Last year, my Adventure Buddy and I spotted Cherry Crest Adventure Farm while riding the Strasburg…read moretrain and made a mental note to come back someday. Fast forward to a beautiful, sunny Saturday in early October when we realized we'd be nearby with an open adventure slot. WELL, HELLO, CHERRY CREST! We purchased our tickets online ahead of time for significant savings and arrived around noon, apparently at the exact same time as EVERY OTHER HUMAN BEING IN PENNSYLVANIA. The parking fields were packed. Admission lines looked enormous. For a moment, I wondered what we'd gotten ourselves into. But the parking attendants were doing a great job directing traffic, parking was FREE (thank you!), and the admission lines moved surprisingly quickly. Before long, we had our wristbands and were ready to adventure. FIRST STOP: THE DONUT HUT. We grabbed two apple cider donuts and a bottle of apple cider and both exceeded my hopes! The donut was so fresh and hot I had to wait for it to cool before digging in! Soft, fluffy, generously coated in cinnamon sugar and absolutely delicious! If this was how Cherry Crest intended to welcome me, we were going to get along just fine! Next up was the main reason we'd come: THE CORN MAZE! I did my first corn maze last year and decided to make it an annual tradition. Cherry Crest had the honor of being my Corn Maze #2. I'm no corn maze expert, but, this one had some really fun twists! Instead of simply wandering around hoping to eventually find civilization again, we were given a blank grid and tasked with finding pieces throughout the maze to tape onto it, gradually completing our map. There were also hidden clues for a crossword puzzle! A corn maze WITH SIDEQUESTS?! SIGN. ME. UP! We navigated our way through the intermediate maze in less than the estimated 40 minutes, which was both surprising and satisfying. We found our way out, completed our adventure and didn't have to call anyone to rescue two grown adults from a field of corn. CORN MAZE 2026: COMPLETE! From there, we wandered around exploring the property. It was definitely busy, with plenty of families, strollers and wagons, but still manageable. Patience is key on a beautiful fall Saturday, especially when apparently the entire Commonwealth has decided to celebrate autumn simultaneously. Eventually, we made our way to the other side of the farm for what turned out to be my FAVORITE activities of the day. APPLE CANNONS AND PAINTBALL! Of course we'd purchased the optional add-ons. You think I'm going to stand next to a giant cannon that launches actual apples and NOT pay to shoot it?! The lines were a little long, but they moved along nicely. And once it was my turn? PEW PEW, MOTHER NATURE! I had an absolute BLAST launching apples at targets and managed to hit almost everything I aimed for! Then we moved to the paintball range, where I continued my surprisingly impressive performance, knocking over targets with lime green paintballs! Apparently I've been walking around for 40+ years without realizing I have a natural talent for recreational projectile launching. WHO KNEW?! Both activities were absolutely worth the additional cost. If you're visiting as an adult and enjoy a little friendly target practice, don't skip them! Another thing that caught my attention was the reservable fire pit areas scattered throughout the property. They had little pavilions and signs identifying the groups who'd reserved them. We saw everything from birthday celebrations to retirement gatherings, and I thought that was such a cool way to spend a fall afternoon with friends or family. Food prices seemed fairly typical for an attraction. I noticed a double cheeseburger with fries advertised for $17.99, for example. But I also spotted groups with birthday cakes, two-liter bottles of soda and bags of chips at their fire pit areas. I'm not sure what Cherry Crest's outside food policies are, so I'd recommend checking before bringing your own picnic. If it's permitted, though, that could be a great way to keep costs down, especially for families! All told, we spent about two hours exploring Cherry Crest as two adults in our 40s, and we had a GREAT time! Would families with children get even more out of it? ABSOLUTELY. There are so many activities geared toward younger kids that I could easily see families spending an entire day here. But don't assume you need children to enjoy Cherry Crest. Between the corn maze, fall treats, apple cannons, paintball and general autumn atmosphere, there's plenty of fun for grown-ups, too! I came for a corn maze, discovered a surprisingly accurate apple-cannon aim, ate an outstanding donut and added another destination to my annual fall adventure list. Not bad for a couple of hours in a cornfield! Nice job, Cherry Crest! I'll absolutely be back!

