A niche music venue in Dickson City has found a way to stay open. Union Vapors 570 is turning into a coffee shop.
That will be welcome news to musicians and fans who have been mourning its impending loss for several weeks, said Joe Caviston, a musician and organizer of the Electric City Music Conference.
The outside of Union Vapors 570 in Dickson City Thursday, August 20, 2026. (SEAN MCKEAG / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
“I think it is wonderful,” he said. “It plays a super, super important role in the music community — venues of that nature — where bands can kind of learn to be a band.” It also attracts original acts from elsewhere looking for a small, relaxed venue and hosts art displays and vendors.
The switch was prompted by a state law that will go into effect in October, changing how some vape and e-cigarette products are regulated. It makes most of the stock at the three-year-old store illegal, said co-owner Gage Lewis.
Some vape sales will continue under the Union Vapors 570 name, at least for a while, Lewis said. A much smaller selection will be sold in a separate area of the store, which is located at 1945 Commerce Blvd., Dickson City. Vaping will not be allowed in the new business because of the hygiene regulations for food service.
Lewis expects renovations to begin next week and hopes Union Brew will open in October. “Think of brewing up some coffee,” he said. “And ‘witches’ brew’ is kind of a theme that people should expect to see a little bit of.” The store will remain open.
The staff hopes to sell baked goods made elsewhere, perhaps by local businesses.
The switch isn’t seamless. Local and out-of-town acts are still performing. But the owners trimmed the store’s hours and canceled some events while they figured out what to do. It will take time to ramp back up, Lewis said.
For now, he anticipates scheduling acoustic acts during the day and eventually adding more shows in the evenings.
“Any bands in the area, any aspiring artists that want to practice their craft or get their name out there, are still more than welcome to play,” Lewis said.
Several acts are playing live music Friday and Saturday.
Union Vapors 570 is one of the venues for the Electric City Music Conference on Sept. 11-12.
New laws for vape and electronic merchandise
In the meantime, most of Union Vapors 570’s inventory is being liquidated prior to the mid-October deadline.
“Come get your stuff,” Lewis said. “Come talk to us about those laws and those regulations that are changing in case anybody’s curious.”
The Pennsylvania Vape and E‑Cigarette Registry law is aimed primarily at certain foreign-made disposable nicotine vapes in fruity flavors that state officials say are marketed to teens and may contain high amounts of dangerous heavy metals. Nicotine is addictive.
To sell certain products, manufacturers must sign up and prove that they meet some federal Food and Drug Administration guidelines.
Stores can have their merchandise seized, be fined and face regulatory penalties.