Duncannon is an official Appalachian Trail Community and we’re eager to share the pride and enthusiasm of being part of a national treasure. Join us on Saturday, June 15th from 10 to 4 on High Street between Cumberland and Ann streets as we celebrate the Appalachian Trail with live entertainment, food trucks, wildlife presentations, crafts for kids, hiking clubs, and arts & crafts vendors.

Check Out These Awesome Attractions:

• FREE! Admission and Presentations!
• Smokey Bear the fire prevention bear
• Live Music
• Food Trucks!
• The BugMan – live creepy crawly critters all day long!
• Zoo America’s PA Native Species – live wildlife presentation at 11:30 a.m.
• Crafts for Kids – Make wacky hats and decorate your own AT hiking stick
  
• Face Painting
• Thom Glace (wildlife artist) – presents a watercolor painting demonstration
• FREE! Raffle Ticket for every attendee! (Children must be accompanied by an adult.)
• $300+ of Raffle Prizes donated by vendors
• Hiking and Outdoor Clubs –
• Arts and Crafts Vendors!
  

Zoo America

Zoo America will present live animals from Pennsylvania, sponsored by the Duncannon Sportsmen’s Association.

Live Music

There will be live entertainment featured throughout the day. Stop by the main stage and enjoy:

• • 10:30 to 11:30: Matt Miskie is a seasoned performer with very broad appeal. He draws inspiration from the landscape of Pennsylvania for his easy-going melodies. From kayaking to a spectacular sunset, Matt’s original work reflects the beauty of the state while also celebrating his closest relationships. His folk-styled lyrical songwriting combines a rare gift of melody with intelligent lyrics and a warm appealing sound that makes for exceptionally enjoyable listening.
  • 11:30 to 12:30: Zoo America Presents Native Pennsylvania Species: Learn about the natural history and beauty of the native animals that surround us. Pennsylvania’s wildlife heritage is presented in a wildly entertaining and exciting program that’s fun for children and adults. Both the common and the uncommon native species of our forests, fields and towns, are highlighted in this wonderfully educational and insightful presentation.

• • 12:30 to 1:30: Still Small Voice,is a vintage acoustic band comprised of Duncannon residents Mike and Lauren Maggs. Lauren and Mike have been making music in the area for over two decades bringing their folksy style to local festivals, wineries, and other social gatherings. Their combination of solid guitar work, uplifting flute melodies, and soaring vocal harmonies adapted to timeless folk rock classics will entertain you and leave you wanting more.

• • 1:45 to 2:45: Tracy Eslinger, Perry County native and avid outsdoorsman, brings his special talents to the Duncannon stage this year as a solo artist, after appearing previously on stage with the Rock Hollow Jam. Tracy applies his unique style of acoustic guitar picking along with harmonica rifts to create a mesmerizing background for his rich personal vocals. He has mastered some of the newer audio technology available today that allows him to harmonize with himself and create an evocative layered sound that brings to life his selection of classic rock tunes.
    

• • 3:00 to 4:00: Brian McPherson is an avid hiker, trail troubadour, and promoter of the Appalachian Trail. He has hiked the entire Appalachian Trail, finishing his 10-yr section hike in 2011. When he hikes he carries his Washburn Rover backpack guitar with him and entertains fellow hikers at AT shelters and hiker hostels with his original songs, a collection of folk tunes he has written about his hiking experiences. He is a member of the Appalachian Trail Conservancy, the Susquehanna Appalachian Trail Club, and the Duncannon Appalachian Trail Community.

There’s always something happening on the stage throughout the day and the Duncannon Appalachian Trail Festival is sure to lift your spirit with its lively festive atmosphere. Don’t miss out on the fun!

Crafts for Kids

There are plenty of activities to keep the kids happy and entertained so bring them along for a fun day at the festival.

	Wacky Hats: Wacky Hats are back! Cut a pattern on a paper plate and decorate with markers and a dash of glitter to your heart’s content. We have Monster Hats, Palm Tree Hats, Glasses Hats, Castle Hats, Bee Hats, Frog Hats and more!
	Hiking Poles: Design your very own bamboo hiking pole with a variety of colored markers, paint pens, yarn, beads and feathers. Then use it to hike on the Appalachian Trail!
	Bear Bank: Decorate an empty oatmeal box with felt, painted egg carton feet and snout, two felt ears and a tail. Add two eyes and a pom-pom nose and there you go! You have created a Black Bear Bank to hide your riches and special things!
	Campfire Candle: Decorate a cup by gluing on pieces of red, orange, and yellow tissue paper. Draw some logs on a precut template. Place a tea light under the cup and there you have a campfire nightlight!
	Face Painting: Come to the festival and get your face painted with a flower, a butterfly, a tree, a spider or maybe a bee. You will have to come to the festival to see what on your face there will be.
	Mock AT: And last but not least, come join us at 1:00 PM in Noye Park for a 14 station Mock AT Trail. As you arrive at a station, representing one of the fourteen states the trail passes through, engage in an activity related to that state. It will be fun for all ages!

