“Bluegrass State of Mind,” “Hard in the Mines” and “Rocky Mountain Moonshine” were just a few of the tunes an appreciative audience of over 130 children and adults were able to enjoy at Hickory Project’s recent free concert at the Dietrich Theater.

What a gift they gave to our community.

They are a phenomenal group and have played at venues including MusikFest, the La Roche Bluegrass Festival in France, Philly Folk Fest and the Melbourne Folk Festival in Australia, so we are especially honored when they perform at the Dietrich. They are also the host band for the Cornstock Folk Festival, which was held at Tunkhannock’s Lazybrook Park this past weekend.

One of my favorite parts of Hickory Project’s show at the Dietrich is when mandolin player Anthony Hannigan and his wife and fellow band mate Jillian Hannigan invited their three children on stage in between sets and performed a song as a family. It was precious. We would like to thank Hickory Project for playing at the Dietrich again this year and hope to have them back again next summer.

If you are looking for fun and educational programming for your children to experience this month, we invite you to look into our workshops and classes. There is something for all interests. From 10:30 a.m. to 12 p.m. on the fourth Saturday of the month, Sept. 26, Rand Whipple and his staff from the Box of Light Studios will be back for another day filled with technology and creativity. Children ages 7 to 14 years old will be able to experience LEGO Filmmaking. During this workshop, participants will learn how to make stop-action LEGO animation movies from making their characters’ movements smooth to making sound effects pop.

There will also be two Minecraft Events offered that day with Whipple and staff from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. and 1 to 3 p.m. In this series, computers will be networked together so you can play with your friends. Each event has a free build section and a new challenge. These Minecraft classes are also geared for students ages 7 to 14 years old.

We will also offer robotics workshops that day, where students will learn how to build their own robots, teach them to move, speak, wreak havoc on a balloon and more. Robotics Jr., for children ages 5 to 8, will be held from 1:30 to 3 p.m., and Robotics, for students ages 7 to 14, will be presented from 3:30 to 5 p.m. Each session is $17. Call the Dietrich at 570-996-1500 for more information or to register.

We will host a Pottery for Kids series with artist-in-residence Steve Colley this month as well. In an art studio environment, students ages 5 to 12 will learn different techniques to create pottery, including coiling, pinching and slab construction. Students will be encouraged to use their imaginations to create unique sculptures and pottery pieces. Classes will be held from 4 to 5:30 p.m. Fridays, Sept. 11, 18 and 25 and Oct. 2. Admission is $40 for the series.

We will offer Preschool Pottery from 10 to 10:45 a.m. on the same dates as Pottery for Kids. During these classes, young artists ages four and five years old will also work with clay to create animal sculptures, pottery and more. Admission is free, thanks to the generosity of the Dietrich Fundraising Committee. For more information or to register, call the theater.

As you can see, the Dietrich is so much more than the movies!

http://www.theabingtonjournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/web1_AJ_Dietrich_Erica_Rogler-Copy.jpg.optimal.jpg

More Than Movies

Erica Rogler

Reach the Abington Journal newsroom at 570-587-1148 or news@s24528.p831.sites.pressdns.com.