of the farm. Head for the signs that indicate State Game Lands and/or Chuck’s Archery. This is Coal Mine Road. The parking area is about a quarter mile down the road. From parking lot, travel on foot about 200 yards. Take a left onto a wagon road that travels down and crosses the creek. Now follow the creek upstream about 200 yards (no trail.) The mine tunnel will be on the left shore of the creek. The mine is no longer open. However you can see the mine tailing (dump piles) next to the creek where the mine entrance used to be. Please keep in mind you are on State Game lands. Please be safe and respectful.

CITATIONS: *Hamilton Formation. From: A geological hand atlas of the sixty-seven counties of Pennsylvania: embodying the results of the fieldwork of the survey, from 1874 to 1884. By J. P. Lesley. (Report of progress (Geological Survey of Pennsylvania), v. X ) Harrisburg, PA : Board of commissioners for the second geological survey, 1885.
Other sources: Edith Hess, Jerseytown PA David Nichols, Jerseytown, PA Danville News May 13, 1980 Mrs. Frank Allbeck, Millville, PA Larry Allbeck, Millville, PA

by Nancy Bishop

Back in the pre-pandemic days, a favorite social activity for my friends and family was eating out at one of the area’s many great restaurants. But then along came COVID-19 and they, like many people, became afraid of eating at a restaurant, whether indoors or outside. Some of my friends won’t even get takeout from a restaurant because of safety concerns. What used to be a group of 20 of us that ate out every Friday night is now down to only five or six people.

So, is it safe to eat out?

Yes! After all, no restaurant wants to be known as the place that gave you COVID-19, so they’re doing everything they can to keep you safe.

Here are just some of the things Pennsylvania is mandating for restaurants, which now can operate at up to 50 percent capacity as long as the restaurant follows a certification process.

• Customers sitting at a table can’t be within six feet of any customers sitting at another table in any direction.
• Employees must be trained on the importance and expectation of increased frequency of handwashing, the use of hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol, and must avoid touching hands to face.
• Employees must be assigned to monitor and clean high-touch areas frequently during operation, including entrance doors, bathroom surfaces, host stands, etc., and continue to regularly clean all other areas of the restaurant.
• Any shared items with which customers will come in contact such as tabletops, digital menus, check presenters, and digital payment devices must be cleaned and disinfected after each customer use.

In addition, restaurants are asked to provide masks for employees to wear at all times and make it mandatory to wear masks while at the restaurant. It’s also suggested that restaurants provide disposable menus that are discarded after each customer or use a written posting such as a chalkboard or whiteboard to relay menu information.

The state also suggests restaurants use technology solutions where possible to reduce person-to-person interaction, including mobile ordering; text or phone app technology to alert customers when their table is ready to avoid use of “buzzers;” and contactless payment options.

You’ve probably also noticed that instead of salt & pepper shakers and other condiments on every table, you have to ask if you want them and usually will be given the little individual packets.

Ok, so those are some of the rules. But are local restaurants following them? Yes, they are. I have eaten at quite a few since indoor dining has been allowed and I’ve seen the precautions being followed at all of them. Over at PB&J in Danville a couple weeks ago, the staff was being diligent about disinfecting tables and chairs after each use. Staff wore masks, social distancing was followed, and tables were spaced apart.

Steph’s Subs in Bloomsburg is open for pickup in the store, curbside pickup if you don’t want to go inside and delivery in the local area. Plus, owner Steph Severn tells me “Everyone’s temperature is taken before their shift. They’ve been taught proper mask-wearing. We’ve assigned one person on a shift to sanitizing duty, so we wipe things down constantly. We do not allow anyone without a mask to enter. And we are still allowing only one customer inside at a time unless they have a child with them or if it’s a couple. 

“My employees have been very diligent, taking COVID-19 seriously.”

To see the daily specials at Steph’s Subs, visit their Facebook page. The subs look too good to pass up!

Another favorite of mine is Cherokee Tap Room just outside of Danville. Owner Andy Bower says, “Some things I and other places have done is to really readjust our cleaning procedures. Since we have a certain amount of turnover from customers we make sure handles and other high-touch areas are cleaned more frequently than they were in the past.  And our tables are cleaned properly after each use.”

The heightened cleaning includes thorough after-hours cleaning as well, he added.

I’ve eaten at Cherokee several times during the pandemic and you can be sure I’ll be back there. The food is too good to pass up!

It’s been a difficult seven months for restaurants. This week please consider visiting one of your favorites or one you’ve always wanted to try. You’ll be glad you did. (And you won’t have to clean your kitchen at home!)

