博客存档 - Eight & 322/Eight & 27

Find yourself singin' the last few rainy days? No, why not? Visit the Barrow Civic Theatre starting tonight to see why you should

9/25/2025

Franklin's Barrow Civic Theatre's stage will get a little wet over the next two weekends.

No they are not having roof issues, they are ready to present their two months of hard work to bring you their production of Singin' In The Rain.

There are standout performances including the famed flipped couch dance, the street light climb and a voice that will likely stick with you all-night.
There is tongue-twist dialogue at times and extremely expressive faces.

This show looks like it was fun to put together and they are ready to share all the hard work with you all opening tonight and tomorrow night at 7:30 p.m.

There is only one matinee for this show because of Applefest Car show a week from Sunday. The Matinee is this Sunday at 2 p.m.

There is a special Thursday show October 2 at 7:30 p.m. as well as the usual Friday and Saturday shows at 7:30 p.m. October 3 and 4 for those attending Applefest late in the day, staying in town for dinner and catching the show.

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Update: Oil City teen bags 800 pound bull Elk

9/11/2025

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And on the third day... Sammie got her prize.

Oil City ninth-grader Samantha Bartlett, who won a chance at a bow hunt for a bull elk, got one on her third day of hunting.

She had earlier opportunities to bag smaller bulls, but chose patience instead.

It paid off.

Early Monday, just as day was breaking she was able harvest this bull estimated between 750-850 pound, 13-point (7x6) with an estimated green score of 310 inches.

Soon after her proud grandparents shared a couple photos of they smiling 14-year old granddaughter.

Below is the story we did prior to her hunt.

"Do you know how much money you cost me?"

Samantha Bartlett was getting ready to march with her fellow Oiler Marching Band mates in the Oil Heritage Festival when her dad, Noel Bartlett, called her to ask her that question.

The confused 14-year old asked her dad "what now?"

"You just drew an archery bull tag for Elk season," he told her.

"I thought he was messing with me because that just doesn't happen. I mean my grandpa got one, but he'd been hunting for like 50 years. My dad has never gotten one and he's been hunting for like 30 years and I've been hunting for three," Samantha said.

Later that night her dad was doing some research and told her she is the youngest to draw an archery tag and the first girl to draw an archery bull tag.

"I still thought he was messing with me until the next day when he woke me up at like nine o'clock and said 'we're going to buy you a crossbow.' Because I had never archery hunted before. I usually rifle hunt," she said. That's when it set in that it was real.

So for the last two months she has been practicing shooting her new cross bow behind her grandparent's home in Oil City.

She has become quite efficient and appears confident and ready for this weekend where she will head to Bennezette with her very jealous, but proud dad to meet up with an Elk hunting guide to begin looking for the right opportunity.

The season lasts a couple of weeks, but the ninth-grader will be trying her best to use her first weekend wisely to get her Elk.

Chances of getting drawn are small.

Registered hunters get one chance put into the drawing for every year they have hunted. Samantha has hunted deer three years, each year having success. She had three chances of being drawn compared to her dad's over 30.

She is hoping she can take advantage of her fortune getting the opportunity so early in her career. Her granddad, John Bartlett, got drawn in 2017 when he was in his 60s and he said he had been hunting since he was little tagging along with his dad.

Samantha said her plans for the Elk, if she gets it is simple, to "eat it." She remembers having some of her grandad's Elk for Christmas dinner when she was quite young and is hoping to provide family meals with this hunt.

The family said they will also likely get the rack and head mounted though mom, Sandra, admits they really don't have the room for it. She also admitted this is something they will make room for somehow.

"I really like hunting because it is something my whole family does," Samantha said. "I also like that I'm the only girl in my family that goes out. It's like my grandpa, my uncles, my cousins and my dad all go out and I just tag along with them."

Last year she said she was the only one in her immediate family to bag a deer.

Though she has only been shooting the crossbow for six weeks her mom said she has very steady hands and Samantha admits she has gotten pretty accurate already.

"I don't breathe. I'll be there focussing for like 15 seconds and I realize I wasn't breathing that entire time and I'll take a big gasp of air and realize I wasn't breathing or thinking about anything," she said. "I don't know, I have this little box in my mind that when I focus there isn't a single thought I am having."

Her steady hand and her focus are why, when she hits her target in practice her grandfathers face swells with happiness as he compliments her shot.

It's not only about the hunt, but her family are conservationists and she is carrying on that tradition.
"(Hunting) is a a huge tradition throughout Pennsylvania and I like a person that keep it alive and help maintain the forests and the wildlife because hunting is something that kind of has to happen to maintain a healthy ecosystem."

She'll be up bright and early Saturday beginning her quest with her dad by her side knowing this experience is worth every penny.

Exhibition is still on display in the gallery.

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Good day to remind ourselves there is still beauty in this world

9/11/2025

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Not sure if this is a Monarch headed south or one of their cousins that look similar, but it's still beautiful. It's a good day too remind ourselves there is beauty in this world.

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Who needs football when it's marching band season?

9/9/2025

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Last weekend Oil City High School hosted its annual Music in Oil Country marching band showcase featuring 12 high school bands and one college, Westminster, all performing their halftime routines.

