Stonycreek River of the Year Celebration will be held Saturday at Greenhouse Park.

The Stonycreek River has won the Pennsylvania River of the Year contest for its cleanup efforts and quality recreation that has been promoted over the past 25 years.

An opening ceremony and river blessing will be held from noon to 12:30 p.m.

Nonprofit conservation organizations will have displays and  demonstrations from 11 a.m. to

6 p.m.                          

There will be activities on the river all day.

A freestyle rodeo will be held from 2 to 4:30 at Whitewater Park, and a playboater race will be held from 4:30 pm to 5:45 pm..

Musical entertainment at Greenhouse Park will feature Whiskey River Panhandlers from 2 to 5, South Side Strays from 5 to 8 and Halftime String Band from 8 to 11.

Information: www.benscreekcanoeclub.com.

Community celebration

Miners’ Memorial Day Weekend will be held today through Sunday along Graham Avenue, Windber.

There will be music, a parade, children’s activities, car show and fireworks.

There will be two concerts at Arcadia Theater, 1418 Graham Ave.

Jimmy Beaumont & The Skyliners will perform at 8 tonight.

Tickets are $29, $35 and $38.

Johnstown Classic Rockers will perform at 7 p.m. Saturday. Tickets are $10.

Admission is free for other weekend activities.

Information: 467-6680.

Musical sessions

A full slate of entertainment will accompany Saturday’s dedication of Peoples Natural Gas Park, 90 Johns St., Johnstown.

Doors will open at 4:30 p.m., followed by a dedication ceremony at 5.

The evening of music will kick off at 6 with Black Coffee, which played during the 2011 AmeriServ Flood City Music Festival.

Black Coffee is a rhythm and blues band from Pennsylvania whose style revives the sound and passion of traditional blues, funk and soul music.

Roots musician Eilen Jewell, who appeared at the 2010 music festival, will perform at 7:15.

Jewell plays folk, alternative country, country, western swing, rockabilly, jazz and early rock ’n’ roll.

Los Straitjackets, which performed during the 2010 music festival, will perform at 8:45.

The band has been known for its brand of raucous, instrumental rock since 1994.

Featured artist Tab Benoit will take the stage at 10:15.

Benoit, a Cajun blues singer and guitar player, played at music festivals in 1997 and 2011.

Advance tickets are $15 plus handling and are available online or at the Heritage Discovery Center.

Tickets will be $22 at the door.

Information: 539-1889 or www.jaha.org.

Beautiful bluegrass

Laurel Highlands Bluegrass Music Festival will be held today and Saturday at Ligonier

Township Volunteer Fire Company, Station 44, Route 271, 44 Firehall Road, Ligonier.

Tickets are $30 for the weekend, $15 for today and $25 for Saturday, available at the gate.

Children younger than 10 will be admitted free.

Information: (724) 238-8646 or www.laurelhighlandsbluegrass.com.

Man in black

Encore performances of “Ring of Fire,” the life of Johnny Cash set to music, will be presented Tuesday through July 1 at Mountain Playhouse, Jennerstown.

Showtimes are 8 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays, 2 p.m. Wednesdays and Fridays and

3 p.m. Sundays.

Tickets are $12 to $20.50 for preview, $17 to $35 for matinees and $22 to $39 for evenings.

Information: 629-9201, option 1, or MountainPlayhouse.org.

Concert series

Tuesday Noon Recitals will continue this week at First Lutheran Church, 415 Vine St., downtown Johnstown.

Jeanne Burr will play the recently restored 3,000-pipe Skinner organ in the sanctuary.

Burr, who is organist at Moxham Lutheran Church, studied with Jeffrey Pannebaker, director of music at St. Luke Lutheran Church in Silver Spring, Md., and Edgar Highberger of Seton Hill College, Greensburg.

A complimentary lunch follows each recital at 12:30 p.m.

Information: 536-7521 or www.firstlutheran.info.

Bandshell blast

AmeriServ Free Summer Concerts at the Roxbury Bandshell will continue Sunday at the bandshell along Franklin Street in Johnstown.

Midnight Graffiti will play classic rock at 5, and That ’90s Band will play ’90s hits at 6.

Italian vintage

The auxiliary of Conemaugh Memorial Medical Center will host a wine tasting from 6 to 9 tonight at the Meadowbrook School Bed & Breakfast, 140 Engbert Street, Richland Township.

The tasting will feature Italian wines and beers with hors d’oeuvres.

Tickets are $40 per person, and groups of eight or more can receive tickets for $35.

All proceeds will benefit digital mammography at Conemaugh Health System.

Information: 534-5985.

Mini motors

The 13th annual MiniBike Reunion will be held today through Sunday at 148 Minnow Creek Lane, Windber, off Route 160 near Berwick Road.

There will be trail rides, a bike show, swap meet, parade in Windber, games, food and entertainment.

