A previous Review Club event held at the Stevens & Smith Center in 2025. Photographs courtesy of CAP.
“I see my work as forcing us to confront our hypocrisy, forcing us to confront the truth that we would rather ignore.” –Nikole Hannah-Jones
Review Club is a partnership with Crispus Attucks Community Center’s Young Professionals of Color Network in which we facilitate safe and meaningful dialogue around the history of the civic and social issues that impact our communities. For Black History Month, we come together to discuss the recent work of journalist Nikole Hannah-Jones on the past, present, and future of civil rights and the law in America. A selection of Nikole Hannah-Jones’ recent work will be shared with participants to read or listen to ahead of the discussion in the registration confirmation email.
This inclusive event is free and welcomes participants of all ages and backgrounds who wish to engage in constructive dialogue. We maintain a zero-tolerance policy for disruptive behavior to ensure a respectful environment for all attendees.
“Review Club” will take place on Thursday, February 26 at Southern Market, 100 S. Queen Street in Lancaster. A reception begins at 5:30pm, followed by the discussion at 6pm.
For questions, please contact Starleisha Gingrich, Education and Programs Manager at LancasterHistory, (starleisha.gingrich@lancasterhistory.org) or Josh Hunter, Director of the Crispus Attucks Community Center (jhunter@caplanc.org). A link to the reading materials is included in your confirmation email. If you have registered and did not receive a confirmation email with a link to the material, please contact starleisha.gingrich@lancasterhistory.org.
Second Founding: A Symphony by D. Michael Wege [March 13]
Celebrate the 250th birthday of the United States and the grand opening of the Stevens & Smith Center with a showcase of classical music exploring the life and times of Thaddeus Stevens and Lydia Hamilton Smith. Second Founding, a powerful new work by local composer D. Michael Wege, will be performed alongside Aaron Copland’s 1942 work, Lincoln Portrait, and William L. Dawson’s piece, Negro Folk Symphony, from 1934.
Performances are available on:
Friday, March 13, 2026 @ 7:30pm
Saturday, March 14, 2026 @ 2:30pm
Saturday, March 14, 2026 @ 7:30pm
Sunday, March 15, 2026 @ 2:30pm
Join the Lancaster Symphony 45-minutes before each performance for a free pre-concert lecture.
Tickets may be purchased through the Lancaster Symphony online or by calling their box office at 717.291.6440. LancasterHistory is unable to sell tickets directly to these performances.
Second Founding: A Symphony by D. Michael Wege [March 14]
Celebrate the 250th birthday of the United States and the grand opening of the Stevens & Smith Center with a showcase of classical music exploring the life and times of Thaddeus Stevens and Lydia Hamilton Smith. Second Founding, a powerful new work by local composer D. Michael Wege, will be performed alongside Aaron Copland’s 1942 work, Lincoln Portrait, and William L. Dawson’s piece, Negro Folk Symphony, from 1934.
Performances are available on:
Friday, March 13, 2026 @ 7:30pm
Saturday, March 14, 2026 @ 2:30pm
Saturday, March 14, 2026 @ 7:30pm
Sunday, March 15, 2026 @ 2:30pm
Join the Lancaster Symphony 45-minutes before each performance for a free pre-concert lecture.
Tickets may be purchased through the Lancaster Symphony online or by calling their box office at 717.291.6440. LancasterHistory is unable to sell tickets directly to these performances.
The 2026 Annual Dinner of the Friends of the Tanger Arboretum
Celebrate and gather with friends for the Annual Dinner of the Friends of the Tanger Arboretum! Join us on Wednesday, April 8 from 6-9pm at the DoubleTree Resort by Hilton Lancaster for an evening of fellowship and fun, benefitting the care and conservation of the Louise Arnold Tanger Arboretum at LancasterHistory.