You can find out more about the state’s restaurant restrictions here. Restaurants that are open and have self-certified are listed on the state’s website. You can search the list by county to find places near you. Eating out doesn’t have to be a scary ordeal – just practice safety and follow established protocols including wearing your mask. If you’re just not comfortable eating at the restaurant yet, at least try takeout to still support your local establishments!

by Nancy Bishop

Even though the Covered Bridge & Arts Festival won’t be happening this year, you can still support the vendors who would have been there if not for COVID-19 cancelling the October event normally held at Knoebels Amusement Resort.

Many of the Festival vendors make their living from the stands they set up at fairs and festivals around the state. This year most of those events aren’t happening. But you can really help them out by shopping online. Many of them have websites or Facebook pages where you can view their products and order.

– Check out the full vendor list here –

If you’ve never outgrown your love of a great peanut butter sandwich (like me) then you’ll want to check out the lineup at Saratoga Peanut Butter Company.

With no palm oil or additives, these non-GMO, gluten free, all-natural nut butters not only are good for you, they taste great. Think flavors like “Monkey Boy” with raisins and bananas, “Major Maple” with maple and honey, “Plain Jane Creamy” (just peanuts) or the seasonal “Pumpkin Pandemonium” with, of course, pumpkin and spices. They also offer an almond butter if you prefer that over peanut butter.

But what caught my eye is the “Slow Burner,” a spicy garlic peanut butter. If you want something savory in your sandwich that’s a must-try!

If your Christmas shopping list has a doll collector on it or a child who loves dolls, you can get handmade doll clothes – and even children’s clothing to match the doll clothes – from Doll Clothes by Donna.

There are also other handmade items offered. One of my grandsons and I have a running joke going about llamas and his Christmas gifts from me always include something with a llama theme. So the Llama crochet kid’s hat may be this year’s gift!

Looking for unique handcrafted items for someone on your list? The Hen House has a wide variety including hand-painted items, wall paintings, handmade jewelry, wreaths and blankets.

If you or someone on your gift list is a sunflower lover, a set of hand-painted sunflower salt and pepper shakers from The Hen House will brighten any table and make you think of summer during long cold Pennsylvania winters.

Sea glass always has fascinated me. During summers spent on Cape Cod we collected those smooth “rocks” you can find on ocean beaches that are really pieces of glass tumbled smooth by the ocean currents and by rubbing against the sand.

At Sea Glass Jewelry by Nora you can get handcrafted jewelry made from sea glass. According to Nora’s website, the majority of the sea glass she uses comes from Lewes, Delaware. She handcrafts each piece of jewelry using only authentic sea glass. No two pieces are exactly the same.

Looking for another unique gift? A & W Designs from Lafayette, TN offers handmade laser-cut ornaments, plaques, magnets and more. Their wooden Christmas ornaments are beautiful. They also can make custom pieces for you.

Ryan’s Country Charm from Hazleton has seasonal handmade wooden home decor. Whether you’re looking for a pumpkin decorative item for Fall or a Penn State door ornament to show your team allegiance, you’ll find it at Ryan’s. One of the snowmen is going to have to come live at my house!

Another place offering handcrafted wooden furniture and other home décor items is Spare Thyme Primitives and Antiques.

Joyce’s Comfy Creations will wow your tastebuds with their cream cheese pound cakes and their breads. Hungry for pizza? There’s a Pepperoni & Cheese Artisan Bread that looks delicious or a Tomato & Cheese Flatbread. And for dessert there’s a Lemon Cream Cheese Pound Cake that looks yummy.

It’s a difficult time for all of the Festival vendors, many of whom rely on business done at fairs and festivals that have now been cancelled. Please consider supporting them. The Covered Bridge & Arts Festival, organized by the Columbia-Montour Visitors Bureau and hosted by Knoebels Amusement Resort each year, will plan to return on October 7 – 10, 2021.

From susquehannavalley.blogspot.com

Local businesses throughout Bloomsburg will be hosting a variety of fair vendors between September 25th & October 3rd. There are plans for more than fifteen locations to host food vendors. Visit them all and support your favorite food vendor this fall! To find a constantly evolving list of vendors and their locations, please visit this article from Susquehanna Valley Girl Views: susquehannavalley.blogspot.com/2020/09/the-2020-bloomsburg-fair-where-to-find.html – it will have a complete and current list of the vendors and where they’re located.

Map embedded via Google Maps from Susquehanna Valley Girl Views article: