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For information on submitting an obituary, please contact Reading Eagle by phone at 610-371-5018, or email at obituaries@readingeagle.com or fax at 610-371-5193. Most obituaries published in the Reading Eagle are submitted through funeral homes and cremation services, but we will accept submissions from families. Obituaries can be emailed to obituaries@readingeagle.com. In addition to the text of the obituary, any photographs that you wish to include can be attached to this email. Please put the text of the obituary in a Word document, a Google document or in the body of the email. The Reading Eagle also requires a way to verify the death, so please include either the phone number of the funeral home or cremation service that is in charge of the deceased's care or a photo of his/her death certificate. We also request that your full name, phone number and address are all included in this email. All payments by families must be made with a credit card. We will send a proof of the completed obituary before we require payment. The obituary cannot run, however, until we receive payment in full. Obituaries can be submitted for any future date, but they must be received no later than 3:00 p.m. the day prior to its running for it to be published. Please call the obituary desk, at 610-371-5018, for information on pricing. The Valley Forge Tourism and Convention Board’s annual luncheon provides the agency with the opportunity to report on tourism results for the previous year. It’s also a chance to talk about what is coming to the region in the next year. The tourism board used this year’s event, held on Oct. 30, as the formal release of its 2025 Annual Report — highlighting the economic impact of the hospitality industry on the county. In its report, which had the theme of “Rhythm,” the agency said tourism continues to be a key driver in Montgomery County’s economy — the third largest county in Pennsylvania. Visitor spending in 2024 generated $1.8 billion, a nearly 4 percent increase from the previous year, according to Tourism Economics. This led to an overall $2.5 billion economic impact in Montgomery County. “As we find our rhythm and look ahead to 2026, I’m proud of how our team continues to move in sync, driving growth, collaboration, and excitement across Montgomery County,” Mike Bowman, Valley Forge Tourism and Convention Board president & CEO, said in a press release. “That collective energy will make next year’s historic celebrations our most impactful yet.” In 2026, the country will celebrate its 250th birthday, and Valley Forge National Historical Park will celebrate its 50th anniversary as a national park. In reporting achievements for the fiscal year, the tourism board said Montgomery County hotels continue to lead the suburban market with an average daily rate of $134. In terms of hotel room revenue, the properties produced more than $218 million in 2024 — a 5 percent increase over the previous year. Valley Forge Sports is another tourism segment that experienced another record year, according to the report — surpassing 100,000 room nights, 20 new events hosted, and 6 percent overall growth year-over-year, the agency reported. Among the guests at the event were Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro; Anne Ryan, Deputy Secretary of Tourism for Pennsylvania; and Montgomery County Commissioners Neil Makhija, Jamila Winder and Thomas DiBello. Keynote speaker was Jared Orton, president of the world-famous Savannah Bananas — the Banana Ball league that takes a “Fans First” approach to baseball, according to information on the league’s website. Orton has helped lead the organization’s growth and has redefined the fan experience. Players in the league perform choreographed dances during each game, and the league has a pitcher who plays in stilts as well as a dancing umpire. During the luncheon, Orton spoke on the tourism board’s theme of “Rhythm” and how moving in sync toward a shared purpose can create extraordinary results. Ryan spoke to how the rhythm of travel in Pennsylvania begins in Valley Forge, setting the tempo for movement, connection, and discovery across the Commonwealth, according to the release. Ryan Ogle, championship director of the PGA of America, shared an update with attendees on the 2026 PGA Championship coming to Aronimink Golf Club. That event will mark the first time in more than 60 years that the Major Championship will be played in the Philadelphia region. The event is expected to attract nearly 200,000 spectators and generate more than $125 million in economic impact, the tourism board reported. Additionally, Jennie Herreid, general manager of Netflix House Philadelphia, shared an update on the first-of-its-kind experience opening on Wednesday, Nov. 12, at the King of Prussia Mall. As part of her report on the Valley Forge Tourism and Convention Board’s marketing initiatives, Rachel Riley, vice president of marketing & communication,s announced the return of Cirque du Soleil to Montgomery County. Cirque du Soleil’s “Luzia” will begin an engagement in May 2026 under the Big Top at Greater Philadelphia Expo Center in Upper Providence Township. The show runs from May 7 through June 7. Tickets for the show went on sale on Thursday, Nov. 6. For information about the show and to reserve tickets, visit https://luzia.cirquedusoleil.com/oaks/. “Luzia” will be the fourth Cirque du Soleil show to come to Montgomery County. The troupe previously staged shows in 2018, 2019, and then in 2023. The Valley Forge Tourism and Convention Board has reported the 2023 show — “Bazzar” — resulted in an economic impact of $5 million for the county. Riley told attendees the agency’s summer marketing campaign generated more than 27 million impressions, and the arts marketing campaign reached more than 19 million people. In addition, the Valley Forge Tourism and Convention Board’s website, valleyforge.org, has more than 1.7 million pageviews this year, with more than 880,000 new users, and record email subscribers. Riley also reported that Visit Valley Forge’s social following has grown to more than 290,000, with millions of video views and the agency has seen more than 4,200 editorial mentions — making it No. 1 in the region — with a reach of more than 7.8 billion to date. “This year’s Annual Lunch really kicked off the anticipated historic impact of 2026 for Valley Forge and Montgomery County, Pa., and all of the regional events coming our way next year — including America’s 250th birthday and Valley Forge National Historical Park’s 50th federal anniversary. That momentous rhythm will carry into 2027-2028 for Montco with Valley Forge’s 250th milestones,” Riley told MediaNews Group following the annual event. “Our team has been working in sync to make sure we’re ready to welcome a record number of visitors to enjoy the plethora of history, outdoor recreation, eclectic cuisine, family-friendly attractions, arts and culture, shopping, and golf that we have to offer.” This year’s annual luncheon was once again a sellout — with 700 in attendance at the Valley Forge Casino Resort in Upper Merion Township, Montgomery County. The Valley Forge Tourism and Convention Board is a private, nonprofit membership-based marketing organization that promotes the Valley Forge Area and Montgomery County as a convention and leisure destination.
