Renaissance Jamboree on Main Street Saturday

The 36th annual Renaissance Jamboree will be held on Main Street, Bloomsburg, Saturday, April 26.
The event features hundreds of craft vendors from the region and delicious food from stands provided by non-profit organizations in Columbia and Montour counties. Enjoy FREE entertainment, kiddie rides, and games. Free parking with shuttle service will be available from the Bloomsburg Fairgrounds starting at 9:30 am.

Renaissance Jamboree Entertainment Schedule

Courthouse Stage

10 am: Beef—Classic Rock
11 am: BU Jazz Ensemble- Jazz Classics
Noon: Joyous—Classic Motown & Funk
2:30 pm: Chamuris and Brown—Classic Acoustic Rock
3:45 pm: Third Street- Original & Classic Rock

 Iron Street Stage 

10 am: Darren Inman- Acoustic Rock
11 am: NC7—Original & Contemporary Christian Rock
Noon: Darling Run- Modern Rock
1 pm: Clickard Consortium—Straight Ahead Jazz
2 pm: Emily Inman- Alternative Pop
3:00 pm: NC7—Original & Contemporary Christian Rock
4:00 pm: Fricknadorable- Americana, Roots, Novelty

 Market Square 

10:30 am: Flippenout Extreme Aerial Trampoline Team
11:15 am: The Friendship Squares
Noon: Flippenout Extreme Aerial Trampoline Team
12:30 pm Crosswinds Martial Arts
1:15 pm: YMCA Zumba
2:00 pm: Flippenout Extreme Aerial Trampoline Team
2:30 pm: Covered Bridge Cloggers
3:15 pm: Karen Gronsky School of Dance Dancers
4 pm: Flippenout Extreme Aerial Trampoline Team

 Jefferson Street Children’s Show Area 

10:30am: The Magic of Brent Kessler
11:15 am: Elmo Show Noon: Juggler Rob Smith
12:45 pm: Sully Show 1:30 pm: The Magic of Brent Kessler
2:15 pm: Elmo Show
3 pm: Juggler Rob Smith
3:45 pm: Sully Show 

Strolling performances by Rob Smith, Elmo, Sully, and Leo Schott on Bagpipes.

BTE will be performing their Theatre in the Classroom show (The Amazing Mr. Franklin or Ben There, Done That) at 2 pm in Phillips Emporium. The show is free.

 Pony Party Paradise will be offering pony rides for a nominal charge on Market Street north of the Fountain. Backyard Bouncin’ will be offering 3 inflatables for a nominal charge at Main & West streets.

 Renaissance Jamboree is co-sponsored by: Columbia Montour Chamber of Commerce, Bloomsburg University, Town of Bloomsburg, and Downtown Bloomsburg, Inc.

Kid's stuff: Magic time

Moreland the Magician will give two performances on Saturday, March 23. A special "free preview" performance at the Columbia County Bicentennial Celebration at the Arts & Crafts Building on the Bloomsburg Fairgrounds at noon, and a full "pay what you wish" performance at 6 pm at the Alvina Krause Theatre, 226 Center Street, Downtown Bloomsburg.

Called "extremely entertaining" and "a laughing good time" the "March Magic" show features audience participation, classic and original tricks, and is appropriate for all ages. Tickets for the general admission show are pay what you wish, meaning patrons will be asked for any donation in exchange for admission. Moreland the Magician is donating his performance to BTE, and all proceeds will benefit Bloomsburg Theatre Ensemble.

Miscellanea: Kids, soup and a movie

BU’s SOLVE Volunteer Office will host the annual Kids Fun Carnival from 1 to 3 p.m. on Sunday, March 3, in the Nelson Field House. BU student organizations will offer games, crafts and activities free of charge for local children.

The movie Amistad will be shown Wednesday, March 6, at 6:15 pm in Hartline Science Center, room G42. The film is based on an 1839 incident involving a group of slaves who took over their ship, the Amistad. The film screening, sponsored by the Frederick Douglass Institute and the American Democracy Project, is open to the public free of charge as part of BU's Constitutional Freedoms Film Series.

The Empty Bowls Banquet to benefit the Bloomsburg Food Cupboard will be held Sunday, March 10, from 11 am to 1:30 pm in Kehr Union, Ballroom. The minimum donation for unlimited soup is $10 for adults, $5 for students age 5 and older and free for children under 5. For information, contact BU’s SOLVE volunteer office, (570) 389-4788 or stvolser@bloomu.edu. 

Kidsburg is coming back

Great news.

After more than a year without our downtown playground, plans for the new Kidsburg will be unveiled tonight (Feb. 19) at 7 pm at the Bloomsburg High School caffeteria.

