Around Phoenixville

The Columbia Bar and Grille has a full schedule for you in July. Fourth of July Weekend Celebrations First Friday 7/1/11 – Celebrate Christmas in July at the Columbia Bar & Grille. Holiday Drink specials throughout the night. Join us for entertainment by The Bear, Mr. Nicely, The Hedge & Friends on the patio from 7pm to 10 pm. Kick off your weekend Saturday 7/2/11 with dinner and drink specials throughout the night. Sunday 7/3/11 – Join us for Brunch or Dinner, children under 12 eat for free with the purchase of 2 adult entrees. Monday 7/4/11 – Celebrate the 4th with us with views of the fireworks from our porch and patio. Patriotic drink and dinner specials all evening. Reserve your seat now for the best views of the Phoenixville Fireworks. BLOBFEST Weekend "Dine where Steve McQueen ate every evening while filming the BLOB!" 5.00 BLOB Martini's, Drink & Dinner Specials throughout the weekend! The Fun begins Friday 7/8 – Join us on the Patio ...

As many of you have surely heard by now, Hipster Home is relocating their store to Chestnut Hill this fall. As arguably the anchor retail store of the 'Phoenixville's Renaissance', they will surely be missed. Co-owner David Friday posted the following note about the move to his Facebook account over the weekend: It's with heavy hearts that I have to confirm rumors that Hipster Home will be relocating our store to Chestnut Hill in Philadelphia. In mid-September Hipster Home will open our doors in Chestnut Hill, Pennsylvania at 8236 Germantown Avenue directly across the street from the Chestnut Hill Hotel at the bottom of the hill but until then we will remain open at our current location. This new space is currently occupied by a friend and mentor store of ours called Host who will be relocating to a larger space in Chestnut Hill. This has been a long painstaking decision and it doesn't come easy to move our store. Many of you who know us personally know that ...

From the borough website : Phoenixville's Annual 4th of July Fireworks July 04, 2011 at Friendship Field located at the corner of Fillmore Street and Franklin Avenue. Rain date is July 05, 2011. The fireworks display is scheduled for approximately 9-9:15 p.m. Visitors may park in the lot behind the reservior at Reservior Park, Franklin Commons, or the Santa Anna Club and at the Bethel Baptist Church on Fairview Street. Handicapped parking inside Friendship Field and rest facilities will be provided. Vendors will have available to buy cold refreshments, funnel cakes, french fries, and small toys. Friendship Fire Company's Dive Unit will be on hand with glow-in-the-dark trinkets for sale. Alcohol, drugs, and pets are not permitted at Friendship Field.

The Schuylkill Canal Association is proud to present the 29th Annual Canal Day, Sunday, June 26, 9 AM to 4 PM in Mont Clare, PA! Canal Day is a great “Kid’s Day” that allows adults to have a fun day too. Thanks to the Sponsors; Exelon Power, Phoenixville Federal Bank & Trust and many local businesses, parents can help their kids make crafts, watch them play games and get their face painted while they listen to live music. Kids can join in on the Fishing Derby and see what they can catch in the canal from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM, kids 12 & under should bring along their own equipment and there will be a limited amount of fishing rods available for those without. French Creek Outfitters will provide prizes for the top three anglers and bait & tackle for all. Rides such as The Trampoline and Orbitron bounce, spin and orbit kids to new levels of fun! Parents and kids can take a paddle boat ride on the canal for some relaxed fun. If the weather is cool, Great Valley Nature ...

Want to lose weight in a fun group competition? The next Phoenixville Weight Loss Challenge begins Monday June 20th. Only $30 for the 8 week class. Cash prizes to the biggest LOSERS!! Register online at www.SmallerSize.com or call 610-283-9368. Space is limited.

The Fourth Annual Blob Ball will once again be held shortly after the 'Running Out' re-enactment, beginning at 8:30pm on Friday, July 8th. The 1950s retro party, benefiting the Colonial Theatre , will be held Undeground at P.J. Ryan's Pub (231 Bridge Street) and features live music by The Rivers Rockabilly Trio . Tickets are only $10 and can be purchased at the door or online at TicketLeap.com .

