Tree Lighting Schedule of Events

Perkasie Olde Towne Association has put together an outstanding schedule of events to celebrate the 100th anniversary of America’s oldest community Christmas Tree ceremony on December 5.

“We’ve been working for nearly a year to put together an event to remember,” said POTA President Hope Fisher. “Everything has come together nicely and we’re looking forward to a great night.”

Here’s the schedule of events; everything takes place in downtown Perkasie, Bucks County, Pennsylvania (7th and Market streets) unless otherwise noted.

FRIDAY, DECEMBER 4

5:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. — Model Train Display at Perkasie Electric Building (120 N. 7th Street)

SATURDAY, December 5

Noon – 5 p.m. – FREE Rides on the Perkasie Carousel (Menlo Park)

5:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. – FREE Horse and Carriage Rides (sponsored by Grim Biehn & Thatcher/Laurel Abstract)

5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. – “Passport to the Kingdom of Sweets” (co-sponsored by En Arabesque and Contemporary Gardens)

5:30 p.m. – Pennridge High School Brass Ensemble (sponsored by First Savings Bank)

5:45 p.m. – “Winter Dances” performed by the Shannon Carney Dance Academy

6 p.m. – Fireworks Display

6:15 p.m. – Perkasie First Baptist Church Children’s Bell Choir

6:30 p.m. – “The Night Before Christmas” recitation by Perkasie Mayor John Hollenbach (on the steps of Perkasie Borough Hall, 7th and Chestnut streets)

6:30 p.m. – Pennridge High School Choral Ensemble (sponsored by Touching Hearts)

6:45 p.m. – Scene from “The Nutcracker” performed by Barnes School of Dance

6:50 p.m. – “Light the Tree with Santa” drawing

6:55 p.m. – Sellersville Elementary School Choir performs “Here Comes Santa Claus”

7 p.m. – Santa arrives to light the tree

7:15 p.m. – Perkasie First Baptist Adult Choral Ensemble Christmas Carol Sing-Along and Photos with Santa at RE/MAX440

Filed under: Uncategorized on November 29th, 2009 | No Comments »

Historic Tree Lighting to Feature Special Activities for Kids

As if the arrival of Santa Claus is not enough, youngsters who attend Perkasie Borough’s historic community Christmas tree lighting ceremony on December 5 will be invited to take part in two special events.

“Christmas is about kids,” said Hope Fisher, president of the Perkasie Olde Towne Association, which has put together a host of events to celebrate this year’s 100th anniversary of America’s oldest community Christmas tree lighting. “We thought it made sense to focus much of our effort on their enjoyment of this special evening.”

From 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., youngsters will use their “Passport to the Kingdom of Sweets” to take a magical trip to downtown businesses, where they will meet characters from “The Nutcracker” and receive special treats. Approximately 10 businesses have agreed to participate in the event, which is sponsored by En Arabesque and Contemporary Gardens.

Youngsters will pick up their personalized passports at the Perkasie Olde Towne Association tent and then be on their own to visit the stops listed on their passport.

“This should be a lot of fun,” said Fisher. “It will be a real adventure as the kids anticipate who they’ll see and what they’ll receive at each business.”

Youngsters who donate a canned good or other non-perishable food item to Pennridge FISH will be entered in a drawing to help throw the switch that lights this year’s tree, according to Fisher.
“It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” said Fisher. “Whoever gets to be up there on the podium will remember it for a long time.”

The 100th Anniversary Community Christmas Tree Lighting will feature several other events:

  • A special holiday fireworks display;
  • A model train display at the Perkasie Electric Building;
  • FREE rides on the Perkasie Carousel;
  • Old-fashioned horse and carriage rides through town;
  • Music by the Pennridge High School Brass Ensemble and Chamber Choir, the Sellersville Elementary School Chorus, and the First Baptist Church of Perkasie Children’s Bell Choir and Adult Choir;
  • A performance by the Shannon Carney Dance Academy;
  • A special reading of “the Night Before Christmas” by Perkasie Mayor John Hollenbach

    • For more information about 100th anniversary of America’s oldest community Christmas Tree lighting ceremony, visit www.perkasieoldetowne.org or call 215-257-4989.

