Second annual Pack the Preserve event at Montour Preserve set for Sept. 26 with car & boat show, wildlife art show, fossil dig, live music and more!

The Middle Susquehanna Riverkeeper Association and its Vernal School Environmental Education Partnership will be hosting the second annual Pack the Preserve event on Saturday, Sept. 26, 2026, at the Montour Preserve. ​

Car and Boat Show

The event will include another Car and Boat Show, which will run from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the Education Center parking lot located at 374 Preserve Road, Danville, PA. People are encouraged to register vehicles and boats for prizes in various categories. Please note that entries are $15 per vehicle/boat by Sept. 25 or $20 the day of the event. 

Please note: Registration the day of the event will close at noon to be eligible for judging and prizes.

We anticipate entries that represent antiques, classics, muscle, modern and more!

Prizes will be awarded specifically in the following categories for vehicles:

• Modern Cars (2000-Present Day)
• Modern Classic Cars (1980-1999)
• Classic Cars (1950-1979)
• Vintage Cars (Pre 1950)
• Street Rod
• Custom Build
• People’s Choice 

​Register for the car and boat show using the form below. You can pre-purchase your entry fee ($15 if done before the day of the event) by clicking here.

Wildlife Art Show

The annual Montour Preserve fall Wildlife Art Show will be held Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 26-27, 2026, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. each day. 

This show will be held in the auditorium of the Education Building and feature a wide variety of artists and mediums (paintings, sketches, engraving, photography and more). It offers the perfect opportunity for people to start their holiday shopping early by supporting local artists and getting gifts that can't be found anywhere else for the nature lover on their list. 

We are looking for new artists to get involved. If interested, fill out the form below.

Live music

We plan to showcase several key area musicians who have been heavily involved in our Songs of the Susquehanna efforts over the past six years. So far, musicians who have committed to playing include Larry Lawson, Don Shappelle and Chris Carithers. 

Check back soon for more details, including when people are performing. If you'd like to sponsor the live music for this event via a donation, please click here.

Items shown in this image were available during a ticket auction at the MSRKA Environmental Education Expo in February. We anticipate another great showing of items you can put tickets in for.

Ticket auction

After a wildly popular ticket auction opportunity at our Environmental Education Expo at the Montour Preserve back in February, we are excited to offer a similar experience during the Pack the Preserve event. 

We are looking for businesses and individuals who'd like to donate toward this opportunity with items that people can purchase tickets for and then place in bags that correspond with the items they want. Winning tickets will be randomly selected from bags starting shortly after 2 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 26. 

If you'd like to donate an item for the ticket auction (all proceeds go directly into environmental education efforts at the Montour Preserve), indicate it in the form below.

Fossil dig with Andrew Rockhound

One of our most popular events every year involves Andrew Rockhound, of the Central PA Rocks and Minerals Club, joining us for a fossil presentation and dig at the fossil pit. He will be offering a special fossil dig on Saturday, Sept. 26, during our Pack the Preserve event. 

Check back soon for details on the timing of this portion of the event.

Food trucks

We are in the process of securing food trucks for the Pack the Preserve event. So far, we have locked in Fran's Dairy Bar and potentially the Pretzel Hut, but are looking for other options to offer additional food diversity. 

If you'd like to be involved as a food truck vendor, please send us an email directly or fill out the form below.

Guided hikes and other activities

We are working to finalize various activities for families and individuals of all ages during the day, including guided hikes with our Master Naturalists and other volunteers, presentations on an assortment of nature-based topics, hand-on learning via a pond study and other events related to our annual field trips and a live wildlife show. 

​Check back soon for updates at this page!