This place is ok - if you don't mind parking a mile or more away from the entrance, walking forever…read moreto get to a line to wait to get in for an hour all with kids in tow. This is so poorly laid out. They have no maximum and just let hundreds if not thousands of people in all day long. This part of their ticketing was my favorite: - Pre-purchased admissions are NON-REFUNDABLE for any reason and expire at the end of the season. - We are a weather dependent business and may need to close due to weather. So it's a giant F.U. if something comes up in your life for your family or something happens to you. But if it rains - it's F the buyer you're beat. No refunds. Nothing. What a completely ass backward way or running a business that's CLEARLY not hurting for profit. I'll never take my family here. I'll tell everyone I know it's a collasal waste of money and not worth driving hours to get to only to be directed up a mountain to park. You think my little kids were ready to walk A MILE to stand in line for AN HOUR?! lol. What a joke.

Firebird Festival has been on my radar for years (tickets in the past sold out too quickly), but I…read morefinally made it this year, which luckily was the first year it was open to all / free to all! If you want to do the Firebird Festival, here are some tips from my experience. First, get on their email list. All the info will be emailed, including updates on building the bird, ways you can help, and volunteer opportunities. When they say they light the bird at 8pm, YES IT WILL BE LIT AT 8pm, AND IT WILL HAVE BURNED DOWN TO ITS FEET BY 8:15pm!!!! My last photo was taken at 8:13pm, as I walked away, and the structure had burned, collapsed, and was just a big bonfire + phoenix claws. And SO MANY PEOPLE were still descending on the park, thinking "it's only 8:15, I've got plenty of time" ummm, no. I passed at least 300 people wondering if any of them understood that all that was left was good live music and some drunk hook-up options. But the party continues until 11pm, so for the childless crowd, there you go. If you do care to see the bird, be there at least a half hour before 8pm. The drum procession into the field happens at 7:30, and is very cool to see, plus is a part of the ceremony and theatrics of it all. Then, dancing, chant music, fire dancers, etc. all circle 'round the bird. You can really see all they've developed over the years in the choreography, creativity, and attention to details. There were a lot of kids there, babies to teens, all ages. I was worried about my preschooler being afraid of the fire, or the idea of burning an animal figure. I made sure to show some kid-friendly YouTube videos ahead of time, and educate about this mythological creature, and it's meaning. I stressed that a new young bird rises from the ashes, according to legend, and that this bird was pretend, made of wood by volunteers. They ask for people to bring lunches to the volunteers in the months (yes, building starts in SEPTEMBER) leading up to the festival, and if I'd had time I would have done that and taken my kid to see that process. It's my plan for next year. Anyway, it went over pretty well. No kids were crying. Mine was a little sad at first, but then pretty fascinated by the fire. I don't recommend positioning yourself close to the fire with kids; it's scary and overwhelming for them. My preschooler was a little nervous when we were somewhat close, but did better from afar, where we saw a lot more kids as we walked out. The show really is something worth checking out at least once. They make a different style of bird each year (always a phoenix, but in different poses and styles). The bird is always about 25' high, made of wood. This year the bird had rainbow lights as eyes, and a mechanical beak that opened and closed. It also had a plume of branches sticking out its head. It looked partridge-y, but still I could distinctly see a phoenix. It was beautiful! As you can see in my photos, they projected a colorful light show into the body of the bird, which was equally beautiful. In addition to the phoenix, there are vendors, food options, and live music. A Boy Scout troop was selling hot chocolate ($3/cup) and offering apple bread and brownies but asking for donations on those. Sadly, a lot of people just took the baked goods and gave nothing, which was totally despicable. Those kids were working so hard, and giving up their own leisure time to enjoy the festival so these greedy drunk-high jerks could rob their baked goods. Ew! The live music was really very quiet. I had a hard time hearing it 50' away. There are residences all around Veterans Memorial Park, where it's held, so I guess noise had to be kept down. Stinks. Speaking of, there were a row of port-a-potties available, and the scent of weed every 3 square feet, with a cop every 10 square feet. Multiple fire engines were right nearby and ready. Everything was extremely well organized. There were police officers controlling traffic, guarding blocked off roads, and there to assist in the crowds. Shuttle busses ran from three different municipal lots (all full very early), and walking was possible from the downtown area, if you were up for a 1.5mi journey. We had best luck parking by a church in a nearby residential neighborhood, and walking from there with a stroller. I definitely recommend the Firebird Festival! But make it your focus of the evening. Everyone who thought they'd have a nice dinner downtown and then catch the shuttle or walk over to the festival was sorely disappointed to arrive when there was nothing left to see.

