National Apple Harvest Festival...

Every October, on the first two weekends, a celebration of the glorious apple occurs near Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. The National Apple Harvest is held at the South Mountain Fairgrounds in Arendtsville, PA; about 10 miles northwest of Gettysburg, PA. With its beginnings in the 50′s as the Apple Blossom Sunday, the official National Apple Harvest debuted in October of 1965.  The festival expanded to two weekends in...

Spring Carlisle Swap Meet and Car Corral...

The Spring Carlisle Car Show and car auction occurs towards the end of April each year and brings more than 100,000 people flocking to Carlisle from all over the world!  This is one of the largest collector and parts showcase. In 2006, a car auction was added and became an instant success. The Spring and Fall Car shows were established in 1974 by friends Chip and Bill Miller, who saw a need for an event that was able to...

Kipona Festival...

Downtown Harrisburg’s Riverfront Park is the setting for the Kipona Festival. The festival is held on Labor Day weekend, by the Susquehann River and the festival gets its name, ‘Kipona’, from the American Indian name that means ‘Sparkling Waters’. Activities include the Kipona Canoe races, and juried ArtFest, the Rubber Duck Regatta, dragon boat races, and the Pennsylvania State Chili...

American Music Festival...

The American Music Fest occurs over three days near the July 4th Holiday and encompasses 5 stages, Riverfront Park AND City Island!  This is a fantastic chance to enjoy quite a wide variety of local, regional and national artists performing over 200 total hours of live performances. Other activities include a volleyball tournament and childrens events.  Plenty of booth space is set up for food, arts and craft vendors. The...

Shippensburg Corn Festival...

Where can you find cloggers and line dancing all through the day?  Well – ok, since we are in the Dutch Country Roads region, there are plenty of festivals like that.  But, if you are in the mood for corn, the Shippensburg Corn Festival is the only place you want to be! The Corn Festival is held on the last Saturday in August. Shippensburg closes their main streets to traffic for this event and there are more than...

Chile Pepper Food Festival...

Bill Delong Memorial Park in Bowers, PA is home to the Chile Pepper Food Festival, held on the the Friday and Saturday after Labor Day. The festival runs from 9am to 6pm each day and offers plenty of opportunities to taste, sample and purchase all kinds of chile peppers. Think you can eat the most chile peppers?  Then participate in the chile pepper eating contest.  You may want to take a shot at the chile salsa eating...

Lyons Fiddle Festival...

In mid to late September, young and old fiddles get inspired to come out and jam at the Lyon’s Fiddle Festival. In 1983, with a borrow hay wagon, the first festival attracted approximately 1,200 attendees. The festival was not held in 2006, but many people showed up and jammed anyway – persuading the continuation of the festival in 2007. As of 2010 – the festival is struggling with volunteers, so if you can...

Bluegrass on the Grass...

Held on the 2nd Saturday in June, Dickinson College presents “Bluegrass on the Grass” on the steps of the Bosler Library in Carlisle, PA. The festival runs from 1pm to 9pm and is held rain or shine.  There is no official website at the time of this posting, but check the Dickinson College Website using this search ( bluegrass ) for any news and updates. You may also be able to find information on the Downtown...

Lancaster Liederkranz Sommerfest...

Gather under the tents for the areas only authentic German Sommer Festival. In early to mid-June, you can participate in the celebration of German culture, music and food. The Lancaster Liederkranz has been striving to preserve the cultures and festivals of Germany in the South Central Pennsylvania area. The festival is open to the public and a small fee is charged. Photo Credit: Lancaster...

Anything that Floats...

“Anything that Floats” is a segment of the Carlisle Summerfair that deserves a listing by itself!  Anything that Floats is held on the Children’s Lake in Boiling Springs, right around the July 4th Holiday, usually on the Saturday closest to the 4th of July. The Children’s Lake ranges in depth from 4-6ft and is a CONSTANT, CHILLY 52° year round! In Anything that Floats, teams ‘create’...