Outdoor arts and entertainment Aug. 4

The Bloomsburg ArtFest will be held Saturday, Aug. 4, from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Center Street between Main and Third.

In addition to displays by artists, there will be live music and food. That Saturday will also be free movie night starting at 7 pm at the Courthouse Plaza.

Family fun at the mall

Completely unpretentious, but a really nice service. The Columbia Mall in nearby Buckhorn hosts a series of lighthearted children's shows through the summer in the BonTon Court. Here's what's planned:

Tuesday, June 26, 11 a.m.: John Cassidy, magic, comedy and balloons.

Tuesday, July 10, 11 a.m.: Sadecky's Puppets.

Tuesday, July 17, 11 a.m.: The Turtlesinger Show.

Tuesday, July 24, 11 a.m.: Pat Davidson, magic show.

Tuesday, July 31, 11 a.m.: Eric Dasher, game show.

Tuesday, Aug. 7, 11 a.m.: Tucker's Tales Puppet Theatre.

Breakfast and bowling at the Moose

The Moose Exchange is open and running.

A homemade (by artists), and homegrown (by farmers), breakfast will be served at the Exchange, Saturday Jan. 14, from 9 to noon.

The Moose's bowling lanes will be open Monday, Jan. 16, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. A fiver (per person) gets you balls, shoes and all the lane time you want. There will be pizza for sale too.

The witch is in: Get ready for Halloween

Downtown Bloomsburg shop windows have been painted in anticipation of Halloween.

Downtown Bloomsburg, the YMCA and the Moose Exchange invite trick or treaters through age 12 to show off their costumes at participating businesses on Main Street Friday, Oct. 28 from 5:30 to 8 p.m. Collect five stickers on a Costume Contest Ticket that night and head to the Exchange from 7 to 8 p.m. for a costume contest. Tickets are available at the Exchange, participating businesses and in a printable pdf at the Moose Exchange web site.

Trick or treating throughout Bloomsburg will be Monday, Oct. 31, from 6 to 9 p.m.

The Columbia Mall in Buckhorn will have a Trick or Treat Parade on Wednesday, Oct. 26, at 6:30 p.m.

A free fair for children this weekend

The Bloomsburg Fair was cancelled this year because of flooding that devastated the region. But there will be a mini fair this coming weekend, Oct. 14 to 16, at the fairgrounds on the west side of town.

4-H children will show their animals and food vendors will be on-site to satisfy appetites. Admission is free.

The schedule:

Friday, Oct. 14: 6 p.m. Sheep Show / Market Lamb Show

Saturday, Oct. 15
8 a.m. Market Hog Show
12:30 p.m. Market Goat Show
6 p.m. 4-H Beef and Steer Show

Sunday, Oct. 16
8:30 a.m. Supreme Showmanship Contest
2 p.m. Market Animal Show 

Celebrate with a Parade Saturday

Bloomsburg will host its annual homecoming parade for the high school and university on Saturday, Oct. 8. Marching begins at 11 a.m. on the Hospital parking lot on Lightstreet, moves through town and ends at Town Park. Both the university and area school district will have floats with the theme "Rock 'n' Roll Legends." Children should be sure to bring a bag to collect candy. Grand marshalls are Ed and Nancy Edwards.

The plays the thing, for the kids on break

The Bloomsburg Theatre Ensemble (BTE) is offering it's Summer Theatre School for children. Their are various sessions through the summer, some begin July 1, for children as young as kindergarten-aged to young adult. Here's the details.

Kid stuff at the mall this summer

Not in the least high brow, but the Columbia Mall in nearby Buckhorn hosts a series of lighthearted children's shows through the summer. Here's what's planned:

Tuesday, June 28, 11 a.m.: Professor Fun Foolery does magic, comedy and juggling.

Tuesday, July 12, 11 a.m.: Lee Germain and Judi do magic.

Tuesday, July 19, 11 a.m.: Rock 'n Roll Pet Store Kids Show ... illusions, live music and puppetry.

Tuesday, July 26, 11 a.m.: John Cassidy does comedy, magic and weird things with balloons.

Tuesday, Aug. 2, 11 a.m.: Candy and Cupcake play songs, tell stories and perform with puppets.

Tuesday, Aug. 9, 11 a.m.: Eric Dasher does a magic show.

Kid stuff

There's a children's carnival planned in connection with BU's alumni weekend, which runs Friday through Sunday, April 1 to 3.

The “Magical Kingdom” Carnival is Saturday, April 2, 1 to 4 p.m., in BU's Kehr Union Ballroom. and will feature games and activities organized by student organizations.

Details from BU