Travels With The Post

Weekend Stuff: Skate Like A Pottstown Swiftie, and More

Weekend Stuff Nov. 16-19: A Past Travels Calendar

POTTSTOWN PA – Of the 40 remaining entries Saturday and Sunday (Nov. 18-19) on the Travels “Weekend Stuff to Do” calendar, some are predictable. They include holiday light shows in Oaks, Phoenixville, and Norristown. There are craft and vendor markets in Sanatoga, Boyertown, Barto, Exton and Bethlehem. Want a seasonal festival? Find them in Gilbertsville, Boyertown, and Trappe.

Then there are unexpected, but nonetheless welcome, weekend events.

Dance through a Taylor Swift skate night in Pottstown. If you love pets, visit the two-day production of the National Dog Show in Oaks. Check out the introduction to birding course in Audubon (it’s free!), or walk your dog (also free) at the Daniel Boone Homestead in Birdsboro.

Some weekend events are free. Some have fees (labeled as “ticketed”). Some have limitations, registrations, or other conditions. Some may be affected by weather conditions (hint: if unsure, call before you go). Each weekend listing includes a link for more information.

Photo by Vitalik Radko on Deposit Photos, used by Travels With The Post under license

Saturday, Nov. 18

Holiday Items and More Galore in Weekend Stuff to Do
Craft and vendor markets are being held this weekend in Sanatoga, Boyertown, Barto, Exton, Bethlehem, and elsewhere
  • Annual White Elephant Sale, 8 a.m. to noon, free admission, “pay what you want” for donated items, proceeds benefit the youth program of Good Shepherd United Church of Christ, held at the church, 25 W. Philadelphia Ave., Boyertown PA
  • Kennel Club of Philadelphia National Dog Show, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., ticketed, featuring top breed dogs that contend for best in show awards, taped for broadcast on Thanksgiving Day from the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center, 100 Station Ave., Oaks PA
  • Introduction to Birding, 9-11 a.m., free, presented by the John James Audubon Center at Mill Grove, offers “a deep dive into the equipment needed, techniques, and codes of conduct for birding, and share(s) tips and tricks for identifying birds up close, at a distance, or even by ear,” at the center, 1201 Pawlings Rd., Audubon PA
  • Christmas Comes to Town, 9 a.m. to noon, ticketed, with pictures with Santa, cookie decorating, a cocoa bar, raffle table, local vendors, a breakfast menu, and Christmas trees for auction, benefits the Transplant Alliance Foundation and the Animal House Project, at Street Street Entertainment Hall, 799 State St., Pottstown PA
  • Orion Communities Poverty Simulation, 9 a.m. to noon, free, an interactive event intended to promote poverty awareness, for more information send an e-mail to wgaynor@orionhope.org, held at Renaissance Academy, 413 Fairview St., Phoenixville PA
  • 8th Annual Basket and Wreath Raffle, doors open at 9 a.m. (raffle starts at noon), ticketed, sponsored by the Ladies Auxiliary of Liberty Fire Company of New Berlinville, varied prizes and a bonus cash raffle, held at Hope Community Church, 2732 N. Charlotte St., Gilbertsville PA
  • Bally Community Holiday Craft Show and Bake Sale, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., free admission, benefits the Bally Community Pool and Park, with local artists and crafters, music, food and raffle available, at Bally Mennonite Church, 1481 Route 100, Barto PA
  • Tail-Waggin’ Tales with pet therapy dogs, 10 a.m. to noon, Perkiomen Valley Library, 290 2nd St., Schwenksville PA
  • Annual Holiday Craft Fair, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. (doors open at 9 a.m.), free to attend, featuring a large variety of vendors offering home decor, jewelry, candles, holiday ornaments, artwork, crochet items, gift baskets, and other items, held at the Sanatoga Fire Company, 2222 E. High St., Sanatoga PA
  • Craft and Vendor Show, 10 a.m. to 3 p.m., free admission, conducted by Sunflower Events & More, direct sales from crafters, unique vendors, and small businesses, includes a 50-50 raffle, held at at Keystone Steam Fire Engine Co. # 1, 240 E. Walnut St., Boyertown PA
  • Winter Festival, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., ticketed, visit with Santa and Dominick the Italian Christmas Donkey, free photo shoot included with your own device, Christmas trees, hay rides, pony rides, candy cane pedal cart speedway, cow train, little farmer playland, gingerbread house contest, paint ball range, at Northern Star Farm, 91 E. 3rd Ave., Trappe PA
