Mount Gretna Outdoor Art Show.

The pastoral landscape of much of the Lebanon Valley may not convey the fact that there is a lively arts community there, but it should. Lebanon County has officially designated 2024 as the Year of the Arts. The county-wide effort will celebrate all types of art with installments, artist profiles, and special events. The highlight of the Year of the Arts is the 50th Mount Gretna Outdoor Art Show, which will be held on August 17 and 18. This nationally ranked, juried art show brings artists from across the country to the shady grounds of the historic Pennsylvania Chautauqua.

Photo by Mt. Gretna Outdoor Art Show

“The 50th Mount Gretna Outdoor Art Show will honor the impact this nationally ranked event has on our region. The show will celebrate all of the cultural, artistic, educational, and performance events in our town. As we commemorate this milestone, we will recognize how the arts have created our unique sense of place in the Lebanon Valley,” says art show director Kerry Royer.

In addition to the 200 juried artists, an emerging artist section, a gourmet food court, and five bands, a Kids Art Show is scheduled at the Chautauqua Playground on both days from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Children can enjoy make-and-take art activities, spin art, and more.

The Mt. Gretna International Film Festival (MtGIFF) will make its debut on August 18 from 12 to 3 p.m. at the historic Mount Gretna Playhouse. The inaugural event will support and celebrate emerging and established filmmakers in their shared passion for the cinematic art form. This year, only short films under 5 minutes will be featured. Attendees can view selected entries before the award ceremony announces the winners in several film genres.

Parking will be at Soldiers Field on Timber Road, in Mount Gretna (the fields near the lake), and shuttle service will be available from dedicated parking compliments of WellSpan Philhaven Hospital.

This spring, a new installation was unveiled outside the Mt. Gretna Playhouse to celebrate the Year of the Arts in the Lebanon Valley. Artist and Mt. Gretna native Ryan Fretz’s majestic green Luna moth sculpture pays homage to the insect that makes its home in the town’s trees.

Lebanon Community Theatre

The Year of the Arts will be celebrated across Lebanon County, with events and community art projects occurring throughout the year. From theater and concerts to an art walk and a music festival, a different event will be featured each month.

Music and Brew Fest at Coleman Park

Visitors will enjoy two music festivals in 2024. The Original Mount Gretna Cicada Music Festival at the Mount Gretna Playhouse will be held on August 5-8 and 12-13, and the Music and Brew Fest at Coleman Park will take place in September with a date to be determined.

Visit Lebanon Valley will release a new children’s book featuring Lebanon Lilly in November. The second in the series follows the adventures of the adorable Holstein and pays homage to the agricultural heritage of the Lebanon Valley. Lebanon Lilly is the brainchild of Visit Lebanon Valley president Jennifer Kuzo, who with the help of local illustrator MJ McFalls, brings Lilly to life.

Suzanne H. Arnold Art Gallery at Lebanon Valley College.

“The arts are transformative with the power to inspire and connect us all,” says Kuzo, “For 2024, we seek to honor the role that art, music, and theatre play in improving the quality of life for our locals and visitors alike.”

For more information on the Lebanon Valley Year of the Arts, check out visitlebanonvalley.com

In case you were wondering…Chautauquas were popular institutions that offered adult education. What began in southwest New York in 1874 as a summer school to train Sunday school teachers expanded to provide other kinds of education, including the arts. Summer concerts and social gatherings were a part of the residents’ experience. The Chautauqua movement peaked in the late 18th and early nineteenth centuries. The Pennsylvania Chautauqua, founded in 1892, is one of just 17 Chautauquas remaining in the US.