This blog is now located at http://lansdaledaytrippin.blogspot.com/.
You will be automatically redirected in 30 seconds, or you may click here.

For feed subscribers, please update your feed subscriptions to
http://lansdaledaytrippin.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default.

Hot chocolate indeed

“Hot Chocolate — A Chocolate Frenzy!” happens 6 to 9:30 tonight at the Adventure Aquarium, 1 Aquarium Drive, Camden, N.J. The event features chocolate tasting, chocolate martini bar, chocolate fountain and hot chocolate. The event benefits the ALS Association of Greater Philadelphia. Tickets are $75, $150 with the VIP reception. Visit www.alsphiladelphia.org.

Pennsylvania’s birthday

Some of the institutions offering free admission and special activities on Sunday in honor of Charter Day, the anniversary of the land charter given to William Penn, are Pennsbury Manor, 400 Pennsbury Memorial Road, Morrisville; the Daniel Boone Homestead, 400 Daniel Boone Road, north of Route 422, near Baumstown; and the State Museum of Pennsylvania, 300 North St., Harrisburg. Get more information at www.phmc.state.pa.us and click on “Historic Sites and Museums.”

Classical concerts

- Philadelphia-Montgomery Christian Academy hosts pianist John Silva for a concert at 7 tonight in the Hamel Auditorium, 35 Hillcrest Ave., Erdenheim. An offering will be taken to support student financial aid.

- The Allentown Symphony presents a program with music by Sibelius, Mendelssohn and Wittry at 8 p.m. Saturday and 3 p.m. Sunday at Allentown Symphony Hall, 23 N. Sixth St., Allentown. Call (610) 432-6715.

Not the movie

Armed with a lawn chair, a weather balloon, a BB gun and a beer, Walter Griffin strapped in and took the ride of his life. Now, with an angst-ridden teenage son, an unfulfilled wife, and no income, Walter is determined to once again escape the ordinary. Bristol Riverside Theatre, 120 Radcliffe St., Bristol, presents “Up” March 16-April 4. Show times vary. For ticket information, call (215) 785-0100 or visit www.brtstage.org.

Getting married?

The Lehigh Valley Bridal Show runs 11 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at the Stabler Arena, 124 Goodman Drive, Bethlehem. Admission is free. Visit www.lvbridalshow.com.

First of the season?

Something called the Super Gigantic Garage Sale is being held 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday at the Agri-Plex at the Allentown Fairgrounds, 302 N. 17 th St., Allentown. For more information, call D & L Concessions at (610) 432-8425.

Slate of shows

The State Theatre, 453 Northampton St., Easton, hosts the music group Celtic Crossroads at 7:30 p.m. Friday. Tickets are $20 and $25. Ted Neeley stars in “Jesus Christ Superstar” at 3 and 8 p.m. Saturday. Tickets are $50 and $55. Michael Bolton appears, without the mullet, at 8 p.m. March 15. Tickets are $52 and $57. And making a run in the Acopian Ballroom, it’s “Late Nite Catechism 3: ‘Til Death Do Us Part” at 7:30 p.m. March 16-19, and 2 and 6 p.m. March 20-21. Tickets are $33 and $38. Call (800) 999-STATE or visit www.statetheatre.org.

Rumbling rhythm

“TAO: The Martial Art of Drumming” demonstrates the power of the athletic Japanese taiko style at 7 p.m. Sunday at the Zoellner Arts Center, 420 E. Packer Ave., Bethlehem. Tickets are $30 and $36. Call (610) 758-2787.

Domestic crude

Long before Saudi Middle East oil rose to power, Pennsylvania was where oil was happening. The exhibit “Oil: Celebrating the Story — Progress from Petroleum” is at the Lehigh Valley Heritage Museum, 432 W. Walnut St., Allentown, Saturday through May 9. For opening day Saturday, there will be special hands-on activities, plus free hot dogs and soda for children. Hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays, noon to 4 p.m. Sundays. Admission is $6, $3 for children. Call (610) 435-1074.

