With the beginning of September, we can’t help but think about fall and all the fun activities and experiences that the season holds! For today’s Life in Lancaster post, we wanted to highlight a few unique Lancaster County experiences that you’re sure to enjoy, whether you’re a visitor or a local.
Fairs/Farm Shows
Every year, many towns in Lancaster County have a street fair or farm show. Each one is slightly different, but all highlight Lancaster’s farming heritage in some way (4H animal exhibits, ribbons for garden produce, etc). In addition, most include fair rides, games, a parade, and lots of food! The Elizabethtown Fair is already finished, but the remaining events are listed below, and you can visit each website for the full schedule that each fair has planned!
Denver Fair: September 13-17
Solanco Fair: September 14-16
Ephrata Fair: September 20-24
West Lampeter Fair: September 28-30
New Holland Fair: September 28-October 1
Manheim Community Farm Show: October 3-7
Outdoor activities
With temperatures beginning to cool- fall is the perfect time to spend time outside in the beauty of Lancaster County! A few of our favorites include:
- Enola Low Grade Rail Trail: This 29-mile rail trail is located in the southern part of Lancaster County (Conestoga to Atglen) and includes beautiful views of the Susquehanna River and a newly reopened bridge!
- Chickies Rock:This 1 mile loop trail is near Columbia, PA and also features great views of the Susquehanna River from the overlook.
- Money Rocks: Money Rocks County Park is located in almost 350 acres on the Welsh Mountain and includes a few different hiking trails. The name of the park comes from the legend that famers hid cash in the boulders you’ll see along the trail.
Corn Mazes
Nothing says fall like a corn maze! Three of the corn mazes in Lancaster County include:
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Cherry Crest: Voted the number one corn maze in America by USA Today, Cherry Crest has been a family favorite since 1996! This year’s maze theme is National Parks. Most weeks it’s open Thursdays-Saturdays, and also features a flashlight maze in the evenings!
Location: 150 Cherry Hill Road, Ronks PA 17572
Cost: Beginning at $21.95/person (2 and under are free) -
Kauffman Orchards: For the first year, Kauffman Orchards is offering a corn maze! This year’s theme is Rabbit Run.
Location: 48 S Harvest Rd, Bird in Hand PA 17505
Cost: $5 per person (3 and under are free) -
Oregon Dairy: Oregon Dairy’s corn maze theme this year is Thank a Trucker. They are open Fridays-Sundays in September and October.
Location: 2900 Oregon Pike, Lititz PA 17543
Cost: beginning at $13 (2 and under are free). Tip- for discounted pricing, make sure to purchase tickets online before you visit!
Special Events and Family Fun
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Spooky Nook Farm: For a unique experience, check out Spooky Nook Farm! Activities include farm tours, llama walks, alpaca cuddles, and on September 28 at 6:45pm they will be offering a special needle felting class where all participants will make pumpkins! For tickets or more details, call 717-459-3414 or email pam@spookynookfarm.com.
Location: 462 Weidler Lane, Manheim PA 17545 -
Cherry Crest Adventure Farm: In addition to the corn maze we mentioned above, Cherry Crest Adventure Farm offers a wide variety of fun activities for the whole family – wagon rides, straw bale tunnels, petting zoo, apple blasters, pedal carts, and much more! Pro tip – our Administrator of Finance, Tricia, HIGHLY recommends the caramel apple pie fudge!
Location: 150 Cherry Hill Road, Ronks PA 17572 -
Kauffman Orchards: After you try the corn maze, make sure to take advantage of Kauffman’s pick your own apples, fresh apple cider samples, and the Shalom Project labyrinth.
Location: 3097 Old Philadelphia Pike, Bird in Hand PA 17505 - After you visit our store in Intercourse, PA, walk across the street to Kitchen Kettle Village and participate in their fall events!
- Located in Narvon along the Conestoga River, Historic Poole Forge is a great place to have a picnic or take a walk. They also have fun special events scheduled throughout the fall!
Shows
If indoor events are more your jam, Lancaster boasts a variety of theater experiences, including:
- Sight & Sound Theater: Sight & Sound’s Lancaster County location is nearby in Ronks, PA, and features original shows based on the Bible. Their current show, David, is a new production and will be on stage through December 2022.
- Fulton Theatre: The Fulton is a historic theater located on Prince Street in Downtown Lancaster. Kinky Boots will be on their stage from September 15 - October 16.
- American Music Theatre: Located along Route 30 across from the Rockvale Outlets, AMT features a wide variety of touring shows as well as original productions!
- Dutch Apple Dinner Theatre: Since 1987, the Dutch Apple Dinner Theatre has been offering dinner and a show on Centerville Road, outside of Lancaster City. Chicago: The Musical is playing through September 17 and Saturday Night Fever will begin on September 23.
- Bird in Hand stage: Featuring family-friendly musicals and shows, you can find Bird in Hand stage just down Old Philadelphia Pike a few miles from our Intercourse, PA location. Currently, they have two productions on their stage- Ryan and Friends through October 22 and Josiah for President through October 21.
We know this is a long list of ideas, but we feel like we barely covered the tip of the iceberg of what Lancaster County has to offer in the fall. Have ideas we should add to the list – make sure to leave us a comment!