Downtown Inc.’s public art map of downtown York.

On May 17, I studied a public art map of York. The flier was handed out at the premiere of “George Street Artists” – a documentary about the second phase in an effort to celebrate industrial art in the city. It listed and described 19 pieces on North Beaver Street and North George Street.

Industrial art, which incorporated items from local factories, started popping up on North Beaver Street in 2010. The second phase was installed in 2012 on North George Street. While shooting their documentary about the project, Nikolas Diener and Gregory Timmons saw a transformation in York. With the premiere earlier this month, Downtown Inc. announced the next phase of the project, which will be along West Philadelphia Street. Read the rest of the column about the project.

Submit an application:
Downtown Inc. is accepting design ideas for the next installation of industrial streetscape architecture. One bench, one planter, and two sculptures will be installed in the first block of West Philadelphia Street. The idea is to have fun and tell York’s story through its built environment. Artists are encouraged to submit multiple design ideas, which should be crafted out of durable materials. Designs should be submitted in a specific format to info@downtownyorkpa.com no later than 5 p.m. June 26. Get more details.

The story reads like a musical urban legend.

Cold Fronts, a Philadelphia band with York County roots, played an impromptu show next to a hot dog stand during the 2012 South By Southwest festival in Austin, Texas. A crowd formed and Seymour Stein, Vice President of Warner Bros. Records and founder of Sire Records, wandered over. The man who helped sign Madonna, Talking Heads and The Ramones walked away with a copy Cold Fronts’ EP.

Drummer Alex Smith almost didn’t believe it happened until Stein contacted his bandmate Craig Almquist. Thus began about 10 months of negotiations, which led to the band catching a bus to New York City Tuesday to ink a 120-page record contract with Sire, which is now an imprint of Warner.

There were many times when Smith said he doubted the day would come. The band members kept the negotiations under cover until the last minute.

Once word got out, they could hardly keep up with the texts, calls and emails. Philadelphia radio station WXPN-FM, which expanded to York County about five years ago, played a Cold Fronts song and congratulated the group.

Smith said he spent most of Wednesday responding. He used the pen he signed the contract with to write thank-you postcards to people who’ve helped the band through the years.

“We like to say in touch with people,” he said. “We’re still building a grassroots fan base.”

Continue reading on the jump.

When the band members got back to Philly, they called a few dozen friends for an impromptu pizza party. Smith said they prefer the varied offerings from Pizza Brain, an eatery and museum in the Fishtown neighborhood.

A lucky break boosted the band, but came after years of hard work, Smith said. The group formed in 2010. Smith and Almquist both graduated from York Suburban Senior High School a few years earlier. The band played several concerts in York County while it built a base in Philly. Other members of the lineup have changed through the years. Right now, Peter Helmis plays bass and Chris Baglivo plays guitar.

By 2012, Cold Fronts was supporting acts including mewithoutYou, Free Energy, The Morning Benders and The Gay Blades. Then came South by Southwest.

In February, the group won the 2013 Jansport Battle of the Bands, which earned them a trip back to South by Southwest to play the Sonicbids party. Smith said that event helped get people at Sire excited about Cold Fronts’ music.

“It was a little more organized that the first year,” Smith said. But after another band dropped out of a show in a biker bar, Cold Fronts jumped at the chance to fill in.

Smith said one of the band’s mantras is, “Any chance to play instruments with people, go do it.” And even though Cold Fronts has a do-it-yourself style, he said the members are thankful that the label is going to help them make an album.

“We’re really the only fuzz guitar rock band on Sire right now,” Smith said. And even though they’re on the same label Tegan and Sara, Regina Spektor and Delta Rae, he added that Cold Fronts will try to keep its low-fi vibe.

On Wednesday, the group sent 30 songs its interested in recording to Sire. The label will help them pare those down to about a dozen tracks. Smith said the label is helping finance studio time, instrument upgrades, publicity and other general expenses. The hope is to release the album later this year and also do a run of vinyl. In September, they’ll go on tour. Smith said that will likely include a stop in York County or Lancaster.

