For the last three years Lark Daniel and her colleagues have held the Soulfit Festival at Reservoir park in Harrisburg. The purpose of the SoulFit Festival is to bring awareness to the importance of health, pertaining to total mind, body and spirit. This year, the 4th annual SoulFit Festival will take place August 12th and August 13th at Camp Curtain Academy. The goal of the Soulfit festival is to educate black and brown communities to be healthier, stronger, and happier, in addition to providing the best chances to fight against diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, and high blood pressure. The fit fest is centered around the natural healing that comes specifically from African Arts and culture through dance, drumming, and spoken word. This years fourth annual festival promises to bring much of the same, including fun interactive presentations, DJs , demonstrations, vendors, community partners, local farmers, and of course fitness and dance instructors.

The festival was born out of the pandemic, and organizer Lark Daniel realized depression rates were going up, child abuse rates were going up. So she figured she had to do something! This two day event combines mind, body, and spirit fitness, with a mix a of health lectures from leading health professionals, health related activities, and health check-ups such as blood pressure. Bringing a healthy energy to the Capital city!

For the last three years Lark Daniel and her colleagues have held the Soulfit Festival at Reservoir park in Harrisburg. The purpose of the SoulFit Festival is to bring awareness to the importance of health, pertaining to total mind, body and spirit. This year, the 4th annual SoulFit Festival will take place August 12th and August 13th at Camp Curtain Academy. The goal of the Soulfit festival is to educate black and brown communities to be healthier, stronger, and happier, in addition to providing the best chances to fight against diseases such as diabetes, heart disease, and high blood pressure. The fit fest is centered around the natural healing that comes specifically from African Arts and culture through dance, drumming, and spoken word. This years fourth annual festival promises to bring much of the same, including fun interactive presentations, DJs , demonstrations, vendors, community partners, local farmers, and of course fitness and dance instructors.
The festival was born out of the pandemic, and organizer Lark Daniel realized depression rates were going up, child abuse rates were going up. So she figured she had to do something! This two day event combines mind, body, and spirit fitness, with a mix a of health lectures from leading health professionals, health related activities, and health check-ups such as blood pressure. Bringing a healthy energy to the Capital city!

When people come together and talk about really interesting topics, great questions spark better understanding and opportunities for new ideas to form. On The Spark from WITF, host Asia Tabb starts conversations about what’s happening in the world and at home. Share your ideas at https://witf.org/programs/the-spark.

When people come together and talk about really interesting topics, great questions spark better understanding and opportunities for new ideas to form. On The Spark from WITF, host Asia Tabb starts conversations about what&rsquo;s happening in the world and at home. Share your ideas at https://witf.org/programs/the-spark.

The Spark

When people come together and talk about really interesting topics, great questions spark better understanding and opportunities for new ideas to form. On The Spark from WITF, host Asia Tabb start the conversations about what’s happening in the world and at home. Share your ideas at https://witf.org/programs/the-spark.

When people come together and talk about really interesting topics, great questions spark better understanding and opportunities for new ideas to form. On The Spark from WITF, host Asia Tabb start the conversations about what&rsquo;s happening in the world and at home. Share your ideas at&nbsp;<a href="https://witf.org/programs/the-spark">https://witf.org/programs/the-spark</a>.

SoulFit Festival to celebrate 4th annual fit fest in August

Erica Jo Shaffer

The Rise of The Internet

(00:00:00)

Winter may still have its grip, but we’re already dreaming of green. In this episode, we finally dig into the houseplant care we didn’t get to last time. From keeping indoor plants thriving to refreshing bird feeders and bird baths during the coldest stretch of the year. We’ll talk about what’s blooming right now, the seeds you can start early, and the small rituals that help us look toward spring.

(00:22:30)
Then we shift to a very different kind of ecosystem: the early internet. Our guest reflects on the moment he proposed the very first emoticons :-) and :-( and how those simple keystrokes reshaped digital communication. 

(00:00:00)
Winter may still have its grip, but we&rsquo;re already dreaming of green. In this episode, we finally dig into the houseplant care we didn&rsquo;t get to last time. From keeping indoor plants thriving to refreshing bird feeders and bird baths during the coldest stretch of the year. We&rsquo;ll talk about what&rsquo;s blooming right now, the seeds you can start early, and the small rituals that help us look toward spring.
(00:22:30) Then we shift to a very different kind of ecosystem: the early internet. Our guest reflects on the moment he proposed the very first emoticons :-) and :-( and how those simple keystrokes reshaped digital communication.&nbsp;

Growing Things: In the Garden and Online

Horseshoe Curve

York Art Association

(00:00:00)

First, we meet Matthew Wolff, Curator at the Railroaders Memorial Museum, whose passion for railroad history fuels his work preserving the legacy of the people who built Altoona into a powerhouse of American industry. Matthew guides us through the astonishing story of the Horseshoe Curve, an engineering marvel blasted, dug, and carved through the Allegheny Mountains in the 1850s by Irish immigrant laborers. The Curve became a vital artery for the nation, a target of wartime espionage, and a symbol of the grit that defined Railroad City. We explore how the museum keeps that legacy alive and why the story of Altoona’s workers still resonates today.

