Ebersmith Travel to Host Virtual Cruise Night January 26 Think you know cruising? Think again. Set Sail the Virgin Way Calling all young at heart travelers looking for something new, exciting and different! Join us for a fun and interactive Virtual Cruise Night. Wednesday, January 26th at 6pm. Learn all about future travel onboard Richard Branson’s new Adults Only cruise line. We’ll share how Virgin Voyages will change the way you think about cruising, give you up-to-date information on safety protocols for a healthy return to sea, and tell you about some exciting Virgin Voyages updates and offers! Relax, bring your favorite beverage and we’ll SEA you onboard! Dream Vacations will be hosting this event. Register here: www.ebersmithtravel.com/VV-Cruise-Night
RailRiders Pinstripe Pals Returns to Support Local Youth Leagues The Scranton/Wilkes-Barre RailRiders are pleased to announce that the Pinstripe Pals program has returned in support of area youth softball and baseball leagues. In partnership with US Foods, applications are being accepted now and 10 youth leagues will be selected for the program this year. League representatives are encouraged to fill out the Pinstripe Pals application form and submit a 500-word (or less) essay describing why their league should be chosen. Each of the ten leagues selected will receive a $500 sponsorship from the RailRiders to assist in league expenses, as well as a $500 gift card courtesy of US Foods, which can be used to help teams pay for concession stand products and supplies. Applications are due by March 4. Each league selected will have the opportunity to participate in a pre-game parade at PNC Field before a RailRiders home game and the opportunity for RailRiders assistance with league fundraising. Selected leagues will have a photo of their choice placed in the GuideRail game day program on their league’s designated night. One of the teams in each league will serve as the “Field of Dreams” club on that night and take the field with the RailRiders players. Applications can be found on our website under the Community tab or upon request. Completed applications can be emailed to Robby Judge at rjudge@swbrailriders.com, faxed to (570) 963-6564 or mailed to: SWB RailRiders Attn: Pinstripe Pals 235 Montage Mountain Rd. Moosic, PA 18507 For more information on the Pinstripe Pals program, presented by US Foods, please contact Jordan Maydole or Robby Judge at (570) 969-2255. The 2022 season opens on April 5 in Syracuse with the home opener on April 12 against the Norfolk Tides at PNC Field. Season ticket memberships and mini-plans are available now on www.swbrailriders.com.
University of Scranton Announces January Events Note: Access to the campus is currently limited to members of the University community, invited guests and others as listed in the Royals Back Together plan. Campus access and other health and safety information will be updated throughout the semester and can be seen on the Royals Back Together webpage. Jan. 16 2:30 p.m.The Greater Scranton Martin Luther King Community Celebration: “Covid 19: Recognizing the trauma. Healing the soul.” Interactive Zoom webinar with audience question and answer. Free. Registration required. Call 570-941-6645 or email jennifer.pennington@scranton.edu. Jan. 29 8 a.m. Virtual Campaign School 2022. Learn how to run a successful campaign for public office. Sponsored by the League of Women Voters of Lackawanna County, the Center for Ethics and Excellence in Public Service at The University of Scranton, WNEP-TV and Toyota of Scranton. Registration required. Fees vary. Email lwvlackawanna@gmail.com or visit www.lwvlackawanna.org.
Wilkes Barre Monster Jam® Championship Series to be Held at Mohegan Sun Arena This. Is. Monster Jam™! The most action-packed motorsports experience for families in the world today returns to Wilkes Barre for an adrenaline-charged weekend at Mohegan Sun Arena on Friday, April 29 through Sunday, May 1. Monster Jam®, celebrating its 30th anniversary this year, features world-class athletes locked in intense competitions of speed and skill. Tickets are available at www.ticketmaster.com with Monster Jam Preferred Customers able to purchase advance tickets starting today, January 11, before tickets go on-sale to the general public on January 18. Fans can still sign up for free to become a Monster Jam Preferred Customer and get exclusive access to the pre-sale offer code. The Monster Jam Pit Party will be held on Saturday and Sunday. At the Monster Jam Pit Party, fans can see the massive trucks up close, meet their favorite drivers and crews, take pictures and enjoy other family-friendly fun. This unique experience is the only place that allows people to get up close access to the Monster Jam teams and get an insider’s look at how these trucks are built to stand up to the competition. Wilkes Barre fans will witness heated rivalries, high-flying stunts and fierce head-to-head battles for the Event Championship. Engineered to perfection, the 12,000-pound Monster Jam trucks push all limits in Freestyle, Skills and Racing competitions. Monster Jam drivers are trained, world-class male and female athletes who have mastered not only the physical strength and mental stamina needed to compete, but the vital dexterity to control 12,000-pound machines capable of doing backflips, vertical two-wheel skills and racing at speeds up to 70 miles-per-hour to produce jaw-dropping, live motorsports action seen around the world. TRUCK LINEUP: Grave Digger® driven by Krysten Anderson; Max-D® driven by Blake Granger; Wild Side ® driven by Zack Garner; Bakugan Dragonoid™ driven by Camden Murphy; Soldier Fortune™ driven by Tony Ochs; Terminal Velocity® driven by Jon Zimmer, Jr.; El Toro Loco® driven by Elvis Lainez; Raminator driven by Mark Hall; Rammunition driven by Kurt Kraehmer **Truck and driver line-up subject to change WHEN: Friday, April 29 at 7 PM Saturday, April 30 at 1 PM & 7 PM Pit Party 10:30 AM – 12:00 PM Sunday, May 1 at 1 PM Pit Party 10:30 AM – 12:00 PM WHERE: Mohegan Sun Arena | 255 Highland Park Blvd, Wilkes Barre, PA 18702 TICKETS: Tickets will be available for purchase online at www.ticketmaster.com. Visit MonsterJam.com for more detailed information on the event and wellness policies.
