The Adams County Arts Council (ACAC) will hold its first Harvest Ball on Friday, October 24, at Liberty Mountain Resort. This signature fundraiser will celebrate the season with food, drink, live and silent auctions, and the Philadelphia Renaissance Orchestra, offering guests a chance to dance the night away. The event is vital to raising funds that allow ACAC to provide high-quality arts education to people throughout Adams County, regardless of income or ability. Tickets are available at www.adamsarts.org, and businesses may purchase ads in the event program through the end of September. We thank all of our sponsors, especially platinum sponsors Battlefield Motorcycles, Enbridge, Hartman & Yanetti, Sharon Magraw, Members 1st Federal Credit Union, Ream Roofing, Scott & Co. Fine Jewelers and Wellspan Health; gold sponsor Adams Electric Cooperative, Inc.; and silver sponsors Gettysburg Neighbors Magazine, Mr. Ed’s Elephant Museum & Candy Emporium, UPMC, Valley Agency Insurance and Klock Entertainment.
The Harvest Ball will honor the work of the Adams County Community Foundation, and we look forward to remarks from the Foundation’s president and CEO, Ralph Serpe, who will accept the honor on the organization’s behalf. Adams County’s biggest day of giving—The Community Foundation’s Annual Giving Spree—follows just two weeks later. ACAC is proud to be Lucky No. 7 on this year’s donor list and welcomes gifts to support our regular programs and to boost our growing mural initiative. The mural program aims to create a “Rural Mural Tour,” with its first large mural planned for the Beyond the Battle Museum and scheduled to be produced and unveiled in 2026 as part of the county’s PA/America 250 celebrations. We’re grateful to a strong steering committee of community stakeholders and to founding donors David and Pauline LeVan, Sharon Magraw, David and Cynthia Salisbury, Monica Oss and Jay Mackie, and David Sites for conceiving and funding this effort.
Plans for the Annual Gingerbread Celebration and Holiday Market (December 5–7) are well underway, thanks to event sponsors Kennie’s Markets, Mr. Ed’s Elephant Museum & Candy Emporium, and RE/MAX of Gettysburg—Suzanne Christianson. Entry forms for gingerbread creations must be submitted by November 26; contest rules and forms are available at the Arts Education Center or on our website. This popular event is a shuttle stop and special feature of Main Street’s Gettysburg Christmas Festival.
We welcome Maggie Gladson as ACAC’s new education programs director. Maggie has already launched a rich slate of fall classes, including technical drawing, dance, acrylics, watercolor, stained glass, weaving, macramé and more. For questions about creating, teaching or attending a class, email Maggie at classes@adamsarts.org. Class listings and online registration are available at www.adamsarts.org.
This fall, we can be thankful for a bounty of arts opportunities.
Photo: The Philadelphia Renaissance Orchestra will return to Adams County for ACAC’s Harvest Ball on October 24 at Liberty Mountain Resort. The orchestra has been a popular attraction at past Jingle Ball events.