PENNSBURG PA – The Schwenkfelder Library & Heritage Center says it is re-imagining its annual Penn Dry Goods for 2026, “with new features sure to appeal to those who live regionally.”
The popular, two-day event is scheduled May 15-16 (2026; Friday and Saturday) for shopping, learning, and eating. New this year are some features that require advance reservations. They include quilt identification sessions, a pre-event Zoom lecture, quilt turning, and a textile conservation workshop.
Operating hours for May 15 are 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and May 16 from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at the heritage center, 105 Seminary St. Details on the sessions, and opportunities for advance registration, are available now online.
General admission tickets to Penn Dry Goods costs $5, but admission is included with any workshop and lecture tickets. All proceeds support the heritage center and library, in its collection preservation, exhibitions, and programming.
Among Sessions on the Schedule
Quilt expert Barb Garrett will evaluate one quilt per person for $15, for a 15-minute session on May 15 and 16. Participants may register for more than one session. This is not a monetary appraisal. Garrett will date the quilt, identify the pattern, and provide other details about its fabric and construction.
Save on ticket purchases ($25 for advance registration, $35 at the door) for these three events:
- Register for the pre-event Zoom lecture set for May 7 (Thursday) at 7 p.m. to learn about patriotic and political symbols on Baltimore album quilts of 1846–1862. They will be presented by quilt collector Debbie Cooney;
- Popular quilt turnings this year are with Beverley and Jeffrey Evans, showing Shenandoah Valley quilts from their collection. The May 15 quilt turning is already filled; seats remain for the May 16 turning; and
- A new workshop on how to care for historic textiles is offered May 15 by independent textile scholar Kathy Staples.
The Schwenkfelder Library & Heritage Center is the largest museum in the region that shares stories of the Pennsylvania German experience. It is regularly open with free admission Tuesdays through Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., and Sundays from 1-4 p.m.
Our entertainment reporting covers the arts and culture, shows, exhibits, performances, festivals, and community-related activities within, or that affect residents of, Montgomery, Berks, and Chester PA counties. Find more entertainment articles here. Also, see and join the Pottstown Arts and Cultural Alliance group on Facebook.
CountryFest Offers Country Music, Culture in August