The Scranton Iron Furnaces historic site will be fired up with a new series of arts events beginning with a music festival Saturday.
Fall at the Furnaces includes Saturday’s Good Things Are Happening music festival, headlined by the alt-rock band Pool Kids. It will be followed by free performances, with Broadway music on Sept. 19 and Scranton Fringe Festival events on Oct. 1-2.
Times-Tribune File Valley in Motion, a civic organization, aims to revitalize the historic Scranton Iron Furnaces, above, as part of a community renewal effort.
Pool Kids will play at the Good Things Are Happening event. (COURTESY OF GOOD THINGS ARE HAPPENING)
The Scranton Fringe Festival begins with a 3D projection installation at the Scranton Iron Furnaces. (COURTESY OF THE SCRANTON FRINGE FESTIVAL)
The Scranton Iron Furnaces in Scranton Tuesday, September 8, 2026. (SEAN MCKEAG / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
A shaft of light comes through the opening of a blast furnace at the Scranton Iron Furnaces in Scranton Tuesday, September 8, 2026. (SEAN MCKEAG / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER)
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Times-Tribune File Valley in Motion, a civic organization, aims to revitalize the historic Scranton Iron Furnaces, above, as part of a community renewal effort.
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Iron Furnaces
The series is organized by Valley in Motion, a nonprofit arts and community group. Its goals include boosting the Cedar Avenue historic site as an outdoor venue.
“The Iron Furnaces is such an important part of Scranton’s history, and it’s such a great space,” said Gus Fahey, president of Valley in Motion. “It’s got this great, central location between downtown and South Scranton. So it’s very accessible. We also feel like it’s underutilized.” He hopes to expand the series.
The four massive stone blast furnaces are remnants of a Lackawanna Iron & Steel Company plant. By 1865 it had the largest iron production capacity in the United States. It was closed in 1902.
Music festival
The Iron Furnaces have always been home to Good Things Are Happening, which returns for a fifth time at noon on Saturday.
“It’s such a super cool spot,” said organizer and musician James Barrett.
The headliner, Pool Kids, are performing before leaving for the United Kingdom to do some shows with a big-name band, Death Cab for Cutie. There will be more alt rock on stage, plus indie rock and a sprinkling of other genres.
Admission to the all-ages festival is $35 in advance and $40 at the door. The event also will feature art merchandise vendors and sales of food and beer. Re-entry is allowed.
Broadway music
“September Serenades,” a showcase of family-friendly Broadway musicals, will follow on Saturday, Sept. 19. The Scranton Shakespeare Festival is presenting vocalists and an orchestra in a free 7:30 p.m. concert, Fahey said.
3D projection by Scranton Fringe Festival
The Scranton Fringe Festival launch events will be at the Furnaces on Thursday, Oct. 1 and Friday, Oct. 2, from 6 to 9 p.m. both nights, with performances and vendors.
The focal point will be a new 3D-projection art installation that will illuminate Scranton’s industrial past, reflect on the city’s 160th anniversary and will have a hint of the upcoming spooky season, said Conor Kelly O’Brien, executive director of the festival.
The projections go up around 7:45 and 8:30 p.m. each evening.
Fringe Festival brings a range of performing arts, some of it eclectic, to venues around Scranton Oct. 1-10.
Funding
Valley in Motion’s funding for the project includes support from the Willary Foundation, Lackawanna County, and the Anthracite Heritage Museum and the Pennsylvania Creative Industries.
More information
The history of the Iron Furnaces is outlined at Anthracitemuseum.org/explore/iron-furnaces. http://Anthracitemuseum.org/explore/iron-furnaces For the arts organizations, see Goodthingsfestpa.com, http://Goodthingsfestpa.com Scrantonshakes.com http://Scrantonshakes.comand Scrantonfringe.org.http://Scrantonfringe.org.