Tom Hagen's 90th Birthday Bash Sept. 13

Mark your calendar for an unforgettable evening!

The birthday festivities kick off on the patio with Cleveland’s Swing Time Big Band, catering by Red Letter, an open bar, a 7:30 p.m. birthday bash presentation complete with a champagne toast and specialty cake, and live music from Breeze Band starting at 8 p.m. We are celebrating 90 years of our favorite donor’s life during a special celebration that will replace our gala this year at 356 West 6th Street.

Buy Tickets

Do you have an Erie accent? Find out on June 25

Linguist and researcher Dr. Keelan Evanini will describe the dialect of North American English spoken in and around Erie, Pennsylvania, and trace the history of how it changed over the course of the 20th century.

Evanini will provide examples for these patterns drawn from the field work conducted with over 100 residents of the geographical region around Erie in an attempt to track down the current location of the border between the North and Midland dialect regions.

Evanini grew up in New Jersey, but he has Erie roots: his mother was born and raised in Erie. He visited Erie frequently as a child and has fond memories of the water slides at Waldameer & Water World Amusement Park and eating sponge candy from Romolo Chocolates. He stayed in Erie for an extended period of time during his PhD studies in order to conduct the interviews for his field work. Several members of his extended family (aunts, uncles, cousins, etc.) still live in Erie, and Evanini has come back to visit as an adult with family. 

This is a free event as part of the Doris Becker Lecture Series at the Jefferson Educational Society, but you must register to reserve a seat. 

Buy Tickets