I love fire, it can be very theatrical…read more Generous volunteers make this awesome free event happen each year. It's the family-friendly, East Coast mini-version of Burning Man. OK, maybe not but still a great time. Fire dancers? Check. Live music? Check. Local artisans? Check. Happy friendly hippies? Check Comfort food? Check Large wooden object burned to the ground while revelers clap and cheer with joy? Check.

I was soooooooo excited to check out the annual Whoopie Pie Festival! Who doesn't like these moist…read morecakes, with a nice creamy icing in between?! Held on the grounds of the Hershey Farm Restaurant & Inn, this festival offers cute events such as a Whoopie Pie Treasure Hunt (hundreds of them are all hidden on the grounds in brightly-colored foil); a Whoopie Pie Race (you just grab a pie and run AHAHAHA); watch a Whoopie PIe Long Launch (whoever hits the target/gets close enough, wins!); play Whoopie PIe Checkers (if you're a checker master, you can go through the Tournament Rounds); participate in a Whoopie Yell Off (in your loudest voice, giving a shout-out for some Whoopie Pie love); watch/participate in an Amateur Whoopie Pie Eating Contest (watching who can eat dozen the quickest?); watch the participating chefs make the largest Whoopie Pie ever, and even get the opportunity to decorate your own Whoopie Pie :P There are also local artisans and craftsmen in which you can check out their items to purchase, for yourself or as gifts. If you're hungry, you can grab a meal at the Hershey Farm restaurant, or just stuff yourself silly with the variety of Whoopie Pie flavors they have available :D The variety of flavors they had for these pies were quic amazing - when you walk up to the main tent, you are given a plastic bag. There long aisles of compartmentalized wooden crates with labels of the flavors (such as Lemon Poppy Orange Cream Cheese, Oreos, Rocky Road, Death by Chocolate, Confetti with Strawberry, Banana with Orange Cream Cheese, etc.). I was a little disappointed that the pies have been refrigerated, and even though they were saran-wrapped, they were dripping with water, making them a little soggy T____T Once you fill your bag to your heart's content, you pay at the cashiers by the exit area. The place was definitely packed to the brim, and moving around was a little tight. Parking on the Farm was not allowed and needed to be done at nearby establishments (such as the outlet store); from there, a free shuttle (school bus) came every so often for a pick-up (this was another adventure, as so many violations were violated - the driver forced about 4 people per seat, trying to get as many people in the bus as possible :O We actually walked back from the festival, as the traffic was horrendous, in addition to some of the construction that was going on. An interesting festival to check out when you're in the Lancaster County area! :D +annual Whoopie Pie Festival :D +parking at nearby establishments +free shuttle offered

Saw the Ferri's wheel from 95 on Saturday night so me and a friend pulled over. We didn't know it…read morewas a Polish Festival until we reached the tents. The festival was pretty small but still had a variety of fun looking rides and games. All the fun stuff you associate with a carnival including the funnel cakes of your childhood. Parking was easy enough to find in the huge lot opposite Frawley Stadium but getting out (in the evening) was a nightmare.

This year they dio have much foods and foods were ok . We went here at night to explore little bit…read moreabout Poland . Well , first thing hit my eyes, it was a t-shirt with a word print on it ' I am polish , I can't stay calm ' . Lol , I think it is right . Because I went to checkout something, there had an old man who was so mean to me , said that price is $120, don't touch it . Wtf . But we had fun anyway though