Thanks to the efforts of Alice Dworkin, estate manager at Camphill Village Kimberton Hills , Kimberton, Pa., Governor Tom Corbett has issued an official proclamation naming June 20-26, 2011 “Pollinator Week” in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Pollinating animals, including bees, birds, butterflies, bats, beetles and others, are vital to our delicate ecosystem, supporting terrestrial wildlife, providing healthy watershed, and more. The work of pollinators ensures full harvests of crops and contributes to healthy plants everywhere. Therefore, the hope of Pollinator Week is to share with the public the importance of pollinators. In celebration of these important creatures and the work they do, the Camphill Café is offering a special menu for the week, featuring foods that are pollinated. The exceptional menu includes: Vegetables ( carrots, onions, pumpkin, broccoli, cauliflower, celery ) with coconut milk and lemon over brown basmati rice Tomato soup with red pepper , bell p...

The Historical Society of the Phoenixville Area, 204 Church Street, is currently hosting "Answering the Call: Phoenixville and the Civil War". The exhibit, which runs through September, features artifacts, photographs and documents from the war. MUSEUM HOURS: First Fridays, 6-9 PM Wednesdays and Fridays, 9 AM-3 PM First Sundays, 1-4 PM For addditional Information, please call 610-935-7646 or visit www.hspa-pa.org .

The Kiwanis Club of Phoenixville will launch the first of its series of children’s programs at the Children’s Plaza on Bridge Street this Saturday morning at 10:30 AM. This is the third summer for this free program for the children of the Phoenixville area. Every Saturday morning through September 10th , the Kiwanis will be providing a variety of entertainers and programs. There will be musical programs, puppets, clowns and on July 23rd a special program from the Philadelphia Zoo that will include live animals. For this summer, arrangements have been made to hold weekly entertainment for children Rain or Shine. In the event of rain, the performances will take place at the Phoenix Art Center (207 Bridge Street).

Phoenixville Patch has a recap of last night's council meeting during which it was announced that the annual July 4th fireworks display will indeed continue this year thanks in large part to the over $10k raised Karen Johns and the Bucks for Bangs campaign . The fireworks will be held at Friendship Field.

From the Sly Fox mailing list: Sly Fox Brewing Managing Partners John and Peter Giannopoulos said today that the family-owned company, which opened its first brewpub in Phoenixville in December 1995, will open a large production brewery in Pottstown later this year. As a first step, the company is selling the restaurant side of Sly Fox Brewery & Restaurant located at 312 N. Lewis Rd. in Royersford, which opened in November 2004, to a long time employee and her husband. The 30,000 sq. ft. new brewery, situated on six acres at 331 Circle of Progress in the Pottstown Airport Business Center, has housed the brewery's executive offices and been serving as a warehouse since the beginning of this year when Sly Fox took possession. In addition to the new brewery, a tasting room/pub will eventually be added if a zoning variance is granted by the township. The brewery will feature a fully automated 50-hectoliter BrauKon brewhouse from Germany which is expected to arrive by Novembe...

A new season brings a new reason to visit Molly Maguire's Irish Restaurant & Pub . Take a flight to Ireland with Molly Maguire's new beer flights, indulge on Chef Jerry Eichner's new menu, while dining al fresco on the rooftop deck. Introducing Beer Flights Molly Maguire's is pleased to introduce draft beer flights into their current core of offerings. Molly's flights offer a set of four 5 ounce servings for $6, designed for guests to try a variety of draft beers. To kick off the flights, Molly's is offering specialty flights at a specialty price of $5 during Happy Hour from 6-8pm on Thursday & Friday. Thursdays, go all Irish with Guinness, Smithwick's, Harp & Magner's Irish Cider. On Fridays, enjoy the taste of summer with seasonal flights featuring Victory Summer Love, Magic Hat #9, Leinenkugel's Sunset Wheat & Sam Adams Summer Ale. In addition, guests can always select their own flights from a fantastic line-up of drafts includi...

Every Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday through August, Chef Michael Favacchia of Marly's BYO (108 Bridge Street Phoenixville, PA; 610-933-7471) invites you to experience three courses from his dinner menu for just $25, plus tax and gratuity. In addition, a complimentary children's menu will be offered to kids 12 and under. Guests are invited to dine al fresco in Marly's beautiful garden, while savoring Chef Favacchia's seasonal menu. Call 610-933-7471 for reservations.

On Saturday, June 11th, the Historical Society of the Phoenixville Area will be hosting a Strawberry Festival and flea market. The flea market hours will be 9 am to 2 pm. The Strawberry Festival hours will be 10 am to 3 pm. Kids activities will be from 11:30 am to 1 pm.

