Calendar

Gallery Talk: Stories are Made, Loop by Loop with Susan Feller
The gallery talk, lead by Susan Feller, is an opportunity to hear why the exhibit was curated and to learn the personal stories incorporated into each work.
Rug hooking is considered a domestic craft within the fine art field. Contemporary artists break that bias and have been juried into exhibits because of the attention to design elements which evoke emotional reactions. Feller will field questions and reactions from the audience adding to these stories. We expect one or more of the artists to be at the talk also.

The Perkiomen Railroad
George Slater, Vice-president of the Perkiomen Railroad historical Society, will join us to discuss that railroad. While here, check out the model train exhibit Next Stop Pennsburg!
Admission is free thanks to the Friends Local History Program Fund.

Brown Bag: Researching Demographics of the Perkiomen Valley, 1730-1830
Research Associate Emma Hartman discusses her ongoing research to document the lives of free and enslaved African Americans who lived and worked in the Perkiomen Valley during the time around the American Revolution.
Program in-person or via Zoom. Register by emailing info@schwenkfelder.org or calling 215-679-3103. FREE

Fraktur Workshop for Adults with Ruth Williams
Class participants will create floral or bird fraktur paintings based on designs of early works from Pennsylvania. A technique for antiquing the paper as well as basic watercolor skills will be taught. Supplies will be provided; however, participants are free to bring their own tube or palette watercolor paints, a variety of smaller brush sizes, and a fine-tip waterproof black or brown liner marker.

Penn Dry Goods Market
The Penn Dry Goods Market is a textile-focused antiques and vintage show with dealers hailing from Pennsylvania and other locations on the east coast. Our dealers are among the best in antique textiles, offering samplers and other needlework, quilts, coverlets and woven objects, linens, yardage, sewing smalls, sewing tools and equipment, buttons, baskets, and general Americana. Visitors will find treasures from across the country and around the globe at a variety of prices!

Penn Dry Goods Market
The Penn Dry Goods Market is a textile-focused antiques and vintage show with dealers hailing from Pennsylvania and other locations on the east coast. Our dealers are among the best in antique textiles, offering samplers and other needlework, quilts, coverlets and woven objects, linens, yardage, sewing smalls, sewing tools and equipment, buttons, baskets, and general Americana. Visitors will find treasures from across the country and around the globe at a variety of prices!

Make Music Upper Perk
2025 will be the 13th year of the all day, free celebration of music, at over twenty locations throughout the Upper Perkiomen Valley!
Make Music Upper Perk is always free and open to the public
Passport to History Weekend
With the change in seasons, it’s time to visit the Heritage Center! This weekend our 1826 Seipt Family Barn reopens for tours. All tours are free but guided. You can ask when you arrive or arrange a tour time ahead by emailing info@schwenkfelder.org or calling 215-679-3103. Next Stop Pennsburg!, an exhibit of model trains, is in its last weeks on view. Come on Friday, the 21st, and Sunday, the 23rd when model train expert Mark Lehmann will be here to answer your questions. Kid-friendly scavenger hunts and art activities available for both barn and trains. Admission free.

The Fries Rebellion at the Grand Theater
Join us Saturday, March 15 at the Grand Theater for a free showing of The Fries Rebellion. Doors will open at 12:15pm. The film will begin at 1:00pm. Concessions will be available.

Brown Bag: Mountain Mary: Sainted Healer of the Oley Valley
Anna Maria Jung (1744-1819) or Mountain Mary is perhaps the most celebrated woman in the history of the Pennsylvania Dutch, and legends of her life and deeds embody the spirit of the region’s folk culture even two centuries after her death. Patrick Donmoyer, director of the Pennsylvania German Cultural Heritage Center, will share her story.
Program in-person or via Zoom. Register by emailing info@schwenkfelder.org or calling 215-679-3103. FREE
Seasonal Saturdays: Spring has Sprung
Spring has Sprung!: Let’s create flowers using different media & supplies. Bring your creativity!
Program is free of charge, though we ask that you pre-register to ensure enough supplies. Contact Meredith at 215-679-3103 or meredith@schwenkfelder.org.
Fun for all ages. Younger children may need the assistance of their parent or guardian.

Seasonal Saturday - Scherenschnitte & Snowflakes
Scherenschnitte: What it is and how to make it.
Program is free of charge, though we ask that you pre-register to ensure enough supplies. Contact Meredith at 215-679-3103 or meredith@schwenkfelder.org.
Fun for all ages. Younger children may need the assistance of their parent or guardian.

Brown Bag: Washington Stays at Peter Wentz
The 1758 Peter Wentz Farmstead served as headquarters for General George Washington and his military “family” in October of 1777. The Farmstead’s curator Scott Houting will share how staff have increasingly developed their interpretation of this event as new historical documentation has emerged.
Program in-person or via Zoom. Register by emailing info@schwenkfelder.org or calling 215-679-3103. FREE

School of Christ
Why Pray? Hiddens Gems for Devotional Life from Schwenckfeld & Early Schwenkfelders

Annual Grundsau Lodsch fer Yunge
Enjoy your time with representative from our local Groundhog Lodges while celebrating the Pennsylvania German language & traditions by learning dialect phrases as well as sampling crafts, games, and snacks. Help our Grundsau predict the weather forecast for the spring!
Program is free of charge, though we ask that you pre-register to ensure enough supplies. Please contact Meredith at 215-679-3103 or meredith@schwenkfelder.org.
Fun for all ages. Younger children may need the assistance of their parent or grandparent.

