Discover Music, Film, Art and Family Fun at the Ware Center This November

October 21, 2026 by Cori Jackson

From lively marimba rhythms and traditional flamenco to thought-provoking documentary film and family theater, November brings a wide variety of arts experiences to Millersville University’s Ware Center for the Arts in downtown Lancaster. With free community events, gallery exhibits, and performances for different ages and interests, there are plenty of ways to make the arts part of your month.

Here’s what’s coming up at the Ware Center!

Celebrate First Friday with Art and Music

Friday, November 6 | Free events

Make the Ware Center part of your First Friday plans with an evening of visual art and music.

At 5 p.m., visit the Regitz Gallery for the opening of Overshare: I Did This for Me, an exhibition by Lancaster-based artist Shauna L. Yorty. Through cardboard collage and mixed media, Yorty explores survival, transformation, and self-discovery in vibrant, deeply personal works. The opening reception runs from 5 to 8 p.m., with an artist talk at 6 p.m. The exhibition remains on view through November 24.

A cardboard collage animal by Shauna Yorty — Artwork from Overshare: I Did This for Me by Shauna L. Yorty. Photo courtesy of Shauna L.Yorty.

Then, at 7 p.m., discover the fascinating history and science of the marimba during the free Heartland Marimba Festival. Members of Heartland Marimba will explore the instrument’s international roots, its place in classical music, and its connections to Pennsylvania musicians.

Hear the Sounds of Marimbas, Xylophones and Flamenco

Heartland Marimba Jukebox Night with Friends
Saturday, November 7 | 7:30 p.m. | Adults $20, students $15

Heartland Marimba returns with an energetic evening of music spanning generations and genres. Hear the distinctive sounds of marimbas and xylophones bring modern pop inspirations, early 20th-century ragtime, Argentine tango, and irresistible grooves to life. With special guest performers joining the ensemble, this is a lively take on familiar musical styles and unexpected discoveries alike.

Members of Heartland Marimba throw their mallets in the air — *Heartland Marimba*

Flamenco y Sol: Flamenco at Its Essence
Friday, November 13 | 7:30 p.m. | Adults $29, students $21

Experience the passion and expressive power of traditional flamenco through live music, singing, guitar, and dance. Rooted in the tablao tradition, this performance celebrates the dynamic interplay between the artists and the spontaneity that makes each performance unique. Arrive early for a pre-show lecture by Dr. Ana Börger-Greco at 6:30 p.m.

Flamenco dancers pose at the end of a song — *Flamenco y Sol. Photo credit: Lisa Greenberg.*

Explore History Through Film and Conversation

Disposable Humanity
Tuesday, November 17 | 7 p.m. | Free

The Ware Center’s On Screen/In Person series presents Disposable Humanity, a documentary examining the Nazi Aktion T4 program and the systematic persecution and murder of disabled people under Nazi rule.

The evening offers an opportunity to engage with this difficult history beyond the screen. A pre-show community panel begins at 6:15 p.m., followed by the film at 7 p.m. After the screening, audiences can participate in a question-and-answer session with director Cameron Mitchell. The event is co-presented by the MU Disability Film Festival.

Angel statues on the Disposable Humanity poster — *Disposable Humanity*

Make Room for Family Arts Experiences

ExtraGive Junior
Friday, November 20 | 5–8 p.m. | Free

Bring the kids for an evening celebrating the joy of giving back! ExtraGive Junior features free entertainment and activities hosted by community benefit organizations. A puppetry workshop led by performers from Grand Pistachio begins at 6:30 p.m., offering another opportunity for young participants to explore their creativity while connecting with the spirit of community generosity.

Layer the Walls: Turn of the Century
Saturday, November 21 | 3 p.m. | Adults $15, students $10

Family Fun Fest welcomes audiences to discover the stories hidden within the walls of a New York City tenement. Using puppetry, masks, and live action, Layer the Walls: Turn of the Century brings to life the experiences of immigrant families, from an Irish immigrant helping build the Brooklyn Bridge to Italian brothers surviving the Great Blizzard of 1888 and Russian Jewish garment workers fighting for safer working conditions.

Recommended for ages 8 and up, this engaging production combines theater and history in a way that invites families to learn and imagine together. Free children’s activities begin in the lobby at 2 p.m., before the performance.

A puppet family — *A scene from Grand Pistachio’s* Layer the Walls: Turn of the Century. Credit: Hyphen Photography.

Plan Your November Visit

Whether you’re looking for a night of live music, a meaningful film experience, an opportunity to discover local visual art, or a creative outing with the family, the Ware Center has something to explore this November.

Explore upcoming events, find accessibility information, and plan your visit. We look forward to welcoming you!

Mark Rast on Banjo, Bluegrass, and Performing with His Son Jordan

September 3, 2026 by Cori Jackson

Mark and Jordan Rast perform stringed instruments together in a barn

Mark Rast is no stranger to the Lancaster music scene. A member of both Colebrook Road and the Vinegar Creek Constituency, his intricate banjo picking is woven into the soundtrack of Lancaster County. During First Friday in September, he’ll be performing in a much smaller grouping—with his son, Jordan. We asked him how he got into playing the banjo, how he raised his kids in a musical family, and what it’s like to get to perform with your grown-up kid.

