Around Phoenixville

On Friday, August 20th, Camphill Cafe invites you to their first evening of live music. The Camphill Café invites you to experience their first evening of live music. This “Camphill Coffeehouse” will become a regular event, welcoming visitors to Camphill Village Kimberton Hills’ café for refreshments, conversation and great local music. The kick-off event is Friday, August 20, 2010. The café opens at 6:30 p.m. with music from 7 – 9 p.m. Musical acts include The Seven Spaces and Amelia Sabra. The Seven Spaces features Danny Minogue (drums, vocals), Jackson Hughes (vocals, guitar), Hagay Haut (guitar, vocals), and Aidan Gross (cello, guitar). Their music has a soft-rock, folky, and acoustic alternative sound. Read more at the Camphill Village Kimberton Hills blog .

UPDATE: They will be opening on Thursday, July 29th. Visit their website at www.gridironpizzabar.com . Was on Township Line Rd. this evening and it appears the Gridiron Sports Bar and Pizzeria may finally be open. The restaurant, located at 940 Township Line Rd, has been under construction for a couple of years. If anyone has any additional information please share it in the comments section.

On Saturday, August 28th (yes, Saturday), are hosting 'Education Sunday'. This year event will feature State Senator Andy Dinniman and Representative Paul Drucker. The event will be held at Andre Thornton Park on Phoenixville's North Side and begins at 11am. Please Join The Concerned Parents of Phoenixville as we Celebrate a Re-dedication 2 Quality Education Featuring Sen. Andy Dinninam (Education Sunday) Rep. Paul Drucker (Park Grand-Opening) When: Saturday, August 28th, 2010 @ 11am – 2pm Where: Andre Thornton Park (North Side) Why: Because we are committed to making a positive change for our school district, our children and our future FREE….Bookbags and School Supplies

On Friday, August 27th, the Valley Forge Volunteer Fire Company will be hosting 'Family Movie Night Under the Stars'. Family Movie Night Under the Stars!! Featured Film: Disney Pixar’s “Up” Doors open @ 8pm, Movie Begins @ 8:30pm Admissions $5 per Adult, $3 per Child Refreshments Available!! The Grove @ Valley Forge Vol. Fire Co. 630 Valley Park Road, Valley Forge, PA 19481 Bring your own chairs and blankets!

The popular Kimberton Fair comes back for its 82nd year on Monday, July 26th. The Kimberton Fair Committee is excited to introduce Reithoffer Shows as the new carnival provider for the 82nd annual fair. Reithoffer Shows features exciting rides for thrill enthusiasts including a roller coaster, Skyflyer and Fireball, as well as rides for the younger set. ... In addition to carnival rides, games and great food, the fair offers judged exhibits in home arts, such as needlework, quilting, canning, baking, arts, crafts, photography and gardening, and livestock. Showcasing these exhibits qualifies Kimberton as a “Class A” fair with the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture. Old-fashioned country fair contests such as an apple pie baking competition, pie-eating contest for kids and two-person log sawing for adults, create a unique fair that reflects the heritage of this once predominantly farming community. See the full article at PhoenixvilleNews.com . For more information, includin...

From Philly.com : The Vale-Rio Diner, the Phoenixville landmark where regulars came for coffee, pie, and conversation for 60 years, has been put up for auction on eBay. The "Val," as it was known, was posted online July 12 at an asking price of $250,000, co-owner Francis J. Puleo said Sunday. Puleo said he and his brother Richard J. Puleo wrestled with what to do with the diner before reluctantly agreeing to the move last week. "It was a very emotional decision," said Francis Puleo, who reported that he had already received a few nibbles from potential buyers. The classic 1948 diner closed in February 2008 and was moved from its longtime spot at Nutt Road and Bridge Street to make way for a Walgreens drugstore and a Starbucks coffee shop. The Puleos had hoped to reopen the diner on land they own in Phoenixville, but labored against objections from three neighbors and the failure of local planners to grant the required zoning variance. Have an extra $225k...