Information: 467-9842, 467-4174 or email minibike@atlanticbb.net.

Ballet bath

Johnstown Concert Ballet will sponsor a car wash from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday at the Advance Auto Parts store, 1004 Broad St. in the Cambria City section of Johnstown.

The cost is $5 per vehicle, and proceeds will benefit the Johns-town Concert Ballet.

For those who cannot attend the car wash but wish to contribute, donations can be mailed to Johnstown Concert Ballet, 300 Power St., Johnstown, Pa. 15906.

Make checks payable to Johnstown Concert Ballet and include a mailing address so a receipt for the donation can be sent.

Health food

A seminar, “10 Tips for Identifying Nutritious Life-Giving Food,” will be presented at 7 p.m. Tuesday at Panera Bread in the Richland Town Centre, Richland Township.

Nutritional therapist Susan Blasko, who has not purchased food in a supermarket in almost four years, will teach participants about unprocessed food and the health benefits of sourcing foods from local, sustainable farmers and local grocers.

The presentation is sponsored by the Johnstown Chapter of The Weston A. Price Foundation.

Book bargains

The 55th annual book sale sponsored by the Johnstown Branch, American Association of University Women, will continue today and Saturday at The Galleria, Richland Township.

Paperback books are 25-50 cents, and hardback books start at $1.

Today is half-price day, and Saturday is $3-a-bag day.

Proceeds will support local scholarships.

 Information: 255-6560 or johnstownpa.com/aauw.

-- -- --

Inclined to Read, the Friends of the Cambria County Library bookstore, is holding a paperback sale through the end of June in the lobby of Cambria County Library, 248 Main St., downtown Johnstown.

 Hours are 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays and Tuesdays and 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Wednesdays through Saturdays.

Information: 536-5131.

Dad’s day

The Somerset County Community Band will perform a Father’s Day concert at 5 p.m. Sunday on the lawn stage of Philip Dressler Center for the Arts, 214 S. Harrison Ave., Somerset.

The audience is invited to bring picnic baskets, and the band will treat everyone to ice-cream sundaes.

Members rehearse every Thursday evening in the Somerset Junior High School band room, and new members are always welcome.

The band performs in communities throughout Somerset County, as well as playing annual concerts in Bedford and Ligonier.

Information: www.somersetcountyband.com.

Jazzy meal

A Night of Gypsy Jazz will be held beginning with dinner at 6:30 tonight at Cafe Fratelli, 373 E Main St., Somerset.

After-dinner entertainment will feature Pittsburgh’s Flying Dutchmen performing gypsy jazz in the style of Django Reinhardt and great American swing classics.

The evening, which is sponsored by Laurel Arts, will include an Italian buffet, dessert and nonalcoholic beverages.

A cash bar will be available.

Tickets are $25 per person.

Information: 443-2433.

Historical events

A Living History Day will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday at Allegheny Portage Railroad National Historic Site, off the Gallitzin exit of Route 22.

This special day of demonstrations and programs will show skills and daily activities from the 1830s and 1840s.

Events will include stonecutting, rope making, log hewing, spinning and weaving, clothes washing, cooking, historic weapons demonstrations, a recreated workers encampment and children’s games and activities.

Admission $4 per person ages 16 and older. Children ages 15 and younger will be admitted free.

Information: 886-6150 or www.nps.gov/alpo.

Golf benefit

The 13th annual golf tournament, sponsored by the Cambria County Children and Youth Services Citizens’ Advisory Board, will be held June 25 at Champion Lakes, Route 711, Bolivar. 

The deadline to register is Wednesday.

Registration is required prior to the tournament because the field is limited to 24 foursomes. 

Sign in begins at 11 a.m., followed by lunch and a scramble-format shotgun start at 1 p.m. 

The entry fee is $120 per golfer, which includes lunch, dinner, refreshments, prizes and awards, cart and green fees.

All proceeds from the tournament go to Cambria County Children and Youth Services Citizens’ Advisory Board. 

Information: 255-1070. 

Nature’s call

Junior Ranger Nature Discovery Days will be conducted from 10 a.m. to noon each Saturday through July 28 at the picnic area at Johnstown Flood National Historic Site, Sidman.

The free events are for children ages 7 to 10, and a parent or guardian must accompany each child.

Themes will include “Habitat Hounds”, Saturday; “Mammals, Tracks and Scat,” June 23; “Song Birds,” June 30; “Birds of Prey,” June 7; “Amphibians & Reptiles,” July 14; “Ants on Parade,”

July 21; and  “Caterpillars to Butterfly,” July 28.

Children should bring a lunch.

Reservations are required, and there is a limit of 12 children per Saturday.

Information: 495-4643.

Performance venue

The Don Aliquo Quartet will perform from 7:30 to 11 p.m. Saturday at the Venue of Merging Arts, 305 Chestnut St. in the Cambria City section of Johnstown.

