It’s Feelgood Friday. And I suspect there’s going to be a whole lot of people wearing green and feeling good in Scranton tomorrow as Saturday marks Parade Day in The Electric City—the day of the annual St. Patrick’s Day parade.

The parade is a big deal in Scranton. How big? Right around this time in 2020, just after the world began shutting down due to the COVID-19 pandemic, a friend of mine from Scranton told me, “I knew this (stuff) was serious when they cancelled the St. Patrick’s Day parade.”

Scranton, population: 75,000-ish, essentially doubles in size on Parade Day, with as many as 150,000 spectators lining its downtown streets each year.

There’s a whole lot of history behind the parade, whose roots can be traced back to the 1850s, and a whole lot of traditions, like the Parade Day mass, the Parade Day race, and the Hangover Brunch at Ale Mary’s the following morning.

Speaking of big deal celebrations, it’s America’s Semiquincentennial this year, and items and artifacts are being curated for America’s Time Capsule, a national record chronicling our nation’s history, which will be ceremonially buried at Independence National Historical Park on July 4.

For our QOTW, we’d like to know: If you could pick one item to represent Pennsylvania in America’s Time Capsule, what would it be and why?

More of your answers:

“There are so many things to be proud of in Pa. I’m choosing the (Pittsburgh Steelers’) Terrible Towel.”

 — Kristie, Lansdale

“I think they should include a Hershey’s bar and a pack of PEEPS. They are the most iconic consumables made in Pa.”

— Mary Ann, Bethlehem

“The Slinky.”

— Christina S., East Stroudsburg

“A piece of steel from all the steel made in Pennsylvania.”

— Dolores McKito, Aliquippa

“I would choose a replica of the Liberty Bell. It is the most recognizable object in the whole state of Pennsylvania. It represents the struggle for freedom and the endurance of the people who have fought for it. Even the crack shows our ability to survive whatever time brings into our lives.”

— Barbara, Troy

“I think a Yuengling bottle, since it’s America’s oldest brewery and from Pa.”

— Deb Fink, Harrisburg

(ACHIEVEability)

Since 1981, ACHIEVEability has worked to break the generational cycle of poverty for low-income, single-parent, and homeless families in West Philadelphia by providing higher education opportunities, affordable housing, supportive services, community and economic development, and more.

ACHIEVEability welcomes volunteers to help with these efforts and others, like its upcoming Impact Day on April 26, a community beautification effort focused on revitalizing a 50-block area by opening community garden and green spaces for the growing season, rejuvenating neighborhood porches, and more.

• If that two-day tease of spring some parts of the state got to experience earlier in the week whetted your appetite for having fun in the outdoors, we’ve got a roundup of fun things to do across the commonwealth this spring, including festivals, nature, sports, and one-of-a-kind local events. Check it out here.

• Got a great Susquehanna River shot? The Chesapeake Bay Foundation’s annual Save the Bay Photo Contest is underway. The organization is looking for images that capture the beauty of the Chesapeake Bay watershed. Get details on how to enter, prizes, and more in this story.

• Bethlehem’s annual Musikfest, the nation’s largest free music festival, has been named the Best Music Festival in the US in the USA Today 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards, beating out well-known events like Lollapalooza and the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival. Find out more here.

We work every day to earn our readers’ trust by listening to the communities we cover. Because our reporting is free to read, it’s powered by people like you.

That’s why today we’re kicking off our first supporter drive of the year.

We believe news should help people feel informed about their communities and confident when it’s time to make decisions.

If you value local reporting and want to help keep it accessible to everyone, we hope you’ll consider contributing.

Snow geese take to the sky at sunrise after a stopover at the Middle Creek Wildlife Management Area, Monday, March 9, in Kleinfeltersville. (Associated Press)

This is what birdwatchers who gathered before dawn Monday at Middle Creek witnessed, as thousands of migrating snow geese lifted off from the reservoir in a swirling mass. 

The display lasted only minutes before the birds fanned out to nearby farm fields to feed as they continued their annual spring migration north toward New York and Quebec. 

For a few short weeks each year, the migration draws crowds of nature lovers to the refuge, which straddles Lancaster and Lebanon counties. It was created decades ago to attract waterfowl and now welcomes about 150,000 visitors annually.

Have a great weekend, Pennsylvania!

Thanks for reading. This newsletter was written by Patrick Berkery with stories from Kalena Thomhave, The Associated Press, and USA Today via Reuters Connect. It was edited by Paula Solis.

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