The Pennsylvania Center for Folklore at Penn State Harrisburg is thrilled to welcome Dr. Casey Schmitt of West Chester University to our Advisory Board.
Dr. Schmitt’s scholarship in folklore and cultural studies brings a wealth of insight and experience to our ongoing efforts to document, study, and celebrate the diverse traditions of Pennsylvania and beyond. We look forward to the vision and expertise he will bring to the Advisory Board.
Please join us in welcoming Dr. Schmitt to the Center!

With the arrival of harvest season, we thought it was the right time to look at examples of wheat weaving from our Yvonne Milspaw Collection. Though these samples originate from various locations, the practice has been active in Pennsylvania. The intricate, decorative straw work serves to celebrate the harvest. It also reflects the skill needed to create functional objects like baskets and hats. Interest in the craft re-emerged in the mid-20th century, when some of these objects were created.

Philadelphia-area workshops are starting soon through The National Network for Folk Arts in Education! Visit https://locallearningnetwork.org/facts for more information.

Does eating pumpkin seeds help prevent bedwetting? Folklorist Mac Barrick recorded this belief in Central Pennsylvania in 1976. You can find more of the beliefs he recorded in our newly-restored Pennsylvania Folk Belief Collection Database! https://sites.psu.edu/folklib/

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