Heads up! You'll start seeing a 🧒 next to some of this week's listings — it marks events aimed at young kids, roughly preschool through elementary age. Look for it if you're planning something with the little ones; skip right past it if you're not.
New Cumberland is the place to be this week, with West Shore Theatre running three shows back to back — a Johnny Cash tribute Friday, a Tom Petty tribute Saturday, and the season-opening 60s musical Beehive on Wednesday. Add in Shakespeare's The Taming of the Shrew at the Little Theatre of Mechanicsburg, a farm-to-table concert in Boiling Springs, and a dozen-plus library and kids' events scattered across Camp Hill, Mechanicsburg and New Cumberland, and the West Shore has a full week ahead!
Live Music This Week
Catching local musicians this week? (I expanded the footprint to help support our West Shore locals!) Here's who's playing…and where:
Thu 8/13 — The Band Butron · Market Square (New Cumberland Food Truck & Restaurant Rally), New Cumberland
Thu 8/13 — Ben Simcox · Sophia's At Walden, Mechanicsburg
Thu 8/13 — Whiskey & Wildflowers (Duo) · Heritage Hills @ Ave Ale Loft, East York
Fri 8/14 — The 2080 Band · Lower Allen VFW, Mechanicsburg
Fri 8/14 — Nathan Merovich · Country · Sickman's Mill, Pequea
Fri 8/14 — Vintage Crew · Sparetime Lounge, Carlisle
Fri 8/14 — Dave McCullough · Flinchy's, Camp Hill
Sat 8/15 — Clifton Bryan (Solo) · Kickin' Ash Country Fest, Shrewsbury
Sat 8/15 — Clifton Bryan (Solo) · O'Rorke's Irish Pub, Gettysburg
Sat 8/15 — Derek Henry · Appalachian Brewing Company Mechanicsburg, Mechanicsburg
Sat 8/15 — Joe Cooney and Friends · Stoney Creek Inn, Dauphin
Sat 8/15 — Dance Fever - PA · Disco / dance covers (70s-2000s) · Whispering Pines Estate, Lewisberry
Sat 8/15 — Dan Jamison · Jam / Grateful Dead-style · Grandview Vineyard, Mount Joy
Sun 8/16 — Dan Jamison · Jam / Grateful Dead-style · Moose Lodge, Elizabethtown
Tue 8/18 — Joe Cooney and Friends · THEA, Mechanicsburg
Tue 8/18 — Dan Jamison · Jam / Grateful Dead-style · 551 West, Lancaster
Wed 8/19 — Marshall Stone · The Creekside at Liberty Forge, Mechanicsburg
Business & Networking
AI 101—Skills to Boost Your Resume (and Knowledge)!
Thursday, August 13 · 6–7 PM · Fredricksen Library - Business & Career Center Classroom, Camp Hill · Free · Ages 19 and up / Adults
A library workshop on using AI techniques to boost your job search — over 60% of employers are now looking to hire jobseekers with AI experience. event details
AI 101—Skills to Boost Your Resume (and Knowledge)!
Tuesday, August 18 · 10–11 AM · Fredricksen Library - Business & Career Center Classroom, Camp Hill · Free · Ages 19 and up / Adults
A second session of the AI 101 job-skills workshop — see the August 13 listing for details. event details
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Thursday, August 13
🧒 Paw Patrol Dinosaur Party
Thu 8/13 · 10:30–11:30 AM · New Cumberland Public Library - Children's Program Room, New Cumberland · Free
A kids' party celebrating the release of Paw Patrol: The Dino Movie, with games, crafts and giveaways at the library. event details
🧒 Pottery Dig
Thu 8/13 · 1:30–2:30 PM · Simpson Public Library - Meeting Rooms A & B, Mechanicsburg · Free · Ages 6-11 / Grades K-5
A hands-on library craft activity — kids dig through a paper “dig site” for potsherds and assemble a paper pot to color and take home. Registration required at least 24 hours ahead; walk-ins welcome while supplies last. event details
🧒 Elementary Test Lab
Thu 8/13 · 3:30–4:30 PM · Fredricksen Library - Kunkel Creation Station (KCS), Camp Hill · Free · Ages 6-11 / Grades K-5
A STEAM-themed play session for kids ages 6-8 to test their design and engineering skills through hands-on experiments. No registration required. event details
New Cumberland Food Truck & Restaurant Rally (August)
Thu 8/13 · 5–8 PM · Downtown New Cumberland, New Cumberland · Free to attend
A monthly outdoor food truck and local-restaurant rally in downtown New Cumberland, with live music from The Band Butron (see Live Music This Week) and a lineup including Tomasic's Sausage, Midnite Smokin' BBQ and Lucky Penny Burger. event details
Teen Back to School Closet
Thu 8/13 · 5 PM · Bart A Milano Hall, Enola · Free · Teens (open to public)
A free charity giveaway from Kareem's Mission stocked with gently used clothing and school supplies for teens on the spectrum; attendees are automatically entered to win a $50 Community Aid gift card. event details
That Acoustic Thang!
