By modern wedding standards, my nuptials (where my wife and I exchanged vows with at the Jersey Shore with a few dozen friends) was a relatively modest, DIY affair.

For couples looking to tie the knot in an even lower-stress fashion (but who still want something more elevated than a city hall ceremony), there’s a venue in southwestern Pa. designed for those who have zero desire to deal with everything that goes into having a contemporary wedding.

Antrim Spring Farm in Franklin County offers couples whose “dream wedding” is eloping the opportunity to do just that.

As part of its first “no fuss” elopements event on April 11, up to six couples will take their vows in a picturesque setting and get their own cake, champagne, and photo package, all for $500.

As of Tuesday morning, just two slots remained.

If an April wedding isn’t in the cards, Antrim Spring Farm is looking at hosting two more “no fuss” events later this year in July and October.

Weddings are one of many rites of spring in Pennsylvania. For our QOTW, we’d like to know:

What’s your favorite thing about spring in Pennsylvania?

Here’s what you’re saying:

“My favorite thing about spring in Pennsylvania is the fact that winter is over. And this past one has been brutal!”

— Carol, East Vincent Township

“Looking at the flowers that are blooming in my back yard. Enjoying the sun, and being warm.”

— Margie, Blairsville

“Dusting off my bike and setting out to the Lehigh Gorge biking trail.”

 — Denise, Drums

“I love the warmer temperatures and being able to start planting cold weather crops outside.”

— Sherry,  Lehigh Valley

“The colors and smells of spring, greening up of the grass, purple crocuses, yellow daffodils, the different colors of lilac trees and their fragrance, the brown earth after plowing, all signs of new life.”

— Connie, Somerset County

“The fact that I can grill again in my ‘Kiss the Cook’ apron—not a winter coat.”

— Ben, Bucks County

What’s your favorite thing about spring in Pa.? Reply with your answer and please let us know where you live.

University of Pittsburgh Medical Center nurses and their supporters rally for a union in downtown Pittsburgh in June 2025. The nurses voted to join SEIU Healthcare Pennsylvania in August 2025. (Kalena Thomhave)

Workers built Pennsylvania—and they’ve also been building labor power since the first crews laid railroad tracks and miners descended beneath the earth.

From garment workers in Philadelphia and coal miners in NEPA to steel workers in the west and service employees across the state, Pennsylvania has seen strikes, setbacks, and victories that have shaped the nation’s labor movement. Some of these moments were exciting wins, while others were crushing defeats that nevertheless influenced public opinion, labor law, and the future of the labor movement.

Take a trip through the state’s labor history from its early—and sometimes violent—beginnings, to the labor battles workers are still fighting today.

• We Pay the Tariffs—a coalition of more than 1,100 small businesses, including 43 in Pennsylvania—reported that companies in the commonwealth had paid $4.5 billion in “illegal” tariffs, and now they’re seeking refunds. Get the story here.

• Emails from Quakertown Community School District, the police department, and the borough council reveal more of what town leaders were saying and doing before and after the student walkout last month that led to a police confrontation and student arrests. Get the details here.

• A group of Pennsylvanians who participated in the Jan. 6 attack on the US Capitol are part of a federal class action suit in Florida against the Capitol Police and D.C. Metropolitan Police, alleging actions by officers that day caused them physical and emotional injuries. Find out about the lawsuit here.

• Some $600 million in federal funding is being put toward replacing the old, cracked and worn Pennsylvania Turnpike Bridge that links Bucks County to New Jersey. Get the details and timeline on the bridge replacement in this story.

Good news: this is our final fundraising pitch of the quarter!

Bad news: we’re a little shy of our fundraising goal—so we’re asking you one last time to pitch in before midnight to support local journalism.

Thanks for reading. This newsletter was written by Patrick Berkery with stories from Kalena Thomhave, USA Today via Reuters Connect, and Whitney Downard and Mitch Perry of the Pennsylvania Capital-Star. It was edited by Brook Bolen.

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