10 Popular Festivals In Erie, Pennsylvania

1. Erie's Wild Rib Cook-Off & Music Festival

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Kicking off summer fun in North West Pennsylvania is the spectacular Erie Rib Fest, which has delectable barbeque cuisine prepared by award-winning chefs at the very heart of it. The community event in the charming town of Erie is a thoroughly family-oriented affair, complete with a cornucopia of pleasures including activities and demonstrations, booths dedicated to arts and crafts, mainstage entertainment by regional and local bands, and, of course, some mouth-watering food!

Erie’s Wild Rib Cook Off & Music Festival

Address: Perry Square Park, North and South Park Row, Between French and Peach Streets, Erie 16501

Website: Erie’s Wild Rib Cook Off & Music Festival

Takes place: September

2. Erie Guild of Craftsmen Fall Craft Show

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Are you a patron of handcrafted items and trinkets? Visit Erie in October and go crazy at the Erie Guild of Craftsmen Fall Craft Show, a 20-year-old craft show full of festivities and fun. Buy souvenirs from the choicest of handcrafted items including crochets, flowers, holiday decor, purses, paintings, jewellery, and more, and even engage in bidding in the craft auctions. Those who love and possess the skills of working with handcrafted items can even participate in craft workshops.

Erie Guild of Craftsmen Fall Craft Show

Address: Zem Zem Shrine Club, 2525 W 38th St, Erie

Website: Erie Guild of Craftsmen Fall Craft Show

Takes place: October

3. Mid Summer Wine Festival

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How better a way to add zing to your Erie summer holiday than to attend the Mid-Summer Wine Festival in July? The quaint North East Pennsylvania township of Erie is home and host to this day-long swish-and-swirl festival which sees some of the best wineries in the region participating and arranging tasting tours for oenophiles. Festival attendees can also check out an assortment of food and craft vendors who will be setting up their wares during the festival, as well as live music performances.

Mid Summer Wine Festival

Address: 10700 Delmas Drive, Erie, North East 16428

Website: Mid Summer Wine Festival

Takes place: July

4. Tall Ships Erie

If the sight of gorgeous ships sailing in the brilliant, azure waters is what you like, then head to Erie in August when the three-day maritime celebrations of the Tall Ships Erie festival takes place. Organized by the Erie Maritime Museum, the Tall Ships festivities showcase around 8 to 10 majestic, tall ships in the picturesque Presque Isle Bay, for which on-board tours and even sail-aways are open to those who’re interested in sailing. There’s also a beer garden for aficionados, food vendors to satiate your hunger pangs, children’s activities to keep the young ones engaged, as well as live music and entertainment.

Tall Ships Erie

Address: Erie Maritime Museum, 150 E Front St #100, Erie, PA 16507

Website: Tall Ships Erie

Takes place: August

5. Erie’s Greek Fest

Feel like you’ve stepped onto the shores of gorgeous Greece with Erie’s Annual Panegyri Greek Festival, one of the most popular ethnic festivals celebrated in Erie. Held on the grounds of the Assumption Greek Orthodox Church of Erie every July, the week-long ode to the Hellenic Greek culture, music, and food is a haven for food lovers. Dig into spanakopita (spinach pie), moussaka, dolmades (stuffed grape/vine leaves), Greek fries and hotdogs, gyros, and more, even as you polish off your meal with delectable desserts of pastries–the creamy galaktoboureko, kataifi, and baklava. Get into festive Greek spirit by guzzling Greek aperitif Ouzo, wine, and beer, and sway to the tunes of Greek music!

Erie's Annual Panegyri

Address: Koimisis Tis Theotokou Greek Orthodox Church, Erie, PA 16505

Website: Erie’s Annual Panegyri

Takes place: July

6. The AmeriMasala Festival [Last event in 2019]

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After a long hiatus, the AmeriMasala Festival returned to the streets of Erie in 2019, standing for and celebrating the region’s diversity. A portmanteau of the terms “American” and “Masala”, the AmeriMasala is more than just a cultural event - its a movement meant to strengthen community. An eclectic parade, ethnic food from across a wide spectrum of cultures, musical performances across multiple genres, and giant puppets as mascots are all part of the AmeriMasala, whose true meaning is an egalitarian society.

AmeriMasala

Address: Perry Square Park, 571-601 State St, Erie, PA 16501

Website: AmeriMasala

Takes place: July

7. Festival of Trees

If there is one unique community tradition that exists in the quaint Erie today, it is the Festival of Trees. Featuring a gallery chock-full of trees that are decorated in unique, different ways. Every one of the trees, which are decorated by local artists and florists, feature different themes, right from Willy Wonka ones to police crime scene ones! Visitors even have the opportunity to cast votes for their favourite trees, one of which wins that year’s Festival of Trees. The celebrations also feature fun-filled activities and local entertainment.

Festival of Trees

Address: Bayfront Convention Center, 1 Sassafras Pier, Erie, PA 16507

Website: Festival of Trees

Takes place: November

8. Gears-N-Grub

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Food lovers in Erie in the summer should head straight to the popular food truck event Gears-N-Grub. Hosted by the Food Truck Alliance, Gears-N-Grub started out as the food complement to the motorcycle rally of Roar on the Shore since the latter’s organizers wouldn’t allow food vendors and trucks into the event. Today, Gears-N-Grub has a fanbase of its own, featuring more than a dozen local food trucks, live music performances featuring local bands and talent, and even a beer garden.

Gears-N-Grub

Address: 571-601 State St, Erie, PA 16501

Website: Gears-N-Grub‘

Takes place: July

9. Festival After Dark [Event has passed]

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If you’re looking for an adults-only festival in Erie, the Festival After Dark is the perfect experience! The Festival After Dark is the Festival of Trees transformed into an after-dark experience, with the rooms of Santa’s Castle in Erie chock-full of fun and festivities for adults. Sway to the tunes in the lit-up gallery of trees which glow beautifully in the dark, enjoy a visit from Santa, hop onto a train joyride, and dig into amazing local food, even as you try out local spirits and wines.

Festival After Dark

Address: Bayfront Convention Center, 1 Sassafras Pier, Erie, PA 16507

Website: Festival After Dark

Takes place: November

10. Roar on the Shore [Event has passed]

July is when the streets of Erie in locations like Downtown and Perry Square play host to the motorcycle rally of Roar on the Shore. The highlight of the five-day festival of the Roar on the Shore Week is the enthralling, brimming-with-energy motorcycle parade which sees thousands of biking enthusiasts on motorcycles make their way through the streets of this beautiful city in a roaring, dynamic caravan of sorts. With the festival moving locations in 2019, it’s all set to come back to the streets of Erie in 2020.

Roar on the Shore

Address: North East, Erie county, Pennsylvania 16506

Website: Roar on the Shore

Takes place: June

Having a gala time in Erie, Pennsylvania

Clearly, there’s no dearth of celebrations in the picturesque Erie. Head to this gorgeous Lake City any time of the year to experience the wide gamut of festivals that the city and its denizens celebrate. This list of popular festivals in Erie, Pennsylvania should help you get started!