Summer Sounds, Greensburg's Concert in the Park

Friday evening, the whole family took our blankets and cooler to the Summer Sounds concert at the Robertshaw Amphitheater at St. Clair Park.  I'm going to share what fun we had there, but first I have a tangent about my Greensburg Directions.

I started mentioning the things that used to be at current sites to poke a little fun at us Greensburgers' bad habit of giving people - even out-of-towners - directions based upon land marks that aren't there any more.  (My dad was once given directions that included making a turn "where the barn that burned down 10 years ago was.")  But digging into these details keeps piquing my curiosity.  So even though Greensburg's original school house has been gone far too long for anyone to tell you to "take Arch Avenue past where the school house used to be," here are some interesting facts about St. Clair Park - facts that further demonstrate what a cool town we live in.

• The park is named for Arthur St. Clair, one of the first presidents of our country.  "What?!" you say.  See image above.  Also, learn how he was quite the important figure in early American history in this Post-Gazette article, published earlier this year.
• It was originally St. Clair Cemetery.  St. Clair's remains remain (as well as a few others), but the rest of the cemetery was moved ages ago.
• The site was home to Greensburg's first school, originally erected as a one-room, log building in the 1780s.   In 1833, it was replaced by a brick edifice where it held classes until 1857 when the new railroad made the location too noisy.
• In 1911, Mrs. Lloyd B. Huff, prominent wife of a banker, had her gardener cut the grass at the site to give kids a central play area.  This started the chain of events that eventually lead to the creation of the Greensburg Recreation Board in 1949. 
• It's listed on the National Register of Historic Places.
• The playground holds a special place in my heart because we would walk there from our house on Center Avenue (and my grandparents' on Arch) when I was a small child.  I love, love, love that St. Clair Park has been a place for play and entertainment for over 100 years.

And, of course, St. Clair Park is now home to Robertshaw Amphitheater (completed in 2000, although the city originally planned to build it way back in the 1950s), the venue for the city's summer concert series.  Which is what I set out to describe.  Anyone still with me?

Well, this part is easy.  Whether your Friday plans include hanging out with friends, fun for the whole family, or a date night, the concert in the park fits the bill. Yes, it's really that one-size-fits-all. 

Despite arriving very close to the 7:00 start, we were able to find a parking place a short walk up the hill from the entrance on Maple Avenue.  It was also no problem to find the four of us a good spot to sit on the lawn.  And the atmosphere is awesome!  Friendly and fun - like everyone there knows everyone there.  (We did also run into several people we actually know.) 

After opening act Zachary Hudson, Civil Twilight, a band from South Africa, took the stage.  Civil Twilight is described on the Summer Sounds® website as "Coldplay meets U2 meets Moody Blues."  I don't want to dwell too much on the band, since the point of this post is about how cool it is that the City of Greensburg has been offering these concerts for FREE on Fridays through the last ten summers, so I'll suffice it to say that Summer Sounds organizers are bringing in interesting and talented bands for these events.  So if you were thinking free concert = lousy act, think again.

Although the concerts are free, Summer Sounds has volunteers at a table collecting donations to help keep the series going.  Another way the concerts in the park make for a cheap, fun evening is that you're able to bring your own picnic basket or cooler.  If you want to travel light, you can grab refreshments at the concession stand.  The volunteers at the stand seemed quite busy throughout the evening, despite the fact that most people brought their own food and beverage - including alcoholic beverages even though, strictly speaking, they're not permitted in the park.

We left before the concert was over to get our girls into bed on time (more or less!), so I wasn't there to see 1) how much of a challenge the departing crowd was in terms of walking out and driving home or 2) the state of the park at the end of the event.  I'd like to hear from someone about how much clean up is required, as it really appeared that people were being good stewards of the park's environment and cleaning up after themselves.

Anyway, if you (like me!) haven't taken the chance over the last 10 summers to visit St. Clair park a summer Friday at 7:00 for a free concert, you should.  Even if you live outside Greensburg itself, it's worth the short trip in to experience one of these events.

I think we visited every dog at the park that night!

Sources of information:

• Learn about the history of Summer Sounds® here and here.
• www.inwestmoreland.com
• www.summersounds.com
• Van Atta, Robert B. (1999).  A Bicentennial History of the City of Greensburg.  Chas. M. Henry Printing Company, Greensburg.