The Annual Dinner begins at 6pm with cocktails, followed by a plated dinner at 6:30pm and a program and raffle drawings around 7:30pm. We’re excited to welcome Andrew Conboy (@andrew_the_arborist), a passionate urban forester and native plant enthusiast from Philadelphia, PA, whose creative, educational videos have earned him a devoted social media following.
RSVP INFORMATION & DINING OPTIONS
More information coming soon!
ABOUT THE PRESENTATION:
Andrew Conboy
“Exploring the Remarkable Trees of Tanger Arboretum”
The Tanger Arboretum is a living library of remarkable trees, each with a story to tell and a history of times gone by. For the 2026 Annual Dinner of the Friends of the Tanger Arboretum, we are thrilled to welcome Andrew Conboy, urban forester, arborist, and social media content creator, who will speak on and explore the fascinating variety of trees, from the lesser-known to Champion Trees, that call the Tanger Arboretum home. From maples to magnolias, silverbells to sweetgums, discover which trees support the most wildlife, how trees from across the globe found their way to Lancaster, and the challenges faced by our native species.
Andrew Conboy is an urban forester and ISA-certified arborist in the Philadelphia area who believes everyone needs more trees, native plants, and nature in their lives! His user-friendly content on social media platforms (@andrew_the_arborist) aims to educate and inspire people to reconnect with the living world. He founded an ecological restoration non-profit called Community Canopy Project, which empowers his community to participate in land stewardship. Through his work, he hopes to encourage a deeper integration of nature into the spaces where we all live, work, and play.
April 8, 2026 DoubleTree Resort, 2400 Willow Street Pike, Lancaster, PA 6-9pm Coming Soon!
2026 Annual Presidential Wreath-Laying Ceremony
Join LancasterHistory at Woodward Hill Cemetery for the Annual Wreath Laying Ceremony for President James Buchanan, the United States’ 15th President. Taking place two days after Buchanan’s birthday, the ceremony features the laying of fresh flowers at the gravesite of the former president and remarks by the presiding officer of the Pennsylvania National Guard as well as local dignitaries.
Please check back later for a full schedule.
This event is free and open to the public. No reservations are required. For directions to the Cemetery, please click here.
May 1, 2026 The Stevens & Smith Center, 13-15 E. Vine Str., Lancaster
County Founding Day
297 years and Lancaster County is still standing! Come toast the founding of Lancaster County with fun, facts, and a few surprises along the way. At our annual County Founding Day celebration, we’ll feature flash talks from local historians, pop-up exhibits, and the return of Lancaster County Cake Wars!
May 14, 2026 LancasterHistory Museum & Research Center, 230 N. President Ave., Lancaster 5:30pm To Be Determined
Juneteenth Celebration
On June 19, 1865, two years after President Abraham Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, enslaved people in Texas finally received word: They were free.
Join LancasterHistory and the Lancaster Branch of the NAACP for a gathering and celebration of the Juneteenth holiday.
More information to come!
June 19, 2026
Did You Know?
John Philip Sousa and his band performed at Conestoga Park on June 30, 1893.
Celebrate the 250th birthday of the United States and the grand opening of the Stevens & Smith Center with a showcase of classical music exploring the life and times of Thaddeus Stevens and Lydia Hamilton Smith. 
Join LancasterHistory at Woodward Hill Cemetery for the Annual Wreath Laying Ceremony for President James Buchanan, the United States’ 15th President. Taking place two days after Buchanan’s birthday, the ceremony features the laying of fresh flowers at the gravesite of the former president and remarks by the presiding officer of the Pennsylvania National Guard as well as local dignitaries.
It’s the moment we’ve all been waiting for: the Grand Opening of the Thaddeus Stevens & Lydia Hamilton Smith Center for History and Democracy!
297 years and Lancaster County is still standing! Come toast the founding of Lancaster County with fun, facts, and a few surprises along the way. At our annual County Founding Day celebration, we’ll feature flash talks from local historians, pop-up exhibits, and the return of Lancaster County Cake Wars!