  • Christkindlmarkt, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., ticketed, a German-themed holiday market with hundreds of vendors and artisans featuring handmade works, operating annually for more than 30 years, held in heated tents on the SteelStacks campus (about an hour’s drive from Pottstown), 101 Founders Way, Bethlehem PA
  • Christmas on The Farm, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., ticketed, Christmas music in a corn maze (bring flashlights if you plan to run the corn maze at night), colorful lights, barnyard animals, KidZone play area with a Christmas light maze, at The Gilbertsville Farm, 1200 Countyline Rd., Gilbertsville PA
  • Colebrookdale Railroad Excursions, five trips: start 11 a.m., 2 p.m., or 6 p.m. “Autumn Splendor Fall Foliage;” and start 11 a.m. or 2 p.m., “Locomotive Cab Ride;” ticketed (separately priced), at the railroad’s station, Washington and 3rd streets, Boyertown PA
  • CrossFit Curious, 11 a.m. to noon, free, sponsored by the Pottstown Athletic Club, coaches take you through a 1-hour CrossFit workout, all ages and fitness levels invited, held at the club, 263 King St., Pottstown PA
  • Mom-osa Maternity Event, noon to 1 p.m., free to expectant mothers and a support person but registration required, providing a tour of the Phoenixville Hospital maternity and neonatal intensive care units, and answering questions about child delivery, refreshments served, at the hospital, 824 S. Main St., Phoenixville PA
  • Harvest Festival, noon to 4 p.m., ticketed, with petting zoo, pony rides, barrel car rides for all ages, face painting, paint and take home a pumpkin, pony rides, children’s characters visits with Mario and Bluey; food truck with meals and beverages for purchase, at Ironstone Creek Farm, 16 Old State Rd., Boyertown PA
  • Evergreen Gnome Workshop, starts at 3 p.m., ticketed, learn how to create a holiday gnome to decorate your home, BYOB and free hot cocoa available both by the fireside, at Westlake Tree Farms, 2421 Hill Camp Rd., Pottstown PA
  • LuminoCity Holiday Lights Festival, 4:30-9:30 p.m. (by reservation in 5 separate arrival time slots, but no limit on length of stay), ticketed (discount may be available), “a world of magical light installations” with the theme “Golden Holiday,” accompanied by rides and other activities, at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center, 100 Station Ave., Oaks PA
  • Wild Lights, 5-9 p.m., ticketed, enjoy light displays, carousel rides, live entertainment, meet zoo animals, snap photos with Santa, warm up at indoor exhibits including the Trail of the Jaguar and Habitat HQ, at Elmwood Park Zoo, 1661 Harding Blvd., Norristown PA
  • Holiday Light Show, 5:30-10 p.m., ticketed, “a unique display” of tens of thousands of lights and animations enjoyed from the comfort of your vehicle over a 60-acre, 1.1-mile route on a Christmas tree farm, synchronized with holiday songs, continues Thursdays through Sundays until Dec. 23, at Yeager’s Farm & Market, 1015 Pikesprings Rd., Phoenixville PA
  • Sixth Annual Reading Blues Festival, 6-11 p.m., Double Tree by Hilton Hotel, 701 Penn St., Reading PA
  • Gift Card Bingo, starts at 6:30 p.m. (doors open at 5 p.m.), ticketed, fund-raiser to benefit Toys For Tots in memory of Vince (Vinny) M. Nalencz, 16 regular games, gift card prizes with $100 minimum value, jackpot value $500, held at and tickets must be purchased from State Street Entertainment Hall, 799 State St., Pottstown PA
  • Taylor Swift Eras Tour Skate Night, 7-10 p.m., ticketed, throw on your best Eras Tour look and join friends for a night of singing, skating, and fun for ages 16 and older, prizes for best outfits, make your own friendship bracelets; at the Official Ringing Rocks Roller Rink, 1245 Ringing Rocks Park, Pottstown PA
  • Ursinus College Dance Company Spring Concert, 7:30 p.m., ticketed, featuring “Motion, Timbre, & Rhythm,” a collection of pieces by faculty, guest, and student choreographers, exploring aural textures and theoretical concepts through a wide range of movement; at the Lenfest Theater in the Kaleidoscope Performing Arts Center on the Ursinus Campus, 601 E. Main St., Collegeville PA
  • Holiday Ghost Tour of Brinton Lodge, 8:30-10 p.m., ticketed, embrace the magic of the season with a candlelight ghost tour of 300-year-old Brinton Lodge mansion, at the lodge, 1808 Schuylkill Rd., Douglassville PA