    Filed under: Uncategorized on November 29th, 2009 | No Comments »

    Bucks County Candle & Gift Co. Opens

    Grand opening for the Bucks County Candle & Gift Co.

    Grand opening for the Bucks County Candle & Gift Co.

    Jan Radosin has opened the Bucks County Candle & Gift Co. at 101 N. Fifth Street in Perkasie. Several POTA members gathered for Grand Opening on November 7.

    Radosin, a Quakertown resident, makes her own candles under the Chandler House Ltd. brand name. She also sells candle-themed jewelry, table runners, place mats, baskets, and soaps, most of which are handmade by artisans in the area. Radosin also produces custom candles for party favors and private labels candles that can be used as fundraisers.

    “There’s no limit to what I’ll attempt to do for the customer.” she says.

    The store is open Tuesday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. and on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more information call Jan at 215-583-6811 or send email to buckscountycandleandgift@verizon.net.

    Filed under: Uncategorized on November 29th, 2009 | No Comments »

    Grill Winner

    pota_grill_presentationPerkasie Olde Towne Association President Hope Fisher, left, and Events Chairwoman Cathy Weierbach, present a stainless steel grill to Peggy Eschenburg of Perkasie. Eschenburg’s husband Gary won the grilll, sponsored by Shadywood Communications Group, at the “Hot Ribs, Cool Music Festival.”

    Filed under: Uncategorized on September 6th, 2009 | No Comments »

    Facade Grants Awarded to Two Local Businesses

    <strong>Michael McDevitt, owner of the Olde Towne Convenience Store, with Mike Engard, chair of the POTA Design Grant Committee.</strong> ” title=”facade_grant_for_mcdevitt1″ width=”320″ height=”300″ class=”size-full wp-image-123″ /><p class=Michael McDevitt, owner of the Olde Towne Convenience Store, with Mike Engard, chair of the POTA Design Grant Committee.

    Two local businesses recently received Facade Improvement Grants from Perkasie Olde Towne Association.
    Charles Croce, owner of Bravo’s Pizza, received $550 to seal the blacktop and paint new lines in his parking lot at Third and Walnut Streets. Michael McDevitt of Olde Towne Convenience received $1,233 to install new awnings and paint the front of his store at 517 W. Walnut Street.

    “We are pleased to help these two businesses,” said Michael Engard, chairman of the POTA Façade Improvement Grant Program. “If you are thinking about making changes to your façade, the availability of this grant could help make up your mind.”

    Borough businesses are eligible for matching grants up to $1,500 through the Façade Improvement Grant Program. The money, which does not have to be repaid, can be used for 50 percent of the cost to renovate, remodel or revive facades and storefronts. Eligible projects include awnings, landscaping, lighting and painting. Signs are not included.

    The Application and Design Guidelines can be found on the Perkasie Olde Towne Association web site: http://www.perkasieoldetowne.org

    For more information, call Engard at 215-257-1202.

    <strong>Charles Croce, owner of Bravo's Pizza, with Mike Engard, chair of POTA's Design Grant program.</strong>” title=”facade_grant_for_croce” width=”320″ height=”240″ class=”size-full wp-image-105″ /><p class=Charles Croce, owner of Bravo's Pizza, with Mike Engard, chair of POTA's Design Grant program.

    Filed under: Uncategorized on August 22nd, 2009 | No Comments »

    Introduction to the Google Local Business Center

    (This information is from the Duct Tape Marketing Blog.)

    The Google Local Business Center is a must visit for business in general, but certainly for businesses attempting to attract customer in their local community. As you may know, Google allows you to add your business to a directory and then enhance your profile with all kinds of information about your business, products, and services. This is a free listing and every small business should take advantage of it.

    Google shows these listings when someone makes what is obviously a geographic based search such as – Toledo plumber. The results show in what is called the Google 10 box above other listings. When someone clicks on one of these results they are taken to the profile through Google Maps.

    Recently Google has added and integrated a couple of useful tools.

    1) Now your Local Business Center account shows you analytics. You can see how many people are clicking on your profile, what search terms got them there and, for folks looking to find your business locally, where they came from based on their requests for driving directions. This is some pretty cool data, particularly for retail locations. It could help inform where you might spend some direct mail focus, for instance, and how you might optimize some of your web pages.

