The yearly celebration of Arbor Day is devoted to the appreciation and preservation of trees as a crucial natural resource. But after you've embraced an elm or kissed a conifer, what's left?
Perhaps this Arbor Day is your opportunity to "leaf" your ordinary activities behind for a weekend and try something you've never experienced before.
In The Pursuit of weekend activities, Montgomery County, Pa., beckons: Don't be a sapling by staying home; get out and enjoy. A reinvigorated viewpoint can help when it's time to go back to work on Monday, helping you clarify the forest from the... well, you know.
Lower Perkiomen Valley Park is throwing a spruce soiree (a beech bash, a fir frolic, we could go on like this all day) on April 26. Montgomery County Park Rangers and staff will educate you on tree varieties, enabling you to spot a dogwood just from its bark. The morning also features a tree-planting ceremony.
Have your small fry never fished? Saturday, April 26, at Lorimer Park is a great chance for them to give it a try. Veteran casters at the Kids Fishing Clinic & Derby will teach your guppies the basics and then let them go get the big ones. Pennypack Creek will be freshly stocked with trout, so that everybody will have a great opportunity to catch something.
To really set your weekend humming get to the North Pennsmen Chorus presentation of "Radio Days Live on Air." The two performances of this April 26 concert (matinee and evening) showcase the 60 male voices of the Lansdale Chapter of the Barbershop Harmony Society. Their four-part singing is augmented by a special appearance by Gimme Four.
Part of the appeal of running in Valley Forge National Historical Park is the chance to truly challenge your determination amid a setting of natural beauty (trees!) and historical significance. It's not too late to register for the Ninth Annual Valley Forge Revolutionary Run, April 27, but time is quickly running out. See the Rev Run website if you want to participate. Or be part of the enthusiastic spectators at the park (we'll even shuttle you over there and back for free).
Maybe this Arbor Day is one where you'll discover your classical music roots. A free concert Sunday, April 27, at Bomberger Hall, Ursinus College, will expose you to Carmina Burana by Carl Orff. The text is Latin and the music was written in the 1930s, but the content is as contemporary as ever, exploring the joy of the return of spring, as well as the pleasures and perils of drinking, gluttony, gambling and lust.
After all this, maybe it's time to nest for a bit. We've got recommended accommodations on our website. If you pine for a great place to eat, scurry to the Rock Bottom Restaurant and Brewery. The salads are the perfect way to satisfy your craving for greens.
