Millheim event offers ‘something a little bit funky’

Five years ago, Erin McCracken and her husband, Joshua, bought an old tavern in the heart of Millheim. With a little work, that building became the Bremen Town Ballroom.

It also became the birthplace of a beloved holiday tradition.

“I wanted to have a craft show really bad,” McCracken said. “Out here in Penns Valley we have so many great crafts people. These were people who were really local, but really good. I wanted to put a show together.”

McCracken reached out to other Millheim businesses “on a whim” — and Merry Millheim became a townwide celebration.

“We decided to come together to promote Millheim as a destination around the holidays,” she said. “It was a way to really showcase our local businesses and all of the artsy and edgy stuff in our community.

“It was a ‘galvanizing force’ for local businesses who were just starting up.”

Merry Millheim draws visitors from all over, she said. People from Penns Valley, Buffalo Valley, Union County and State College come out to shop and explore the town.

“It’s become this little destination and getaway,” McCracken said. But the locals enjoy it as well. “This is our strongest and most favorite event in Millheim, everyone gets really excited.”

In the midst of all the festivities, McCracken got her craft show dream: Fourteen craft vendors will hawk their wares during the Handmade Holiday Market in McCracken’s Bremen Town Ballroom, beginning at 5 p.m. on Dec. 4. A few State College artisans will make an appearance, but McCracken said the emphasis is firmly on local talent.

Glass artists, papermakers, block printers, jewelry makers and fiber artists from all over Penns Valley will gather in Millheim. A farmers market will offer teas, maple syrups, and “just really good food,” McCracken said.

Although touted as a Christmastime event, McCracken said Merry Millheim is also focused on showing off the town itself.

“In my opinion, we offer something a little bit funky. It’s not super-traditional holiday stuff,” she said. “I think it’s a really good reflection of our community. In some ways it’s an opportunity to create new traditions.”

One such tradition began last year, when Mark and Cyndy Engle opened up their historic home to the public. The Engles have owned and lived at the Millheim Theatre for more than 20 years. Last December, it became home to first Festival of Trees.

Local nonprofits decorated 12 trees for auction, illuminating the theater and raising money for charity.

“It was so beautiful and gorgeous, and we sold all the trees,” Cyndy Engle said. “So we were like what can we do this year? What can we do better?”

For the 2015 Festival of Trees, bigger will be better: Instead of 12 average-sized trees, three towering trees — each 12-15 feet tall — will dominate the stage.

And instead of selling the trees, nonprofits will decorate 30 holiday wreaths to be displayed throughout the auditorium and sold.

Visitors to the Millheim Theatre can bid on the wreaths or contribute to donation boxes. Engle said she hopes this will bring in even more money than last year’s event — but she hopes people remember why they are donating money.

“We are trying to raise funds and awareness for these nonprofits,” Engle said. “This is about the nonprofits. This is because you’re donating to a cause. You just happen to walk out the door with the wreath.”

The wreaths may reflect their individual missions or be holiday themed, Engle said. She has high expectations for this year’s decorations.

“They did an amazing job last year,” she said. “It’s amazing when you can just give people a little bit of something, and see what they’ll do with it.”

Engle said for of the some of the 700 attendees last year, it was the first time they’d been inside the theater for more than 40 years. For others, it was a good first chance to experience the old charm of the theater, which first opened in 1924.

“People do appreciate the history of this place,” she said. “(This event) honors the history of the building and its ability to do things for the community.”

Engle said this year they want to stress the importance of donating to nonprofits — and not just at Christmas time.

“We think it’s a wonderful time (for the nonprofits) to start outreach to the community all year round, and we are giving them a venue for that.”

“And it looks beautiful and Christmassy,” she added.

Throughout Friday evening and Saturday afternoon, there will be a variety of holiday-inspired activities like kids’ crafts, Christmas carols and a visit from Santa.

But on Sunday, at the tail end of Merry Millheim weekend, a local brewery keeps the festivities going with a different sort of celebration.

All year round, the Elk Creek Café and Aleworks brews its Poe Paddy Porter, named after the state park. But once a year, Poe Paddy gets the royal treatment — and becomes Prince’s Porter.

Elk Creek brewer Tim Yarrington said the restaurant imports bourbon barrels from Buffalo Trace Distillery in Kentucky to turn Poe Paddy into Prince’s.

“We age the beer in the bourbon barrels and serve it,” Yarrington said. “Then we try to tap the keg close to or on the anniversary of the end of the Prohibition (which was Dec. 5, 1933).”

This once-a-year brew gets its name from Prince Farrington, a notorious Prohibition-era bootlegger who ran his business in central Pennsylvania.

“Prince Farrington ran a serious bootlegging operation,” Yarrington said. “He had stills all over the valley.”

In past years, Yarrington said they’ve been able to assemble one of Prince’s original stills up on stage for the event, adding to the authentic feel of the Millheim merriment. He said he hopes to have the still again this year.

The staff at Elk Creek plans to tap this year’s batch of Prince’s Porter at about 3 p.m. on Dec. 6 to start the celebration, which includes music, dancing and of course, drinking.

“We encourage people to wear Prohibition-era costume dress,” Yarrington said. “It’s a lot of fun.”

This story was originally published November 27, 2015 at 9:52 AM with the headline "Millheim event offers ‘something a little bit funky’."