Thu 8/13 · 6–9 PM · Metropolis Collective, Mechanicsburg · No Cover
A weekly open mic for singer-songwriters to share their music and network — come to play or just to listen. All ages, BYOB. event details
🧒 Pottery Dig
Thu 8/13 · 6–7 PM · Simpson Public Library - Meeting Room A, Mechanicsburg · Free · Ages 6-11 / Grades K-5
A second same-day session of the paper-pottery dig activity — explore a dig site for potsherds and assemble a paper pot to take home. event details
AI 101—Skills to Boost Your Resume (and Knowledge)!
Thu 8/13 · 6–7 PM · Fredricksen Library - Business & Career Center Classroom, Camp Hill · Free · Ages 19 and up / Adults
A library workshop on using AI techniques to boost your job search — over 60% of employers are now looking to hire jobseekers with AI experience. event details
Gardening with Nature: Prairie Pockets
Thu 8/13 · 6:30–8:30 PM · Fredricksen - Ruggaber Community Room, Camp Hill · $5 at the door · Ages 19 and up / Adults
A Penn State Extension Master Gardeners lecture on prairie planting for pollinators, led by Ian Gardener of Green Garden Designs. event details
Nature Club Night
Thu 8/13 · 6:30–8 PM · Foundation House, New Cumberland · Free
A monthly gathering for the Nature Club to connect and plan upcoming nature-related outings, hosted by The New Cumberland Collective. event details
Indie Author 101 ($5 Per Person)
Thu 8/13 · 7–8:30 PM · Mechanicsburg Mystery Bookshop, Mechanicsburg · $5 per person (payable at the door)
A talk from local authors Sarah Ickes and Sheryl C.D. Ickes on the indie publishing path — distribution, social media outreach, and scams to watch for — with Q&A and light refreshments. event details
The Taming of the Shrew (Little Theatre of Mechanicsburg)
Thu 8/13 · 7:30–10 PM · Little Theatre of Mechanicsburg, Mechanicsburg · $10-$20
A Shakespeare comedy staged by the Little Theatre of Mechanicsburg — recommended for ages 13+ due to mild physical comic violence and gender-power-dynamic themes. event details
Friday, August 14
Messiah Village Craft and Flea Market (Day 1)
Fri 8/14 · 8 AM–5 PM · Hostetter Enrichment Center & Lesher Atrium, Mechanicsburg · Free (presumed)
A community craft and flea market with handmade items and secondhand goods from local vendors, benefiting the Messiah Village Auxiliary's Endowment Fund for Benevolent Care. Runs Friday through Saturday. event details
🧒 Outdoor Sensory Playtime
Fri 8/14 · 10:30–11:30 AM · New Cumberland Public Library - Library Lawn, New Cumberland · Free · Ages 0-5 / Preschool
A hands-on outdoor sensory program with sensory stations, a water table, a ball pit and other free-play activities. event details
Indie and Foreign Film: Snow Flower and the Secret Fan
Fri 8/14 · 2–4:30 PM · Fredricksen Library - Ruggaber Community Room, Camp Hill · Free · Ages 19 and up / Adults
A screening of the Chinese drama Snow Flower and the Secret Fan (104 min, PG-13), followed by a discussion led by Lee Johnson — part of a monthly Indie and Foreign Film series. event details
Music Under the Stars: Benjamin Vo Blues Band
Fri 8/14 · 6–9 PM · Dickinson College Farm, Boiling Springs · $32-38 adults; $15 kids 12 & under; free under 3
A farm-to-table dinner and concert featuring the Benjamin Vo Blues Band, part of Dickinson College Farm's 2nd Annual Summer Music Series. Picnic-style seating — bring your own chairs or blanket; BYOB permitted for guests 21+. event details
Johnny Folsom 4 – Tribute to Johnny Cash
Fri 8/14 · 7 PM · West Shore Theatre, New Cumberland · Standard Seats $25 (High Top $65, Booth $150)
A tribute concert to Johnny Cash, from “A Boy Named Sue” to “Ring of Fire,” with lead singer David Burney bringing a lilting southern baritone to Cash's classics. Doors at 6:15 PM. event details
The Taming of the Shrew (Little Theatre of Mechanicsburg)
Fri 8/14 · 7:30–10 PM · Little Theatre of Mechanicsburg, Mechanicsburg · $10-$20
Shakespeare's comedy continues its run — see Thursday's listing for full details. event details