The 2nd annual Choctoberfest (CF) took place yesterday in ChocolateTown Square on a perfect autumn…read moreday. The music from local bands was playing, beer was being poured, bites were being eaten and -most importantly- the chocolate was sweet. All of those things came together for a family-friendly fall festival. I heard about the event on Yelp and decided to check it out. I'm glad we went on such a gorgeous day. Admission was free and parking was easy at the lot across from the theater. One of the nice things about a small festival is that you don't have to walk for miles to see everything. The area for listening to the bands was a great spot for viewers; they had haystacks for seating and tall tables throughout the park for drinking and eating. The lights strung from the trees were a nice touch. However, the tents area was cramped, crowded and not where I wanted to be. I wish they had a better space to spread them out. Luckily, once people got their items, they were able to move over to park area. The lines weren't too long, thankfully. I didn't eat any of the bites, but I did try one of the beers and it was good. In the back, they also had some activities for the kids. There was a bounce house, chalk drawing, free pumpkins and bags to paint, Frisbee Toss and a few others. They also had some portable toilets along with a hand washing station, which was good for those chalky fingers! I would definitely go back next year and I bet they will continue to grow. It seemed like a well-organized event and Hershey is a nice town to visit. I'm not a fan of festivals in general but CF is my type of small-town festivals. I'll be back!

From the owner: oin us for Choctoberfest 2023: A celebration of bands, beers, bites, and chocolate!…read moreThe 8th annual Choctoberfest will be held on Saturday, October 14, 2023 from 11:00 am – 6:00 pm in ChocolateTown Square Park, located at the corner of Chocolate and Cocoa Avenues in Downtown Hershey. Join us with family and friends for a fall afternoon full of great live music, local craft beer, delicious food from downtown restaurants, and, of course, chocolate! Choctoberfest offers an array of activities for all ages to enjoy and is free and open to the public, with food and beverages available for purchase. Check back as we detail more of the events for the day!

My wife and I are "regulars" at the Maryland renaissance festival, and paid performers at the…read moreOakenmist renaissance festival. one thing I can honestly say (without reservation) is that the faire in Manheim PA is EVERYTHING the Maryland renaissance festival IS NOT. We attended this past weekend and were taken aback by the overall cleanliness, paved walkways, and (air conditioned) restrooms with running water and flushable toilets. Little to no lines for food. Food was slightly more expensive, but worth it. Portion sizes were all double what you get at the Maryland faire. turkey legs were (no exaggeration whatsoever) anywhere from 12 to 18" long and actually had (a lot of) meat on them, as opposed to Marylands which are all "tendon." Steak on a steak were not ribbons, but large CHUNKS of tender and juicy steak. Scotch eggs were big, and perfectly cooked. People (at least on the day we were there) obeyed the smoking and vaping rules and stayed in their designated areas, and we did not (repeat) not one time, did we smell marijuana throughout the entire event, which is not something that you cannot say about the Maryland Faire. Music entertainment was an absolute delight to sit listen and watch. (One with a "hurty-gurty", one with a hammered dulcimer, and an array of other comical acts). PA were much more relaxed on their "LARP" and foam weapons policy, where Maryland will only allow wooden swords that you purchased there. (Let's face it folks... I could do more damage with my wrist-watch wrapped around my fist, then I could with a foam, or polypropylene weapon that resembles a sword. Let's get real, Maryland faire...) Not once, did we lose cellular reception, throughout the entire grounds. Vendors there have Gatorade available for sale, as well as soft drinks. The soft drinks are more expensive, but twice the serving size as Maryland. It was evidently clear that Queen Elizabeth l was classically trained as an Elizabethan actress. This our (very first) visit to the PA faire will inevitably and most certainly lead to our return.

My best friend and I had so much fun! It was our first year going to this one and we had a great…read moretime walking around to all the booths and having amazing food.

I took my family here, and it was amazing that we had a great time. My 16 year old and my 8 year…read moreold loved it. I got some great photos of my wife and kids. Lots of photo opportunities

Kind of a letdown. $12 admission for something that takes 15 minutes - max, to walk thru. It was…read moreok. I imagine if you had children, it'd take longer but definitely not on my list to go back to

