Pull Up a Chair

by Kevin C. Wells

[Originally published in the Summer 2026 issue of Mount Gretna Magazine. View the complete issue to experience this story in its original design, along with additional photographs and content.]

Photo by Nate Godfrey.

On summer evenings in Mount Gretna, the rhythm of Campmeeting shifts in subtle and meaningful ways. Lawn chairs accumulate around the Tabernacle. Laughter drifts across porches. A cooler settles in at the pavilion, and neighbors smile as they share their favorite dishes. What began as a simple idea of ending the week together has grown into something more intentional: a renewed commitment to community.

In recent years, traditions like Friday Happy Hours and Oktemberfest have emerged as defining features of Campmeeting life. Though informal, these gatherings reflect a desire to strengthen connections both within Campmeeting and across the wider Gretna community.

“We realized that people were here, but not always together,” says Nate Godfrey, chair of the Community Activities & Recreation Committee. “Everyone loves Gretna, but sometimes we stay in our own circles. We wanted to create something that invites people beyond that and brings them together.”

Friday Happy Hours, now a hallmark of the summer season, embody that vision. There is no agenda, only a time, a place, and an open invitation. Their simplicity is precisely what gives them meaning.

“It’s the simplicity that makes it work,” says a Campmeeting resident who requested anonymity. “You don’t have to plan much. You just show up. And in that showing up, relationships start to form.”

Among the most anticipated moments of the season is Pizza Palooza on July 31, when Campmeeting residents and chefs Joe Lento, Jason Henery, and Nate himself fire up wood-fired pizzas for a themed, family-friendly evening. What began as a modest idea has quickly become a centerpiece of the upcoming summer, where long lines turn into conversations and shared tables become spaces for connection.

Another tradition has quietly taken hold beneath the open-air beams of the Tabernacle: family-friendly Friday night movies. As dusk settles, families and neighbors gather with blankets and chairs, drawn not only by the film but also by the experience of being together. Children play, parents relax, and generations intermingle in a setting that feels nostalgic and new.

“It feels like something out of another era,” Kenny Carl says. “You’re not just watching a movie. You’re sitting with your neighbors, hearing kids laugh, and seeing people you recognize from around town. It reminds you that this place isn’t just beautiful, it’s alive.”

These gatherings extend well beyond Campmeeting’s borders. Visitors from across Gretna and beyond have found themselves welcomed into the rhythm, often returning week after week.

At the heart of it all is a simple but deliberate message: Everyone is welcome. Whether a cottage owner, summer renter, visiting family member, or day guest, all are invited.

Community here is not defined by ownership or tenure, but by presence and participation.[1] 

“I came the first time because a friend invited me,” says Mitchell Kaplan, a Gretna cottage renter from outside Campmeeting. “I didn’t know what to expect, but within 10 minutes I was talking to people I’d never met before like we’d known each other for years. That doesn’t happen everywhere.”

This openness has become a defining strength, though not without its challenges. As attendance grows, organizers continue to balance expansion with the intimacy that makes these gatherings feel special.

Oktemberfest reflects that same balance. Held in the fall, it blends seasonal celebration with community connection, offering a festive yet familiar space for residents and visitors alike. Its growing appeal was evident in 2025, when more than 200 attendees gathered, an encouraging sign of participation and a shared desire for connection.

“We wanted something that extended beyond the summer,” Nate says. “Gretna has such a strong seasonal identity, but the relationships we’re building don’t have to end when the summer does.”

While weather, logistics, and evolving expectations present challenges, the intentionally organic nature of these gatherings remains central. Without structured programming, conversations unfold naturally.

Neighbors share stories, and newcomers find a sense of belonging.

Maureen Callahan, a longtime summer visitor whose family has had a Campmeeting cottage for generations, reflected on the experience: “I still met people at Happy Hour that I’d never crossed paths with. Now, when I walk through town, I recognize more faces. That changes how a place feels,” she says.

For some, these gatherings deepen long-standing relationships; for others, they spark entirely new ones. Campmeeting seasonal resident Natalie Whitfield describes how a simple conversation about books at a Friday Happy Hour led to a lasting friendship, one that now extends well beyond the events themselves.

At its core, this effort is less about any single gathering and more about a shared mindset. Community is not simply a byproduct of proximity; it is something shaped through intention, effort, and choice.

That mindset continues to evolve with each season — create a space where people feel genuinely connected.

As Gretna continues to grow and change, Campmeeting offers a quiet but powerful example of what intentional community-building can look like. It suggests that connections need not be complicated.

Sometimes, it begins with something as simple as pulling up a chair and joining the conversation.

In that simple act, something meaningful takes shape — one Friday evening, one shared story, and one new connection at a time.

If you’re interested in participating, view the complete schedule of Campmeeting activities at MtGretna.org.

Kevin C. Wells is a Mount Gretna resident working at the intersection of writing, education, and civic service. He holds a Master of Science in organizational leadership, works in education administration at Milton Hershey School, teaches creative writing at the college level, serves on the Mount Gretna Campmeeting Association Board of Managers, and supports local governance through the Derry Township Board of Supervisors.