Blossburg, PA – The historic Victoria Theatre in Blossburg was alive with music and storytelling on Sunday, September 28, as musician, educator, and former coal miner Van Wagner performed in Songs Celebrating Coal Miners of Pennsylvania.
This family-friendly concert, presented by the Northcentral Pennsylvania Conservancy (NPC), honored the coal miners who helped shape Pennsylvania’s history while highlighting ongoing efforts to restore the Tioga River.
Van Wagner Brings Coal Mining History to Life
Van Wagner is an educator, forester and musical artist. In the classroom, he teaches Agriculture Science at Danville Area High School. His songwriting explores Pennsylvania’s history, landscapes, and its spirit. He is releasing his thirty-sixth album this fall.
Wagner’s stories, songs, and humor were well-received by the 85 concertgoers who came out to enjoy the show.
Ben Nevin, a Blossburg resident who attended the concert, shared: “It was a great honor to have Van in my soft-coal hometown, promoting a great cause cleaning up abandoned mine drainage in the Tioga River.”
Concert Shines a Spotlight on Tioga River’s Restoration Journey
The intimate Victoria Theatre provided an inviting setting for the community to connect through music and history while learning about the local conservation efforts.
NPC’s Executive Director, Renee’ Carey, shared: “Van Wagner’s music brought our coal mining history to life and gave us an opportunity to engage with the community about the Tioga River and the ongoing clean-up project.”
This free, public concert was made possible thanks to support from the Susquehanna River Basin Commission (SRBC).
Rivers, Coal & Crafts
The concert was part of the 2025 Rivers, Coal & Crafts series, a series of hands-on educational events coordinated by NPC, the Blossburg Memorial Library, and the Tioga County Conservation District (TCCD). Throughout the series, participants explored the region’s mining history, learned about the decades-long impacts of Abandoned Mine Drainage (AMD), and discovered how local partnerships—including NPC, TCCD, the Tioga County Concerned Citizens Committee, and SRBC—are working to improve the health of the Tioga River.