Greater Scranton YMCA hosting free Trunk or Treat event on Wed., Oct. 21 The Greater Scranton YMCA will host its Trunk or Treat on Wednesday, Oct. 21, from 5 to 7 p.m. in the parking lot at 706 N. Blakely St. in Dunmore. The event is free and open to the whole community. Families do not need to be Y members to attend. Children can trick-or-treat from trunk to trunk in costume. Y programs, local businesses and community organizations will decorate and stock each car. The Y is planning for up to 1,500 children, and about 40 trunks are committed. Trunks this year include the Y’s Dunmore and Olyphant Early Learning Centers; its Membership, Aquatics and Wellbeing Initiative teams; Johnson College; Boys and Girls Club of Northeastern Pennsylvania; Electric City Aquarium & Reptile Den; and many more. “For a few hours, our parking lot becomes the friendliest block in Dunmore,” said Rich Surridge, president and CEO of the Greater Scranton YMCA. “Families get a safe, well-lit place to trick-or-treat. Our neighbors get a chance to meet the people behind the programs they love. It’s a great way to bring the community together, and we’re glad to host this event again this year.” Local businesses and organizations can still sign up to host a trunk. Setup begins at 3 p.m. To reserve a spot, contact Tressa Capoccia, Senior Director of Education, at tcapoccia@gsymca.org or 570-795-4563. Families who still need a costume can stop by the Y’s free community costume giveaway, which runs through Saturday, Oct. 17. The costumes came from the Y’s annual Halloween Costume Drive. The season continues with the Fall Craft Fair on Saturday, Nov. 14. For more information, visit greaterscrantonymca.org or call 570-342-8115.
Joy World Wealth Partners hosting Medicare 101 seminar Joy World Wealth Partners is hosting a complimentary educational seminar titled Medicare 101. It will be on Monday, October 5 at 10:00 a.m. at Joy World Wealth Partners, which is located at 125 North Washington Avenue in Scranton. The seminar will cover Medicare Parts A and B, Part D prescription coverage, Medicare Advantage vs. Supplements and how to avoid late enrollment penalties. Anyone interested in attending the seminar can RSVP by emailing joanna@planwithjoyworld.com.
Better Health Pharmacy takes part in Save a Life Day Better Health Pharmacy & Wellness in Olyphant took part in Save a Life Day on September 24th by handing out free Narcan to members of the community. Narcan is a life-saving nasal spray that can reverse opioid overdoses. Save a Life Day is an annual initiative that encourages people to learn how to recognize the signs of opioid overdoses and reverse them with Narcan. Communities across the country are encouraged to set up events to give away free Narcan.
Scranton Fringe Festival hosting opening celebration This year’s Scranton Fringe Festival will take place from October 1-10 and will begin with an opening celebration. The celebration will be Thursday, October 1 and Friday, October 2 from 6:00-9:00 p.m. at 159 Cedar Avenue in Scranton. Both celebrations are free and open to the public. They will feature new large-scale 3D projection-mapping experiences and the official launch of this year’s festival. The annual Scranton Fringe Festival is a multi-day, multi-venue arts celebration across Scranton that features theater, musicals, dance, puppetry and more. The festival supports creativity and 2026 is its 12th year. You can learn more about the festival and purchase tickets here.
Economist Nicholas Bloom To Deliver Henry George Lecture at University of Scranton Nicholas Bloom, Ph.D., the William D. Eberle Professor of Economics at Stanford University, will deliver The University of Scranton’s 40th Henry George Lecture on Wednesday, Nov. 11, in the McIlhenny Ballroom of the DeNaples Center. Dr. Bloom’s lecture, “How Working from Home Reshaped America,” will begin at 7:30 p.m. The lecture is free and open to the public. Dr. Bloom is internationally recognized as one of the world’s leading economists studying productivity, management practices, technological change, remote work and innovation. His research has transformed the understanding of how management quality influences firm performance and economic growth. It has provided influential evidence on the effects of hybrid and remote work on organizations and employees. His work has been widely cited by policymakers, business leaders and researchers around the world. Dr. Bloom earned his Ph.D. in Economics from University College London and joined Stanford University’s Department of Economics after faculty appointments at the London School of Economics and Stanford’s Graduate School of Business. He is a senior fellow at the Stanford Institute for Economic Policy Research (SIEPR), a research associate of the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER), a fellow of the Econometric Society and a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. His research has appeared in many of the profession’s leading journals, including the American Economic Review, Quarterly Journal of Economics, Journal of Political Economy, Review of Economic Studies and Management Science. He has received numerous honors for his research contributions and is widely recognized for pioneering large-scale studies examining management practices across countries, as well as the economics of working from home. Considered the preeminent public lecture series on economics in northeastern Pennsylvania, the Henry George Lecture Series is presented by The University of Scranton’s Department of Economics, Finance and International Business and the University’s chapter of Omicron Delta Epsilon, the international honor society in economics. Previous Henry George lecturers include 13 Nobel Prize winners in Economics: Philippe Aghion (2025), Daron Acemoglu (2024), David Card (2021) Paul Romer (2018), Robert Shiller (2013), Tom Sargent (2011), Peter Diamond (2010), Paul Krugman (2008), Joseph Stiglitz (2001), George Akerlof (2001), Amartya Sen (1998), Robert Lucas (1995) and Robert Solow (1987). The lecture series is named in honor of 19th-century American economist and social reformer Henry George and is supported financially through a grant from the Progress and Poverty Institute. For more information about the Henry George Lecture, call 570-941-4209 or email pamela.turbessi@scranton.edu.
