Electric City Renaissance – Scranton, Pa

Like to learn more about some local landmarks? Don’t miss The Historic Hill House Tour this Sunday, June 21, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Tour sites include The Colonnade, 401 Jefferson Ave.; The Duffy/Butala Home, 830 Taylor Ave.; The Mansour Property, 1213 East Gibson St.; The Scartelli Property, 724 N. Webster Ave.; The Simrell Home, 241 Arthur Ave.; and The Zepponi Home, 745 N. Irving Ave.

Tickets can be purchased at Nada & Co. prior to the event ($25) or at the Catlin House on the day of the event ($30). A pre-tour cocktail party will be held at the Colonnade tonight at 6:30 p.m. Tickets for the cocktail party are $45; combined event tickets are $60.

This weekend, Honesdale will host one of the area’s best music festivals with the Honesdale Roots & Rhythm Music & Arts Festival on Saturday.

The festival is free and will feature Main Street performances Saturday morning leading up to the main event in Central Park at 1:30 p.m. This year’s headliner is Junior Brown, a legendary Texas bluesman well versed in county, rock and bluegrass. Also performing on the festival’s main stage will be Michelle Willson & The “Evil Gal” Festival Orchestra, Heybale and The Murder Ballads.

Bands performing downtown, Main Street & 9th Street Stage, from 10:30am-1:30pm will be Scott Philipp and the StoneBaby Band, Gypsy Jazz Quintet and The Jack Grace Band.

Any local music fan will want to make a trip to Honesdale this Saturday.

If you can’t wait for LadyFest 2009 on July 24 in Nay Aug Park, get an early start with the LadyFest Kick Off Party scheduled for June 27 at 6 p.m. at the Vintage Theater, 222 Wyoming Ave., Scranton.

The Kick Off Party will feature musicians Carlene Marjorino, Donnie Kirchner, Empty Cases, No West and Satellite; and artwork by Melissa Diltz, Desiree Zielinski, Brad Kisbaugh and Alec Hinz.

Food will be provided by eden and they will be raffling off items from Greenbeing, Duffy Accessories, Kaiser Photography and more. There is a $5 cover.

The Lackawanna Heritage Valley Authority (LHVA) will hold a Public Information Meeting about the Lackawanna River Heritage Trail and the Lackawanna Greenway on Tuesday, June 30, at 6:30 p.m. at Steamtown National Historic Site.

The public is invited to come and view maps and displays of trail routes for undeveloped sections of the Lackawanna River Heritage Trail and guide the trail’s future development.

During the meeting which is geared for individuals who enjoy using trails and parks for walking, jogging, cycling, fitness activities, socializing, and family outings, participants will break into smaller groups to give their input on the development of both the Lackawanna River Heritage Trail and the Lackawanna Greenway.

The Lackawanna River Heritage Trail, a forty-mile long multi-purpose trail that follows the Lackawanna River from Union Dale to the river’s confluence with the Susquehanna River at Duryea and Pittston, is the main trail in the Lackawanna Greenway – a system of parks, trails, open space, and preserved land in the Lackawanna Valley.

On Saturday, June 20, the City of Carbondale will continue its annual Summer Celebration, this year, ushering in a new tradition with the inaugural Music & Wine Festival.

The Steamtown National Historic Site will run a train excursion to the Music & Wine Festival leaving Scranton at 10 a.m.

This year’s festival, which runs from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. in downtown Carbondale, will include over 50 craft and artisan displays; a free music festival (noon to 4 p.m.) featuring “Jason O” DixieLand Band, a Frank Sinatra Tribute with Scranton’s own Chris DiMatteo and local musicians; and a wine festival (1-4 p.m.) featuring some of Pennsylvania’s finest wineries.

Tickets are $25 per person for train ride and wine festival admission; $20 for wine festival admission advance sale, $25 day of event, or $10 for designated drivers; and $10 for train ride only.

For tickets, Visit www.carbondale-pa.gov.

The combination of First Friday and the return of the Rooftop Party made for an entertaining Friday evening in downtown Scranton.

There was music in the air nearly everywhere you stopped – either from the Rooftop Party band, Music for Models, or from any of the numerous musical acts performing at First Friday venues around the downtown.

For a photo slideshow of First Friday and the Rooftop Party, click on the “Gallery” tab to the right.

The next First Friday will be July 3. For more information or to register as an artist or venue, visit the First Friday Scranton site.