Some Pennsylvania Shops Close Doors to Pagan Festival

Some Pennsylvania Shops Close Doors to Pagan Festival: "Some Pa. shops close doors to Pagan festival

By RON TODT (AP) - 2 days ago

ADAMSTOWN, Pa. - In the rolling hills of deeply religious rural Pennsylvania sits Stoudtburg Village, a tiny hamlet modeled on a German town. On weekends, tourists come here to visit shops on the ground floors of closely set three-story houses painted bright colors on pedestrian-only streets.

But this weekend, plans for a nature-worshipping group of modern pagans and witches to hold a festival in this picturesque section of Adamstown are getting a mixed reception, with some shop owners welcoming the visitors but others saying they plan to close.

"My personal feeling is that it's not something that I'd want to have anything to do with," said Jane Lesher, standing Friday amid the yarn creations of her shop The Soxy Lady, which will close Saturday. "I don't see how it's going to benefit the village, especially if it's going to leave a bad taste in the community's mouth."

The Reading Pagans and Witches booked tiny Stoudtburg, about 65 miles northwest of Philadelphia, for the "Celebrating Earth Spirituality Festival." The daylong Saturday event will feature music, prayers, storytelling and discussion. There will be games, coloring and face-painti"