(00:22:34)

Then we travel to York, where Roth J. Preap, Executive Director of the York Art Association, is leading a new chapter for one of Pennsylvania’s oldest arts organizations. Founded in 1905, the Association has weathered cultural shifts, urban flight, and technological change, and now, under Roth’s leadership, it’s preparing to move into a new permanent home known as the Little Green Church. With a $2 million capital campaign underway, Roth shares how the organization is expanding arts education, strengthening community access, and honoring more than a century of creative history.

(00:00:00)
First, we meet&nbsp;Matthew Wolff, Curator at the Railroaders Memorial Museum, whose passion for railroad history fuels his work preserving the legacy of the people who built Altoona into a powerhouse of American industry. Matthew guides us through the astonishing story of the Horseshoe Curve,&nbsp;an engineering marvel blasted, dug, and carved through the Allegheny Mountains in the 1850s by Irish immigrant laborers. The Curve became a vital artery for the nation, a target of wartime espionage, and a symbol of the grit that defined Railroad City. We explore how the museum keeps that legacy alive and why the story of Altoona&rsquo;s workers still resonates today.
(00:22:34)
Then we travel to York, where Roth J. Preap, Executive Director of the York Art Association, is leading a new chapter for one of Pennsylvania&rsquo;s oldest arts organizations. Founded in 1905, the Association has weathered cultural shifts, urban flight, and technological change, and now, under Roth&rsquo;s leadership, it&rsquo;s preparing to move into a new permanent home known as the Little Green Church. With a $2 million capital campaign underway, Roth shares how the organization is expanding arts education, strengthening community access, and honoring more than a century of creative history.

From Railroads to Renaissance: How PA Built and Rebuilt Its Creative Identity

100 Years of Harrisburg Art 

LensWorthy Photography

(00:00:00)

We begin with the Art Association of Harrisburg, founded in 1926 by visionary civic leader Gertrude Olmsted McCormick. What began during the Coolidge presidency in a world shaped by world wars, the Great Depression, and seismic cultural change has grown into a 100‑year artistic anchor for the region. Through shifting art movements, evolving technology, and nearly twenty presidential administrations, the Association has remained a beacon for artists, students, teachers, and patrons.

We explore the legacy of its founding mothers, the decades‑long leadership of Carrie, the creation of the beloved Gallery Walk, and the storied history of the Bal Masque, which has traveled from the old Penn Harris Hotel to Strawberry Square, the Hilton, and now for its 100th anniversary celebration the King Mansion on April 26, 2026.

(00:22:29)

Then we shift to the present with Jemar Sweets, a travel photographer and Millworks artist whose business, LensWorthy Imagery, captures culture, color, and connection across the globe. From Harrisburg and Hershey to Colombia, Greece, Jamaica, and beyond, Jemar’s work blends adventure with artistry. When he’s not behind the camera, he’s exploring new foods, performing improv, and immersing himself in the stories of the places he visits.

(00:00:00)
We begin with the&nbsp;Art Association of Harrisburg, founded in 1926 by visionary civic leader Gertrude Olmsted McCormick. What began during the Coolidge presidency in a world shaped by world wars, the Great Depression, and seismic cultural change has grown into a 100‑year artistic anchor for the region. Through shifting art movements, evolving technology, and nearly twenty presidential administrations, the Association has remained a beacon for artists, students, teachers, and patrons.
We explore the legacy of its founding mothers, the decades‑long leadership of Carrie, the creation of the beloved Gallery Walk, and the storied history of the Bal Masque, which has traveled from the old Penn Harris Hotel to Strawberry Square, the Hilton, and now for its 100th anniversary celebration the King Mansion on April 26, 2026.
(00:22:29)
Then we shift to the present with Jemar Sweets, a travel photographer and Millworks artist whose business, LensWorthy Imagery, captures culture, color, and connection across the globe. From Harrisburg and Hershey to Colombia, Greece, Jamaica, and beyond, Jemar&rsquo;s work blends adventure with artistry. When he&rsquo;s not behind the camera, he&rsquo;s exploring new foods, performing improv, and immersing himself in the stories of the places he visits.

SoulFit Festival to celebrate 4th annual fit fest in August

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