‘Universal’ entertainment

“Live from the Edge” is at the Touchstone Theatre, 321 E. Fourth St., Bethlehem. The theater, in partnership with Sandglass Theater of Putney, Vt., and HartBeat Theatre of Hartford, Conn., presents a visiting guest artist. Each artist travels to the three theaters on an East Coast tour, performing their work and immersing themselves in the communities they visit. This year’s visiting guest ensemble is Universes, a company that grew out of a band of New York poets who got bored with traditional poetry readings and chose instead to work as an ensemble, blending poetry, song and movement. Show time is 8 p.m. Saturday and Monday, 2 p.m. Sunday at 2. Tickets are $25, $15 for students and seniors. Call (610) 867-1689.

Oz saga

Repertory Dance Theatre presents “Dorothy’s Adventures in Oz” at 1 and 7 p.m. Saturday at the Scottish Rite Cathedral, 16th and Hamilton streets, Allentown. Tickets range from $12-$20. Call (610) 965-6216.

As winter loses its grip on Pennsylvania, warm days (40 degrees and above) followed by cold nights (30 degrees and cooler) signal the beginning of maple syrup season. When spring conditions are right, sap in sugar maples begins to flow and sugars made with last summer's sun move from their storage sites in the tree's stem. Mid-February to early March normally heralds the arrival of the "right" conditions and the season runs until, hopefully, early April.


Maple sugar products are truly North American.
Native Americans were the first people to make maple sugar. We speculate they used hot stones and bark vessels to "boil" sap to concentrate the sugars. Early European likely appreciated this source of sugar, and, with the advantage of iron pots, they soon developed this seasonal industry and converted sap into sugar cakes or blocks, which were easier to store. Until tropical sugar sources became easily accessible, maple sugar was the ruling sweetener. As imported sugar became increasingly available, the maple industry switched to syrup production. Today, the maple industry produces a wide-range of quality products; however, syrup is the most common, best known and considered by many the ultimate natural product.


Many woodlot owners today look forward to the maple season as an important part of their family heritage. For some, it is a major cash crop.
Among the state’s diverse farm products it is unique, as it is produced, processed, and often sold entirely on the farm.

Quebec Province leads North America in maple syrup production. Vermont has successfully built an association with maple products; however, Pennsylvania is a major producer, generally ranking sixth or seventh in the United States. In 2009, Pennsylvania ranked seventh. Other maple states include Connecticut, New York , New Hampshire , Massachusetts , Ohio , Wisconsin , Maine , Michigan , Minnesota , West Virginia , Indiana , Iowa and Virginia .

Sugar maple is the species of choice for tapping to make maple sugar. Other maples such as black and red also yield sweet sap, but on average not as sweet as that flowing from sugar maple. Tapping done properly generally does little harm to the tree. Trees 10 to 18 inches in diameter (at 4 1/2 feet above the ground) receive one tap. Trees larger than 18 inches can have two. Tap holes are made by boring a 5/16 inch diameter hole at a slight upward angle into the tree to a depth of 1 1/2 to 2 inches. A hollow spout or spile is then gently tapped into the hole to fit snugly. Commercial maple producers collect sap in stainless steel buckets or weave a web of plastic tubing to connect trees and move sap to a common collection point. Small producers, working with only a few trees, can collect sap in clean plastic jugs (e.g., milk cartons) suspended from the spile.

Eventually sap is brought to the sugarhouse where an evaporator concentrates the sugar and turns the sap into the amber-colored syrup.
After filtering to remove "sugar sand," mineral substances in sap concentrated in the boiling process, producers grade their product.

Syrup grades depend on color (i.e., light, medium or dark amber) and flavor. Syrup by law has at least 66 percent sugar solids. The volume of sap needed to make a gallon of syrup varies with the concentration of sugar in the sap. Sap sugar content of sap varies from tree to tree, from less than 1 percent to rarely 10 percent. Normally, it is about 1.5 to 3 percent. Approximately 43 gallons of sap with a 2 percent sugar content yield one gallon of syrup.

Learn more about the maple syrup process by visiting a producer during the maple season. Look for steam rising from sugarhouses across the maple regions. Also consider visiting one of the state's many maple festivals to learn more about this sweet industry. The Endless Mountains Maple Syrup weekend is March 20 and 21 from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. The Northwest Maple Association hosts a maple weekend March 20 and 21 from 10:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. The Potter-Tioga Maple Association Maple Syrup weekend is March 27 and 28 from 10:00 a.m. – 4 p.m. The Northeast Maple Association, Penn State Cooperative Extension and Wayne County Conservation District are sponsoring a maple tour on March 20 and 21. During these weekends sugar makers open their operations and are available to answer your questions.