The Chesco Pops are partnering with the Phoenixville Public Library in its performance at Valley Forge Christian College in Phoenixville on Sunday, July 10 at 3 p.m. Titled From Sea to Shining Sea: America’s Musical Bounty, the program features Salute to Broadway, Sousa’s Washington Post March, and Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue, featuring jazz and classical crossover pianist, Terry Klinefelter. Medleys of soundtracks written by John Williams for Harry Potter, Close Encounters of the Third Kind and Raiders of the Lost Ark and by Henry Mancini for Peter Gunn and Pink Panther will also appear. A medley of 10 traditional American songs closes the program. The Pops is under the direction of WCU Professor Emeritus, Jacques Voois. The 65-piece orchestra comprises many of Chester County’s finest instrumental players. Since its founding in 2005, the Pops has presented 36 concerts in more than a dozen county venues. Concertgoers will enjoy the Pops show while supporting the ongoing acti...

Tomorrow night, PJ Ryans will be hosting a fundraiser to help raise money for fireworks on July 4th. Things kick off with their First Thursday Comedy Night at 8pm. Immediately following the show, Jay from Salon Fiber and Dan from Grace Tattoo will be guest bartending. Advanced tickets are available now for $20 each and can be purchased either at Salon Fiber, Grace Tattoo or PJ Ryans. Tickets will also be available at the door for $25.

This Saturday, from 8am-12pm, you can join other volunteers in cleaning up the North Side. Please help us clean up the North Ward during this first outing of the “Clean up the North” program. Collection bags and gloves will be provided for all interested volunteers. There is lots of parking at Veteran’s Park where all materials will be distributed. A donation of your time is all we are asking for! Help be a part of making the North Ward beautiful! The clean up crews will start at Veteran’s Park (across from Northridge Village) and move up Mowere Rd. through High St. & S Main St. For more information, please contact Jon Ichter at ichterjr@gmail.com .

Forge Theatre in Phoenixville, will close its 49th Season with the Rodgers and Hammerstein family classic, The Sound of Music . First produced in 1959, this beloved piece is one of Richard Rodgers and Oscar Hammerstein’s best known works. The book was written by the popular playwrights, Howard Lindsay and Russel Crouse, and the original production starred Theodore Bikel as the Captain, and Mary Martin as Maria von Trapp, on whose memoir the play is based. Many of the play’s songs have gone on to become standards over the last 52 years, including Do-Re-Mi, Climb Ev’ry Mountain, My Favorite Things, Edelweiss, and the title song, The Sound of Music. The film version of play, released in 1965 and starring Julie Andrews and Christopher Plummer, enjoys enormous popularity today, including theatrical “sing-alongs” across the country. Forge’s production features veteran local actor Lew Osterhoudt as the Captain, and Janine Herd as Maria, with Beverly Albertus as the Mother Abbess. Playi...

Phoenix Writers, a group for adult writers, will have its first meeting at Phoenixville Public Library on Monday, June 6 from 7:00 to 9:00 PM. Meeting monthly on the first Monday of the month, the group will offer writers education, empowerment, and constructive criticism. The sessions will be led by local author Raymond Rose and will provide writers the opportunity to ask questions about the writing process, read their work out loud, and receive and offer input on the material read. Writers wishing to have their work critiqued should submit their work to Raymond Rose prior to each meeting. The group is free and open to the public. To submit writing samples or for more information, e-mail Raymond Rose at theraymondmrose@gmail.com . Phoenixville Public Library is located at 183 Second Avenue, Phoenixville, PA.

Over the weekend of June 25-26th, the Pennsylvania Renaissance Faire will be hosting its Celtic Fling and Highland Games: For one weekend in late June each year, Lancaster County’s Amish Country becomes the Celtic Capital of the United States as 100s of musicians, dancers, craftsmen, Scottish clans, Irish societies and rugged athletes from across North America and Europe gather for the Celtic Fling & Highland Games on the grounds of the Pennsylvania Renaissance Faire. The Faire’s 35 acres will be covered in kilts, cabers, official Scottish athletic competitions, officially sanctioned Irish Dance competitions, Highland Dance demonstrations, border collie sheepherding, and Celtic crafts, food and music. Each festival day features over 50 musical sets, competitions and demonstrations. The event is held on the grounds of the Faire and is open to the public from 11am – 10pm each day. Tickets are $26.95 for adults and $10.95 for children. In addition, there will be a Celtic Fling co...