Sunday, Nov. 19

  • Kennel Club of Philadelphia National Dog Show, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m., ticketed, featuring top breed dogs that contend for best in show awards, taped for broadcast on Thanksgiving Day from the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center, 100 Station Ave., Oaks PA
  • “Paws On The Path” monthly dog walk, starts at 9:15 a.m., free, walk by yourself or with your pet across the trails at the Daniel Boone Homestead, 400 Daniel Boone Rd., Birdsboro PA
  • Build the Phoenixville Firebird, starts at 10 a.m., free, volunteers needed to finish construction of the Phoenix statue to be set aflame during the Firebird Festival scheduled for December, ages 16 and older welcome, younger than 16 must be accompanied by an adult, all skill levels invited, wearing boots and gloves suggested, at Phoenixville Veterans Memorial Park, 194 Mowere Rd., Phoenixville PA
  • Winter Festival, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., ticketed, visit with Santa and Dominick the Italian Christmas Donkey, free photo shoot included with your own device, Christmas trees, hay rides, pony rides, candy cane pedal cart speedway, cow train, little farmer playland, gingerbread house contest, paint ball range, at Northern Star Farm, 91 E. 3rd Ave., Trappe PA
  • Christkindlmarkt, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., ticketed (but free admission Fridays between 5 and 8 p.m. only), a German-themed holiday market with hundreds of vendors and artisans featuring handmade works, operating annually for more than 30 years, held in heated tents on the SteelStacks campus (about an hour’s drive from Pottstown), 101 Founders Way, Bethlehem PA
  • Colebrookdale Railroad Excursions, four trips: start 11 a.m. or 2 p.m., “Autumn Splendor Fall Foliage;” and start 11 a.m. or 2 p.m., “Locomotive Cab Ride;” ticketed (separately priced), at the railroad’s station, Washington and 3rd streets, Boyertown PA
  • Community Thanksgiving Meal, 11:30 a.m. to 1 p.m., free to all but reservations required by calling 610-369-1024 by Nov. 12, featuring the Boyertown High Show Choir as musical guests, preceded by worship service at 9:30 a.m. and coffee time at 11 a.m., at St. John’s Evangelical Lutheran Church, 45 N. Reading Ave., Boyertown PA
  • Christmas on The Farm, noon to 10 p.m., ticketed, Christmas music in a corn maze (bring flashlights if you plan to run the corn maze at night), colorful lights, barnyard animals, KidZone play area with a Christmas light maze, at The Gilbertsville Farm, 1200 Countyline Rd., Gilbertsville PA
  • Concert: Ursinus Strings, 4 p.m., free performance, exploring the theme of “fantasy” in cinema, history, and music, in the Bomberger Auditorium on the Ursinus Campus, 601 E. Main St., Collegeville PA
  • Gingerbread House-Making Class, starts at 4:30 p.m., ticketed, presented by The Peppermint Stick Candy Store and Gingerbread Cookie Co., limited to two people per house; house materials, tube of icing, 13 varieties of candy provided, instructions and icing techniques demonstrated, held at The Peppermint Stick Candy Store, 26 E. Philadelphia Ave, Boyertown PA
  • LuminoCity Holiday Lights Festival, 4:30-9:30 p.m. (by reservation in 5 separate arrival time slots, but no limit on length of stay), ticketed (discount may be available), “a world of magical light installations” with the theme “Golden Holiday,” accompanied by rides and other activities, at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center, 100 Station Ave., Oaks PA
  • Wild Lights, 5-9 p.m., ticketed, enjoy light displays, carousel rides, live entertainment, meet zoo animals, snap photos with Santa, warm up at indoor exhibits including the Trail of the Jaguar and Habitat HQ, at Elmwood Park Zoo, 1661 Harding Blvd., Norristown PA
  • Holiday Light Show, 5:30-10 p.m., ticketed, “a unique display” of tens of thousands of lights and animations enjoyed from the comfort of your vehicle over a 60-acre, 1.1-mile route on a Christmas tree farm, synchronized with holiday songs, continues Thursdays through Sundays until Dec. 23, at Yeager’s Farm & Market, 1015 Pikesprings Rd., Phoenixville PA
  • Sixth Annual Reading Blues Festival, 6-11 p.m., Double Tree by Hilton Hotel, 701 Penn St., Reading PA

