Larry Binda

Over the weekend, Harrisburg lost one of its most dedicated and charismatic public advocates, Ross Willard. Ross was the founder and force behind Recycle Bicycle, which gave away hundreds, perhaps thousands, of bikes over the course of the past 25 years—mostly to people who, otherwise, couldn’t afford them. He also taught bicycle repair and safety, […]

If you’ve spent any time in Harrisburg lately, you may have noticed it. People are lingering a little longer. Working outside of their homes more often. Meeting up in places that aren’t quite work—and aren’t quite home either. It’s not a new concept. It’s a return to something familiar. Third spaces—those in-between environments where people […]

Long before the starting gun fires and the crowds begin to roar in Sydney, Australia, Central Penn College’s cross-country Coach Kelly Smith is already putting in the work most people never see. Smith recently earned a coveted bid to the Sydney Marathon—an achievement that places her on one of the sport’s biggest international stages. While […]

For some, it’s the most-anticipated annual event on the central PA calendar. The three-day PA Greek Fest returns this weekend for its 54th year, with food, music, activities and, yes, more food, held, as always at Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Cathedral. “We went to welcome everyone—not just to the festival, but also into our beautiful […]

For nearly 60 years, Artsfest has brought artists, musicians and festival-goers to downtown Harrisburg each Memorial Day weekend. This year, thousands once again gathered in Riverfront Park for the 58th annual celebration of art, music and community. Although the festival boasts a 58-year run, the actual history of the Harrisburg Artsfest was a bit of […]

About 100 days ago, a coalition of leaders from city, county and state government joined with the business community to begin building a long-term revitalization strategy for downtown Harrisburg. Every serious economic development planning effort like this starts the same way: you stop talking and start listening. The vehicle was a community perception survey, a […]

Last month, Harrisburg lost one of its most dedicated and charismatic public advocates, Ross Willard. Ross, 75, was the founder and force behind Recycle Bicycle, which gave away thousands of bikes over the course of the past 25 years—mostly to people who, otherwise, couldn’t afford them. He also taught bicycle repair and safety, and pressed, […]

Over the winter, a walk down the heart of downtown Harrisburg wasn’t the most encouraging stroll. Places like Arooga’s, BurgerIM and Taco Amigos had all closed, and several other storefronts were long vacant. As per foot traffic, well, let’s just say that, this past January, I felt like the last man on the tundra of […]

The CPC Film Series returned to the Capital Blue Cross Theater last Friday with a triple-feature event celebrating the work of Central Penn College alumni. The evening featured three films from filmmakers Dylan Bowman and Nik Hogan, whose projects demonstrated the wide range of creative paths available to aspiring storytellers. The event also marked a […]

The Art Association of Harrisburg enters its second century with the retirement in September of long-time President Carrie Wissler-Thomas, who has led the group to its pivotal position in central Pennsylvania culture. Tapping into the synchronicity of the local arts scene, the AAH board selected New Cumberland gallery owner Debbie Smith for the part-time public-facing […]