Macungie Memorial Park is a self-supporting park. They rely on volunteers to help with the pool, playground, grounds and repair maintenance and overhead expenses. Volunteers help bring all the great programs to the park every summer. To volunteer, call Macungie Park at 610-966-4289.

The Macungie Farmers Market is open 4-7 p.m. Thursdays through Oct. 30 on Lumber Street, just off Main Street, Macungie.

Grace Lutheran Church, 28 W. Main St., will hold an Apple Harvest Festival 1-4 p.m. Oct. 4. There will be food, including apple pie, free games and prizes for children, face painting and a cake walk. A basket raffle will benefit the East Penn School District Angel Network. For more information, visit www.gracemacungie.org.

Grace Lutheran Church will offer its free community meal 5-6:30 p.m. Oct. 10 in the fellowship hall. Take-out meals are also available. Call the church office at 610-966-3325 for the menu.

Grace Lutheran Church holds a weekly free food distribution 2-4 p.m. on the second and fourth Wednesdays in October – Oct. 8 and 22 for East Penn School District residents. Signs will be posted with directions for parking and pickup.

The Autumn Mineralfest will be held 8:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. Oct. 4 at Macungie Memorial Park, rain or shine. There will be dealers and tables of minerals, fossils, gems, geodes, crystals and more. There will also be hands-on lessons in gold panning and sluicing. Food will be available. Admission is free; the event is rain or shine. For more information, call 610-966-4289 or visit www.mineralfest.com.

Barktoberfest Pet Fair will be held 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Oct. 11 at Macungie Memorial Park. There will be a pet blessing service 12:30 p.m. at the gazebo. There will be training demos, a dog agility course, dog and cat rescues, vendors, pet groomers and sitters, food trucks and more.

There will be a Macungie Halloween Festival 4-9 p.m. Oct. 11 in Macungie Park with food trucks, live music, kids games, costume contest and more. The entry fee benefits the parade.

The Macungie Halloween Parade will be held 7-9 p.m. Oct. 11 (rain date is Oct. 12). Applications for participants will be accepted until Oct. 6. Volunteers are needed. For more information on parade route, participating, volunteering or sponsoring, go to www.macungiehalloweenparade.com.

The Church of the Good Shepherd, Alburtis Road will hold its fall craft and vendor sale 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Oct. 18. There will be crafts, attic treasures, vendors, a gift basket auction, bake sale and good food.

The last cruise night for the year will be 3 p.m. Oct. 18 at Macungie Memorial Park. Vehicles will start arriving 2 p.m. and the DJ starts 4 p.m. Refreshments will be available. For more information, call 610-966-4289.

Forks of the Delaware Bottle Collectors Association will hold its annual bottle and antique show and sale 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Oct. 18 at Macungie Memorial Park Hall.

There will be a fall fest craft and vendor festival 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Oct. 19 at Macungie Memorial Park.

The Macungie Minstrelaires present “Gone Country” 7 p.m. Oct. 24 and Oct. 31 and 2 and 7 p.m. Oct. 25 and Nov. 1 at Lower Macungie Middle School, 6299 Lower Macungie Road, Macungie. For tickets and information, call 610-966-3145 or visit www.macungie-minstrelaires.org. A portion of the proceeds will go to Lily’s Hope.

Friends of the Macungie Institute will hold a bingo Oct. 26 in the lower level of Macungie Memorial Hall. There will be cash prizes, raffles and food. Doors open noon and games begin 1 p.m. Proceeds benefit the Friends of the Macungie Institute. For more information, call 610-966-7830 or email friendsofmacungieinstitute@gmail.com.

There will be a Welcome Fall Vendor and Craft Fair 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Nov. 8 at Macungie Memorial Park.

Lower Lehigh AARP will meet noon Oct. 9 and Nov. 6 in the lower level of Macungie Memorial Hall at Macungie Memorial Park. Dues for 2026 will be collected; bring both cards. New members are welcome. For more information, contact Dot at 610-967-3284.

The Macungie Park Board of Directors meeting is 7 p.m. Oct. 14 in the lower level of Macungie Memorial Hall.

The Alburtis Seniors will meet noon Oct. 15 at Church of the Good Shepherd, 135 Quarry Road, Alburtis. There will be a potluck buffet lunch followed by a meeting and bingo. There is a small charge. Bring a covered dish. For more information, call Doris at 610-966-3653.

Trick or treating in the Borough of Macungie will be 6-8 p.m. Oct. 31.

The Macungie Institute offers free weekly Pinochle and Mahjong Wednesdays. Pinochle is 10 a.m. to noon and Mahjong is 9:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Zumba with Rashida is offered 5:30-6:30 p.m. Mondays and 2-3 p.m. Tuesdays. For more information, go to www.macungieinstitute.com.

New members are welcome to join the Macungie Town Beautification Committee. They meet 6 p.m. on the third Wednesday of every other month at the Macungie Institute.

Macungie Borough offices are open to the public. Hours are 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday. For information, call 610-966-2503.

Macungie Borough Council has in-person public meetings at the Macungie Institute. The next meetings will be 7:30 p.m. Oct. 6 and 20 and Nov. 3.

Cash bingo is held weekly Saturday evenings at Macungie Memorial Park. Doors open 4:30 p.m. and games begin 6:30 p.m. For more information, call 610-966-4289.

As of Oct. 4, I will have been writing my local columns for the East Penn Press for 30 years. Here’s a throwback to my first Longswamp/Topton column in 1995:

“I am Longswamp and Topton’s new roving reporter, and yes, I do go by the full name of Mary Patricia. In the words of a former teacher, I have a five syllable first name. My partner in crime, Lydia Rose, won’t actually be writing this column. Her primary tasks will be exuding charm as I gather information and gnawing on the paper as it comes out of the printer. In case you haven’t guessed yet, Lydia is our 7-month-old daughter.”

The copy deadline for the Nov. 5 column will be Oct. 30.