For More Than 100 Years, This City Has Hosted One Of The Longest-Running Festivals In Pennsylvania

Labor Day weekend gives us one last chance to soak up all that the season has to offer as we bid a fond farewell to summer. Marking the season’s unofficial end, the first weekend in September generally means three days jam-packed with events and activities. We squeeze in as much as we can until we turn our sights to fall fun. Carve out some time this Labor Day weekend for a visit to the Kipona Festival in Pennsylvania, one of the summer's best events.

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Start a new or continue a treasured tradition with a visit to the Kipona Festival, a popular annual event in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, that dates back to 1916 and draws more than 70,000 visitors each year.

It's considered one of the best festivals in PA.

Celebrating its 108th year in 2024, the three-day event, which will be held at Riverfront Park, will run from Aug. 31 to Sept. 2, 2024.

Billed as a multicultural celebration, the Kipona Festival boasts a full menu of fun for the whole family. One of the highlights of the weekend is the Native American Pow Wow.

The Pow Wow will include, among others, a flutist, a storyteller, Aztec dancing, Iroquois social dancing, and intertribal drumming and dancing. Stop by City Island for the Pow Wow.

The start time for the 2024 Pow Wow has not yet been announced.

Join the multicultural celebration near Market Street, too, where you can check out a variety of performers. Those who participated in 2023 included McGinley Irish School of Dance, the Trinidad and Tobago Baltimore Steel Orchestra, and the African Diaspora Initiative, among others.

The full schedule of events and activities will be released in mid-August.

The weekend festival typically features plenty of kid-friendly activities, such as face painting, carnival games, balloon animals, mobile escape rooms, magic shows, and a bubble festival.

If you've never been to a Bubble Festival, you're in for a real treat. Some of the bubbles are massive, measuring up to 70 feet. This is one of those Pennsylvania festivals you'll want to visit year after year.

Carve out plenty of time to check out the many vendors who will be selling a variety of goods. Food vendors will serve everything from cheesesteaks to crab cakes.

Sunday evening typically caps off with a spectacular fireworks display over the Susquehanna River at 8:15 p.m. For the best views, head to Riverfront Park.

The free-admission festival will run from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday and from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Monday (Labor Day).

View a full schedule of events on the official website of the Kipona Labor Day Festival. Or, stop by the Facebook page of this Pennsylvania festival.

Have you been to the Kipona Festival in Pennsylvania? What did you think? Will you go again this year? Let us know in the comments! While you’re in town, plan a trip to this old-growth forest, a natural wonder in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.

All of that exploration means only one thing: You’ll be doing a whole lot of walking. Wear a pair of comfy shoes on your adventures.

https://www.onlyinyourstate.com/pennsylvania/hidden-natural-wonder-pa/