To find sugar makers participating in the Maple Weekends, visit these websites: Potter –Tioga at http://www.pamaple.com , Northwest at http://www.pamaple.org , and Endless Mountains, visit http://bradford.extension.psu.edu/NResources/mapletour10.pdf for the event brochure. For the Northeast Tour contact Ed Pruss at Wayne Co. Cooperative Extension at (570) 253-5970 ext. 4110 or call Paul Reining at (570) 253-0930.

The Somerset Maple Association also invites you to their annual Pennsylvania Maple Festival March 20-21 and March 24-28 in Meyersdale, PA. For more information go to www.pamaplefestival.com .

If you would like additional information on making maple syrup, visit the Pennsylvania Maple Syrup website at: http://maplesyrup.cas.psu.edu .

Weekend fun around the region

Feline friends

The 11th annual International Allbreed & Household Pet Cat Show is held 2 to 9 p.m. Friday, 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday and 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday at Riveredge, 2017 Bernville Road, Reading. More than 200 cats from 50 breeds will compete for regional and international awards. Cat owners are invited to bring a photo of their favorite cat for judging in the Spectator Feline Photo Ring. Admission is $6, $5 for children 6-12 and seniors over 60. A $1 discount is offered with the donation of a can of catfood to be given to an area shelter. Call (610) 376-6711 or visit www.riveredgedining.com.

After the thaw

The Atlantic City International Power Boat Show is under way through Sunday at the Atlantic City Convention Center, 1 Convention Blvd., Atlantic City, N.J. Hours are 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. today and Friday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. Admission is $12, free to youth 15 and younger. Call (212) 984-7000 or visit www.acboatshow.com.



Making music

- Pianist and J.S. Bach specialist Angela Hewitt joins the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra in concert at 8 p.m. Friday at the Williams Center at Lafayette College, Hamilton and High streets, Easton. Tickets are $29. Call (610) 330-5009.

- "Who's Bad — The Ultimate Michael Jackson Tribute Band" is featured at 8 p.m. Friday at the American Music Theatre, 2425 Lincoln Highway East, Lancaster. Tickets are $28. Call (800) 648-4102 or visit www.amtshows.com.

All-out tribute

Ririe-Woodbury Dance Company presents an all-Alwin Nikolais evening of contemporary dance and multimedia theater at 8 p.m. Saturday at the Zoellner Arts Center, 420 E. Packer Ave., Bethlehem. Tickets are $25. Call (610) 758-2787.

Merrymaking

The SnowBlast Winter Festival is held Friday and Saturday in the Borough of Emmaus at various locations. Recreation and entertainment events from 5 to 9 p.m. Friday and 11 a.m. to 11:30 p.m. Saturday include ice sculpture, the SnowBlast Blizzard Ball, the Frostbite Fun Run, live music and more. Call (484) 201-0026 or e-mail info@snowblastwinterfestival.org.

'Green House' effect

The Allentown Art Museum, 31 N. Fifth St., Allentown offers "The Green House: New Directions in Sustainable Architecture and Design" in the Kress Gallery Sunday through May 30.

Organized by the National Building Museum in Washington D.C., the exhibit explores new trends in green technology, materials and design while answering questions such as: What makes a house green? Is a green house healthier, safer and more comfortable? And is it esthetically appealing?

An opening party is scheduled for 6 to 8 p.m. Feb. 11. RSVP to (610) 432-4333, ext. 29. Admission for this exhibit is $7 in addition to the regular admission of $6 for adults, $4 for seniors 60+ and students, $3 for children 6-12, and free to children under 6 and to all on Sundays. Hours are 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Wednesdays through Saturdays, noon to 5 p.m. Sundays. Visit www.allentownartmuseum.org.

Lunar new year

Celebrate the Year of the Tiger noon to 4 p.m. Saturday at the Garden State Discovery Museum, 2040 Springdale Road, Cherry Hill, N.J. Admission is $9.95 for ages 1 and up, $8.95 for seniors. Learn more at (856) 424-1233 or www.discoverymuseum.com.