Stage Right's "Books Come Alive" (and the Greensburg Hempfield Library, Sort Of)

This afternoon, I took the girls to see  Stage Right perform Olivia from its "Books Come Alive" series, which was presented by the Greensburg Hempfiled Area Library. 

Stage Right students, ages 11 to 16, performed the play, based on the Olivia books by Ian Falconer.  We saw the performance in the cafeteria at Hutchinson Elementary school, which is where the Southwest Greensburg/Welty Street School used to be on - you guessed it - Welty Street in Southwest Greensburg.  Before the school - a junior high - was built in 1929, the spot used to be Electric Park, which was the site of the 1897 Westmoreland County Fair among other events.

If you're interested, you can still catch Olivia at one of four upcoming performances at other venues around the county.  Plus there are dozens of other shows throughout the summer.  The other books Stage Right will be performing are Catalina Magdalena (by Tedd Arnold), Captain Awesome to the Rescue (byt Stan Kirby), McKenna, Ready to Fly - The American Girl (by Mary Casanova) and Jake Starts School (by Michael Wright). 

Find all the dates and times for the free, Books Come Alive series on Stage Right's website.

"She's smarter than you think!" (Lyric in the song about Olivia.)

As for today's performance, the kids in the show were adorable and very talented.  The show itself was short, sweet and engaging.  My girls especially liked the parts when Olivia chased her brother Ian off the stage area around the cafeteria and when Olivia came out with a loaded water gun - and we all got a little squirt in the process.  Near the end of the show, the actors invited the audience to dance with them, but my kids (and most of the others) were being too shy to join in.  But the director and performers knew how to work a room full of kids.  I'm in the process of determining which dates/venues we'll attend their other Books Come Alive performances.

They were into it!

Giggles when Olivia was chasing Ian

Because this performance was presented by the Greensburg-Hempfield Area Library, representatives from the library were also there with materials from their children's summer reading program.  The library offers programs for kids nearly every day of the week - the schedule can be found on their website. 

The programs are free and they must be as super-fun as the descriptions suggest, as most events for the next few weeks already have waiting lists.  However, I was told by the library staff today that they'll often add a session when enough people are interested in a particular program - so if you're really interested, don't be too discouraged by the waiting list. 

The library is located at 237 South Pennsylvania Avenue, which used to be Greensburg's federal building/post office. 

I was hoping to add a library activity to our calendar to report back on, but there don't appear to be programs that span my girls' ages of almost-3 and 6.  I would have to take them to different activities at different times, so I need time to consider my options.  We will likely attend the upcoming Scholastic book fair (July 9-12 & 16-19 from 10AM to 4PM each day).  All items are buy one, get one free (you know the drill: freebie has to be equal or lesser value), and my kids are always looking for more books to pull off the shelf and leaving lying all over the house. 

As you might expect, the library also offers "Adult Programs."  (Do you think that sounds weird?  Yeah, me neither.)  On top of the typical library services (e.g., research databases, periodicals, books), they host book discussions and - like most libraries these days - you can check out books for e-readers.  I've been meaning to get set up at the library for my Nook® , so I'll also plan to do this and share if the ease/difficulty of doing so is worth reporting.

This accidentally became a duel post because I figured I needed to give credit to both Stage Right and the Greensburg Hempfield Library for effectively entertaining my kiddoes - and doing it for free.  I'm looking forward to taking advantage of additional Stage Right performances and other library activities throughout the summer.  I hope you also take the opportunity to participate in these free, fun activities. 

(Did I mention they're free?  There's no excuse not to attend one or two!)

Proximity to Other Locations & Events

Yesterday, we went to the Pittsburgh Zoo and Aquarium.  Even if you have never been there, you probably don't need me to tell you what to expect at a zoo.  (Hint: Animals.  Beyond the ones you will see in your backyard.  Even if you live in the woods.) 

No Greensburg Directions: As far as I can tell, nothing used to be where the zoo is.  (And it the zoo didn't used to be anywhere else.)

Furthermore, the zoo is beyond my venue for this blog.  But I'm posting because, although I'm investigating fun things do without leaving 15601, another of Greensburg's myriad benefits is its proximity to the attractions in Pittsburgh and other areas.  The ability to easily visit cultural, amusement and sporting venues in Pittsburgh without the challenges of living in a big city is among the reasons Greensburg is a great place to live and raise a family.

