Lancaster
Around Lancaster
Photo: Randolph Carney · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons
Metro area · Pennsylvania · 563k people
Lancaster
Locals say Lancaster County · “Red Rose City”, “Garden Spot of America”
Local rooms for Lancaster County.
Barnstormer RedBarnstormer Blue
Welcome to Lancaster County! Whether you're here for the farmers markets, the covered bridges, or just to slow down and enjoy the countryside, you'll find a friendly wave and a good story. Come for the shoofly pie, stay for the long summer evenings.
Clubs for Lancaster
No clubs for Lancaster yet.
The room
One room for everyone around Lancaster. It never closes; when it's busy it splits into tables. Once you're in, you stay until you leave.
Ask the neighbours
AllA good plumber, the best tacos, a lost cat: nobody has asked yet. Be the first.
Coming up
No events in the next month. Events made in the room show up here.
Marketplace
Things for sale, free and wanted, and rooms for rent, from people around Lancaster. Sign in to sell something.
Things to do
- Lancaster Central Market The oldest continuously operating farmers market in the U.S., with local produce and foods.
- Long's Park A large public park with a lake, playgrounds, and summer concert series.
- Clipper Magazine Stadium Home of the Lancaster Barnstormers baseball team.
- Fulton Theatre One of the oldest continuously operating theaters in the U.S., hosting plays and musicals.
- Lititz Springs Park A charming central park in Lititz with a spring, pond, and gazebo.
- Julius Sturgis Pretzel Bakery The first commercial pretzel bakery in America, offering tours and tastings.
- Outdoors Covered bridge tours
- Outdoors Hike at Lancaster County Central Park
- With kids Dutch Wonderland
- With kids Lancaster Science Factory
- Evenings Brewery hopping in Lititz
- Evenings Live music at Tellus360
- Locals love Farmers markets
- Locals love Covered bridges
Through the year
- Lancaster County Fair September A traditional county fair with livestock, rides, and local food.
- Lititz Craft Beer Fest June A popular beer tasting event in the heart of Lititz.
- Long's Park Summer Music Series Summer Free outdoor concerts every Sunday evening in the summer.
- Pennsylvania Renaissance Faire August–October A large, immersive Renaissance fair with jousting, crafts, and entertainment.
- Lititz Fire and Ice Festival February A winter festival with ice sculptures, fire performers, and local vendors.
Lancaster County has four distinct seasons, with hot, humid summers and cold, snowy winters. The best times to be out are spring and fall, when the weather is mild and the countryside is at its prettiest. Best: Spring and fall are the most comfortable for being outside, with mild temperatures and lower humidity.
Talk like a local
- “Redd up”
- To clean up or tidy
- “Dippy eggs”
- Over-easy eggs
- “Outen the lights”
- Turn off the lights
- “Slippery”
- A road that is icy or slippery
Getaways
- Gettysburg Historic battlefield and museums, about an hour's drive.
- Baltimore Inner Harbor, aquarium, and sports venues, about 90 minutes away.
- Harrisburg State capital with the Capitol building and riverfront parks.
- Reading Outlet shopping and the Pagoda on Mount Penn.
Local flavour
Teams
- Lancaster Barnstormers Atlantic League
Also rooting for Philadelphia Eagles (NFL), Philadelphia Phillies (MLB), Philadelphia Flyers (NHL), Philadelphia 76ers (NBA)
Eat and drink
- Shoofly pie Molasses crumb pie, a Pennsylvania Dutch staple.
- Whoopie pie Chocolate cake with cream filling, popular across the region.
- Scrapple Fried pork mush, often served with breakfast.
- Pennsylvania Dutch chicken pot pie Thick noodle and chicken stew, not a pastry pie.
- Pretzels Lancaster County is home to many pretzel bakeries, including the iconic soft pretzel.
Where people go
- Farmers markets Central Market in Lancaster and many roadside stands.
- Covered bridges Historic wooden bridges scattered across the county.
- Pretzel bakeries Many family-run bakeries and shops.
- Hex signs on barns Colourful folk art decorations on Pennsylvania Dutch barns.
Heritage and traditions
Lancaster County is proud of its rich Pennsylvania Dutch heritage, where Amish and Mennonite traditions blend with modern life, and of its historic role in early American history, from the Conestoga wagon to the Fulton Opera House. Locals value the strong sense of community, the preservation of farmland, and the unique food and crafts that make this region feel like home.
This time of year in Lancaster
- Apple butter making Autumn A fall tradition of slow-cooking apples in copper kettles, often at community gatherings.
- Lancaster County Wine & Cheese Festival October Showcases local wineries and artisan cheeses.
Say it like a local: “outen the light” — to turn off (a light)
Festivals
- Ephrata Fair September The largest street fair in the state, held in September with rides, food, and parades.