Hot tickets

- Shinedown, Puddle of Mudd and Skillet are in concert at 7:30 tonight at the Stabler Arena, 124 Goodman Drive, Bethlehem. Tickets are $37.50. Call (610) 758-6611.

- The Sovereign Center, 700 Penn St., Reading, hosts Winter Jam 2010 with headliners Third Day and Newsboys at 7 tonight. Tickets are $10. Martina McBride and Trace Adkins are featured at 7:30 p.m. Friday. Tickets are $49.75 and $59.75. Call (800) 745-3000.

- The British Invasion not only plays the songs of The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The Kinks, The Who, etc., but also the groups considered the "American Response to the British Invasion" that were around during 1965-69. The concert at 8 p.m. Saturday at the Colonial Theatre, 227 Bridge St., Phoenixville, concludes with a performance of side two of "Abbey Road." Tickets are $20, $24 at the door available. Call (610) 917-1228.

Blue heaven

Blue Mountain Ski Resort, 1660 Blue Mountain Drive, near Danielsville, hosts its the Blue Winter Festival on Saturday and Sunday. Highlights include dog sledding, ice carving, snow sports vendors, musical entertainment, and snow sports demonstrations. Get more information at (877) 754-2583.

Tasty week

- Bethlehem Restaurant Week is Sunday through Feb. 6. Get a multi-course lunch and dinner for one fixed price at participating restaurants. Contacting the restaurant directly with reservations is recommended. Parking will be free courtesy of the Bethlehem Parking Authority. Get the complete list of restaurants at www.bethlehemrestaurantweek.com.

- Souper Bowl 2010 means a variety of soups from area eateries from 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday at the Banana Factory, 25 W. Third St., Bethlehem. Tickets are $20 in advance, $25 at the door, free to children 8 and under. Call (610) 332-1300 or visit www.artsquest.org.

Kids in mind

Winter Weekends for Families are at the Brandywine River Museum, Saturday through Feb. 28. Receive a free family guide and a museum discovery game sheet. Enjoy an interactive museum journey using the audio tours (rent one for $3, get a second one free) designed for children 6-12. The museum is on Route 1, Chadds Ford. Hours are 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. and admission is $10, $6 for seniors 65+, students and children 6-12. Call (610) 388-2700.

Buster being Buster

At 2 p.m. Sunday, the Theatre Organ Society of the Delaware Valley presents "Steamboat Bill Jr.," starring Buster Keaton, at the Colonial Theatre in Phoenixville. Featuring Wayne Zimmerman on the Rodgers Trio Deluxe Theatre Organ, this event is a fund raiser for the TOSDV Organ Restoration projects. Tickets are $10, $5 for children under 12. Call (215) 780-0831 or visit www.tosdv.org.

Writer-inspired

From 6:30 to 10:30 p.m. Saturday, the Black Bass Hotel, 3774 River Road (Route 32), Lumberville, will host "Burns Night," celebrating the life and poetry of Scottish poet Robert Burns. The evening will begin with the "entrance of the haggis," a Scottish meat dish that Burns wrote about in "Address to the Haggis," followed by bagpipe music. After a wine reception, the communal table will be filled with neeps (turnips) and tatties (potatoes), smoked salmon and roast beef and pudding, as well as raspberry crannichan and cheese and biscuits for dessert. Along with wine, whiskey and port will also be served. Tickets are $100, and Highland dress is optional. Call (215) 297-9260.

January = Judaism

A family-friendly afternoon of music, Israeli dancing, Judaic craft projects, parenting workshops, study sessions and kosher snacks is set for 1:30 to 4:45 p.m. Sunday at Congregation Shir Ami, 101 Richboro Road, Newtown. The Jewish Federation of Greater Philadelphia's Kehillah of Bucks County is the sponsor of this inaugural event, which will feature a concert by "Silly Joe" Consiglio. Cost is $10, or a maximum of $18 per family. Call Shelley at (215) 579-9300 or e-mail rrappaport@jfgp.org.

