Good morning, Lancaster County.
Mostly sunny and 68 today, with a northeast wind gusting to 21.
After four wet days, that is a considerable improvement, and it holds — Friday and Saturday are both mostly sunny and 73.
Tonight is also the Symphony's Queen concert at the convention center, and the forecast has stayed dry for it.
In today's Lancaster Local:
A costume swap with a ticket system, a fairness rule, and a hard drop-off window
Chair massages raising money for the Quarryville library Saturday
A class on spotting AI-generated images and deepfakes
An adults-only identification hike at the Environmental Center
COMMUNITY NEWS
Bring one, take one.
On Saturday, October 3, the Manheim Township Public Library runs a Halloween Costume Swap — you bring a costume your child has outgrown, you leave with one they haven't.
They're calling it "an exciting new tradition" — their phrase, and a hopeful one.
The reasoning is the obvious one and they state it plainly: swapping saves families money, and it keeps costumes out of the landfill.
But the mechanics are what make this worth putting on a calendar now rather than remembering on the day.
The drop-off window is thirty minutes. Costumes come in between 9:00 and 9:30 a.m. — not later.
For each costume they accept, you get one swap ticket. Tickets become spendable at 10:00 a.m.
Then the rule that makes the whole thing work: one ticket, one costume, and a family may only take as many costumes as they brought.
Which is a small, elegant piece of design.
It stops the first family through the door from clearing the table, and it means everyone who participates leaves even.
At 11:30 a.m. that rule lifts. If costumes are left, anyone can take one — including people who brought nothing at all.
While supplies last.
And at noon, whatever hasn't found a child goes to local charities.
Here's what they'll take: costumes from birth through youth size 14, clean and gently used, no rips, stains, pet hair or missing pieces.
Accessories like hats, masks, wands and capes are welcome if they're safe and complete.
Here's what they won't: no makeup, no wigs, no undergarments.
One caveat in their own words — everything is offered "as is," and the library says it isn't responsible for sizing, safety or condition.
Check the thing over before your kid wears it out the door.
It runs 9:00 a.m. to noon at 595 Granite Run Drive.
EVENTS
🥔 Food Truck — Spud Muffin — Milanof-Schock Library, 1184 Anderson Ferry Road, Mount Joy.
Today, Thursday, September 24, 5:00 to 7:00 p.m.
A food truck in the library lot for two hours.
That's the whole listing — there's no menu posted, so turn up curious.
🚶 Walking Group — Step Into The Weekend — Manheim Community Library, 547 N Penryn Road, Manheim.
Friday, September 25, 10:30 to 11:30 a.m.
Every Friday morning on the footpath around the library complex.
Bring walking shoes and a water bottle.
No registration.
💆 Mobile Massage at the Library — Quarryville Library, 357 Buck Road, Quarryville.
Saturday, September 26, 12:00 to 2:00 p.m. Ages 18+.
Fifteen-minute chair massages from Bloomly Massage, part of the library's anniversary celebration.
Outside if the weather allows — and Saturday is forecast mostly sunny.
A $15 donation is suggested and is shared with the library.
Bring a signed waiver or fill one in there.
Space is limited; registration closes at 11:45.
💼 Interview Basics — Columbia Public Library, 24 South 6th Street, Columbia.
Monday, September 28, 1:00 to 2:00 p.m.
PA CareerLink on resume writing and interviewing, presented by MaryBeth.
Worth moving on: space is limited to seven people. Registration closes at 12:45.
📊 Excel: Beginner — Ephrata Public Library, 550 South Reading Road, Ephrata.
Monday, September 28, 3:00 to 4:30 p.m.
Creating, formatting and saving a spreadsheet, plus the vocabulary — formula bar, cells, sheet tabs, columns and rows.
Note their policy: arrive after it starts and your spot may be forfeited.
📚 Friends of the Adamstown Area Library Book Sale — Adamstown Area Library, 110 W. Main Street, Adamstown.
Tuesday, September 29, 9:00 a.m. to 6:30 p.m.
Lightly used books in the community room, all day.
Every Tuesday.
🏠 Tips for First Time Home Buyers — Adamstown Area Library, 110 W. Main Street, Adamstown.
Wednesday, September 30, 5:00 to 6:00 p.m. Ages 18+.
Securing financing, sorting must-haves from nice-to-haves, and searching on a short timeline.
With the Peter Heim Team at Keller Williams Platinum.
Registration closes the evening before, Tuesday at 8:00 p.m.
🔍 Spotting the Fake — Ephrata Public Library, 550 South Reading Road, Ephrata.
Wednesday, September 30, 5:30 to 7:00 p.m. Ages 18+.
Hands-on analysis of synthetic images, deepfake video and machine-written news, and how to tell them from the real thing.
An earlier session filled up.
Registration for this one closes Tuesday at noon.
📖 Adult Book Club — Manheim Community Library, 547 N Penryn Road, Manheim.
Thursday, October 1, 9:30 to 10:30 a.m.
First Thursday of the month, for adults.
Their registration cutoff is oddly exact: 8:28 a.m. Not 8:30.
Set an alarm for 8:25.
🌳 Genealogy for Beginners — Lancaster Public Library — Mountville Branch, 120 College Avenue, Mountville.
Saturday, October 3, 10:30 to 11:30 a.m.
For people who want to start researching a family tree and don't know the first step.
They'll cover the library's genealogy resources and take questions.
Geared toward adults.
Spots are limited and registration closes at 10:15.
🥾 Nature Identification Hike — Lancaster County Environmental Center, 1 Nature's Way, Lancaster.
Saturday, October 3, 1:00 to 2:30 p.m. Adults only.
A group hike through Lancaster County Central Park learning to identify the trees, flowers and wildlife — the point being that you can then spot them in your own yard.
The library's On-the-Go van comes along so you can borrow related material on the spot.
Wear shoes you don't mind.
Registration is required and closes at 12:45.
Mostly sunny and a high near 68 today, northeast wind 8 to 13 with gusts to 21.
Tonight is partly cloudy and down around 48.
Friday is mostly sunny and 73.
Saturday is mostly sunny and 73 as well.
Have a good Thursday.
— The Lancaster Local