Begin your spring adventure with some agritourism fun, and plan to visit Hope Hill Lavender Farm in Pottsville on May 3 for their annual plant sale. Farm owners Troy and Wendy Jochems offer 14 different organically grown lavender cultivars along with other herbs they’ve propagated by hand and nurtured in their farm greenhouse. Their beautiful farm store is stocked with culinary lavender, lavender olive oils, vinegars, teas, chocolates, honey, as well as health, beauty, and home products of all types made in small batches by hand at the farm.

Hope Hill also offers farm tours throughout their season. The first farm tour of the season is May 10. Tours are held on Saturdays at 11 a.m., from June 14 through July 19. Farm tours are limited to 20 people per Saturday tour. Upon arrival at farm, check in at farm store counter. The tour starts at their pavilion with a 30-minute discussion of growing lavender, types of lavender they grow, and their uses and pruning. Cozy benches are provided for sitting during the discussion section of the tour. Participants can choose to join in on the walking part of the tour, see the plants, drying shed, and donkeys, too. The overall tour can last 60 minutes, questions allowed, of course, and costs $6. Tickets are available at here. Check out their website and socials for detailed information as well as other events and seasonal farm hours.

In Shenandoah, they’re getting ready for their big yearly party, Kielbasi Fest and Heritage Day: Two Great Celebrations, One Great Day, on Saturday May 17. The festival opens with the Parade of Nations at 10 a.m. Revelers will line the streets early to take in the brilliant cultural costumes and festive music of ethnicities around from the world. In this parade you will find large numbers of Polish, Lithuanian, and Ukrainian populations with Puerto Rican, Mexican, and El Salvadorans in celebration of a diverse community we all love. The sounds of polkas, tarantellas, oompah bands, and mariachi ring through the streets with costumed dancers and national flags waving. You won’t find anything quite like it in our neck of the woods.

While the Kielbasi Festival highlights everyone’s favorite eastern European meat with its Three Kielbasi Kings kielbasi contest, and a veritable slew of kielbasa inspired dishes, it also encompasses ethnic favorites from around the world. In this diverse community festival, you will enjoy pierogies, pasta fagioli, bleenies, tamales, empanadas, haluski, brats, halupkis, along with traditional favorites like pulled pork, French fries, and funnel cakes. Bring someone to share the food and fun with so you’ll be able to experience as many dishes as possible!

The inaugural Pottsville Film Festival is a new event that promises to be excellent. Scheduled from May 30 through June 1 throughout a variety of venues in Pottsville, this fest begins Friday, May 30, with a Special Guest Happy Hour at the Eagle Tavern where you can enjoy a Chetty with American television writer Meredith Averill, and American actor and mathematics professor, Dan Grimaldi of The Sopranos. Afterwards, take a walk uptown for the Red Carpet VIP Party at Arrow Studios, or take the kids to an outdoor movie night at the historic Yuengling Mansion.

On Saturday, there will be multiple film blocks at Majestic Theater and the historic Yuengling Mansion. We’ve got student films, shorts, and full-length features across multiple genres, a writer’s workshop with Meredith Averill, Sopranos Q&A with Dan Grimaldi, an outdoor arts festival area with food, drink, and live entertainment. Sunday holds more film blocks at Majestic Theater, a VIP Brunch at Black Rock Brewing Company, and the awards ceremony!

Tickets and information are available on the Majestic Theater’s website.

Outdoor adventures abound here. On any given day, there are trails to hike and bike, lakes to fish, and lots of great stretches along the Schuylkill River to kayak. Consider booking a modern cabin with all the conveniences at Lakewood Park Campground and check out the boating, fishing, hiking, and biking opportunities at nearby Tuscarora State Park and Locust Lake State Park. Or check out our friends at Whitewater Rafting Adventures for rafting, biking, paintball, and zip lining adventures nearby. Famous Reading Outdoors is also in the vicinity if you’re an off-road adventure seeker.

Quality breweries (and wineries and distilleries) are a specialty of ours in Schuylkill County. After all, we are the home of America’s Oldest Brewery. Did you know that Yuengling Brewery is open six days a week and offers the coolest free tour? With samples, too, my friends! Join us at Schuylkill County Brewfest on July 26 in Pottsville and experience both. This brew fest is known for at least forty breweries with wicked good beer lists, live music, awesome food trucks, a home brew contest, and, are you ready… professional wrestling! Plus, this year is their 10th year anniversary! I don’t even need to say anything else.