The 11 Best Small-Town Pennsylvania Festivals You’ve Never Heard Of
With all that Pennsylvania has to offer, it’s easy to overlook some of the events – like the following festivals – that make the state so unique. Mark your calendars because these are 11 of the best small-town festivals in Pennsylvania you’ll definitely want to visit this year.
Enjoy a stinky day at the 16th annual Stinkfest, a Bradford festival that celebrates the leek. Slated for May 6, 2017 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., Stinkfest features a variety of leek-centered activities, including a leek dip contest as well as rides for the kids, live entertainment, and outhouse races.
Shippensburg blossoms with the third annual Bloom Festival, set for May 6, 2017 from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Even if you don’t have a green thumb, you’ll find plenty of other things to do – besides shopping for flowers and plants – at the festival which also offers children’s activities, craft vendors, food, and local produce for sale.
Find your newest family member at Petapalooza or simply come for the entertainment, pet parade, and vendors on May 20, 2017 between 11 a.m. and 3 p.m. Petapalooza stars the adoptable pets from Central Pennsylvania’s rescues and animal shelters.
Celebrate the charming town of Saltsburg at the 36th Annual Historic Canal Days Festival, set for June 2 through June 4, 2017. The popular festival features a full menu of things to do, including games and activities for the whole family, live entertainment, food, a fireman’s parade, and fireworks.
Watch a vintage baseball game at Wildcatter Day at Pithole on June 3, 2017 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. The Somerset Frosty Sons of Thunder take on the Addison Mountain Stars during the festival that celebrates the kick off of the annual Pithole visiting season. The day also features guided tours, live music, and plenty of food.
Indulge in some of the area’s best food and drink at Taste of Kutztown, slated for June 10, 2017 from noon to 5 p.m. at Kutztown Community Park. Taste the local cuisine, wine, and beer while enjoying live entertainment and shopping at crafters and other vendors’ booths.
Head to Brookville for the 60th annual Western Pennsylvania Laurel Festival, which runs from June 21-25, 2017. The festival boasts plenty of events and activities: an art and photo show, a used book sale, a kid’s pet parade, family fun night, an ice cream social, and more.
Allegheny National Forest hosts the 5th Annual PA Firefly Festival on June 24, 2017 from noon until midnight. The daylong festival celebrates the firefly’s annual mating rituals with live entertainment, exhibits at the nature center, children’s activities, a pancake breakfast, and the opportunity to see the fireflies when they come out at night.
Kick off July with a trip to the Weekend in the Wilds on July 1, 2017. Join others in the search for Bigfoot or try your hand at calling Bigfoot in the calling contest. A full day of activities is capped off by evening fireworks.
Indulge in a delicious day of ice cream eating at the annual Scoop-A-Palooza on July 8, 2017 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The all-you-can-eat ice cream festival features an ice cream eating contest, a children’s area, live entertainment, and a kids’ crane building contest.
Celebrate peanut butter at the annual Peanut Butter Festival from September 15-17, 2017. The weekend festival features a bake-off, a parade, live entertainment, a car cruise, a motorcycle rally, and fireworks.
These are just 11 of the best small town festivals in Pennsylvania. What others would you add to a part two of this list? Be sure to mark your calendar for one of the state’s most well-known festivals coming up in September.
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