A lecture on profiles of the people of the coal regions and a folk music concert with four big acts headline the two-day Coal Heritage weekend at the Summit Hill Heritage Center this evening at 7 p.m. in the hilltop community. The Center at 1 W. Hazard Street will host local historian Bob Vybrenner who will discuss profiles of the folks who lived and worked in the coal regions when the coal industry was in its hey-dey.

Vybrenner is a historian who is an active volunteer at Eckley Miner's Village and a Past President of the volunteer board at that organization. His lecture will discuss the different types of people who came to the coal regions for work, for hopefully a better life and how they worked, lived and endured the rough life here in northeastern Pennsylvania.Following the lecture on Saturday evening at 8 p.m., The Heritage Center along with Rootstown Radio is sponsoring a special evening of folk and heritage music called Coal and Roots Music. Four big acts are featured in this one night concert to benefit the Heritage Center and Rootstown Radio, a non-profit community radio station.Ed Saultz is a guitar player specializing in Irish folk songs and ballads. Lex Romane is from Ogunquit, Maine and is a native of northeastern Pennsylvania. He has released an album named "Diggin' Dusty Diamonds: Songs from the Coal Mines" which is a mix of original and famous songs about mining. The third act is artist Pat McGeehan of Summit Hill who performs a mixture of folk and bluegrass music. He is one third of the popular trio, Coal County Express. The final performer is renowned folk artist Jay Smar whose career spans 30 years playing traditional folk and bluegrass music and is known for songs like "There is Coal in Summit Hill", "I Am an Old Coal Miner" and "The Ballad of Glen Onoko".For more information, contact David at (570) 657-0792.