Until then, Cold Fronts is looking at a summer full of shows. On June 8 — Smith’s birthday — the group will play a block party in Brooklyn, N.Y. On July 11, they’ll open for the Front Bottoms at a World Cafe Live show that’s almost sold out. Then, Smith and Baglivo will hit the road in Dragon King’s backing band.

More:
– FlipSide first checked in with the band in 2011. Read the interview.
– Will Cold Fronts follow in the footsteps of other bands with York County ties, including Kingsfoil, Halestorm and Live?

File photo; Campers learn climbing staples at Roundtop Mountain Resort’s high ropes course in 2011.

Here is our list of Memorial Day Events for ways to honor those who serve. This weekend also marks the unofficial start of summer, so check our Summer Guide.

Openings:
– Roundtop Mountain Adventures opens Saturday at Roundtop Mountain Resort, 925 Roundtop Road, Warrington Township. On Sunday, there is an Ropes Course Open Climb 1 to 5 p.m. [Adventure packages cost $39 for adults and $29 for kids and seniors; Open climb is $15]
– The Boardwalk opens at Hersheypark Saturday. Check out the Amusement Park Roundup in this week’s York Sunday News.

Festivals:
– Check out culinary creations, wine offerings and artisan crafts 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday during the Great Pennsylvania FlavorFest at Mount Hope Estate, 2775 Lebanon Road, Manheim. [Free]
– Moon Dancer Winery marks a Memorial Day tradition this weekend with its Ninth Annual Jazz Festival. The music starts at 2 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. [$20 for adults and $10 for those younger than 21]
– ArtsFest runs 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday and Sunday and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday in Harrisburg’s Riverfront Park. It features live music, food, a kids fest and a film fest. [Free]

On stage:
– Attend the feline festivities of the Jellicle Ball during a production of “Cats” 7:30 Saturday night and 7 p.m. Sunday at the Dutch Apple Dinner Theatre, 510 Centerville Road, Lancaster. [Dinner and show tickets are $52 to $55; limited amount of show only tickets are available for $32]
– Don’t miss the final performances of “Fun Between the Covers” 6:30 tonight, Friday and Saturday at Rainbow Dinner Theatre, 3065 Lincoln Highway East, Paradise. [$50 to $54]
– Happy days are here again 8 p.m. Friday, 1 and 8 p.m. Saturday and 1 p.m. Sunday during “Happy Days, A New Musical” at the Allenberry Resort Inn and Playhouse, 1559 Boiling Springs Road, Boiling Springs. [$38 for adults, $16.50 for students ages 12 through 17, and $12.60 for children ages 4 through 11]
– Country star Casey James hits the stage Sunday night at Fed Live, 234 N. Second St., Harrisburg. Doors are at 7 p.m. Corey Crowder opens the 21-and-older show. [$15 in advance; $20 at the door]

More:
– Cruise through history with the “Pop Culture & Cars” exhibit that opened last weekend at Antique Auto Museum, 161 Museum Drive, Hershey. The museum’s open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. [$10 for adults; discounts are available for kids and seniors]
– Attend the Traditions of Tea event 1 p.m. Saturday at Central Market, 34 W. Philadelphia St., York. Feel free to wear Victorian hats and gloves. [$15; purchase tickets in advance]
– Learn how your ancestors prepared food during the All-American Food at the Bake Oven event Saturday at the Colonial Complex, 157 W. Market St., York. The complex is open 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and tours depart every hour on the hour. [$15 for adults, $7 for children 6 to 18 and free for children 5 and younger]
– Hit the Heritage Rail Trail County Park for Saturday’s Moonlight Bike Ride, which departs 8:30 p.m. from the Brillhart Station parking area. [$5 for adults and free for kids younger than 12; In case of inclement weather, call 717-840-7440 after 4 p.m.]

File photo; Myra “Neicy” DeShields sits at Sweet Willows eating ice cream with her “little sister” Talia McArthur for a 2012 Smart Magazine shoot.