Tea & Textiles with Caroline
Our latest installment of Tea & Textiles with Caroline is a series of textile programs via Zoom. This year’s theme is Rock, Paper, Scissors. Register here.

Brown Bag: Researching an Old House
Old house detective Jeff Marshall shows us how to trace the genealogy of an old house. He will explain the process from deed research to how to use secondary stories to build a house’s history.
Program in-person or via Zoom. Register by emailing info@schwenkfelder.org or calling 215-679-3103. FREE

Closed
Museum and library will be closed December 23 - January 7 for holidays and annual cleaning

Closed
Museum and library will be closed December 23 - January 7 for holidays and annual cleaning
Brown Bag: It's a Fabulous Fifties Christmas!
Join Schwenkfelder Library & Heritage Center Curator Candace Perry for a sparkling nostalgic trip to the fun, food, and festivities of the 1950s holiday season.
Program in-person or via Zoom. Register by emailing info@schwenkfelder.org or calling 215-679-3103. FREE
Make & Take crafts - Christmas ornaments
Homemade gifts are the best, right? Join us for a festive time of crafting while listening to holiday tunes.
Program is free of charge, though we ask that you pre-register to ensure enough supplies. Contact Meredith at 215-679-3103 or meredith@schwenkfelder.org.
Fun for all ages. Younger children may need the assistance of their parent or guardian.
Make & Take crafts - Christmas ornaments
Homemade gifts are the best, right? Join us for a festive time of crafting while listening to holiday tunes.
Program is free of charge, though we ask that you pre-register to ensure enough supplies. Contact Meredith at 215-679-3103 or meredith@schwenkfelder.org.
Fun for all ages. Younger children may need the assistance of their parent or guardian.
Workshop for Families: Organ Making Workshop
We are thrilled to host Orgelkids PA again. They first joined us for Make Music Upper Perk to introduce us to pipe organ making. Now they return for a more elaborate program. What is Orgelkids? Orgelkids is a real, portable pipe organ that you build and play. In less than an hour, you assemble almost 200 individual pieces into a beautiful instrument, then make beautiful music.
Brown Bag: Schwenckfeld 101
The Schwenkfeders were named after a lesser-known Protestant reformer who lived in the first half of the 1500s: Caspar Schwenckfeld von Ossig. Who was he? What were some of his basic teachings which the early Schwenkfelders appreciated? Rev. David Luz, Executive Director Emeritus of the Heritage Center, will answer these and many other questions.
Program in-person or via Zoom. Register by emailing info@schwenkfelder.org or calling 215-679-3103. FREE
Bauman’s Apple Butter - Presentation by Harvey Bauman
Program is available in-person or via Zoom. Register by emailing info@schwenkfelder.org or calling 215-679-3103

The Lost Covered Bridges of Montgomery County
At one time, Montgomery County had 36 covered bridges, ranging from Lower Merion to Upper Hanover Township. Today, none remain. Join writer and historian R. Scott Bomboy for an in-depth look at the birth, demolition, and preservation of these lost “Wooden Treasures,” including rare pictures of the long-lost covered bridges that spanned the Schuylkill River and Perkiomen Creek.
Program in-person or via Zoom. Register by emailing info@schwenkfelder.org or calling 215-679-3103. FREE

Quilt Turning with Barbara Garrett - Session 2
Participants will gather around a stack of 25 vintage quilts thoughtfully selected from the Textile Collection of the Schwenkfelder Library & Heritage Center. Pennsylvania quilt historian Barbara Garrett will discuss the quilt’s design, construction, and history….and then “turn” to the next quilt.

Quilt Turning with Barbara Garrett - Session 1
Participants will gather around a stack of 25 vintage quilts thoughtfully selected from the Textile Collection of the Schwenkfelder Library & Heritage Center. Pennsylvania quilt historian Barbara Garrett will discuss the quilt’s design, construction, and history….and then “turn” to the next quilt.

Brown Bag: Two Little Known Mills in the Perkiomen Valley
Historian Bob Wood will discuss two types of mills - oil and clover seed - that are not as well-known as the area grist mills but were still important to the local economy in the 1700 and 1800s.
Program in-person or via Zoom. Register by emailing info@schwenkfelder.org or calling 215-679-3103. FREE
Atlantic Division of the Train Collectors Association Traveling Lionel "O" Gauge Toy Train Layout
The Schwenkfelder Library and Heritage Center is pleased to host the Atlantic Division of the Train Collectors Association traveling Lionel “O” gauge toy train layout. This interactive attraction features operating trains and multiple accessories many designed to be operated by the viewers. So, bring kids of all ages to enjoy the fun of operating toy trains.
Atlantic Division of the Train Collectors Association Traveling Lionel "O" Gauge Toy Train Layout
The Schwenkfelder Library and Heritage Center is pleased to host the Atlantic Division of the Train Collectors Association traveling Lionel “O” gauge toy train layout. This interactive attraction features operating trains and multiple accessories many designed to be operated by the viewers. So, bring kids of all ages to enjoy the fun of operating toy trains.

Apple Basketweaving Workship for Adults
Just in Time for Fall apple picking, Karen Wychock is returning to teach us how to weave a traditional 8” or 10” apple basket. Working over wooden molds, in the methods of the Shakers, the apple basket will be woven of reed.
Registration is required for this workshop. Total cost of $100 per adult, includes Workshop and Material Fees. The registration deadline is September 21. Register here or call 215-679-3103.