Tim Kelly, Esq. recognized for dedication to pro bono legal services The Lackawanna Bar Association has awarded Tim Kelly, Esq. of Needle Law Firm with an award in honor of his dedication to pro bono legal service in Lackawanna County and the outstanding delivery of pro bono legal services. This award is in memory of Attorney Samuel Falk, who, over a long career in Lackawanna County, dedicated countless hours to providing pro bono legal services. Pro bono legal services are offered to underserved members of the Lackawanna County community who must meet stringent income criteria in order to qualify for the free services.
Women in Philanthropy to Host Panel Celebrating Women Who Shaped Lackawanna County Women in Philanthropy, an initiative of the Scranton Area Community Foundation (SACF), will host Women Who Shaped Lackawanna County: A Panel Discussion Celebrating Past Contributions and Present Impact on Tuesday, September 15, from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. at the Scranton Area Community Foundation, 612 Jefferson Avenue in Scranton. The event is free and open to the public and will celebrate the generations of women who have helped shape Lackawanna County through leadership, philanthropy, volunteerism, advocacy, service and civic engagement. Held as part of SACF’s continued America250PA commemoration, the program will bring together leaders from four local organizations with deep connections to the region’s history and community life. Panelists will share stories of women who came before us, the organizations they helped build and the ways women continue to strengthen Lackawanna County today. “For generations, women have played a defining role in shaping Lackawanna County—building organizations, strengthening neighborhoods, responding to community needs, and creating opportunities for others,” said Laura Ducceschi, President and CEO of the Scranton Area Community Foundation. “As we commemorate America’s 250th anniversary, this event gives us an opportunity to celebrate that remarkable legacy while also recognizing the women whose leadership, generosity, and service continue to move our community forward today.” Women in Philanthropy was founded in 2014 on the belief that when women come together, they can make a meaningful difference in their community. The initiative creates opportunities for women to learn, connect, give, volunteer and lead while turning individual contributions into collective impact. Guests attending the program are also invited to visit the America250PA bell located at the Scranton Area Community Foundation before or after the event. Titled A State of Giving, A City of Hope, the one-of-a-kind bell was designed by local artist Cherie Fruehan and unveiled in September 2025. It is one of more than 100 bells placed throughout Pennsylvania as part of America250PA’s statewide Bells Across PA initiative commemorating the 250th anniversary of the United States. The bell was sponsored by SACF with generous support from Susan and Dorrance Belin and celebrates the region’s history, generosity, and hope for the future.
Female Chamber members invited to take part in free online networking event NuuMe Business Academy is inviting all female members of The Greater Scranton Chamber of Commerce to take part in a Zoom meeting that will help women entrepreneurs network, learn and become a part of a community of businesswomen. The Zoom event will be on September 18th from 1:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. and is free. This event is part of NuuMe Business Academy’s Global Women Entrepreneur Network (GWEN). Anyone who’s interested in attending can call or text Guzal Mustafina at (917) 915-0027.
Life Purposely Coaching hosting two events for women Life Purposely Coaching in Clarks Summit is hosting two events designed specifically for women in August and September 2026. The first is a free Masterclass titled “How Did I Get Here?” It will be held via Zoom on August 25th from 7:00-8:00 p.m. According to Life Purporsely owner Elizabeth Keiper, the session is for smart, capable women who feel disconnected from the lives they worked so hard to build and the steps they can take to change that course. You can register for that event by clicking here. The second event is called Life Purposely LIVE: Flourish and will take place on September 19th from 3:00-7:00 p.m. at a cafe in Factoryville. This in-person immersive experience will allow attendees to change how they experience the final months of 2026. The event is limited to 20 women. You can register for it by clicking here.
Pennsylvania CareerLink Lackawanna County hosting AI in the workplace webinars Pennsylvania CareerLink Lackawanna County is hosting two virtual webinars that are free for employers. The webinars will be about Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the workplace. Attendees will learn how to balance the innovation and risks of AI. There are two identical sessions to choose from: September 9, 2026 from 1:30-2:30 p.m. and September 11, 2026 from 9:00-10:00 a.m. Employers can register for the September 9th session by clicking here, for the September 11th session by clicking here, or for either session by emailing their requested session date, name, company and email address to RA-LI-BWPO-ESVCS@pa.gov.