Get ready to go behind-the-scenes of manufacturing in York County, which is known as the Factory Tour Capital of the World. The 15th Annual Made In America Tours event runs June 19 to 22. Participants can walk the production floor on more than 25 factory tours, many of which are free. See how chips, guitars, wall paper, coffee and other products are made. New places added to the lineup this year are Julius Sturgis Pretzel Bakery, New Grounds Roasting Co., Sweet Willows Creamery and Walk-Le Holsteins dairy farm. Check out the event lineup and the factory lineup below:

– Bluett Bros. Violins, 122 Hill St., Spring Garden Township; Tour costs $5
– George’s Furniture, Inc., 9 Reichs Church Road, Marietta, Lancaster County; Free tours
– Julius Sturgis Pretzel Bakery, 219 E. Main St., Lititz; Tours cost $3 for adults with discounts for kids
– Martin’s Potato Chips Inc., 5847 Lincoln Highway West, Jackson Township; Free tours
– Miss Lucy’s Dog Treats, 5241 N. Salem Church Road, Dover Township; Tours cost $1— New Grounds Roasting Co., 284 W. Market St., York; Free tours
– Perrydell Farm and Dairy, 90 Indian Rock Dam Road, York Township; Free tours
– Revonah Pretzels, 507 Baltimore St. Rear, Hanover; Free tours
– Sonnewald Natural Foods, 4796 Lehman Road, North Codorus Township; Free Tours
– Sweet Willows Creamery, 2812 E. Prospect Road, York Township; Tours cost with $5 and include fresh ice cream
– Utz Quality Foods, Inc., 900 High St., Hanover; Free tours
– Walk-Le Holsteins dairy farm, 6898 Oak Lane, Jackson Township; Tours cost $5
– Weldon Solutions, 425 East Berlin Rd., West Manchester Township; Free tours
– Wolfgang Candy, 50 E. Fourth St., North York; Free tours
– York County Solid Waste Authority, 2651 Blackbridge Road, Manchester Township; Free tours
– York Time Institute LLC, 312 W. Market Street, York; Free tours
– York Wallcoverings, 201 Carlisle Ave., York; Free tours

File photo; A spectator holds an American Flag as service men and women march through the Hanover square during a 2012 Memorial Day parade.

Wave the red, white and blue this weekend to honor those who served America. Here are some local events, parades and memorials to attend:

Memorial Day Floral Tribute: York’s historic Prospect Hill Cemetery and Cremation Gardens will partner with the Fourth Day Divine Floral Design LLC, for the fresh flower display of 400 roses and candle light the evening of May 24 through May 27 on the Fallen Heroes Memorial and Banner Display at Prospect Hill Cemetery and Cremation Gardens, 700 N. George St., York. The public is invited to participate by viewing the display.

Memorial Day Weekend: The National Constitution Center, 525 Arch St., Philadelphia, 215-409-6600, 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Saturday; 9:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sun/Mon. During Memorial Day weekend, the National Constitution Center will pay tribute to those brave men and women by exploring how Americans honor our military heroes. The American flag will be raised each morning during a special ceremony at the Center; guests are invited to join in and learn proper flag-raising protocol. During the special program, Memorials: How a Nation Remembers, visitors will learn about monuments across the country, including Little Bighorn, the U.S.S. Arizona, and the Lincoln Memorial.

Jefferson Community Memorial Celebration: Bethlehem United Methodist Church, 47 W. Hanover St., Codorus Township, 1:15 p.m. May 26 Memorial Day parade. The parade will proceed to the community cemetery on Baltimore Street for a memorial service at 2 p.m. The featured speaker will be Controlled Material Petty Officer Michael Lentz, a former resident of Jefferson with 24 years of service in the U.S. Navy. In case of inclement weather, the service will be held in Christ United Church of Christ, Baltimore Street, at 2 p.m.

Memorial Day in Wrightsville: Sponsored by Wrightsville American Legion, Abel Poff Leitheiser Post 469, will begin with breakfast 8 a.m. May 27 at the Post Home, 2nd and Hellam streets. The speaker will be Maj. Kevin Romine of the PA Army National Guard who served in Afghanistan, Kosova and Bosnia. The annual Memorial Day parade will leave the Post Home at 2 p.m. and travel west on Hellam Street to the Fairview Cemetery for the memorial service. The speaker will be Col. David J. Smoker, United States Air Force. Following the parade, refreshments will be served at the Post Home.

Memorial Day Parade: 6 p.m. Sunday. The parade will begin on South Main Street in East Prospect. After the parade, there will be a program at East Prospect Cemetery to honor the fallen.