February = chocolate

Chocolate Covered February in Hershey features events for all ages, all month long. New this year is "The Great Hershey Quest," in which guests try to visit as many spots in town on their passports as possible to

enter to win "The Ultimate Chocolate Getaway." Other highlights include the Chocolate Dinner Extraordinaire at the Hotel Hershey and special packages at the Hershey Lodge. The complete schedule can be found at www.hersheypa.com.

Before Chocolate Covered February begins, however, ZooAmerica, near Hersheypark, offers a free Community Weekend 10 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. There will be animal encounters and animal art demonstrations. Call (717) 534-3900.

B-boy style

The Williams Center at Lafayette College, Hamilton and High streets, Easton, presents the hip-hop dance troupe Rennie Harris Puremovement at 8 p.m. Feb. 3. Tickets are $22. Call (610) 330-5009.

How many candles?

Sesame Place, 100 Sesame Road, Langhorne, throws a birthday party for Ernie at noon Saturday. The Dine with Me event includes lunch buffet, desserts, character appearances and party favors. Cost is $17 for adults, $14 for children 2-11. Call (866) GO-4-ELMO for reservations.

Next big composer?

The Bach Choir of Bethlehem presents the Family Concert "Young Composers Then and Now," with works written by Mozart and Bach when they were younger than 25. Then new choral works by regional young composers will be performed. It starts at 3 p.m. Sunday at the Zoellner Arts Center, 420 E. Packer Ave., Bethlehem. Tickets are $17, $6 for students up to age 22. Call (888) 743-3100 or visit www.bach.org.

Affirmative action

Outsider Folk Art and African American Coalition of Reading galleries will collaborate on an art show in honor of Black History Month called "Believe, Achieve, Succeed." The show comprises contemporary mixed media works of more than 100 local, regional and national artists to be displayed Feb. 1-March 26 on the first floor of the Exide Building, 645 Penn St., Reading. Hours are 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. weekdays, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturdays and Sundays. Call (610) 939-1737 or (610) 898-7684.

Museum lovers and day trippers here are a couple places for you to check out.

One hour away is the Delaware Art Museum, 2301 Kentmere Parkway, right there in Wilmington. It’s a very enjoyable one-day visit. Its collection includes “Howard Pyle & American Illustration,” “American Art, 19th Century-Present” and “British Pre-Raphaelites” with special exhibit throughout the year. Check them at http://www.delart.org or call at (302) 571-9590 or (866) 232-3714. Hours are 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Wednesday to Saturday and noon to 4 p.m. Sunday. It is closed Mondays and Tuesdays.
On a nice day visitors can also enjoy the Copeland Sculpture Garden. Tours of the collection and special exhibits are held on weekends.
If you are spending the day, you can grab a snack at delART Café were light fare is available for purchase.
Admission to the museum is: $12 for adults; $10 for seniors (60 and over); $6 for students with valid ID: $6 for youths 7-18; free for children under 6. And, $25 for families (up to 2 adults and 4 youth.


The Murtogh D. Guinness (yes, from the Guiness brewing company family) collection of historic mechanical musical instruments and automata programmed media, ranging from player piano rolls to pinned cylinders is THE highlight at the Morris Museum in Mooristown, N.J. Not everything is on view, however, this exhibit is a delight. And demonstrations are offered at 2 p.m. Wednesday to Sundays. The museum is at 6 Normandy Heights Road, Morristown, N.J. Check them at http://www.morrismuseum.org or call (973) 971-3700. Pack a lunch for this trip. The museum is about 1 hour and 40 minutes away from Lansdale. There is an admission fee of $10 for adults; $7 for children; $7 for seniors; free for children under 3.

What to do this weekend:

Music town

"Black, Blue & True: To the Tune of Inspiration" is a photographic look at some of Cape May, N.J.'s influential African-American musicians, and the jazz and blues artists who influenced them. It opens Saturday in the Carriage House Gallery of the Emlen Physick Estate, 1048 Washington St., Cape May. The gallery will be open weekends through March 26, then daily through April 18; hours vary. An opening reception will be held at 4 p.m. Jan. 18 and a panel discussion with some of the musicians featured in the exhibit is set for 4 p.m. Feb. 21. Admission is $2, $1 for children 3-12, or free with any Physick Estate tour. Call (800) 275-4278 or visit www.capemaymac.org.