    2) AdWords now allows you to connect your Google Local Profile to your AdWords account and, by doing so, you can ask Google to show your address, based on the location of the ad visitor, when someone views your ad. Google has dubbed this add-on Local Extensions. Once extensions are set up, Google will dynamically match your business locations to a user’s location or search terms and show the address with your text ads.

    This could be useful for a business with multiple locations. Now, instead of having to set up multiple local ads you simply assign extensions to all your ads and Google will show the address of the best location based on where the user is located. Here’s the help page for more info on setting up.

    Filed under: Uncategorized on July 28th, 2009 | No Comments »

    “Hot Ribs, Cool Music” Delights Visitors to Perkasie

    Spectacular weather combined with new events and expanded musical offerings helped produce one the best “Hot Ribs, Cool Music” festivals ever, according to Perkasie Olde Towne Association, which organizes the annual event.

    “We were thrilled with the way the day turned out,” said POTA President Hope Fisher. “People really seemed to appreciate the fact that they could enjoy a great family day in their own community without spending a ton of money.”

    Fisher also thanked the sponsors who stepped up to support the event, even in a difficult economy: Prodesco/Secant Medical; QNB; First Savings of Perkasie; The Pennridge-Perkasie Rotary Club; Grim Biehn and Thatcher; Laurel Abstract; Shadywood Communications Group; and ReMax440.

    “It is only with the tremendous support of our sponsors that we are able to put on such a great event,” said Fisher.

    Paul Garges topped a field of 13 entrants to win the Rib Grilling competition. Patrick Shire of Shire’s Pub, took second, while Stacey Kolb (Happy Smokers) took third place. Mark Perbis and Jason Boyne, competing as the “Smoke'em If You’ve Got ‘Em” team, won the People’s Choice Award.

    In the Pie Baking competition, which drew 23 competitors, Noel Ferry of Perkasie took first place for her Shoofly Apple creation. Susan Alexander was second for her Blueberry pie while Candace took third for her Chocolate Pecan.

    Shelby Koehler, 11, of Hereford, won the Pie Eating contest in the Kids Division. Lee Davidson of Emmaus took the Adult Division.

    For the first time, Perkasie Olde Towne Association donated two $500 scholarships to graduating Pennridge seniors: Maria Boland of Sellersville, who will attend West Chester University to major in Music Education, and Christopher Garges of Perkasie, who will attend Johnson and Wales College to major in Pastry Baking.

    Judges for the Ribs Grilling Competition were: David Rank and Matthew Weaver of Starters Bar and Grille in Bethlehem; Peggy Clauhs of the Cooking Cottage in Sellersville; and Michael Scott, owner of Revivals Restaurant and Banquets in Perkasie.

    Judges for the Pie Baking Competition were Alice Agnew of Touching Hearts at Home; Bucks Hazzard of Crossroads Bakery in Doylestown; Vicki Derstine, manager of Revivals Restaurant and Banquets; and Julia Peterson of Sugarbakers in Bedminster.

    Filed under: Uncategorized on June 9th, 2009 | No Comments »

    “Hot Ribs, Cool Music Festival” Set for May 30

    No matter your musical taste, there will be something for everyone at the “Hot Ribs, Cool Music Festival” in Perkasie on Saturday, May 30. Sponsored by the Perkasie Olde Towne Association, the Hot Ribs, Cool Music Festival” the event is free and will take place from 10 a.m. until 5 p.m. in downtown Perkasie.

    Jimmy Buffet fans will enjoy a trip to “Margaritaville” with The Mango Men, a Perkasie-based band that tosses in a little of Today’s Country and Classic Rock to round out it’s energetic, interactive performances. Now in their 14th year, the Mango Men are one of the most requested bands in the Philadelphia area.

    Prefer jazz? The Pennridge Jazz Ensemble, a talented group of high school students, will delight audiences with their enthusiasm and musicianship. These young men and women know how to light up a room.

    If you’re into acoustic covers, Mike Greer & Co. will perform their favorites. For a mouth-watering blend of rock and funk an original funk-rock sound, check out Veinmelter’s blend of dynamic grooves with fresh intelligent lyrics and swinging guitar hooks. And for a completely different experience, stop by to hear Dirk Quinn, whose unique and progressive style sits somewhere between jazz, funk and rock.