Information: 410-2245.

Flood tours

Journey Around Lake Conemaugh van tours will be held at 10 a.m., 1 and 3 p.m. daily Sunday through Aug. 26 at Johnstown Flood National Memorial, South Fork.

The one-hour tours will begin at the visitors center and travel to the north and south abutments of the South Fork Dam, as well as the clubhouse. 

Reservations are encouraged, but not required.

The tour is included with park admission.

Information: 495-4643.

Home tour

The eighth annual Inside Ligonier Valley Home Tour will be held from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday at five Ligonier-area homes.

The self-guided tour begins with registration from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at Citizen’s Bank, on the Diamond in Ligonier.

The featured homes have never been included in a tour.

The tour benefits Lincoln Highway Heritage Corridor, Ligonier Valley Historical Society and the Ligonier Valley Chamber of Commerce.        

Tickets are $30. 

Information: (724) 879-4241 or www.LigonierHomeTour.org.

Sunday concert

The Blairsville Community Band will perform at 7 p.m. Sunday on the Diamond in Ligonier as part of a free series of Sunday evening band concerts.

The band’s repertoire includes marches, show tunes, and popular and classic band literature.

The concerts are sponsored by the Ligonier Valley Chamber of Commerce.

Donations are welcome, and those who attend should bring their own seating.

Information: (724) 238-4200.

Summer art

Allied Artists of Johnstown’s summer exhibit will be at on display through June 30 at Community Arts Center of Cambria County, 1217 Menoher Blvd., Westmont.

Information: 255-6515.

Slave quilts

A collection of slave quilt collages by Penelope Wilson of Hollidaysburg will be on display through June 30 at the Bedford County Arts Center at the Anderson House, 137 E. Pitt Street, Bedford.

Wilson was inspired to create the works after learning about symbols – “quilt codes” – hidden in the patterns of slave quilts,  which may have helped escaped slaves move north to freedom.

Wilson is an associate member of the National Collage Society and the National Water Color Society and a member of Art in Common.

Hours are 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays through Thursdays, 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Fridays and

Saturdays and noon to 4 p.m. Sundays.

Information: 623-1538 or email gallery@artsinbedfordpa.org.

Photographic art

“William H. Rau: Panorama Portraits of Travel” will be on display through June 23 at Southern Alleghenies Museum of Art at Altoona, in the Brett Building, 1210 11th Ave., downtown Altoona.

The exhibition will feature

30 albumen and sepia-toned photographs from the Altoona Area Public Library collection that capture the harmony of nature and the industrial landscape along the Pennsylvania Railroad from Philadelphia to Pittsburgh.

Rau was the official photographer for the Pennsylvania Railroad and was first commissioned in 1891 to document the scenic views along the mainline in order to promote the railroad and increase passenger traffic.

The photographs have been selected for their artistic and historical significance.

Museum hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays and 1 to 5 p.m. Saturdays.

Information: 946-4464 or www.sama-art.org.

Artistic faith

“Seeing and Believing: Art Encounters Faith” will be on display through Dec. 8 in the Margery Wolf-Kuhn Gallery at Southern Alleghenies Museum of Art at Loretto on the campus of St. Francis University.

The 45-piece exhibition features paintings, drawings, prints and photographs representing Christianity, Judaism, Buddhism and American Indian spirituality.

Information: 472-3920 or www.sama-art.org.

Realistic paintings

“People, Places and Things: Works by William DeBernardi” will be on display through

Aug. 12 at Southern Alleghenies Museum of Art at Ligonier Valley, One Boucher Lane and Route 711 South in Ligonier.

The exhibition features 136 oil paintings by the renowned Pittsburgh artist, who primarily focuses on portraits, still lifes and nocturnal landscapes.

The museum will host a lunch a l’art program with DeBernardi at noon July 12.

The cost is $13 or $12 for SAMA members.

Reservations are requested by July 6.

Hours of operation are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays and 1 to 5 p.m. weekends.

Information: (724) 238-6015 or www.sama-art.org.

Southern exposure

“Southern Light: American Impressionist Women from the Hunstville Museum of Art” will be on display June 29 to Aug. 11 at Southern Alleghenies Museum of Art at Loretto, on the campus of St. Francis University, Loretto.

The national traveling exhibit features 54 pieces from the 406-piece Sellars Collection at the Alabama museum.

The paintings are from 1850 to 1940, and there also are two bronze sculptures.

Museum hours are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays and 1 to 5 p.m. Saturdays.

Information: 472-3920 or www.sama-art.org.

Concert on the lawn

The free Summer on the Green concert series begins at 7 p.m. Wednesday at the Cambria County Community Arts Center, 1217 Menorah Blvd., Westmont.

The featured performer is satyrion Larry Faust.

Concertgoers are asked to bring a lawn chair or blanket.

 

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