Historic Ephrata Cloister, 632 W. Main St., Ephrata, will hold its annual apple dumpling sale on Friday, Oct. 6, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. and on Saturday, Oct. 7, from 9 a.m. until sold out.

Proceeds will go to the Back to the Cloister Fund, which allows the Cloister museum to compete with private collectors and other institutions on the open market for original items made at the Cloister. Over the years, proceeds from the apple dumpling sale have been used to purchase one-of-a-kind furniture, rare music manuscripts, and the original 1739 deed to the historic site. More than 100 items have been purchased since the creation of the fund more than 40 years ago.

The apple dumplings, made by Achenbach's in Leola, will be available for a fee per dumpling at the drive-through tent beside the museum store at the Historic Ephrata Cloister. The sale will take place rain or shine. Interested individuals are encouraged to make their purchases early. Preorders are available for orders of 10 or more dumplings at http://bit.ly/3RfRrm0. Free delivery is available for preorders of 20 or more dumplings delivered within 10 miles of the Ephrata Cloister. Contact ephratacloister@gmail.com to make delivery arrangements. No admission to the museum is required to purchase apple dumplings.

The museum store, featuring locally made crafts, art, books, and one-of-a-kind items, will be open both days and will feature a porch sale of specialty goods.

For more information about apple dumpling sales or to learn more about the historic site, contact the Ephrata Cloister at 717-733-6600 or visit http://www.EphrataCloister.org.

Additionally, community members are also invited to celebrate the musical heritage of Ephrata on Sunday, Oct. 8, by attending concerts by the Ephrata Cloister Chorus in the historic 1741 Saal (Meetinghouse). The concerts will take place at 2 and 3 p.m. Tours of the historic buildings will be provided at 12:30 and 1:30 p.m. and will conclude in time for the concerts.

The chorus, under the direction of Mark Herr and accompanied by Juliet Mitton, will offer a selection of music written in Colonial Ephrata and in other early American communities, including the Amish and Moravians.

Featured in the program will be two Cloister chorales arranged by Russell Getz. The concerts will mark the first time that "Der Abend Kommt" has been performed at the Cloister in more than 40 years. The concert will also include a third Cloister piece transcribed in 1986 by a college professor and concert pianist who came to Pennsylvania from the West to conduct research on Ephrata music. The text of this piece was written by the Reformed poet and mystic Gerhard Tersteegen, whose texts are frequently found in Cloister Music.

The chorus will also perform "Loblied," which is a hymn found in the world's oldest continuously used hymnal, "The Ausbund." This hymn is sung at every Sunday worship service of the Amish.

Other selections will include the hymn "How Can I Keep From Singing?" - composed by the Rev. Robert Lowry in the 19th century and arranged by Jeffrey Honore - and a piece of Moravian music, "Praise Ye the Lord." The chorus will perform "O Taeler weit, o Hoehen"; set to music by Felix Mendelssohn, this piece talks of the beauty of nature and the blessings found in one's daily life.

The concerts are included with admission to the site. Admission is discounted for seniors and for students ages 6 to 18. Children age 5 and under and members of the Ephrata Cloister Associates will be admitted without charge.

Anyone interested in becoming a member of the Ephrata Cloister Chorus may contact director of music Mark Herr at minstrel52@hotmail.com or call the Cloister at the aforementioned number. For information regarding membership in the Ephrata Cloister Associates or the amphitheater revitalization project, contact Suzanne Fisher, ECA president, at ephratacloister@gmail.com.