The Strawberry Playhouse

On September 9, 2003, Lucille L. Fala-Brennan finalized the purchase of the old Zion Church located in Tuscarora, PA. Lucille has a lifelong interest in theatre and the arts and has for the past 17 years been active in promoting theatre and the arts in Carbon, Schuylkil and surround counties. She was instrumental in the formation of the Actor's Guild of Schuylkill County and has directed more than 20 productions as the Drama Advisor at Blue Mountain High School.

After much hard work on the part of the founder, Lucille, The Strawberry Playhouse is now a functional setting for theatrical productions. Introducing children and adults to the theatre is of great importance to Lucille. She encourages the youth and adults of the area to get seriously involved in the art of theatre. Each year ther is a youth productions chosen from some of the most popular stage works. Tom Sawyer, Alice in Wonderland and Little Women have been presented in the past. This year she's planning The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn.

The adults in the area also have an opportunity to hone their skills by participating in other featured productions. In the past we have seen, Picnic, Bus Stop, Plaza Suite, Fiddler on the Roof, Steel Magnolias, Nunsense and Barefoot in the Park.

A highlight of every season has been the presentation of A Christmas Carol early every December.

At The Strawberry Playhouse we believe that the performance arts are an essential part of any thribing community. We believe that arts lift the spirit and raise the collective consciousness of the individuals in our community. We collaborate with artists and artistic organizations in an effort to facilitate mutual support, recognition, and the exchanging of ideas. We work to encourage a thriving community of artists and appreciation of art within North Eastern Pennsylvania. We facilitate classes, lectures, performances, and exhibits in an effort to enrich the lives of all those within our community. The Strawberry Playhouse strives to unleash the artistic potential of every person that enters our theatre.

For more information call (570) 325-4368 or visit site.thestrawberryplayhouse.com.

No. 9 Mine & Museum
Opened in 1855, No. 9 Coal Mine, located in Lansford, Pennsylvania is the world's oldest continuously operated anthracite coal mine! Closed in 1972, the mine was re-opened as a heritage tourism attraction in 2002. Today visitors ride safely by train 1600 feet into the mountainside, to see and experience first hand what it was like for our fathers and grandfathers to work underground over the past 200 years.

Once inside the mine, experienced tour guides will lead you on a walking tour filled with amazing sights and fascinating stories! See the underground mule-way; miner’s hospital, and the 900 – foot deep original elevator shaft, which once hauled loaded coal cars to the surface! A visit inside No. 9 Mine is an experience that you will never forget!

Open year round, the No. 9 Mining Museum is filled with original equipment and artifacts covering nearly two centuries of mining history in the Panther Valley!

Clothes in wire baskets hang on the chains from the ceiling of the old “wash shanty” just as they did when up to 450 miners worked inside the No. 9 Mine. The tools they used are there too … drills, picks, shovels, axes, saws, blasting equipment and even their lunch cans, caps, and lamps!

Exhibits include a life sized replica of a mule tender boy and his mine mule, a large photographic collection, handmade models, beautifully handcrafted items carved of coal, original paintings, railroad artifacts, fossils and gems, a model of a coal colliery (made for the New York Worlds Fair), maps, signs, and a mucking machine, coal fired furnace, a replica of an 1800’s miner’s kitchen, and much more!

Be sure to visit our unique gift shop which features beautifully carved coal souvenirs, custom tee shirts and hats, a variety of books, miner’s hats and more!

No. 9 Mine and Museum is located at the foot of the Pocono Mountains, just off U.S. Route 209 in Lansford, Pennsylvania. Located halfway between the historic towns of Jim Thorpe and Tamaqua. Individuals and groups are welcome! Plenty of free parking and picnic facilities!

The third annual ‘Coal Miner’s Heritage Festival’ is set for Sunday July 11, from 10 AM to 5 PM, rain or shine. The Coal Miners Heritage Festival at No. 9 Mine and Museum celebrates northeast Pennsylvania’s rich coal mining heritage, traditions, customs, ethnic foods, music, history, and landscapes. Admission to the festival is free.

For more information call (570) 645-7074 or visit us on the web at www.no9mine.com.