Good morning, Lancaster County. With a 70-degree afternoon on the way and spring wildflowers just beginning to stir in the woodlands, today is the kind of Thursday that reminds you exactly why you live here. Inside: a lifesaving new tool for your phone, three free things to do tonight, a packed weekend ahead, and the Lancaster musician writing the soundtrack to county life.

In today's Lancaster Local:

Three Words Could Save Your Life

Lancaster County's Department of Public Safety has integrated what3words into its emergency dispatch system - and local officials are asking every resident to download the free app now, before they need it.

The concept is simple: what3words divides the entire planet into 3-meter squares and assigns each one a unique three-word address.

Instead of trying to describe "the field behind the barn off Route 30," you read three words to the dispatcher.

This makes it easy for emergency services to find you quickly - no matter where you are - so you always stay safe.

Download it today. More details →

Spring is showing up in Lancaster tonight - here's how to celebrate it.

🌸 Discovering Our Spring Ephemeral Wildflowers Presentation - Lancaster Conservancy - Lancaster, PA. Tonight, March 26, 6:00–7:00 PM. Free. The Lancaster Conservancy guides you through the fleeting, luminous wildflowers that fill county woodlands for just a few weeks each year - learn to identify them before peak bloom at Shenks Ferry and other local preserves. Check the website for virtual vs. in-person attendance details. More info →

🌿 Living Well 55+ March Seminar - 1693 Crown Ave, Lancaster, PA. Saturday, March 28, 10:00 AM–12:00 PM. Free. A new Lancaster County community initiative is bringing together adults 55+ and their families for a morning of honest, no-pressure conversation about the things we all eventually need to think about.

Three local experts will share short presentations - Chuck Sierk on downsizing, Nnenna Kuntz on planning ahead for aging, and Shelly Burkholder on making the most of home equity in retirement - followed by open Q&A. Come curious, leave informed. Get tickets →

🎶 Back to the 90s Music Trivia - Southern Market Center - 100 S. Queen Street, Lancaster, PA 17603. Tonight, March 26, 7:00–10:00 PM. Free. Dust off your 90s pop culture knowledge and head to Lancaster City's beloved food hall for a free night of nostalgia, trivia, and good company - no registration required, just show up. More info →

🌽 Leola Produce Auction - Leola Produce Auction - 135 Brethren Church Road, Leola, PA 17540. Today, March 26, doors open 9:00 AM. Free to attend. One of Lancaster County's most authentic agricultural experiences - local Amish and Mennonite farmers auction freshly grown seasonal produce and plants to the highest bidder, and the public is welcome every Tuesday and Thursday. More info

🔨 Farmersville Volunteer Fire Co. Mud Sale - Farmersville Fire Company - 74 E. Farmersville Road, Ephrata, PA 17522. Tomorrow, Friday March 27, starting 4:30 PM. Free to attend. It's officially mud sale season, and Farmersville's annual community auction delivers quilts, antiques, farm equipment, and Amish-made goods - all while supporting the volunteer fire company that serves your neighbors. More info →

🍪 Shady Maple Cookie Carnival - Shady Maple Farm Market - 1324 Main Street, East Earl, PA 17519. Through Saturday, March 28, 7:00 AM–8:00 PM. Cookie lovers, this one's for you: 25+ flavors to sample and purchase, a store-wide scavenger hunt for kids, and - on Friday and Saturday at 10 AM while supplies last - a slice of a 36-inch chocolate chip cookie. Yes, really. More info →

🚀 Galactic Forces: A Sci-Fi Celebration - Lancaster Science Factory - 454 New Holland Avenue, Lancaster, PA 17602. Saturday, March 28, 10:00 AM–2:00 PM. Dress as your favorite sci-fi character and explore the real science behind the fiction at this interactive all-ages event - included with general museum admission ($13 for ages 3 and up). More info →

🍺 Rails & Ales Craft Beer Tasting - Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania - 300 Gap Road, Strasburg, PA 17579. Saturday, March 28; VIP entry 5:30 PM, general admission 6:30 PM. Now in its ninth year, Rails & Ales fills the museum's jaw-dropping 100,000-square-foot Rolling Stock Hall with craft breweries, food vendors, and some of the most spectacular locomotives in the country - proceeds benefit the Friends of the Railroad Museum. Must be 21+ with valid ID. More info →

The band playing the soundtrack to life in Lancaster County

Most musicians write songs. Cesar and the Five seem to write places - and the place they keep returning to is right here.

In this week's featured story, we sat down with Cesar and the members of the Five to talk about what it actually means to make music that's rooted in Lancaster County - in its landscapes, its rhythms, its particular kind of quiet and noise. What starts as a conversation about songs and setlists quickly turns into something harder to define: a reflection on community, on belonging, on what happens when a group of people find each other and realize they're all trying to say the same thing.

Whether you've been front-row at one of their shows or you've never heard a single note, this story will make you want to find them. And once you read how they found their sound - and more importantly, how they found each other - you'll understand why the music feels so specific to this county and so universally human at the same time.

Lancaster has always had a musical heartbeat. This is one of the people keeping it going.

👉 Read the full story →

Thursday, March 26 - Soak up that 70-degree afternoon while you can; tonight the clouds will thicken and rain moves in after dark. A perfect excuse to be somewhere warm with good people this evening.

Thanks for reading The Lancaster Local. If you found something useful, forward it to someone who still gets their news from a Facebook group.