Memorial Day Rodeo: Wellsville Frontier Days Inc., 75 Carroll St., Wellsville, 11 a.m. Monday. The rodeo will include bull riding, bronco riding, barrel racing, break-away calf roping and more.

Memorial Day Parade and Ceremony: Downtown Gettysburg Lefever Street, Lincoln Square, Gettysburg, www.nps.gov, 338-9114, 2 p.m. Monday. The Gettysburg Joint Veterans Memorial Day Commission will present this parade and celebration to honor the men and women who have died while serving our country.

Check out a list of Memorial Day ceremonies and services on the jump.

Memorial Day Program: Indiantown Gap National Cemetery, Indiantown Gap Road, Annville, 865-5254, 2 p.m. May 26. This will be the 13th Memorial Day event to be held in the PA Veteran’s Memorial. There will be a keynote address and music by the 28th Infantry Brass Quintet.

Memorial Day worship service: Quickel Evangelical Lutheran Church, 60 Canal Road Extended, Conewago Township, 1:30 p.m. May 26, Memorial Day worship service with special patriotic music provided by the First Capital Brass Quintet. The guest speaker will be Cpl. Lee Salmon of the U.S. Army War College. The worship service begins at 2 p.m. The Mount Wolf VFW Post 2493 will hold a short graveside service following the worship service at the gravesites of Clair Grim and William Quickel.

Memorial Day praise and worship: Shrewsbury Gospel Temple, 713 W. Forrest Ave., Shrewsbury, Memorial Day praise and worship at 10 a.m. May 26. For details, call 717-235-5151.

York County Memorial Day Ceremony: Sponsored by the York County Department of Veteran Affairs and the York County Commissioners, will be 11 a.m. May 27 at Veterans Memorial Park in York (located next to York Catholic High School). Local military veterans will be recognized for their service. All military veterans, their friends, family and the public are invited. Springettsbury Township resident Richard Allan Witzke, a Vietnam War veteran, will be keynote speaker. He was a captain in the U.S. Army from 1968 to 1970. The public is encouraged to attend.

Memorial Day service: Glen Rock American Legion Post 403 will hold its service 11 a.m. May 27 at the church cemetery of Immanuel United Methodist Church, 1 New St., Glen Rock. Daryl A. Rinehart will be speaker. Following the program, the Auxiliary will serve refreshments at the American Legion Post located on Manchester Street. In the event of rain, the service will be held in the church.

Memorial Day ceremony: New Freedom VFW Post will sponsor a ceremony 2 p.m. May 27 at New Freedom Cemetery. The ceremony is open to the public. Light refreshments will follow the ceremony at the Post. The Treehouse Florist in New Freedom is one of 2,000 florists nationwide participating in the Memorial Day Flowers Program. There will be a stand at the New Freedom Cemetery to give out roses to visitors during the Memorial Day Ceremony. Each visitor will receive two roses, one to place on the headstone to honor someone who served and one to take home in remembrance.

File photo; Veronica Woodward of Springettbury Township gets a laugh during orientation for new fashion students at The Art Institute on March 28.

The Art Institute of York’s Summer Studio puts students in a hands-on, collaborative environment, where they learn new skills in the fields of design, culinary arts, media arts, web design or fashion. The program, which runs June 19 to 21, is open to area high school sophomores, juniors and seniors. Art Institute instructors run workshops that will include real-world projects and professional-grade tools and technology to help students decide if they might want to apply to a creative college.

Registration for Summer Studio is open now. Tuition is $150, with a non-refundable deposit of $25. For details and to enroll, visit www.summerstudio.com/york or contact Michelle Ollason at 717-371-1337 or mollason@edmc.edu. Workshops are not available for credit and do not transfer into any of the programs offered at The Art Institute of York, 1409 Williams Road, Springettsbury Township.

More:
Check Smart Magazine for more area summer camps and activities for youth.

York rapper Nakuu, aka Terrell Bryant, is slated to perform at the Make Music New York event June 21. The free event will feature 1,000 free outdoor concerts on a single day in about 400 locations around the Big Apple. Nakuu will be performing 1 to 2 p.m. at the Flatbush Caton Vendors Market Plaza in Brooklyn. Read a 2011 interview with him.