Want to plan further ahead? Look for events on later dates (currently through April 2024)! See the The Travels With The Post extended calendar page.

Weekend events are curated from a variety of sources, including public submissions. Got a weekend (Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays, and federal holiday Mondays) event you’d like us to add? Send it to travelswiththepost@gmail.com.

What you missed Thursday, Nov. 16

Holiday Items and More Galore in Weekend Stuff to Do
Pottstown Regional Public Library will be honored with a Gold Level Library award from the PA Forward Star Program
  • WSFS Bank Food Drive, collections accepted through Dec. 31 (2023) during bank business days and hours at its branches in Phoenixville, Oaks and Audubon, benefits area food banks and pantries, 124 Main St., Phoenixville PA
  • Concert: “Bach’s Lunch,” noon to 1 p.m. (on the third Thursday of every month), free and all ages welcome, scheduled musician is Harry Oehler on trombone, bring a box lunch and eat as you listen, held at Community Music School, 775 W. Main St., Trappe PA
  • LuminoCity Holiday Lights Festival, 4:30-9:30 p.m. (by reservation in 5 separate arrival time slots, but no limit on length of stay), ticketed (discount may be available), “a world of magical light installations” with the theme “Golden Holiday,” accompanied by rides and other activities, at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center, 100 Station Ave., Oaks PA
  • Presentation of a Gold Level Library Award to Pottstown Regional Public Library, 5:30-6:30 p.m., free, at the library, 500 E. High St., Pottstown PA
  • Holiday Light Show, 5:30-10 p.m., ticketed, “a unique display” of tens of thousands of lights and animations enjoyed from the comfort of your vehicle over a 60-acre, 1.1-mile route on a Christmas tree farm, synchronized with holiday songs, continues Thursdays through Sundays until Dec. 23, at Yeager’s Farm & Market, 1015 Pikesprings Rd., Phoenixville PA
  • Scenes of the Schuylkill 2023 artists’ reception and show-opening fund-raiser, 6-8 p.m., ticketed, at North Hall on the Pottstown campus of Montgomery County Community College, 16 W. High St., Pottstown PA
  • Sixth Annual Reading Blues Festival, 6-11 p.m., Double Tree by Hilton Hotel, 701 Penn St., Reading PA
  • Ursinus College Dance Company Spring Concert, 7:30 p.m., ticketed, featuring “Motion, Timbre, & Rhythm,” a collection of pieces by faculty, guest, and student choreographers, exploring aural textures and theoretical concepts through a wide range of movement; at the Lenfest Theater in the Kaleidoscope Performing Arts Center on the Ursinus Campus, 601 E. Main St., Collegeville PA