How did you get into playing banjo?

“I fell in love with folk and bluegrass music when I was about 14 years old,” he says. “The seminal album by the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band—Will the Circle Be Unbroken—put me over the top.” He began taking banjo lessons, and the rest is history.

As a musician, how did you raise your kids?

“The kids were surrounded by my music at home,” he says. “Fortunately, their mother is a huge fan and an excellent singer as well. We encouraged them to play music from a young age, and they all embraced it. Suzuki violin lessons were a great start. Soon we were all playing together at home.”

The family spent their vacations attending Bluegrass and Old-Time festivals, where the kids became involved in the music, starting to add up contest wins as both individuals and as a family band. Now adults, all of Mark Rast’s children are accomplished musicians who have played in bands from Oldtime Liberation Front to the Second-Hand Suits.

What’s it like to perform with your grown son?

Mark and his son, Jordan, started playing together more often during the pandemic. “We had a few gigs and really enjoyed the more relaxed interplay of a duo,” he says. In between shows with their individual bands (Jordan currently plays with the Joe Hillman band), they perform as a duo as often as they can.

“Jordan is a really giftedmusician and seeing that as a father is always amazing,” he says. “He really pushes me and keeps me on my toes. It is really great to play with younger folks who have new ideas about things. I can’t recall a single time I didn’t really enjoy playing a duo gig with Jordan.”

See Mark & Jordan Rast Live

🪕 Experience the homegrown Appalachian magic of this father-son duo for yourself during We the People First Friday on September 4 from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Ware Center for the Arts in Lancaster.

Uncover the powerful legacy of Native American Heritage through the arts

October 29, 2025October 29, 2025 by Cori Jackson

A collage showing Mali Obomsawin, The Paza Experience, and Jonathan Nelson art reads "Native American Heritage Month"

3 events in November feature film, live music, crafts, dance, and visual art by Native American artists

Join the Ware Center for the Arts in Lancaster, PA this November in honoring Native American Heritage Month with a wide range of arts and cultural offerings featuring indigenous artists, including the On Screen/In Person Event Mali Obomsawin: Sugarcane on November 5, a We the People First Friday event featuring The Paza Experience on November 7, and the opening of a new gallery exhibit by Diné artist Jonathan Nelson, which will be on display throughout November.

Mali Obomsawin: Sugarcane

Mali Obomsawin with her cello — *Mali Obomsawin*

Join us for our On Screen/In Person film and filmmaker series (with a live performance twist!) during Mali Obomsawin: Sugarcane on Wednesday, November 5, at 7:30 PM.

During this unique fusion event, bassist, vocalist, and composer Mali Obomsawin and her band will perform live against the backdrop of the film Sugarcane, for which she composed the score. The Academy Award-nominated National Geographic documentary investigates abuses at an Indian residential school that ignite a reckoning on the nearby Sugarcane Reserve. Watch the trailer for this gripping film.

At 6:30 PM in the Owen Grand Salon, there will be a pre-screening community panel discussion featuring members of the local indigenous community as well as scholars on Native American culture and history.

Tickets are $22 for adults and $15 for students. Buy tickets online or call 717-871-7600 to reach the box office.

The Paza Experience

During We the People First Friday, join us for The Paza Experience on Friday, November 7, at 5:30 PM.

Celebrate the rich heritage of Native American culture with Lakota grass and hoop dancer and flute player Delwin Fiddler Jr. of the Cheyenne River Sioux Tribe, and Samora Free, an indigenous singer, multi-instrumentalist, and soundscape artist from NYC.

Derived from the Lakota word for “Tree of Life,” Paza symbolizes our connection to the Earth, ourselves, and all living beings. The event will include a craft at 5:30 PM, a performance at 6:30 PM, and a dance workshop at 7:30 PM.

The event is free and open to the public; no tickets are required for entry.

This engagement is funded through the Mid-Atlantic Tours program of Mid-Atlantic Arts with support from the National Endowment for the Arts.

Jonathan Nelson: Icons of the Diné

Sketches for Icons of the Dine - image by DARIA — *Sketches for Icons of the Diné – image by DARIA*

During We the People First Friday on Friday, November 7, a reception from 6 to 8 PM will celebrate the opening of the gallery exhibit Icons of the Diné by indigenous artist Jonathan Nelson.

The Diné people are one of 562 distinct, federally recognized Native American tribes. In this exhibit, Diné artist Jonathan Nelson brings to life six roles historically and currently held by tribal members.

With his background in illustration and graphic design, Nelson creates these icons, along with unique stylized logos, as a way of countering sport mascot caricatures of Native Americans. Nelson hopes to make Indigenous identities better known and seen, to spark conversation, and to remind people of who the Diné are and that they are still here, influencing the world.

The exhibit will be on display in the Regitz Gallery through November 28.