from August 28 "Good Trouble" event to save health care, several dozen people came despite the rain (Hosts: French Creek Indivisible and Healthcare 4 All PA). Photo: Bridge Brigade
ARTS & READSFILM 10|20 "weekly film series and social experience around the art of film. Admission is $10. Food and beverages will be available for purchase.Wednesdays, September 3 through November 19 at The 10|20 Collective, 1020 Holland Street in downtown Erie. Tickets are available now at tickets.eriereader.com or at the door."
Lake Erie Lit Fest Sept 13 from 12-6pm Hosted by LEAF at Frontier Park 1501 W 6th Erie. Come celebrate all things storytelling with the whole family. Partners: ECGRA, Erie Art Company, Erie Library, Mabel Howard, Werner Books and Coffee
Trevor Noah Sep 19 Seneca Niagara Resort & Casino Niagara Falls, NY
Miss Mabeline Presents The Poetry X-Change Open Mic Sep 21, 2025, 7:00 PM Werner Books & Coffee, 3608 Liberty St, Erie, PA
Female Feature Fest Centennial Hall (formerly Basement Transmissions) Sep 27 145 W 11th Erie
Greg's and Reggie's Story Sept 28 @ 10:30 am at Unitarian Universalist Cong. of Erie 7180 Perry Hwy "Greg’s Story, performed by Greg Greenway, honors the bravery of Rosa Parks and reminds us of the enduring impact of standing up for justice. Reggie’s Story, performed by Reggie Harris, takes us to Hickory Hill, weaving personal narrative and history into song. Both pieces invite reflection, connection, and inspiration through music."
100 Thousand Poets for Change presents Love is the Answer Sep 28, 2025, 2:00 PM – 4:00 PM Werner Books & Coffee, 3608 Liberty St, Erie, PA "As Cathi GG Mitchel often says: Words hurt, words heal. Join local poets at Werner Books as they offer answers and kindness through words. This event will have several poetry features and an open mic opportunity. Let's do poetry!"
YWCA Jamestown Starting Book Club That Focuses On Conversations Around Race, Equity, Collective Growth (WRFA)
Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Jamestown offers virtual book study on social change (WRFA) 7:00 p.m. on the second Wednesdays of October, November and December. There is no fee to participate."To register to participate on Zoom, click on the
Book Study button
DISABILITY
Sprout Film Festival Sept 24, 2025 7:00 PM Reg Lenna 116 East 3rd Street Jamestown, NY "The Resource Center invites you to an inspiring cinematic experience that celebrates the incredible journeys of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities!" Free, doors open 6pm

EARTH
Lecture: What the Frack is Hydraulic Fracturing by Dr. Rebecca Matecha September 15 6:30 pm to 7:30 PM Zurn Hall Room 114 Mercyhurst University Erie PA RSVP's requested. Host: Citizen Climate Lobby Student Club at Mercyhurst University
Erie SunDay Rally outside Shale Insight Conference Sept. 17, 4:00 pm to 5:00 pm Outside the Bayfront Convention Center, Erie (note that Bayfront Pkwy is a bit of a mess now).
Meadville Sun Day: A Celebration of Clean Energy September 21 at1:00 PM Location: The Arc Community Greenspace, 967 Market St., Meadville, PA. Contact: Jane Ellen Nickell, janellenickell58@gmail.com Presented by The Arc Community Greenspace, co-sponsored by City of Meadville, Third Act Pennsylvania, and Unitarian Universalist Church of Meadville.
Season of Creation. "Every year, from September 1 to October 4, people around the world unite in prayer, reflection, and action for the Season of Creation. This ecumenical season, beginning with the World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation and ending on the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi, invites us to deepen our awareness of the urgent ecological crisis and to recommit ourselves to caring for our common home. Join justice-seekers at NETWORK to 'Hope and Act with Creation' by advocating for stronger environmental protections in our country, and efforts to build sustainability in our own lives."
ELECTIONS
[Watch] Kenyatta: DNC new plan to stop Trump (Katie Phang) "Katie and Malcolm discuss how his battleground state of Pennsylvania is a key example of how inextricably intertwined state politics have become with national issues & how the DNC is gearing up for the redistricting fight."
[Listen] Gerrymandering and Fair Elections PA (NEXT with Marcus Atkinson ) "hosts Marcus Atkinson and Chuck Cammarata sit down with Carol Kuniholm, Co-Founder of Fair Districts PA, and Michael Bucella, Northwest Region Coordinator, to unpack the ongoing battles over redistricting and the threats they pose to democracy The guests also share strategies for fighting back.."
