No snow but much fun in Scranton at Everhart Museum's "Snow Much Fun" free community day

Jim Lockwood, The Times-Tribune, Scranton, Pa.
·2 min read

Dec. 10—SCRANTON — The Everhart Museum's winter-themed "Snow Much Fun Community Day" on Saturday lived up to it's billing — halfway, at least.

There was no snow, but visitors had much fun at the museum in Nay Aug Park.

Like prior, recent free-admission days at the museum, Saturday's family- and youth-friendly event aimed to draw parents bringing children and first-time visitors, and succeeded on both counts.

"We're bringing people together here at the museum for a variety of activities," said Camille Dantone, the museum's community and family programs manager.

Recent free-admission days included a summer indoor event in August and a fall-themed indoor/outdoor event in October that each had about 500 visitors.

Saturday's "Snow Much Fun" day also drew a good crowd, though likely a lower turnout than the prior two events. "We have larger events in the fall when weather is more appropriate" to plan for outdoor activities, Dantone said.

The winter-themed event also might have missed out on snow by one day. Weather forecasts for Scranton call for snow Sunday, possibly mixed with rain, but less than 1 inch of snow overall, according to the National Weather Service.

Activities for Snow Much Fun included a snowy owl collage art workshop instructed by Lindsay Barrett George; rocks and minerals demonstrations by Steve Carter of Penn Minerals; a silkscreen workshop inspired by artwork of the late American painter Jon Carsman, who was born in Wilkes-Barre; and make-your-own paper winter wonderland, ornaments and pipe-cleaner snowflakes.

First-time visitors Cala Tolerico of Carbondale and her children, Olivia, 7, and Wyatt, 1, attended with friends. They enjoyed seeing the museum's exhibits and partaking of the collage art workshop, and the kids wore matching Grinch attire.

"I've driven by quite a few times and never even realized what it was, to be honest with you," Tolerico said of the Everhart Museum.

Others also took advantage of the opportunity to check out the museum's galleries of art, rocks, minerals, fossils and birds.

Jessie Walter and Andrew Minnich of the Peckville section of Blakely, who also were first-time visitors Saturday, had fun doing some goofy poses at a free photo booth. They came away impressed by the museum.

"It's really cool," Walter said. "I didn't know what to expect, but I like the fossils and the birds and everything like that. It's really neat."

Festive live music also filled the museum thanks to the Doug Smith Holiday Jazz Trio, consisting of Tom Hamilton of the Peckville section of Blakely on tenor and soprano saxophones and flute, Jim Waltich of Hanover Twp. on accordion and Doug Smith of Newfoundland on bass guitar.

For information on the museum, see everhart-museum.org, or email general.information@everhart-museum.org or call 570-346-7186.

Contact the writer:

jlockwood@timesshamrock.com; 570-348-9100 x5185;

@jlockwoodTT on Twitter.