The Meetinghouse to Host New Arts Festival Weekend Event

A newly formed collaboration of artists will host a special local food and arts festival coinciding with the weekend of the Central Pennsylvania Festival of the Arts.

The Meetinghouse Artists Collaborative is holding the event from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Friday, July 14, and Saturday, July 15, at The Meetinghouse on Atherton, 318 S. Atherton St. as a way ‘to view and buy affordable art, as well as locally sourced and prepared foods,’ according to a news release.

Admission will be free and about 10 artists and local food vendors are expected to participate in The Meetinghouse Local Food & Art Festival. A portion of the proceeds from vendor fees and food sales will benefit the nonprofit Taproot Kitchen, a community of young adults with autism and intellectual disabilities who meet regularly to cook together as a way of building relationships and skills.

The event is being organized by Taproot Kitchen co-founder Sharon Schafer, who owns The Meetinghouse on Atherton, and local artist Melanie Rosenberger.

During the festival, Taproot Kitchen will offer a menu of locally-sourced lunch items and Clan Stewart Farms will serve local breakfast and lunch items.

“We love to see The Meetinghouse used as a gathering place for artists and local food enthusiasts,” Schafer said. “We hope this show will bring people together in a relaxed setting and raise awareness of the work of our local artists, as well as the work of Taproot Kitchen.”

Schafer and Rosenberger organized their first art show and winter fair at The Meetinghouse in December.

“It is gratifying to see this community collaboration in such a wonderful space,” Rosenberger said. “As a home for small organizations, The Meetinghouse welcomes the larger community into this downtown oasis and offers a relaxing place to gather for a great cause.”