What you missed Friday, Nov. 17

Holiday Items and More Galore in Weekend Stuff to Do
Take A Colebrookdale Railroad fall foliage excursion Friday, Saturday or Sunday through “the Secret Valley”
  • Christkindlmarkt, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., ticketed (but free admission Fridays between 5 and 8 p.m. only), a German-themed holiday market with hundreds of vendors and artisans featuring handmade works, operating annually for more than 30 years, held in heated tents on the SteelStacks campus (about an hour’s drive from Pottstown), 101 Founders Way, Bethlehem PA
  • Christmas on The Farm, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., ticketed, Christmas music in a corn maze (bring flashlights if you plan to run the corn maze at night), colorful lights, barnyard animals, KidZone play area with a Christmas light maze, at The Gilbertsville Farm, 1200 Countyline Rd., Gilbertsville PA
  • Winter Festival, 10 a.m. to 10 p.m., ticketed, visit with Santa and Dominick the Italian Christmas Donkey, free photo shoot included with your own device, Christmas trees, hay rides, pony rides, candy cane pedal cart speedway, cow train, little farmer playland, gingerbread house contest, paint ball range, at Northern Star Farm, 91 E. 3rd Ave., Trappe PA
  • Colebrookdale Railroad Excursions, two trips: start 11 a.m. “Engineer for a Day;” and start 2:30 p.m. “Autumn Splendor Fall Foliage;” ticketed (separately priced), at the railroad’s station, Washington and 3rd streets, Boyertown PA
  • Cheesesteaks and Beer Event, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., ticketed, featuring food by Where’s Deezy’s and brews by New Trail Brewing Company, at Park Town Beverage, 310 N. Lewis Rd., Royersford PA
  • Craft & Mercantile Night Market, 4-8 p.m., free to attend, a curated evening of local artisans, food, and live entertainment under the stars & twinkle lights, at Eagleview Town Center, 570 Wellington Sq. (located in the Tree Grove across from Suburban Restaurant and Beer Garden), Exton PA
  • LuminoCity Holiday Lights Festival, 4:30-9:30 p.m. (by reservation in 5 separate arrival time slots, but no limit on length of stay), ticketed (discount may be available), “a world of magical light installations” with the theme “Golden Holiday,” accompanied by rides and other activities, at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center, 100 Station Ave., Oaks PA
  • Wild Lights, 5-9 p.m., ticketed, enjoy light displays, carousel rides, live entertainment, meet zoo animals, snap photos with Santa, warm up at indoor exhibits including the Trail of the Jaguar and Habitat HQ, at Elmwood Park Zoo, 1661 Harding Blvd., Norristown PA
  • Holiday Light Show, 5:30-10 p.m., ticketed, “a unique display” of tens of thousands of lights and animations enjoyed from the comfort of your vehicle over a 60-acre, 1.1-mile route on a Christmas tree farm, synchronized with holiday songs, continues Thursdays through Sundays until Dec. 23, at Yeager’s Farm & Market, 1015 Pikesprings Rd., Phoenixville PA
  • Taylor Swift Eras Tour Skate Night, 6-9 p.m., ticketed, throw on your best Eras Tour look and join friends for a night of singing, skating, and fun for all ages, prizes for best outfits, make your own friendship bracelets; at the Official Ringing Rocks Roller Rink, 1245 Ringing Rocks Park, Pottstown PA
  • Sixth Annual Reading Blues Festival, 6-11 p.m., Double Tree by Hilton Hotel, 701 Penn St., Reading PA
  • Ursinus College Dance Company Spring Concert, 7:30 p.m., ticketed, featuring “Motion, Timbre, & Rhythm,” a collection of pieces by faculty, guest, and student choreographers, exploring aural textures and theoretical concepts through a wide range of movement; at the Lenfest Theater in the Kaleidoscope Performing Arts Center on the Ursinus Campus, 601 E. Main St., Collegeville PA