On Saturday, August 28th, Phoenixville will once again welcome motorcyclists from around the area during the 2nd Annual Phoenixville Bike Day. The event runs from 12-6pm and will close Bridge Street between Gay and Main Streets for motorcycle parking. For more information, visit their website at phoenixvillebikeday.com , call them at 610-608-4067 or email them at info@phoenixvillebikeday.com .

Feet First Dance Center , located at 710 Wheatland Street, Phoenixville, is hosting two events in the next couple of months: July 31 Saturday July 31 is National Dance Day. Come celebrate at Feet First Dance Center, 710 Wheatland Street Phoenixville, 10AM-11AM. Watch some dancing or join in! All who attend receive a free gift! Be sure to enter our grand prize drawing for a chance to win a free month of dance classes. September 1 and 2 Wednesday September 1 and Thursday September 2 from 6-8PM Feet First Dance Center, 710 Wheatland Street Phoenixville, is holding an Open House and Registration Night for their Fall Dance Session. Classes start Tuesday September 7th. For more information, call them at 610-933-2688 or email them at feetfirstdance@hotmail.com .

On Thursday, July 22nd, Kimberton Village Business Association & Theatre Horizon present Shakespeare in the Park featuring Much Ado About Nothing: ~ Shakespeare in the Park ~ Kimberton Village Business Association & Theatre Horizon present Much Ado About Nothing Shakespeare’s sparkling comedy of dueling wits, Daring betrayal and love both lost and found. Tickets: $10 / Seniors: $5 / Kids free Dinner/show packages available at The Station Bistro (610) 933-1147 $20 dinner + Ticket Price Reservations Please Take-Out meals available too Blankets & chairs welcome – Food & beverages available at the park Tickets: Kimberton Whole Foods; the Station Bistro; Kimberton Inn and East Pikeland Township Sponsored by: Kimberton Village Business Association • Coldstream Crossing Retirement Community Kimberton Whole Foods • C. Raymond Davis & Sons • J.F. Gayl, Inc. Real Estate & Development www.theatrehorizon.org Kimberton Park (near the tennis courts) ...

Phoenixville Youth Babe Ruth League (PYBRL) is hosting this year's 12-yr old boys PA State Championship at Vic Marosek Park at PECO Energy Fields, 1101 Jefferson St., Phoenixville PA (just off West Bridge St.). Opening ceremonies are on Friday, July 16 at 6:30 PM followed by a skills competition, including Home Run Derby. Games are: Saturday, July 17 at 12 pm, 2 pm, 4 pm, and 6 pm (two simultaneous games) Sunday, July 18 at 12 pm, 2 pm, 4 pm, and 6 pm (two simultaneous games) Monday, July 19 at 6 pm and 8 pm Tuesday, July 20 at 6 pm (Championship) Phoenixville's team plays: Saturday at 2 pm vs. Perry County Saturday at 6 pm vs. Upper Merion Sunday at 12 pm vs. Waynesboro Sunday at 4 pm vs. Honesdale Come out for some great baseball and great food (burgers, fries, pretzels, slushies)! See www.pybrl.com for details and full schedule.

On Saturday, July 17th, Camphill Kimberton will be hosting a Hootenanny: Area residents have the chance to enjoy an array of local folk and country music on a beautiful Chester County farm at the upcoming Hootenanny at Camphill Kimberton. The Hootenanny, a festival of local music and food, will be held July 17 from 3-10 p.m. at 1601 Pughtown Road, Kimberton, Pa. Musicians scheduled to perform on the hay wagon stage include: Chris Ayer, Suzie Brown, Jubel Jenkins, Trevor Gordon Hall and The Turnips. The music begins at 3:45 p.m. and contra dancing with a live band will be held from 5:30-6:30 p.m. The Hootenanny has been organized to celebrate the joy of local culture. In addition to the music, the Camphill Café will be serving food made with local, organic ingredients. There will also be local food and craft vendors, face painting, games for children, raffles and prizes. Children will have the chance to spot cows, chickens, sheep and more on the working dairy and vegetable farm...

