HONESDALE, PA — The winter months are finally over, and the Wayne County Arts Alliance has kicked off a new season of Second Saturdays in Honesdale. The calmer weather of April allowed local businesses around town to host music, showcase artists, and orchestrate special events in settings both indoors and out—and the next such event is set to take place on May 12.

“Our mission is to support the arts in Wayne County,” says David Harvey, the WCAA committee chair for Second Saturdays. “So we have taken on Second Saturday with the founders, Derek Williams and Travis Rivera, to facilitate one evening a month where culture is encouraged and supported, and married to local business. Businesses thrive by having cultural events and can support each other, and so that’s totally in line with the Wayne County Arts Alliance. We want… to see artists have their artwork seen, we want to see local musicians be heard.”

Part of the Second Saturday goal has been to help promote the nightlife in the county; Harvey, who hosts Art-a-Pelago gallery events, is very pleased by what he’s seen so far this year. “What we’ve learned in this time is how much people are enjoying it. Just the feedback that everybody had a wonderful time—people are exposed to things that maybe they [haven’t] seen before. Maybe a bunch of people have never done Silent Disco [held at The Cooperage during April’s Second Saturday]. I saw multiple generations dancing together. Little kids, adults, 20-year-olds, grandparents, doing a little disco. It’s great! People enjoying the hard work [of] individual businesses in town, to build places where you can enjoy and relax together… it’s like lots of little pods of creativity, and we’re just there to stitch it together, promote it and let everybody do what they want to do that night. That’s the excitement of it.” Another part of the fun, he says, is the “seat-of-the-pants” nature of planning out Second Saturdays, which has also given the schedule of events more variety across different months.

Several events planned for the May 12 version include a group art workshop at the Bodhi Tree Art School (214 6th St.), 7 p.m.; the Scranton band Rogue Chimp, playing at the Here & Now Brewing Company (645 Main St.), 1 to 4 p.m.; and several exhibits making up the Art-a-Pelago Gallery, 6 to 9 p.m., found at the DJ Harvey Agency (815 Main St., featuring the art of Suzannah Hadorn), Loose Leaf Pages (627 Main St., featuring the art of Janet Gaglione) and Black & Brass Coffee (520 Main St., featuring the art of John Robinson). 

“We have a lot of talented artists in the area,” says Harvey. “And there’s a combination of things that make it unique in Honesdale. We have a particularly nice downtown for walking around, and it shouldn’t be underestimated. It’s a couple of nice blocks, with really nice buildings, where you can walk to one end or the other… it’s the size of the mall in Scranton… but you don’t realize it, [and] it’s all outdoors. We’re lucky to have a downtown that’s conducive to lots of little cool spots… a lot of different individuals who are just expressing their creativity, [who] we’re fortunate to have in the community. What’s special about it is the people… Everybody’s creative side is just spilling out onto the streets. It’s hard to make that up, or make things happen. You’re really just making sure people go, ‘Hey, I should stop here.’”

For more information about the events and businesses involved in Honesdale’s upcoming Second Saturdays, visit facebook.com/2ndSatHonesdale or instagram.com/2ndSatHonesdale.