Dear Folks,

      We have a great treat in store for Thursday, August 23, from 7 to 9 p.m. as we welcome the Philadelphia Area Songwriter Alliance for a free concert with 8 of their members coming from the tri-state area and performing their original compositions. Our yard sale troubadour and hammer dulcimer player Sharon Abbott, herself a mean songwriter, has put together and emceed this concert for the last several years and we've been delighted with the quality of the performances. This year we'll hear from Naila, Brent Ellison, Heidi Wolfson & Art Cohen, Kevin "Captain Blue" Mulderig, Nancy Huebner (pictured to the right), "Nytrous" (Lance Fingles & Chuck Darrow), Nathan Surles, and Joey McGowan (pictured below left). Weather looks great, people are coming back from vacations and we hope for a big crowd to support these musicians. 

      Speaking of concerts, the fundraising effort to defray the costs to us of putting on the 20 some odd concerts this year is proceeding nicely. The WalkaPalooza Pot which lives in our shop during open hours and comes out and sits on the snacks table at concerts has garnered $145 in contributions to support the series. Thanks to the many contributors. You can also contribute through paypal or write a check payable to The Concert Fund.

      The cooler weather, hopefully a trend, makes it feel like Back to School is right on schedule. Our Back to School Yard sale is scheduled for Saturday September 1 and will be a chance for you to make extra money to buy those new sneakers that your kid needs or to come and buy bargains that will help the cause. Give us a call at 215-242-0854 if you want to be a seller (just $10 for a spot). We also are trying to help the cause in these tight economic times. If you mention that you saw it on our website or at GoMtAiry.com, you can get 20% off any foreign language or back to school books till the end of August. We do a brisk business in summer reading books and some students may have followed my method of doing summer reading - procrastination. We don't have everything that all schools require but we do have this copy of The Things they Carried, by Tim O'Brien which was required, if I remember right, for one of the grades at Masterman. Our paperback fiction is still just $2, the price we've kept it at for at least 7 or 8 years, though we may need to raise these prices sometime soon. 

Our website calendar is still down so here is a look ahead:

Thursday, August 30, 7 to 9 p.m.(this is a change from the original date of August 31) Kenny Sykes and Friends playing great tenor sax and crooning some soul, jazz, and gospel

Saturday, September 1, The Mount Airy Train Station Back to School Yard Sale. 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. 

Saturday, September 8, 7 to 9 p.m., Free Concert with singer/songwriter extraordinaire, Drew Calvin. No rain date. 

Saturday, September 15, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., The Fall in Mount Airy Train Station Yard Sale 

Friday, September 21, 7 to 9 p.m., Free concert with the amazing bluegrass band, The Lewis Brothers

Friday, September 28, 7 to 9 p.m., Free Concert with the superb vocal quartet, Acoustic Blender 

Hope to see you soon,

Greg and Cynthia