Good morning, Lancaster County. Spring has fully arrived - Monday, April 13th is looking like a gorgeous mid-70s day, and this week is packed with things worth getting off the couch for.
From a free cherry blossom festival on the river to world-class theater, a mud sale, and a truly once-in-a-lifetime art collaboration, here's everything you need to know.
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In today's Lancaster Local:
A celebrated Lancaster County fine artist makes his theatrical debut designing sets for a Sondheim fairy-tale musical in Ephrata
Ten events happening across the county this week, from ABBA tributes to Johnny Cash to Hairspray on the Fulton's mainstage
A free cherry blossom music festival in Marietta with 14 food trucks, live alpacas, and four stages of local music
Your Monday forecast: sunny and warm, a perfect excuse to get outside this week
FEATURED LANCASTER COMMUNITY NEWS
A painter steps onto the stage - and transforms it entirely
Freiman Stoltzfus has spent decades earning a reputation as one of Lancaster County's most celebrated artists. His luminous paintings - rooted in his Amish-Mennonite upbringing - hang in galleries from downtown Lancaster to New York to Europe. But this spring, Stoltzfus did something he's never done before: he walked into a theater and reimagined what a stage could look like.
For the Ephrata Performing Arts Center's production of Stephen Sondheim's Into the Woods (running through April 25), Stoltzfus partnered with director Ben Galosi to design the full set. His inspiration?
Victorian miniature paper theaters - those delicate, layered dioramas from the 1800s - scaled up to life-size, filling the EPAC stage with an immersive, fairy-tale world unlike anything Lancaster audiences have seen.
It's a genuinely rare thing: a nationally recognized fine artist crossing into live theater for the first time, at a beloved community arts center, producing something that can only be seen right here in Lancaster County. Whether you're a longtime admirer of Stoltzfus's paintings or a theatergoer who's never stepped into EPAC, this production offers something extraordinary - and it closes April 25th.
EVENTS
This is a big week. Here's what's on:
🍽️ Etiquette Dinner Theater at The Log Cabin - 11 Lehoy Forest Drive, Leola, PA 17540. Thursday, April 16 and Friday, April 17, 6:00–8:00 PM. More performances the following week too. A four-course meal set in the 1920s, with live interactive theater where actors hilariously demonstrate proper (and very improper) table manners. Dress formally, bring your sense of humor, and prepare to be lightly involved. $120 per person. More info →
😂 The Complete History of America (Abridged) - Prima Theatre - 941 Wheatland Ave., Lancaster, PA 17603. Opens Friday, April 17 (runs through May 3). Three performers. All of American history. Ninety minutes. This rapid-fire comedy show is also Prima Theatre's triumphant reopening after flood restoration - making it both a laugh-out-loud night out and a genuine celebration of community resilience. Get tickets →
🎸 The Concert - A Tribute to ABBA - American Music Theatre - 2425 Lincoln Highway East, Lancaster, PA 17602. Friday, April 17 at 8:00 PM and Saturday, April 18 at 3:00 PM. Billed as the world's leading ABBA tribute group - 100% authentic Swedish, all the hits: "Mamma Mia," "Dancing Queen," "Waterloo," "S.O.S." Two chances to catch them this weekend. Tickets $34 / $44 / $54. Get tickets →
🌲 Into the Woods - Ephrata Performing Arts Center - 320 Cocalico St., Ephrata, PA 17522. Saturday, April 18 at 8:00 PM (also other dates; running April 9–25). Sondheim's beloved fairy-tale musical - the Baker, the Witch, Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood - brought to life on a stage designed by Lancaster County fine artist Freiman Stoltzfus in his theatrical debut. Reserved seating $38–$59; student rush $15. Get tickets →
🪣 Folsom Prison Experience - American Music Theatre - 2425 Lincoln Highway East, Lancaster, PA 17602. Sunday, April 19 at 3:00 PM. The audience becomes the "inmates" as Jay Ernest recreates Johnny Cash's legendary 1968 Folsom Prison concert - including songs by Cash, June Carter, and Statler Brothers-style harmonies. An immersive, theatrical tribute experience unlike a standard tribute show. Tickets $29–$59. Get tickets →
🌸 Marietta Cherry Blossom Benefit Music Festival - Front Street, Marietta, PA 17547 (between River Trail Brewing and McCleary's Public House). Saturday, April 18, 1:00–6:00 PM (rain date: Sunday, April 19). Free admission. This one has it all: a mile of 150 cherry trees in bloom, four live music stages (Heath James Hardin, The McClearys House Band, Nick diSanto, Amy Peck & Friends, Josh Wopert Duo, Abigail's Garden, Popscotch), 49 artisan vendors, 14 food trucks (kebabs, pizza, funnel cakes, crab shack), live alpacas from Shear Heaven Farm, and on-street beer tables from local taverns ($5 wristband for 21+). One of the great free days Lancaster County offers all year. More info →
🪡 Schoeneck Fire Company Mud Sale & Quilt Auction - 125 N. King St., Denver, PA 17517. Saturday, April 18; auctions begin at 8:30 AM, quilt auction at 11:00 AM. Free to attend. A true Lancaster County tradition - an Amish-attended mud sale auction with handmade quilts, furniture, farm equipment, crafts, and antiques. PA Dutch food vendors on site: chicken corn soup, sticky buns, funnel cakes. Benefits the Schoeneck Fire Company. A wonderful way to spend a Saturday morning. More info →
🏛️ LancasterHistory Open House - America 250 Celebration - LancasterHistory Museum & Research Center, 230 N. President Ave., Lancaster, PA 17603. Saturday, April 18, 10:00 AM–2:00 PM. Free (registration requested). Explore Lancaster's fascinating role in the 1856 presidential election - James Buchanan's campaign and his storied rivalry with Thaddeus Stevens - through interactive exhibits and historical programming. Part of the national America 250 celebration. A genuinely interesting few hours for history lovers. More info →
WEATHER
Monday, April 13 - A beautiful start to the week: mid-70s, low chance of rain, and plenty of sunshine. After the weekend, it's a great day to take a walk, eat lunch outside, or just roll down the car window and enjoy the fact that it's finally, properly spring in Lancaster County.
Thanks for reading The Lancaster Local. This week is genuinely one of the better ones - between cherry blossoms in Marietta, Prima Theatre back on its feet, a nationally recognized painter making his stage debut, and ABBA playing two shows at AMT, there's something worth doing every single day. Get out there and enjoy it. If you found something useful in here, forward this to someone who still gets their news from a Facebook group.