- Lititz Fourth of July Celebration July The oldest continuously celebrated Independence Day in the nation, since 1818.
- Lancaster Music Festival May A multi-day event featuring local bands and musicians across downtown venues.
- Pennsylvania Dutch Folk Festival Summer Celebrates Pennsylvania Dutch culture with crafts, food, and music.
- Lancaster County Wine & Cheese Festival October Showcases local wineries and artisan cheeses.
- Long's Park Summer Music Series Summer Free outdoor concerts every Sunday evening in the summer.
Landmarks with a story
- Ephrata Cloister An 18th-century German Baptist religious community with preserved buildings and a unique musical tradition.
- Wheatland The stately mansion of President James Buchanan, now a museum.
- Hans Herr House The oldest building in Lancaster County, built in 1719 by a Swiss Mennonite settler.
- Landis Valley Village & Farm Museum A living history museum that preserves Pennsylvania Dutch rural life and crafts.
- Lititz Moravian Church A historic church in the Moravian tradition, with roots in the 18th century and a beautiful congregation house.
- Wright's Ferry Mansion A 1738 Quaker house in Columbia, one of the finest examples of early Pennsylvania architecture.
Food traditions
- Seven Sweets and Seven Sours A traditional Pennsylvania Dutch meal featuring seven sweet and seven sour side dishes, reflecting the region's German heritage.
- Fasnachts Doughnuts made for Shrove Tuesday (Fat Tuesday) to use up lard and sugar before Lent, a Pennsylvania Dutch tradition.
- Apple Butter Making A fall tradition of slow-cooking apples with cider and spices in copper kettles, often at community gatherings.
- Family-Style Dining Amish and Mennonite restaurants serve meals family-style, with platters of fried chicken, ham, mashed potatoes, and shoofly pie.
- Chicken Corn Soup A hearty soup with rivels (dumplings), often served at church picnics and fundraisers.
Music and arts
- Pennsylvania Dutch Folk Art Includes hex signs, fraktur (illuminated manuscripts), and painted furniture, reflecting German heritage.
- Ephrata Cloister Music Early American religious music composed by the cloister's members, with a unique style of hymnody.
- Quilting Amish and Mennonite quilts are renowned for their intricate patterns and craftsmanship, often sold at local shops.
- Lancaster Symphony Orchestra A professional orchestra performing classical and pops concerts in Lancaster.
A little history
- 1729 Founding of Lancaster as a borough
- 1795 First long-distance paved road in the US - the Philadelphia and Lancaster Turnpike
- 18th century Invention of the Conestoga wagon, the 'prairie schooner' used in westward expansion
- 1807 Robert Fulton's development of the steamboat, born in Lancaster County
- 1852 The Fulton Opera House opens, one of the oldest theatres in continuous use
Rivalries
- Lancaster Barnstormers vs. York Revolution A friendly baseball rivalry between the two Atlantic League teams.
- Lititz vs. Ephrata A friendly high school sports rivalry between neighboring towns.
- Game day Lancaster Barnstormers baseball
- Game day High school football rivalries
- Outdoors Covered bridge tour
- Outdoors Amish farmlands buggy ride
- With kids Pretzel making at the Julius Sturgis Pretzel Bakery
- With kids Feeding animals at an Amish farm
Lancaster County speech is flavored by Pennsylvania Dutch (German) heritage, with a distinct accent and loanwords from German. Locals might say 'redd up' for cleaning, 'outen' for turning off, and 'spritzing' for light rain. The accent is often described as a mix of Midland American English with German-influenced intonations.
Only here
- The oldest continuously celebrated Fourth of July in the United States is in Lititz, starting in 1818.
- The first pretzel bakery in America, Julius Sturgis, opened in Lititz in 1861.
- The Conestoga wagon, the iconic covered wagon of the American frontier, was developed in Lancaster County.
- The Philadelphia and Lancaster Turnpike, completed in 1795, was the first long-distance paved road in the US.
New here? A few tips
- Learn to share the road with horse-drawn buggies; they are slow and can appear on any rural road.
- Try the local foods: shoofly pie, whoopie pies, and scrapple are musts—they're sweeter or richer than you might expect.
- Visit the Central Market early on a Saturday for the best selection and to avoid crowds.
- Be respectful of the Amish and Mennonite communities: don't photograph them without permission and avoid intruding on their private lives.
- Embrace the four seasons: summers are humid, winters can be snowy, and spring and fall are beautiful for outdoor activities.
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Nearby
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Lancaster, PA. Areas from the US Census Bureau and Statistics Canada; places from GeoNames. Local flavour was written with a model and may have mistakes. Team names identify teams; no endorsement.