Municipal Elections 101: Judge of elections and other key voting positions on Pa.’s November ballot
FOOD
Fourth Annual Empty Bowls Fundraiser Oct 4 at Second Harvest Food Bank Warehouse, 1507 Grimm
Drive, Erie, PA $25 advance | $30 door Session One 11:00 AM –
1:00 PM Session Two 4:30 PM – 6:30 PM Reservations at website
Emmaus Harvest Fest Oct 5 "Celebrate our gardeners and the harvest! Sunday, Emmaus Grove 218 East 11th Street Erie PA 1-4 p.m. Concert by Tennessee Back Porch Garden Tours Raffles and Prizes"
Produce to the People (Gretchen Gallagher Durney/Erie Reader) "Pay What You Can Stands deepening connections and abundance"
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| Backyard grapes! |
HEALTH CARE
Remote Area Medical pop-up clinic returns to Erie
September 13, and September 14, at Erie Center for the Arts and
Technology, located at 650 East Ave, Suite 120. It’s first-come,
first-served. '“I think one of the things about this pop-up clinic that
is so unique is no ID is required, they do not have to give
identification, it is — if they need to be served, we’re going to serve
them,” said Hagerty.'
Healthcare 4 All PA "working on a single payer / improved Medicare for All healthcare system in Pennsylvania, as a forerunner to a national healthcare system." Healthcare 4 All PA partnered with French Creek Indivisible to do the "Good Trouble" protest August 28.
HISPANIC/LATINO FESTS
Fiesta on the Square September 13 Perry Square Erie PA noon - 7pm Hosted by Erie Latino Leadership Association and Mayors Hispanic Latino Advisory Council "free to the public. Food vendors will be available, free kids activities , and of course live music"
Hola Fest Sept 13 Wean Park, Youngstown Ohio "Each country will proudly display authentic items and musical instruments from their native land in their own booth. Attendees can enjoy music, visit each 'village' and learn about different cultures in a friendly environment"
LatinX Festival Sep 20, 4:00 PM – 7:00 PM 10th &, Washington St, Jamestown, NY Jackson-Taylor Park Host: YWCA Jamestown " This family-friendly event is free and open to all — come ready to dance, eat, and connect!"
HOME
Tiny homes Davis and city clash over tiny homes (YourErie)
Modus Operandi: Davis approach to tiny homes and Gannon lease compared (Keep Our Library Public) "Davis ignored the zoning procedures for this tiny house project, similar
to the way that he ignored the Donated and Dedicated Property Act
(DDPA) in leasing space to Gannon in the Blasco Library. He also
breeched his fiduciary duty in having these homes built when they
couldn’t be used because he refused to submit plans to the City of Erie,
similar to the way he leased county property at far below market value
for up to 45 years. The main difference is that he’s certainly no
library expert, but he purports to be an expert in construction. Hmmm…"
IMMIGRANTS
[Listen] Refugee Resettlement Update w/Katie Kretz, Executive Director of the Multicultural Community Resource Center, Aug. 19, 2025.(Joel Natalie/TalkErie)
Account of Vietnam War resisters in Toronto from war
resistor Philip Mullins. Last updated from 2007, offers the experiences
of those immigrants. the community(s) they built, the organizations and
mutual help groupings, their impact etc.
LGBTQ+
"Matt Shepard Is A Friend Of Mine" Screening with
Discussion at Luther Memorial Church, 2225 W 10th St, Erie, PA Sept 20
at 4 PM. with producer Linda Karn, and special guests, Judy and Dennis
Shepard. Free event, tickets required. Donations graciously accepted to
support this event and the Matthew Shepard Foundation. Presented by
LMCS, in association with Jefferson Educational Society, Greater Erie
Alliance for Equality, NW PA Pride Alliance, Compton's Table, Erie
Community Foundation, and Erie LGBT Fund.