I do intend to focus primarily on things happening within the boundaries of 15601.  However, I will also be posting about nouns (people, places & things, silly!) in other areas of Westmoreland County.  There are tons of things to do in Westmoreland County that are just minutes away from our central location and that is part of Greensburg's appeal as a place to live.  Which is what this is all about.

Red Barn Books

Books are literature.  Literature is cultural.  So at least my second entry is cultured.  That's my story, and I'm sticking to it.

It's embarrassing that it's taken me this long to visit Red Barn Books.  For one thing, I drive past it  probably once a week.  More importantly, I know owner Amy Legg from my MOPS group - AND she didn't even get mad at me this winter for owing her money for over three months!*  So I'm obviously talking about an establishment run by good people.

Before I get into the details of my trip to Red Barn with my two girls, I need to give you the Greensburg directions:  It's located at 203 Old Route 30 in Greensburg, where Knit Wits used to be.

Depending upon the age of the person telling you how to find it, you might also hear that it's where Laurel Design used to be.  The building also used to be a community center.  Prior to that, it used to be a school.  (I'm going to try to keep this up as long as possible in these posts!)

Kids' Area, taken from near the front of the store.

Red Barn Books sells books, games, movies and music.  They do offer new items, but the bulk of what is for sale is used.  If you need to declutter your house - and make some spare change while doing it - this also means that Red Barn will buy these items from you.  Although a larger proportion of their inventory is composed of books for adults, about 25% of the physical space in the store is dedicated to the children's area.

While I'm on the subject of the kiddoes, Red Barn has a lot to offer your offspring.  The kids' area is big enough to hang out, play with some toys, and read - whereas it is not big enough for them to run wild.  (Don't look at me like it's just my kids....) 

Emily, relaxing in the perfect kid-sized reading chair!

Their Kids' Club program allows each child under 12 to pick a free book (from a specific Kids' Club selection) every time they visit.  And now you have an inexpensive alternative to being penned up in your house with the kids the next time Mother Nature cancels your outdoor plans.  No need to thank me. 

Are your kids so excited about reading that they can't pick just one book?  Addtional books from the Kids' Club selection are just one American dollar!  Your biggest problem is going to be narrowing down your choices.  Here's a picture of the Kids' Club books - and I couldn't get all the shelves in the picture!

They're like potato chips.  Just one's not going to do it!

Other kid activities at Red Barn include story times the last Friday evening of each month and a series of Summer FUNcamps.  Tuition for the FUNcamps is $75 for one-day camps and $175 for three-day camps.   These camps are taught by certified teachers on a variety of topics, including Star Wars®, LEGO® Robotics, Ancient Civilizations, Pioneer Girls, Under the Sea and Dinosaurs.  The list of FUNcamps is featured on the right-hand column of Red Barn's website, where you can view complete details including dates offered and target ages for each.

For we so-called grown-ups who like books, Red Barn has an equally welcoming environment.  I'd love to have a libary in my house with the same cozy vibe as this store.  Naturally, you aren't going to find every book under the sun here like you might at a big retailer, but it's the perfect place to discover a title by your favorite author and pick it up at half-price or better.  (But if you are looking for something specific, Red Barn can track a copy - new or used - down for you!) In the short time I was in the store, I found three books that I'd previously handled but didn't purchase in another store.  I'd promised most of the outing's budget to $1 books the girls had already picked out, so I only bought The Dip by Seth Godin for myself.  (I may return very soon for the other items!) And don't rule out the kids' section for something you might like.  Check out this action I'm thinking about going back to buy:

I didn't look, but whatever the price on this, it has to be worth it

for re-reading Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing alone.

Ohmigoodnees, I almost forgot something I was super-excited about.  This is kind of a sidebar, I guess.  We also picked up a copy I Can Be: A Child's Whimsical Introduction to Yoga written by fellow Greensburger Christine Sumner (and illustrated by Kirk Salopek of Pittsburgh).  I Can Be is offered at Red Barn as a new book, and I bought it without even looking at it, as Sumner went to college with my brother and his wife (and I just saw her at Idlewild last week!).  So I didn't read any of it until we got home, but it's a short, delightful, rhyming story about some things children can be - like bears, crows or trees - which are also yoga poses.  Instructions for performing the yoga poses are included in the back of the book.

