Appalachian Trail Conservancy Summer Event Series Brings Music, Art and Stewardship to Pennsylvania

HARRISBURG, Pa. - July 18, 2013 - PRLog -- The Appalachian Trail Conservancy (http://www.appalachiantrail.org/) (ATC) invites you to Third Thursdays – a series of Appalachian Trail (A.T.) themed events each month until this October in the Central Pennsylvania region. All Third Thursday events are free and open to the public. Space is limited and guests are encouraged to register in advance.

“With a focus on art, music, community and volunteer stewardship, the Appalachian Trail Conservancy’s Third Thursdays events are a terrific way to get to know and get involved with the Appalachian Trail,” said Kelly McGinley of the ATC.

Music in the Park will take placethis Thursday, July 18^th at 6 p.m.and will feature an evening of free live music at the Children’s Lake Park in Boiling Springs. Musicians will include storyteller and songwriter Brian McPherson; guitar, mandolin and banjo player Kevin Neidig; and ukulele player Grant Goldsworthy. Local Trail clubs will be on hand to answer questions, offer volunteer opportunities, and share hiking information. Guests are invited to relax, picnic, and enjoy the sights and sounds alongside the A.T. Attendees should also bring a blanket or chairs to sit on.

Art in the Park will take place on August 15^th at 6 p.m. at the Children’s Lake Park in Boiling Springs. Visitors can spend an evening with artisans from the Cumberland Valley.  These local artists will demonstrate their craft and how they reflect the A.T. experience through their work. Those in attendance will get a personal look at their design process and talk with them about how they find inspiration. Guests will also have an opportunity to create their own art projects with the help of the Art Center School and Galleries of Mechanicsburg. A brochure detailing local scenic vistas along the A.T., as well as list of suggestions for supplies and materials will be available for everyone who attends.

A Zen Stewardship Hike will take place on September 19^th at 6 p.m. This event will take place in two locations, Children’s Lake Park in Boiling Springs and the Pine Grove Furnace State Park in Gardners. Yoga instructors Michele Landis of Simply Well Yoga Studio and Christine Lauriello will lead a thirty minute yoga session followed by a moderate three-mile hike. Volunteers from local Trail clubs will lead the hikes, stopping along the way to demonstrate types of volunteer work done along the Trail.

The final Third Thursday event will be a fall foliage hike on October 17^th at 6 p.m. This event will take place in two locations, Children’s Lake Park in Boiling Springs and the Pine Grove Furnace State Park in Gardners. Guests will be treated to cool evening temperatures and vibrant foliage in a hike through the Cumberland Valley during the last days of autumn.

Third Thursdays Event Series Overview

Music in the Park

Date: July 18^th, 2013

Time: 6 p.m. – 8 p.m.

Location: Children’s Lake Park, Boiling Springs, Pennsylvania

Art in the Park

Date: August 15^th, 2013

Time: 6 p.m. – 8 p.m.

Location: Children’s Lake Park, Boiling Springs, Pennsylvania

Zen Stewardship Hike

Date: September 19^th, 2013

Time: Yoga – 6 p.m., Hike – 6:30 p.m.

Location: Children’s Lake Park, Boiling Springs, Pennsylvania and

Pine Grove Furnace State Park, Gardners, Pennsylvania

Fall Foliage Hike

Date: October 17^th, 2013

Time: Hike – 6 p.m.

Location: Children’s Lake Park, Boiling Springs, Pennsylvania and

Pine Grove Furnace State Park, Gardners, Pennsylvania

This event is funded by the National Environmental Education and Training Foundation.

For more information about the Third Thursday events series, visit www.appalachiantrail.org/events.To register, contact Kelly at 717-258-5771 or visit www.atcthirdthursdays.eventbrite.com.

About the Appalachian Trail Conservancy

The Appalachian Trail Conservancy mission is to preserve and manage the Appalachian Trail – ensuring that its vast natural beauty and priceless cultural heritage can be shared and enjoyed today, tomorrow, and for centuries to come. For more information please visit www.appalachiantrail.org.

Contact: Javier Folgar          
Appalachian Trail Conservancy
Tel: 304.535.2200 x117

Fax: 304.535.2667
Email: jfolgar@appalachiantrail.org
Facebook: www.facebook.com/ATHike
Web: www.appalachiantrail.org