2025 is here! Here’s hoping this new year has good things in store for all of us. Traditionally this tends to be a slower month in our community, but there is still plenty to enjoy if you're not the hibernating type.
One of the things we can always enjoy in Schuylkill County, no matter the season, is our great outdoors. We just need to dress appropriately. Layers, sturdy, non-slip footwear, and wind-proof materials are just what mother nature ordered this month to keep us active and interested in the world around us. And what better way than a Night Owl Prowl at 6:30 pm on the 11th at Frog Hollow Nature Area with Dave Kruel? Don't forget your flashlight or headlamp too.
Another cool, fun, event that you'll want to bundle up and head outdoors for this month is Schuylkill Winterfest. The Schuylkill Chamber of Commerce is bringing Schuylkill Winterfest to downtown Pottsville on January 18th from 11 am to 4 pm at Alvernia University Pottsville Collegetown. Jam-packed with a diverse group of vendors, delicious food trucks, live music, carriage rides, a spirited beer bar, and a hopping kids' corner, this year’s festival will bring out your inner Jack Frost! Ice sculptures and a demo will fascinate while a Mrs. T's pierogy eating contest and a boilo contest bring our coal region culture front and center!
Keep your outdoor gear near because Sweet Arrow Lake County Park's annual Fire and Ice Winter Fest is the 26th. This annual event includes a wintry day at the park with music by Jesse Wade, hotdogs over the open fire, Splash the Clown, homemade ice cream, hot chocolate, and their famous Fire Hot Chili Cook-off! Advance registration is required to participate in the chili competition by calling Susan at 570-624-3018.
So, perhaps there's only so much of winter's outdoor activities that excite you. I get it. We've got all kinds of entertainment on tap. Enter Yuengling Brewery's Eagle Series #5: Bavarian Lager Pouring Party + Music Bingo on Thursday the 16th! Try Yuengling #EagleSeries #5 -Yuengling Bavarian Lager. This traditional German-style dark lager showcases a rich malt-forward profile with hints of sweetness, toast, biscuit, and nuttiness. Brewed with Pale, Caramel, Munich, Victory, Carapils, and Black malts, it delivers complexity balanced by the smooth bitterness of Noble Hallertau Mittlefru and Saaz hops. Its deep amber color, creamy foam head, and clean, crisp finish reflect authentic Bavarian brewing traditions. Fill your growler, enjoy a pint, and play a round of music bingo at America's Oldest Brewery.
If music bingo's not your game, no big deal. Schuylkill County has a variety of cool indoor gaming spaces for you to enjoy. Alchemist's Cove Games and Comics is an awesome book and gaming space right in Schuylkill Haven. The Art of Escape is a live challenge adventure where your team will work together to solve a series of hidden clues and riddles to escape from a room in sixty minutes. They are located in Pine Grove and you can reserve at theartofescapepg.com. The Chopping Block, located in Pottsville, is Schuylkill County’s first axe throwing and social entertainment venue and promises great fun while you engage in the ultimate axe throwing experience. For more information or to book, go to choppingblockpa.com.
We have even more excellent entertainment to get us through this long cold month. Comedian David Earl Reed, of HBO and MTV fame, will be at the Majestic Theater on the 11th. He is exactly what we all need this month; humor and a hearty laugh! The Majestic Theater also presents Gypsy, a musical fable the 24th - 26th. Tickets for both are available at www.magestictheater.net.
The Walk In Art Center is home to a Jazz Brunch on the 26th. Warm up on Sunday morning with a hot breakfast, hot coffee, & hot jazz. Enjoy a great brunch and some great jazz in this unique-to-Schuylkill event. The WCJO Jazz combo will delight you with some cool tunes while you partake of a catered brunch. Coffee, drinks and mimosas included for $30/pp.
At Explore Schuylkill we've launched a brand-new website with these and many other events. In fact, we invite our members and community organizations to submit their events by clicking on the events tab at the top of the page. Our new site is easy to navigate, well organized, loaded with resources, and has an interactive map. The 2025 Adventure Guide is available this month as well, so check us out at www.schuylkill.org. We hope you will join us this January and throughout 2025, supporting and enjoying all that Schuylkill County has to offer!