Game of science

Opening Saturday at the Whitaker Science Center, 222 Market St., Harrisburg, are the exhibits "Carnival of Health" and "Tech City." "Carnival of Health" is a 2,200-square-foot permanent exhibit that promotes health and wellness in a carnival-like atmosphere. Shoot hoops while learning about nutrition in a special version of Pop-a-Shot called "Feed Gorgo." There's also a variation of Whac-a-Mole that promotes hygiene, where you whack germs instead of moles. There's a 16-foot climbing wall, a "React-o-Meter," "See Your Future," and more. On display through March 7, "Tech City" lets kids become engineering experts with 12 activity stations to invent, design, create, build and test if your creations actually work. Hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Thursdays through Saturdays, 11:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sundays, 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays through Wednesdays. Admission is $13.75, $11.75 for children 3-12, students and seniors 55+. Call (717) 214-ARTS or visit www.whitakercenter.org.

State spotlight

The State Theatre, 453 Northampton St., Easton, presents the musical "Hairspray" at 8 tonight. Tickets are $50 and $55. Comedy "queen of mean" Lisa Lampanelli takes the stage at 8 p.m. Friday. This show is for mature audiences. Tickets are $36.75. The annual Elvis Birthday Bash concert features Scot Bruce as the young heartbreaker and Mike Albert as the seasoned Vegas-style Elvis at 7:30 p.m. Saturday. Tickets are $36 and $41. Call (800) 999-STATE or visit www.statetheater.org.

Automania in Allentown

Automania returns to the Agri-Plex at the Allentown Fairgrounds, 302 N. 17th St., Allentown. Hours are noon to 9 p.m. Friday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday and 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday. Get more information at (717) 215-0700.

Wine, cheese, chocolate

Chaddsford Winery, 632 Baltimore Pike, Chadds Ford, pairs regional cheeses with their wines at tasting events Saturday, Jan. 23 and 30. Then the winery showcases wine and chocolate pairings every Saturday and Sunday in February. Both of these events will be conducted as sit-down tastings by the winery's staff of wine educators. Cheeses featured for the January pairings will include: Birchrunville Blue and Calkins Creamery camembert-like Noble, plus a colby from Conebella Farm and a goats' milk cheese from Shellbark Hollow. Pairing events will be held at 2 and 4 p.m. Admission is $20 per person and reservations are required. Chocolates for the February tastings will be sourced from é'clat Chocolates in West Chester, and will be held every Saturday and Sunday of the month at 1, 2:30 and 4 p.m. Admission is $25 per person and reservations are required. Call (610) 388-6221.

Quartet concert

The Tri-State Jazz Society presents Ed Wise and his New Orleans Jazz Band "Lite" performing the music of Sidney Bechet's Big 4 and Django Reinhardt's American Quartet. The concert is 2 to 5:30 p.m. Sunday at the Brooklawn, N.J. American Legion Post, 11 Railroad Ave., Brooklawn. Admission is $20, $10 for students. Call (610) 268-5930, e-mail info@tristatejazz.org or visit www.tristatejazz.org.

Toon academia

Pittsburgh's new cartoon museum, the ToonSeum, offers a January lecture series with art

ists and authors. Editorial cartoonist Rob Rogers kicks off the series at 5:30 p.m. Saturday. Rogers' cartoons appear regularly in three major metropolitan newspapers, Newsweek and USA Today. His new book is called "No Cartoon Left Behind." On Jan. 23, author Nevin Martell talks about his quest to get the story behind the reclusive and mercurial creator of "Calvin and Hobbes," Bill Watterson. The ToonSeum is at 945 Liberty Ave., Pittsburgh. Admission is $4, $3 for students. Call (412) 232-0199 or visit www.toonseum.org.

Save the date

Jan. 21 at Allentown Symphony Hall, 23 N. Sixth St., Allentown, the flute and piccolo are highlighted in a Musical Treasure Chest program for families and children at 9:30 and 11 a.m. Tickets are $6. This concert is in the Rodale Community Room. On the mainstage at 7 p.m., it's Mandragora Tango, a collective of tango musicians from Minneapolis dedicated to preserving the musical forms of tango and translating them for today's listeners and dancers. Tickets are $20. Call (610) 432-6715 or visit www.allentownsymphony.org.