Winter Blues Guitarmageddon Blues Festival Returns, Blues Legend Joe Louis Walker Set to Headline on February 25 The Scranton Cultural Center at the Masonic Temple is pleased to announce that its 6th Annual Winter Blues Guitarmageddon will return on February 25 and continue as a one-night Blues festival featuring an eclectic mix of local, regional, national, and international touring artists. Grammy-nominated, six-time Blues Music Award Winner and Blues Hall of Fame Inductee, Joe Louis Walker is confirmed to headline. “We are beyond excited to be back this year as a one-night mini-fest, with plans of expanding to a weekend event in 2023,” says organizer Maria Santomauro. “The last two years were challenging, but we are grateful to be back presenting live music to the greater Northeastern Pennsylvania regions again!” Boasting a career that spans over 50 years, Headliner Joe Louis Walker is regarded by NPR as a “legendary boundary pushing icon of modern blues” and is a true guitar powerhouse with distinctive vocals. He has toured the world’s most renowned music festivals sharing the stage with Muddy Waters, Thelonious Monk, Ronnie Woods, John Lee Hooker, Willie Dixon, Charlie Musselwhite and John Mayall, to name a few. In addition to his own twenty-five albums, Walker has played on Grammy-winning records by B.B. King and James Cotton and collaborated with a diverse group of first-rate artists including Branford Marsalis, Tower of Power, Bonnie Raitt, Buddy Guy, Taj Mahal, and Clarence “Gatemouth” Brown. His latest album “Electric Electric,” features a diverse mix of blues-stomping and horn-powered originals as well as a few out of the ordinary covers, like “Werewolves of London” (Warren Zevon) and “Hotel California” (The Eagles). Adding to the lineup is King Solomon Hicks, who returns by popular demand after his debut in Scranton at Winter Blues Guitarmageddon: Next Generation in February 2020. At that time, he was just releasing his latest work “Harlem”, which was awarded Best Emerging Artist Album at the Blues Music Awards. The album was produced by three-time Grammy Winner Kirk Yano, who has worked with Miles Davis, Public Enemy, Mariah Carey and more. Rounding out the lineup are local blues rock power trio Dustin Douglas & The Electric Gentlemen and the soulful, Philadelphia-based Deb Callahan Duo featuring Allen James. The concert will take place in the Scranton Cultural Center’s Grand Ballroom at 7:00 p.m. with the doors opening at 6:30 p.m. Seating is reserved and tickets range from $40-50 in advance and $45-55 day of show. They can be purchased at the Fidelity Bank Box Office at the SCC in person or by calling (570) 344-1111, or via Ticketmaster. The 6th Annual Winter Blues Guitarmageddon is sponsored by UGI Utilities, Inc. and LT Verrastro. It is supported by Lackawanna County and the PA Council on the Arts. PLEASE NOTE: Masks are required for all patrons, regardless of vaccination status. They can be removed for eating or drinking in the designated area, which will be located on the Lower Level. For additional information about the SCC’s current COVID-19 Mitigation Policies, visit SCCMT.org/COVID. For additional information and a full schedule of events, visit SCCMT.org.
2021 SAF Annual Event Celebrates Over $5 Million in Grant Distribution The Scranton Area Community Foundation held its 2021 Annual Community Celebration on the evening of Thursday, December 2nd at the Hilton Scranton and Conference Center. The Annual Community Celebration event was an opportunity for the Foundation, its Board of Governors, and supporters to share and celebrate their impacts and accomplishments in 2021. Laura Ducceschi, CEO & President of the Scranton Area Community Foundation, and Ken Okrepkie, Chairman of the Scranton Area Community Foundation Board of Governors, hosted the event which was live-streamed to supporters. Posture Interactive provided production services, including video production, streaming, and designing the stage dressing. At the event, members of the Scranton Area Community Foundation Board of Governors celebrated the generosity of donors and friends that enabled the Foundation to distribute over $5 million in grants and scholarships from charitable funds, and an additional $2 million from Foundations under management. Also recognized were featured community partners and funds who have made a significant impact in 2021. Featured Community Partners were William G. McGowan Charitable Fund, Lamar Advertising, and the Hudacek Family. 2021 Featured Funds were Anne Marie and Paul Kelly Fund, NEPA Invitational Fund, and Patrick J. and Patricia J. Mellody Memorial Fund. Also honored at the celebration was Cathy Fitzpatrick, Grants & Scholarships Supervisor at the Scranton Area Community Foundation, for her 20 years of dedicated service to the Foundation. For more information about the Scranton Area Community Foundation, please contact 570-347-6203 or info@safdn.org.
