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Spring has sprung! It’s time to get out and enjoy all that the season has to offer. Photo Credits: Facebook Lancaster City Restaurant Week Through April 6 Dozens of restaurants, cafés, bakeries, bars and pubs will be participating in this spring edition of the event that celebrates the city’s culinary diversity, with most offering promotions...

Meet Mary and Kirk Reider  Residents since 2023, the Reiders love their home in the Gatehouse Lane area of the community. They found its size (1,900 square feet) and layout very accommodating to the furniture and heirlooms that are meaningful to them.  Mary and Kirk Reider relax in their second-floor loft that is decorated with...

Have you noticed? Cheesecake is experiencing a resurgence in popularity. From grocery stores and bakeries to specialty shops such as KelSas SweetBox, the dessert is once again enjoying must-have status due to an ever-growing array of flavors and innovative toppings.  Clockwise from top left: Mini-cheesecake flavors include Peanut Butter & Jelly (strawberry preserves), Classic, Peanut...

Those perennial signs of spring are just around the corner: daffodils, robins, golfers and, in Lancaster County, fundraising events! Whether you’ll be attending your first or your 50th fundraising event, there are ways to make the most of your experience and participate in its success.  Be it a black-tie gala or a decidedly un-gala event, you...

$1.2 million. That’s the amount of money HOPE International raised through its 23rd annual golf outing that was held last fall. The Manheim Township-based nonprofit will put those dollars to good use in the form of loans, investments and assistance to financially challenged individuals and families around the globe. HOPE International founder, Jeff Rutt (center),...

Forty years is a long time for any business to both endure and succeed. CoffeeCo achieved that milestone in December.  The breakfast menu includes favorites such as French toast (below) and a selection of sandwiches. “It’s amazing,” says current owner, John Smucker, of CoffeeCo’s achievement. “Chuck Williams opened the first CoffeeCo in Lancaster Shopping Center,...

I never expected to “get into” genealogy. I had a pretty good grasp on my heritage … I thought. Then a genealogy librarian at the Allen County Public Library in Indiana handed me a large three-ring binder, my full name emblazoned across the front. I cracked it open, took a quick overview, and landed on...

October 2020 The coronavirus lockdown has provided an opportunity for us to spend more time in our gardens. Weeding is an expected chore, obviously. But, analogous to a virus, some weeds are far more “contagious” than others. I’d caution you to be aware of several annual weeds that are attacking the resilience of our treasured...

I’m a sucker for weddings and have always enjoyed working on the January issue of the magazine. I’m a devoted fan of Say Yes to the Dress and have probably seen each episode at least five times. Interviewing the show’s Randy Fenoli (twice!) was a thrill of a lifetime. In doing research for this year’s...

During my annual trip to the Outer Banks of North Carolina, I discovered my new favorite eatery: Duck Donuts. Who knew the company with the quirky name has a Central Pennsylvania connection? The idea for Duck Donuts began on the shores of the Outer Banks. Russ DiGilio and his family from Cumberland County regularly vacationed...

1 Through August 31 | Music in the Vineyards Nissley Vineyards If you appreciate music and wine, then you will want to attend this musical concert series. Bring a picnic (food vendors will also be on hand), buy some wine and dance the night away. The lineup for July is as follows: July 6: Vinyl...

Take one determined and talented young woman with a master’s degree in business, add a pinch of direct-sales experience, blend in a loving husband and business partner, mix into that the joy of serving an overlooked measure of consumers, and you have all the ingredients that make up Alisha Thomas’ online business, Mrs. Pound Cakes,...

Have you ever visited a beautiful winery and with a delicious sip of wine thought to yourself, “I would love to own a winery.”? I have – many times. My husband and I dream about what grapes we’d grow, who we’d court as investors, what our tasting room would look like and what we’d name...

Make tracks in the snow for a good cause this month by taking part in the Sierra Club–Lancaster Group’s fifth-annual Polar Bear 5K Trail Run/Hike on Sat., Jan. 17 starting at 10 a.m., with registration kicking off at 8:30 a.m. Prizes will be awarded to the overall top three male and female finishers, as well...

I’m pretty sure that Hannibal Lecter wasn’t talking about beef, but all in all, he was on to something with his passion for liver, fava beans and a fine Chianti! Some of the most underrated types of meats are the offals, or organ meats. Granted, organ meats are sort-of icky looking, which may explain why...