Top 30 Things to Do this Fall in Lancaster, PA

Fall brings cooler weather and beautiful foliage to enjoy, whether you’re out and about with the family or diving into Lancaster’s haunted history.

Fall in love with autumn here in Lancaster, PA with this list of 30 things to do this season:

1. Catch a show at the Fulton Theatre! The Fulton reopens with Fun Home, based on the real life story of cartoonist Alison Bechdel, on September 9th.

2. Pick sunflowers, enjoy good food and drinks, take photos, and more at Verdant View! Sunflower Days are 9/10-11, and 9/17-18.

3. Enjoy small town fun with First Fridays in downtown Lancaster, First Thursdays in Manheim, and Second Fridays in Lititz every month! Click here for more information on the arts around Lancaster.

4. Explore the amazing culinary scene in Lancaster County!

• Lancaster City Restaurant Week, 9/13-19
• Lancaster County Restaurant Week, 10/25-31!

5. Pick pumpkins with Barnyard Kingdom and Oregon Dairy this fall! Barnyard Kingdom has pumpkin picking on Saturdays and Sundays in September, and Friday-Sunday in October. Oregon Dairy’s pumpkin picking runs 9/24-10/31.

6. Welcome Spookley the Square Pumpkin to Barnyard Kingdom 9/10-12! Explore a Spookley Corn Maze Story Trail, fun farm activities, and more!

7. Celebrate Hometown Heroes with Cherry Crest Adventure Farm on 9/11. The festival includes:

• Meet & greets with EMS, fire department, police, & health workers
• A parade
• Touch-a-truck
• Fireworks at night
  

8. Enjoy family fun, rides, delicious fair food and drinks, and more at the Denver Fair 9/14-18. For more fairs and festivals this fall check out this blog!

9. Spend a Day Out With Thomas at the Strasburg Railroad! Take a ride through the beautiful Lancaster countryside on a steam train, enjoy family fun activities, and more while Thomas is in town 9/17-9/20.

10. Head out to the Pennsylvania Renaissance Faire through October 31 for delicious food and drinks, great entertainment, shopping, and fun! Tickets need to be purchased in advance.

11. Pick some fruit this fall! Kauffman Orchards and Cherry Hill Orchards both offer fruit picking fun, fruit and ripening dates vary.

12. Browse the shops at Kitchen Kettle Village and enjoy the Tailgate Festival 9/17-18! Delicious food, family fun events, and more await you at this festival.

13. Join the US Hot Air Balloon Team for the 2021 Lancaster Hot Air Balloon Festival September 17-19! Enjoy:

• The mass ascension of dozens of hot air balloons
• Fireworks
• Buggy rides
• Food and drink and more

You can even take a balloon ride during the mass launch!

14. Enjoy a Day of Music at Long’s Park with local acts, an on-site beer garden, and more on 9/18!

15. Listen to music, enjoy food and beverage trucks, and maybe even get some shopping in with the Blues & Brews Festival at the Shops @ Rockvale on September 18th!

16. Peruse an outdoor market, enjoy music and art, food, and more at Lancaster VegFest at Buchanan Park 9/18-19!

17. Enjoy competitions, agricultural activities, livestock, food and drinks and more at the West Lampeter Community Fair 9/22-24.

18. Get your tickets to the Lititz Craft Beer Fest, running 9/25-26! Enjoy:

• Brews from local and regional breweries
• A homebrew competition
• Live music and more

19. Take a ride on the 611 at the Strasburg Rail Road through October 3rd! The Norfolk & Western Class J 611 is a National Historic Engineering Landmark by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, and the sole survivor of 14 Class J steam locomotives!

20. Head out to Manheim for the Manheim Community Farm Show 10/4-8! Parades, agricultural events, good food and drinks and fun await you.

21. Catch a game with the Lancaster Barnstormers through October 10th!

22. Explore fun and themed corn mazes this fall!

• Oregon Dairy's maze runs through October 31
• Cherry Crest Adventure Farm's maze runs through November 6.

23. Get outdoors this fall in Lancaster County! Discover

24. Head out to Long’s Park on October 16th for the Guinness Book of Records certified World’s Largest Chicken BBQ! Held by Civitas Lancaster and Blessings of Hope, this chicken BBQ offers fun activities and entertainment as well as the delicious food.

25. Enjoy the arts in Lancaster by checking out some exhibits running through the fall!

26. Join Kitchen Kettle Village and their gingerbread man mascot, Yummie, for Yummie’s Boo Bash on October 30th! Special treats, activities, and shopping await.

27. Celebrate Halloween with Fall O Ween on the Farm at Barnyard Kingdom 10/30-31! Candy cannons, pumpkin picking, wagon rides, campfires, and more family fun awaits you.

28. Live music continues into the fall at the Vineyard at Hershey through 9/24, and at Grandview Vineyard through 10/30!

29. Grab a drink and hang out with friends at the Warehouse District and Bulls Head Beer Gardens! The Warehouse District Beer Garden runs through 9/26, and Bulls Head Beer Garden runs through 10/31.

30. Join Cherry Crest Adventure Farm to see how many ways you can destroy a pumpkin, pumpkin bowling, a pumpkin drop, fireworks and more at the Pumpkin Madness Festival on November 6th!