    “Thanks to the support of our sponsors, we’ve been able to put together an outstanding list of musical talent for people to enjoy,” said Cathy Weierbach, who chairs the organization’s Events Committee.

    Thousands of people are expected to stroll the streets of Perkasie for the Hot Ribs Cool Music Festival, which will be held rain or shine. Main event sponsors include Prodesco and Secant Medical; First Savings Bank; QNB; Grim, Biehn and Thatcher and Laurel Abstract; the Pennridge-Perkasie Rotary Club and ReMax 440. Other local businesses also generously donated to make the event possible.

    In addition to great music, the festival will feature a rib-grilling competition and sampling; a pie-baking contest and sampling; the “Cool Kids, Hot Spot” featuring activities, fun and games for all ages; Art on the Avenue, a showcase for local artists and artisans; and the Magic of Barry Weaver.

    A portion of the proceeds from the “Hot Ribs, Cool Music Festival” will go toward scholarships for graduating Pennridge seniors in music and the Culinary Arts.

    Although there is no admission fee for the ‘Hot Ribs Cool Music Festival,” some children’s attractions do require tickets. Parking is free at designated locations in the borough.

    For more information about the “Hot Ribs, Cool Music Festival” call 215-257-4989 or go to www.perkasieoldetowne.org

    Filed under: Uncategorized on May 12th, 2009 | No Comments »

    State Grants Available for Small Businesses

    Department of Environmental Protection acting Secretary John Hanger is proud to announce an opportunity for Pennsylvania’s small businesses to improve their energy efficiency and manage higher energy prices.

    The new Small Business Energy Efficiency Grant Program provides a 25 percent match, up to $25,000, for equipment or processes that significantly improve energy efficiency. The program is the first available through the Alternative Energy Investment Fund, part of Governor Edward G. Rendell’s Energy Independence Strategy.

    Grants will apply to energy efficiency improvements on systems such as lighting, heating, cooling, refrigeration and process machinery, as well as building insulation and weatherization improvement projects.

    An eligible applicant must be an independent, for-profit business with 100 employees or fewer, located in Pennsylvania. The project must save at least 20 percent annually in energy-related expenses, with a minimum savings of $1,000 per year. Examples of eligible small businesses include manufacturers, retailers, service providers, mining businesses and agricultural operations.

    The grant application and guidelines are available online at www.depweb.state.pa.us, keyword: Small Business Energy Efficiency Grant, or by contacting the Department of Environmental Protection, Office of Energy and Technology Deployment, 15th Floor, Rachel Carson State Office Building, 400 Market Street, P. O. Box 8772, Harrisburg, PA 17105-8772, or by e-mail at ra-sbgrants@state.pa.us.

    Applications will be accepted through May 1, 2009. Grants will be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis. A total of $3 million is available for this grant round.

    In addition to the Small Business Energy Efficiency Program, the state will unveil a number of new energy conservation programs and alternative energy investment programs in the next couple of months that will benefit the state’s power consumers at work and at home and protect the environment.

    Filed under: Uncategorized on March 2nd, 2009 | No Comments »

    Learn How You Can Benefit From Stimulus Plan

    Bucks County Congressman Patrick Murphy will host a meeting Monday, March 9 to help small business owners find out how they can take advantage of the $789 billion stimulus plan by going green. Entitled “Small Businesses: The Benefits and Opportunities in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of Going Green,” the seminar will be held starting at 7 p.m. in the Gateway Auditorium of Bucks County Community College in Newtown.

    Tom Tuffey, director of PennFuture and chairman of the Smart Energy Initiative, and Sally Silver, of the Smart Energy Initiative of Southeast Pennsylvania, will join Murphy in outlining the ways small business owners can participate by adopting environmentally-friendly practices.

    The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act will provide unprecedented levels of financial support for the development of renewable energy and energy efficient industries across the nation. This seminar will provide background on emerging energy sectors and translate the complex new legislation into market opportunities for local businesses.

    Additionally, the seminar will allow attendees to construct a meaningful business framework for energy market opportunities that integrates existing Pennsylvania energy legislation, the new federal stimulus legislation, and ongoing federal and state policy trends.

    If you plan to attend, please RVSP to rsvp.pa08@mail.house.gov

    Filed under: Uncategorized on February 27th, 2009 | No Comments »

    « Previous Page — Next Page »