In sum, Red Barn Books is a great place - for kids and adults alike.  Although it took me long enough to finally shop there, I see many, many stops there in my future.  If I'm lucky, the next one will be without the kids!

Our many books gave us plenty to do that evening when the power went out.  Huzzah!

*It was a small amount of money that I owed Amy, but I had nightmares about her chasing me on a bicycle, shouting, "I want my two dollars!"  I don't even know if she has a bike.

Fun Slides Carpet Skatepark and Party Center

I'd intended for my first entry to be something on the cultural side.  Something refined.  Something high falutin'.  Something that is at least of a more publicly owned/operated nature.  However, I can't help myself but to begin with a post about our experience at the newly opened Greensburg location of the Fun Slides Carpet Skatepark and Party Center. 

In true Greensburger fashion, I will tell you that Fun Slides is located in the shopping center on East Pittsburgh Street, where Bobby Dales used to be.  (Henceforth, this will be known as Greensburg directions.)

The facility and how owner/creator Don "Smokey" Edwards came up with the idea (as well as hours, rates, etc.) are also covered in detail HERE in the Great Places in Westmoreland section of InWestmoreland.com.   You can also learn more at Fun Slides' website, http://www.funslidespark.com/, and you can connect with them on Facebook.  So although the internet already has sufficient information on this venue, I wanted to give my personal take on it.

Fun Slides has been open in Greensburg for several weeks, but it wasn't brought to our attention until my six-year-old daughter, Emily, was invited to a birthday party there.  Little sister, Cora (who will turn three in August), got wind of the fact that we were going to a party, so I had little choice but to take her along - even though I didn't know whether or not she either could or, more importantly would, participate.  Both girls ended up having such a blast I feared that manager Candy Holsing might have to summon the authorities to evict us from the premises.

First, I have to say that the concept is obviously brilliant.  Everyone I tell about it gets that smack-your-forehead, why-didn't-I-think-of-that? look on their face.  And the idea to use EZ Moves to skate on carpet ramps alone would have been sufficient.  But the owners really nailed the atmosphere with the groovy neons, crazy patterns and black lighting.  Fun Slides screams FUN as soon as you walk into the lobby.

"FUN!"

When you're new to Fun Slides, staff take you into the "novice" room to fit you with your rented Fun Slides and to help you get the hang of it on two simple ramps.  For smaller kids - or anyone who might be a little chicken about riding the ramps on their feet - they also have basic EZ Moves II^TM and EZ Moves Pull Slides^TM so you can opt to ride on your bum.

Emily was braver than I expected and was soon off to slide on both her feet and her rear. Here she is in a squatting position:

Cora used the slides on her feet only in the novice room where it was easy for me to hold her hands on the way down the little ramps.  After that, she and I rode the EZ Moves Pull Slide^TM    together until she figured out that she could do it on her own!  Later, she tried to get rid of me completely, adamantly telling me to go somewhere else.  She apparently really wanted to let her inner daredevil out by doing crazy stuff such as this:

Yes, I'm the bad mother to sat by and watched her two-year-old

slide on her belly, face first.

But what I liked most of all about Fun Slides was the overall positive atmosphere.  The young people (who appeared to be high school and college students) working there were fabulous.  They were not only helpful to the kids, they were engaging.  Among other things, they were leading the kids in dances - and they weren't just going through the motions.  They were into it.  It was apparent that Fun Slides hires staff who genuinely enjoy kids and their jobs at the skate park. 

This is Andrew, leading some of the partiers in a line-type dance. Later, he got my daughter

to quit pouting about a boo-boo on her finger through a silly "examination" of the injury!  Andrew rocks!

Finally, the music being played was loud without being deafening, and all of the upbeat, dance rhythms were kid-friendly in terms of artists and lyrics.  I even heard Christian recording artist TobyMac, which I later learned shouldn't have been surprising, as the owners include a Biblical scripture on their main website.  Personally, I find it refreshing when business owners are comfortable revealing their faith and channeling it into the operations of their businesses.

My girls and I cannot wait to go back to Fun Slides Skatepark and Party Center.  If you haven't yet been there, you should definitely check it out soon.  Maybe we'll see you there!

Me, making a black light fish face just for fun.