On Saturday, September 11th, The Steel City Blues Society will be presenting the first annual Phoenixville Blues Festival. The festival is being held at Reeves Park and will feature seven different blues bands. It is free to the public. Phoenixville Blues Festival September 11, 2010 2 pm - 9 pm Reeves Park The Steel City Blues Society presents the Phoenixville Blues Festival. All proceeds benefit the Give the Gift of Music Foundation . This event is free to the public. Give the Gift of Music Foundation supports musical education for eligible children by providing donations of musical instruments and/or financial assistance in the form of scholarships to approved music education or enrichment programs in the communities surrounding the greater Phoenixville, PA area. Artists Include: Ben Arnold, Beaucoup Blue, HotLanta, Paul Michaels and The Blues Recruits, The Porkroll Project, Sister Blue, and Slim Bob and the New Electrics. For more information including a complete concer...

Phoenixville Crafts is hosting a Crafts Night on Friday, July 16th: Our next monthly Craft Night is scheduled and it’s going to be good! This one will be hosted at one of our crafters’ homes here in Phoenixville. Craft Night: Friday, July 16th from 7-9pm As usual, bring a project or two to work on as we chat and share ideas. Snacks and drinks are welcome! To sign up, see the Phoenixville Crafts blog at http://phoenixvillecrafts.wordpress.com .

Reader Heather Craig sent this in: SHAPE UP FOR SUMMER! Phoenixville Weight Loss Challenge - Community Service Event Be the Biggest LOSER and WIN $$$ FREE Individual Coaching CASH Prizes FUN group competition Weekly Weigh-ins FREE body analysis Weight Loss, Nutrition and & Wellness Classes $35 Registration Fee Registration money is paid out in cash & prizes to winners. Specific rules will be in place to keep everyone consistent. Join the Challenge!! Starts July 12th. Every Monday 7-8 PM for 10 weeks/ Call 610-283-9368 now to pre-register. Space is limited

David Friday, owner of Hipster Home , posted on Facebook today that Brick Oven Bread and Cheese Shoppe will be opening tomorrow, July 9th. From the post: UPDATE: Was just in the Brick Oven Bakery & Cheese Shoppe and it is pretty damn sweet in there. Tomorrow they plan a soft opening at 6:30am to begin baking and taking orders. They will have a small assortment of the products that they will offer and will build up the product line daily as the orders start to come in.... So tomorrow is a soft opening. But Jerry still needs our support. If you loved the cheese shop then this one will fill that void nicely.

Camphill Village Kimberton Hills is having a free classical music concert this Thursday, July 8th, beginning at 7pm: Two musicians from Astral Artistic Services , an organization that guides and promotes the nation’s most extraordinary emerging classical musicians, will offer an evening of music in Kimberton Hills’ Rose Hall. Lidia Kaminska , accordion, and Benito Meza, clarinet, are the featured artists and will play selections from Monti, Piazzolla, Pascoal, Bester, and de Falla. The performance is underwritten by the generosity of the Phoenixville Community Health Foundation .

This August, Rock & Roll After School will be hosting three summer camps: August 9 - 13, August 16 - 20 or August 23 - 27 Join a band, write a song and perform on stage. No prior music experience necessary. Bands rehearse from 8:30am to 3:00 pm each day with no-cost, supervised extended care until 6:00 pm. All for only $300 per week! http://www.rockandrollafterschool.com/camp/

On Wednesday, July 7th, the 10! Show on NBC 10 will be showcasing Bridge Street. The feature will highlight several stores in town as well as talk about next weekends BlobFest. The 10! Show airs from 10-10:30 11-12. Be sure to set the VCRs. Thanks to Rich Holck Sr. at Artisan’s Gallery & Café for the tip!