The following events are planned for the next week throughout the region:
• Valley Forge Tourism & Convention Board presents the return of Arts Montco Week, an initiative that supports more than 200 arts, culture and entertainment venues in Montgomery County. The festivities will highlight the artists, entertainers, makers and attractions of the region. Highlights include the first Montco Jazz Fest, with a kickoff event scheduled for Wednesday at Rivet Canteen and Assembly, Pottstown, featuring the festival’s own All Star Big Band, an ensemble of 16 regional musicians who will play big band classics swinging . There will also be art exhibitions, classes and workshops, theater performances and many other concerts in different settings. For the full summary, see artsmontcoweek.com.
• The Berks Fiddle Fest will be held Sunday from 9:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. at Bear Creek Mountain Resort, Longswamp Township. The day opens with a gospel service followed by morning concerts featuring the Dulcimer Boys, Big Valley Bluegrass, Crow Hill and Poor Man’s Gambit. A salute to veterans begins at 1 p.m., followed by a fiddle contest for ages 12 and under, dulcimer soloist Appalachian Ed, a fiddle contest for ages 13-17, folk singer-songwriter Dave Frey, and a violins for over 18s. The day concludes with a 30-minute Fiddlemania jam starting at 5. Tickets are $8 for ages 13 and up and $5 for ages 6-12. In addition to the main stage lineup, there will be venue-wide jamming, an open mic jam, and a craft and vendor area. For more information, see bcmountainresort.com.
• The Pennsylvania National Quilt Extravaganza runs Thursday through Sunday at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center in Oaks. The event features a display of more than 400 quilts and textile artworks from around the world, plus a shopping mall filled with vendor booths. Hours are from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursday to Saturday and from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday. Admission for non-registered attendees is $15, which includes re-entry, and can be purchased on-site during show hours only ($13, Sunday only). Accompanied children under the age of 16 have free entry. For more information, see phillyexpocenter.com.
• The 75th annual Oley Valley Community Fair operates Thursday through Saturday from 9:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. daily at the Oley Fire Company Fairgrounds. Featuring exhibits, contests, music, food, entertainment, carnival rides and more, the fair is themed “Yankee Doodle Went to Oley, Just to See the Fair!” Entertainment highlights include performances by Twitty and Lynn on Thursdays at 6:30 and 8:30 p.m., Dion Pride on Fridays at 7 and 9 p.m., the Ringgold Band on Saturdays at noon, and Main Street Cruisers on Saturday at 7 pm and 9 pm. The Noon Antique Car and Tractor Show is scheduled for Saturday from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Admission is free; parking is $5; trips are paid.
• The Main Street Food Crawl to benefit the Bean Bag Food Program will be held Sunday from 3 to 6 p.m. at Main and Broad streets in Souderton. A leisurely stroll will lead you to experience delicious food, sipping wine and sweets. Along the way, enjoy the creations of local artists and artisans at Exhibit B Gallery and Art on the Hill. Take a step back in time when you visit the Historical Society or view old photos of Souderton on display at the Broad Theatre. Tickets are $60 a eventbrite.com.
• The Chester County Restaurant/Food Truck Festival will be held Sunday from noon to 5:30 pm in downtown West Chester. This foodie event is filled with entertainment, informational booths, local artisans and food provided by local vendors and restaurants, plus a Beer and Wine Garden. Entry is free. For more information, see downtownwestchester.com.
• Linvilla Orchards, Media, hosts its annual Arts and Music Festival on Saturdays and Sundays from 9am to 5pm. Experience unique local artists and artisans as they exhibit their work. On Saturday there will be live music by the McChords, The Ultimates and The Whiskey Trail, and on Sunday by Paul Downie & Friends, the Bill Currier Band and the Manatawny Creek Ramblers. For more information, visit www.linvilla.com.
• Santander Performing Arts Centre, Reading, presents acid-jazz project Incognito with opening act Maysa on Friday at 7.30pm, and comedian Eddie B on Saturday at 7.30pm Incognito is hosted by Jean-Paul “Bluey” Maunick , a multi-instrumentalist, composer, producer and arranger who has led an ever-changing line-up dedicated to modernizing ’70s soul, funk, disco and crossover jazz. Eddie B has established himself as the official voice of teachers of around the world, rising to new heights thanks to his comedy video series entitled “What Teachers Really Want To Say”. For tickets and more information, see santander-arena.com.
• SALT Performing Arts Center’s production of “The Music Man” continues through Sept. 25 on its Chester Springs stage. Meredith Willson’s six-time Tony Award-winning musical comedy has been entertaining audiences since 1957 and is a family story to be shared with all generations. Tickets are $30 for adults and $22 for children 12 and under. For times and reservations, visit saltpa.com/musicman.
• SoulJoel’s Comedy Dome at Sunnybrook Ballroom, Pottstown, features Nick Griffin on Friday at 7pm and Paul Virzi on Saturday at 6pm. Griffin has appeared on “The Late Show with Stephen Colbert,” “Late Night with David Letterman” and has a one-hour special run on Amazon called “Cheer Up.” Virzi hosts two weekly podcasts, “The Virzi Effect” and “Anything Better?”, co-hosted with Bill Burr, on the All Things Comedy Network. His debut hour-long comedy special, “Bill Burr Presents Paul Virzi: I’ll Say This,” premiered on Comedy Central in November 2018 and is available to stream on CC.com. Tickets are $20 for general admission and $30 for VIP. On Tuesday, SoulJoel’s presents country line dancing with DJ Dan at the Sunnybrook Social House from 7-10pm. Tickets are $10. For more information, see souljoels.com.
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Saturday’s West Reading Fall Fest features plenty of fun for the whole family.
• Celebrating its 16th year, the West Reading Fall Festival is scheduled for Saturday from 11 am to 7 pm along the 400 to 700 blocks of Penn Avenue. Streets are closed so festival-goers can enjoy craft and retail vendors, including a wide variety of food and beverage options including beer, wine and spirits, and 19 bands performing on four stages set up in the avenues Fourth, Sixth and Seventh, and at Nitro Bar, 416 Penn Ave., where an after party will feature music by Flux Capacitor from 7 to 8:30 p.m. Family activities will include free bounce houses on Seventh Avenue. Entry is free. For more information, see visitwestreading.org.
• The Berks County Heritage Center will hold its 18th annual Smithsonian Magazine Museum Day Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. with free admission to all Heritage Center sites, including the Gruber Wagon Works and the Museum of Channel C. Howard Hiester. Witness the first public demonstrations, including the firing of the Wagon Works’ 15-horsepower Otto engine that served as the primary power source for the factory and started the line axle system of the factory. Guided tours of the Gruber Wagon Works will be offered at 10 a.m., noon, 1 and 3 p.m. Demonstrations of the Line-Shaft system will be at 11:00 and 14:00. The Otto engine demonstrations will be at 12:30 and 3:00 p.m. On Sunday, return to the site from noon to 4 pm for an open house at 1888 Melcher’s Grist Mill.
• Gulf Coast soul band The Suffers plays a concert Tuesday at 7:30 p.m. at Reading Area Community College’s Miller Center for the Arts. The Suffers are touring in support of their critically acclaimed new album, “It Starts With Love,” which the Houston Chronicle called “the group’s most ambitious and accomplished album to date.” Through 13 songs, The Suffers tackle issues of racism, misogyny and the music industry, while also chronicling growth, evolution and self-acceptance. The album includes previously released singles “Yada Yada,” a playful country-blues song about the hypocrisy often found in the music industry, and “Take Me to the Good Times,” which was named one of the best songs of the week by Rolling. stone Tickets are $34 a millercenter.racc.edu.