Other highlights of Make Music New York:
– New York’s first open-air performance of Xenakis’s “Persephassa,” with the audience listening from rowboats in the Central Park Lake, surrounded by percussionists
– A Lincoln Square block party, with performances by the NYC Opera, NY Philharmonic, Jazz at Lincoln Center, ASCAP, American Composers Orchestra and American Opera Projects
– In partnership with Sing For Hope, 88 pianos will be available on NYC parks and streets for anyone to use
– An 18-hour vibraphone performance of Erik Satie’s “Vexations on Wall Street”; a 24-hour Indian Raga marathon at WKCR; a 24-hour-long interactive electronic piece under the Manhattan Bridge by British artist Nick Franglen
– Hundreds of guitarists playing Beatles songs in Union Square, a 40-member “Accordion Forest” in Park Slope, 64 toy pianos at the South Street Seaport and other massive groups assembled by Make Music New York

The Elks Theatre in Middletown will present a Spielberg Spectacular, featuring four of Steven Spielberg’s movies, on the big screen in June. Tickets cost $8. For details and showtimes, visit Elksmovies.com.

June 7 to 9: “Jaws” (1975) Starring Roy Scheider, Richard Dreyfuss and Robert Shaw
June 14 to 17: “Raiders of the Lost Ark” (1981) Starring Harrison Ford, Karen Allen, John Rhys-Davies, Ronald Lacey and Denholm Elliott
June 21 to 23: “E.T.” (1983) Starring Henry Thomas, Dee Wallace, Drew Barrymore and Peter Coyote
June 28 to 30: “Saving Private Ryan” (1998) Starring Tom Hanks, Matt Damon, Ed Burns and Tom Sizemore; The movie, which will be presented in 35-millimeter, is sponsored by Middletown VFW Post 1620. The Elks will also display a collection of World War II memorabilia. Before the movie attending veterans and current members of the U.S. Military will be recognized.

More:
The Greater Middletown Economic Development Corporation is running a Save the Elks campaign to raise funds for a digital projector that the theater will need to continue to show movies when studios stop distributing 35-millimeter film. Read more about the movie industry’s digital conversion and its impact on area theaters.

Brown’s Sunday Summer Concert Series kicked off May 19 and runs through Oct. 13 at Brown’s Orchards and Farm Market, 8892 Susquehanna Trail South, Springfield Township. Concerts at 2:30 to 5 p.m. in the pavilion.

May 26: Skyla Burrell
June 2: Dallastown Alumni Blue Silk & Satin
June 9: York County Gospel Choir
June 16: Shane Speal (Free ice cream for dads)
June 23: Tall in the Saddle Band
June 30: The Passionettes (Check out a video above.)
July 7: Columbia VFW Band
July 14: Second Generation Bluegrass Band
July 21: Art Wachter, Cindy David & Michael Arthur
July 28: Walter Crider & Old Time Way
Aug. 4: Red Lion Felton Band
Aug. 11: J.C. Fisher Band
Aug. 18: Unforgettable Big Band
Aug. 25: Bucky’s Brother

Read the rest of the lineup on the jump.

Sept. 8: Klinger McFry
Sept. 15: Banjo Jimmy
Sept. 22: Delta Road String Band
Sept. 29: Dallastown Alumni Blue Silk & Satin
Oct. 6: HogMaw
Oct. 13: Dockenspeilers

File photo; A Gettysburg Area High School senior works on a sketch in AP art class in February.

Downtown Inc. and CGA Law Firm are hosting a Student Art Contest that’s open to students in kindergarten through 12th grade who live in York County. All entries must be received with a completed application by 4 p.m. May 31 at CGA Law Firm, 135 N. George St‎., York.

To download the application and rules for the contest, click here. Only one entry per student will be accepted. Judging will be held by an independent group during the week of June 2. One winner from each of the four grade categories will receive a $50 savings bond.

Winners will be announced June 7 during a Student Art Gala held in the lobby of the CGA Professional Center. The event will correspond with First Friday festivities in York. All student artwork will be on display, and visitors can vote for their favorite. A “People’s Choice” award will be given to the artist with the most votes.