Thom Glace Watercolor Artist

Wildlife artist Mr. Thom Glace will be demonstrating his watercolor illustration technique by painting a saw-whet owl during the day of the festival. His painting style involves transparent watercolor with almost 100% drybrush on Watercolor Board. This method is absolutely unforgiving, so one little mistake or minor blemish means starting over again from scratch. In addition to demonstrating his meticulous technique, Mr. Glace will have numerous prints and original works of art for sale.

Thom’s style of painting has been labeled a “Biological Study Format” because it shows a species alone in all of its glory. He began his career painting local fish species, but has expanded his horizons to include distant species such as the Peacock Bass of the Amazon, the Marble Trout of Slovenia, and the Masu (Cherry) Salmon of Japan. After completing numerous fish studies, Thom branched out to studying dragonflies and found the delicate features of insect anatomy to be a welcome challenge, especially the intricate wing patterns. Mr. Glace has continued to diversify his subject matter by painting the mayfly and stonefly insects and on rare occasions he will break away to paint a wild horse from Assateague Island or a Megalith from Ireland or Wales. And much to the delight of his admirers, he has recently branched out to include shore birds and songbirds.

Thom Glace has participated in art shows and exhibitions throughout New England, Texas, Virginia, Maryland, West Virginia, New York City, North Carolina, and Pennsylvania. Mr. Glace has been the featured artist in Harrisburg Magazine, Montana Trout Magazine, Southern Trout Magazine, Fly Life Magazine, Fly Dreamers, Mid-Atlantic Fly Fishing Guide, MidCurrent Publications, and Virginia Wildlife Magazine. Thom was also 2016 “Artist of the Year” for Tenkara USA Magazine, “Festival Artist” for the 2014 Virginia Fly Fishing Festival, and in 2016 and 2017 he was the “Festival Artist” for the Cape Lookout Albacore & Redfish Festival in Moorehead City, NC. We are truly fortunate to have Mr. Thom Glace at our AT festival and we hope you come to the festival to see him in action and support his work.

Ryan the BugMan

Ryan “The BugMan” Bridge has been using LIVE insects and Arthropods to help teach Entomology throughout central Pennsylvania and Maryland since 1995.

This year’s exhibit consists of several tables with 100’s of both preserved and LIVE BUGS, many being the largest species in the world. This unique “Hands-On” experience is the reason children and adults enjoy the BugMan so much. The exhibit is a highlight of the Duncannon Appalachian Trail Festival because it offers the audience a chance to see, touch and pet a world-wide variety of cool and unusual bugs while exploring the incredible world of Entomology. When was the last time YOU held the worlds largest species of cockroach? Now is your chance!

Smokey the Bear

Get your picture taken with Smokey Bear!

Critter Connections

People of all ages love touching, holding, and learning about the various animals in this collection of captive-born snakes, lizards, turtles, tortoises, insects, rabbits and guinea pigs. There will be a table with snakes, lizards and insects on display, and an enclosure for tortoises and small mammals. We provide general information about each species while encouraging visitors to touch, hold, and interact with the animals.

Raffle Prizes!

Everyone will be given a free ticket just for showing up at the DATC booth on High Street and getting their hand stamped (children must be accompanied by an adult). The DATC will also be selling raffle tickets to help support the Duncannon Appalachian Trail Community so be sure to increase your odds of winning by purchasing extra tickets for $1.00 each.

Parking and Directions

On the day of the festival, you can park along the streets where it is permitted or you can park in one of the lots shown on the map below.

• God’s Missionary Church Lot
• Old Sled Works South Lot
• Clark’s Ferry Commuter Lot (2 mile scenic hike to festival)
• American Legion Back Lot (walk 330 yards to festival)
• (AFTER 1PM) Blue Ridge Communications Lot

Festival Friends

The following organizations have made significant donations or contributions to help make the 2019 Duncannon Appalachian Trail Community Festival possible and we greatly appreciate their help.

• Christ Lutheran Church
• Duncannon Borough
• Duncannon Lions Club
• Duncannon Parks and Recreation Board
• Duncannon Presbyterian
• Duncannon Sportsmen’s Association
• Duncannon Supply Company
• Mountain Club of Maryland
• Mutzabaugh’s Market
• Nancy’s Soft Pretzels
• Perry County Conservation District
• This is Duncannon

Join the Fun

We’re looking for volunteers to help make this festival a great day for everyone. Enjoy a fun day outside with your fellow Duncannon enthusiasts.

If you’re interested in being a volunteer at the festival, please contact us for more information.

Why We Do It

The Duncannon Appalachian Trail Community (DATC) is dedicated to promoting, protecting and preserving our outdoor recreational resources for future generations. We implement projects and programs to enhance tourism opportunities for Duncannon as an outdoor recreation destination and we encourage everyone to get outside, enjoy nature and recognize the connection between the health and abundance of the region’s natural assets and the vitality of its communities.

Come out and enjoy a fun day in Duncannon! We hope to see you there!

Stay tuned for more information about this exciting event!