First Laurel Blossom Time Festival held in 1931
June 06 , 2015
Every June in the Poconos, mountain laurel flowers bloom. A relative of the rhododendron, mountain laurel blossoms delicate pink and white flowers that can only be seen for a few short weeks in early summer in our area — deep in forests, along our mountain streams, and lining our many small country roads. In the early 1930s, a committee was formed to celebrate this flower and to bring visitors to the region, and in 1931, the first “Laurel Blossom Time in the Poconos” festival was held. Read More...
1948: Pocono Mountains alive with the sound of music
March 03 , 2015
On December 8, 1948, the Von Trapp Family Singers — whose story was made so famous in the movie “The Sound of Music” — performed in the auditorium at East Stroudsburg State Teachers College (now East Stroudsburg University) to a sold-out crowd. The Baroness Maria Von Trapp, two sons, and six daughters blended “their voices in beautiful harmony” while adorned in “colorful Bavarian costumes.” Read More...
Fraktur: More than Pennsylvania German artwork
June 06 , 2014
Fraktur is an art-form that came to America with European immigrants in the 18th and 19th centuries. The name fraktur refers to the “broken” appearance of the Gothic or Old English style of printing and is pronounced “frock-tour.”
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Town bands source of community pride
August 08 , 2012
Throughout the last quarter of the 20th century, town bands flourished. Almost every village in Monroe County boasted its own town band. It didn’t matter if the band was large or small or if the members had matching uniforms or not — every village supported its local musicians. Read More...