Dubbed, 'where it's halftime all night long, these schools joined to help the Oiler Marching Band raise money for its program's needs in providing music education throughout its district. Spanning several counties,schools represented were host Oil City, Franklin, Titusville, CASH, Cambridge Springs, Keystone, Lakeview, Warren, Fort LeBoeuf, Brockway, Mercer and Central Clarion.

Below are more photographs from the event and a story about Titusville's showcase this weekend.

For more Music in Oil Country photos please visit: sayerrich.zenfolio.com/p112986757

And there's more

Titusville will be hosting its own showcase this weekend at Carter Field.

The seconnd annual Colonel Drake Classic, Titusville's own marching band showcase will begin at 7 p.m. tomoorow (Saturdat) night at Carter Field.

Last weekend Titusville took part in the annual Music in Oil Country Marching Band showcase at Oil City High School..They were among 12 high school marching bands and the special guest, the Westminster College band.

Dubbed, 'where it's halftime all night long,' Titusville joined in to help the Oiler Marching Band raise money for its program's needs in providing music education throughout its district.

They are hoping to raise money this week for their program through their $5 admission, concession stand, cany and air grams, raffles t-shirt and sweatshirt sales and a bake sale.

Five other schools will be coming to perform including Oil City returning the favor as well as Cambridge Strings, Conneaut Area, Girard and West Middlesex.

Titusville band director say he relies on over 100 volunteers to pull this night of entertainment off.

"Our inaugural festival last year was a fantastic evening of entertainment that went very smoothly and we are looking forward to welcoming visitors back to our community," he said. "There are a lot of dedicated directors and students making great music in our area and it’s nice to provide a non-competitive venue to showcase their efforts."

Each school will highlight their halftime routines all involving a theme.

The Rockets theme is “LOUD On The Set!”

"It is comprised of songs that seem to be standards on movie director playlists when they’re searching for something to kick the excitement level up in a memorable scene," Vinson described. "This weekend the 52 member ensemble plans to open with Led Zeppelin’s “Immigrant Song”. They will follow that up with The Rolling Stones’ “Paint It Black” and close with AC/DC’s “Thunderstruck”.

Gates open at 6 p.m. Parking is located in the Titusville Middle School parking lot. General admission is $5 (cash only) at the gate.

For more Music in Oil Country photos please visit: sayerrich.zenfolio.com/p112986757

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Applefest: climbing the list of the nation's top arts festivals

9/8/2025

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Applefest, a three day festival in Franklin each October, has been listed as the 29th best arts and crafts festival out of 200 nationwide by Sunshine
Artist,

According to their press release, "vendors have named Applefest, already recognized as the region’s premier arts and craft event, among the most profitable in the country."

This isn't the first time they have made the list, but this was a huge jump this year in the rankings.

“We are honored once again to make the list of the best festivals nationwide." Jodi Lewis,
Franklin Area Chamber of Commerce executive director said. "It is a reflection of
all the hard work of our CORE committee volunteers, a source of pride for our chamber
members, and wouldn’t be possible without the support of our entire community,”

The rankings are split into two
categories – Fine Art and Design for events that focus on unique, fine-art pieces, and Classic and Contemporary Craft for events that focus on traditional or modern craft and production work.

Applefest’s ranking was in the Classic and Contemporary Craft Show category.

The festival also made the list in 2023, when it was ranked 64.

“Every year the chamber and our CORE committee dedicate countless hours to put together a
quality event. We look for ways to improve on past successes, bring in new features and events,
and continue to offer the programs everyone has come to love,” Lewis said. “Moving from 64 to
29 puts a spotlight on that work and how it is paying off for our businesses, visitors and
vendors.”

To determine the 200 Best, artists cast ballots from February through April to nominate their
highest money-making shows from 2024.

As part of the nomination process, Sunshine Artist asks respondents to list the 10 most
profitable art and/or craft shows where they exhibited during the previous year, indicate their
level of gross sales at each event, and note whether they considered themselves fine artists or
craftspeople for each event.

The results were tabulated using a weighted scale based on four sales levels to ensure all
events competed against each other fairly, according to the magazine.

Sunshine Artist’s 200 Best focuses solely on artists’ show revenue, because that is the most objective indicator of a show’s future success. Subjective attributes, such as artist treatment, amenities, attendance
levels, management, and overall quality, can impact sales but are harder to gauge and therefore
have no direct bearing on the rankings.

“As we move into September, we get into the busiest time in the preparations for Applefest, The
Best Three Days of the year," Lewis said. “Come join us October 3, 4 and 5 in downtown
Franklin and see why we were voted one of the best festivals in the entire country.”

Applefest is an annual festival organized by the Franklin Area Chamber of Commerce through
the work of the CORE committee, the best volunteers, and with the financial support of
numerous area businesses.

The festival includes more than 250 craft and food vendors, three days of live entertainment, the area’s largest car show, and other special tours and events.

Findout more online at franklinapplefest.com or by following the festival on Facebook at
@ApplefestFranklinPA.

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PHOTOS: The Pride of Pennsylvania

9/1/2025

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The Franklin High School Black Knight Marching Band has returned to the center of the field in a year they will get center stage in the celebration of our nation's 250th year.

To view more photos please visit: sayerrich.zenfolio.com/p751880555