LGBTQ+Voices from the Shadows—LGBTQ+ Experiences During the Nazi Era Rodef
Shalom Congregation Oct 29 @ 6:00 pm at 4905 Fifth Ave Pittsburgh, PA
"Drawing on extensive research conducted for this first-of-its-kind
audio documentary, Eric Marcus shares archival clips during a 45-minute
presentation (+ 15-minute Q&A) that brings this painful, often
hidden history to life through the voices of the people who lived it.. "
Host: Holocaust Center of Pittsburgh Free
SCHOOLS & YOUTH
Meadville Candle Light Vigil Support for Victims of Abuse September 21 at 7:30pm "End Child Abuse. Support Victims. Release the Files. Meet at County Fair, North Street, Meadville PA" from French Creek Indivisible
Erie's Public Schools resources for students and families experiencing housing instability (ESD)
Free after school programs: Erie Neighborhood Art House 201 E 10th free after-school program for inner-city youth in Erie, PA. The program provides a wide variety of arts education classes for youth ages 7-18. Teen Arts at ECAT is
a free, after school arts program for teens in grades 8–12 living in
Erie County. Classes take place in studios at ECAT 650 East Ave.,
Erie and are taught by professional artists using professional equipment
and materials. Students of any skill level are welcome.
Strong
Minds: A Community Dialogue for Stronger Children's Mental Health Oct 7
at ECAT, 650 East Ave Erie PA 5pm "Strong Minds, Bright Futures Partnership is a statewide initiative of mental health advocates who are dedicated to improving mental health service delivery and access for Pennsylvania's children and youth."
Trump administration agrees to release remainder of frozen education funds to Pa., other states (Rhode Island Current)
NY becomes 9th State to Provide Universal School Meals ( Healthy School Meals for All NY Kids.) "2.7 million New York students will have access to free breakfast and lunch every school day".
The “Penncrest Factors” under PA’s Right-to-Know Law (Casemine)"Penncrest School District v. Cagle is the Pennsylvania Supreme Court’s first deep engagement with how the Commonwealth’s Right-to-Know Law (“RTKL”) applies to public-official activity on social-media platforms. The litigation began when citizen-requester Thomas Cagle sought disclosure of Facebook posts made by two school-board members, David Valesky and Luigi DeFrancesco, concerning homosexuality and the District’s programs."
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| From Neighborhood Art House wonderful wall of planters |
SPIRIT
2025 Prophet of Peace Award Prayer and Reception: Art Leopold
Sept 21 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm Mount St Benedict Monastery 6101 East Lake Rd
Erie, PA "The Benedictine Sisters are proud to announce that Erie
native and activist Art Leopold is their 2025 Prophet of Peace Awardee.
Art has been a healing presence and prophetic witness for peace and
justice for more than thirty years, involved in leadership, advocacy,
organization, and hands-on efforts to create a more just city and
world."
Radiant Faith Sep 23 at 6 PM Cathedral of St Paul, 134 W 7th St, Erie. "As part of Erie Episcopal's Sacred Pathways series at the Cathedral of St. Paul, the queer community is invited to join us for Radiant Faith once/month this fall...Our gatherings are for spiritual seekers and offer a Christian-rooted encounter with the Divine-one who dwells within us and in the sacred connection we share with one another. We are grateful to Compton's Table for their co-sponsorship of this new offering. Questions? Contact Jessie Hubert at jhubert@cathedralofstpaul.org
How to Support WQLN After Federal Funding Dropped (Liz Allen/Erie Reader) PBS affiliate to lose 40 percent of its annual budget in wake of cuts
A History Lesson: The Great Leap Forward (Curmudgucation) Western PA -based education writer Peter Greene offers an interesting comparison regarding Mao's catastrophic campaign to "make China great again: " in short, an authoritarian tries to force dramatic changes through sheer force of will, discounting expertise on both the large and small scale, then when things aren't working, simply demands that anyone who wants to keep his job must prove loyalty by supporting Beloved Leader's version of events, no matter how divorced from reality that might be. Bad ideas covered by authoritarian lies and bullshit, followed by disaster. "
Click to enlarge
HISTORICAL DISCLAIMER FROM EVENT ORGANIZERS ABOUT GUITAR GRAPHIC: The guitar image in the event flyer (put together before Wednesday’s horrific events in Utah) is adapted from that of American legendary folksinger and composer Woody Guthrie. In 1943, Guthrie painted the message on his guitar after seeing it affixed to the industrial machinery of workers during World War II when Americans were at war with fascism. The good folks putting this event together deplore violence in any form—political violence, above all. We support the peaceful movement of citizens to defend American democracy from authoritarianism, which is what this event is all about.
RISE UP SINGING!
****
Calendar
and local info sharing for people who believe "a better world is
possible." Focus is local/regional. All listed upcoming events are
nonviolent. Not affiliated with any organization. Submissions,
corrections etc to brynn16501@proton.meBlog URL https://eriebluegreen.blogspot.com/