Tulip Days at Flinchbaugh's Orchard had been popping up all over my social media feed, and with…read more200,000 tulips in bloom, I knew I had to make it happen. My spring adventure schedule was packed, so I didn't make it out until the very last day--but I was determined to catch those blooms before they were gone! I purchased my ticket ahead of time through their website, which was quick, easy, and made me feel totally prepared for my first visit. My adventure buddy and I selected the 12:30pm time slot, and when we arrived right on time, there were a lot of cars--but everything was so well organized that parking was a breeze. It was clearly marked, easy to navigate, and because guests were arriving in staggered time slots, it never felt overwhelming. Before heading out to the fields, we popped into the farm market--and WOW! Super cute, surprisingly large, and packed with everything from baked goods to houseplants and gifts. Prices were reasonable, and it was definitely worth taking a few minutes to browse. Check-in for the tulip field was just as smooth. We walked up to the check-in hut, had our QR codes scanned, grabbed our wristbands, and were on our way within maybe two minutes. For 12:30pm on the final day of the event, I was honestly expecting a line--major kudos to Flinchbaugh's for keeping things moving so efficiently. And then... the tulip field. ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL! Now, it was the last day, and you could tell in the front sections where tulip cutting had been allowed--some blooms were missing, some areas looked a little trampled, and things were definitely a bit worn. But here's where Flinchbaugh's really impressed me: they had clearly marked sections further back as "PHOTOS ONLY - NO CUTTING," and those areas were stunning. Full, vibrant, untouched rows of tulips that made for incredible photos and a much more immersive experience. We spent about an hour wandering through the fields, taking photos, and enjoying all the thoughtfully placed photo prop stations. Another huge win--those props were spaced out perfectly. No long lines, no crowding, no awkward waiting around. You could just move from one spot to the next and actually enjoy the experience without feeling rushed or packed in. I've visited a few flower fields over the past year, and this was by far the most organized and least chaotic. Everything--from parking to check-in to field flow--felt intentional and well thought out. I'm personally more of a "leave the flowers where they grow" kind of person, so I loved being able to simply walk, admire, and take it all in. For me, this was the perfect way to kick off my 2026 flower field adventures--and it set the bar high! At $10 for admission, this was an incredibly reasonable way to spend a few hours soaking up sunshine, enjoying beautiful blooms, and making a little springtime magic on a Saturday afternoon. I'll absolutely be back next year--just maybe a little earlier in the season to catch even more of those blooms at their peak!

I was advertised by the marketing team that tulip picking was occurring till 5 PM. I drove an hour…read moreand a half and when I arrived there I was told that tulip picking ended two hours prior, AND after we drove we decided to look around the market for some food because it was a long drive and we found one single cookie for a dollar fifty and we thought WOW! that it cheap, maybe this place isn't that bad after all. When we arrived to the register, they said it was priced wrong!, it was FIVE DOLLARS! CAN YOU BELIEVE THAT!! THE COOKIE WAS MAD RAW! my girlfriend HAD A BITE of the cookie and she is feeling AWFUL this morning BECAUSE of the COOKIE! HORRIBLE EXPERIENCE!

I need this in my life…read more Amazing old building with dozens of food and specialty boutiques. I strolled all the aisles, got coffee, a donut, a cinnamon roll, and a bacon egg and cheese sandwich surprisingly on a pretzel. Everyone was friendly, lovely scene, amazing smells. I just wish I had something like this close to home. Can't wait to go back.

Great location Plenty of paid parking available…read more A lot of vendors Prices aren't great I was expecting more Amish specialty goods The Cuban sandwich I purchased was terrible, very dry and skimpy for what I paid I probably would not return

If you love the outdoors, tales of fantasy & fun then this is a "must attend". Faeries, Knights,…read morelovely Maidens, Pixies and even a few Goblins are on hand to write a lovely tale for you. There's a large selection of vendors, artists & authors. There are fun activities for all ages. Come for the day or stay for the weekend. Campsites are available as are nicely appointed cabins. There is music and shows on several stages throughout the weekend. Friday night is a drum circle and dancing around a bonfire. Saturday night is a concert and more dancing.

This was our first visit to this festival and we enjoyed it. We went mainly for my 8 year old…read moredaughter. I would like to see more interactive activities for the 8-10 year old group as the activities we found for kids were heavily geared towards a much younger age group (puppet show, wing decorating, coloring, etc). I would pay an additional fee for more involved activities and crafts. The Fairy Hunter was a lot of fun. I don't know if he's officially part of the festival entertainment but he should be.