The Commonwealth Beat with Laura LeBeau - Episode 121 - 07/12/2026

         Summer’s in full swing, and for many, it’s a chance to pack some shorts and a t-shirt in a bag and hit the road for a much needed weekend getaway.   If you’re into handmade art - and independent film - the perfect weekend awaits in one of Pennsylvania’s most quaint, and truly artistic locations, Mount Gretna, PA, nestled in the mountains straddling Lebanon and Lancaster counties.           While the Mount Gretna Art Show has been around for 52 years, this will be the third year that patrons of it may attend the Mount Gretna International Film Festival, free of charge.  Hear all about it from the director of the film festival, Claire De Boer.            Then in our PA-mazing segment, the Union Pacific Big Boy 4014 steam locomotive has made a triumphant tour of Pennsylvania during this Semiquincentennial celebration of America.  One of its stops was not too far from Mount Gretna, and the Big Boy brought out big crowds during its visit.  Hear some of the highlights of Big Boy's visit to the City of Lebanon, PA.