Pennsylvania has a rich history and culture, varied landscapes, and culinary diversity. It is one of those regions that most people across the globe desire to visit at least once. Depending on the kind of experience you are looking for, the state is an all-year destination, and apart from the obvious attractions, it is also a cradle of festivals. This place has so many festivals that months never pass without a significant celebration. You may be aware of some of them, while others may be completely new to you. That notwithstanding, read below to learn about the top festivals in Pennsylvania, USA.
1. The Pennsylvania Farm Show
The Pennsylvania Farm Show is one of the main festivals in the state and one of the largest agricultural events in the entire country. The festival usually brings in more than 40,000 visitors to see over 270 different exhibits. The highlights of the festival range from livestock shows to educational agricultural displays on the state of farming in Pennsylvania. If you are interested in understanding the agricultural prowess of Pennsylvania and learning more about their products, including the various farm technologies used, then this is a festival you must not miss.
The Pennsylvania Farm Show
Address: 2300 N Cameron St, Harrisburg, PA 17110, United States
Website: The Pennsylvania Farm Show
Takes Place: January
2. Philadelphia Film Festival
Following the Philadelphia Premiere at #PFF28, Motherless Brooklyn is now showing at the PFS Roxy Theater! Set against...
Posted by Philadelphia Film Society on Friday, 1 November 2019
Philadelphia Film Festival is an 11-day annual event that takes place in October, every year. The festival is organized by the Philadelphia Film Society to present the year’s most anticipated, thought-provoking, and critically acclaimed films to the film fraternity in Pennsylvania. During the festival, actors, directors, and film enthusiasts gather to share the successes of the state’s film industry while also appreciating the strides made in other parts of the world. Given that Pennsylvania has a flourishing film scene, this is an event you should not miss if you are in here in October.
Philadelphia Film Festival
Address: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
Website: Philadelphia Film Festival
Takes Place: October
Price: 6 - 15 USD
3. Subaru Cherry Blossom Festival
Washington D.C is probably the most famous when it comes to cherry blossoms. However, Fairmont Park in Pennsylvania has more than 3000 cherry blossom trees, and there is also an annual event to celebrate the blossoming of these trees: Subaru Cherry Blossom Festival. The festival is held in early April of every year, and in addition to enjoying such a beautiful and serene environment, it is also a chance to learn more about the Japanese culture and where the celebrations of cherry blossoms originated.
Subaru Cherry Blossom Festival
Address: Fairmount Park Horticulture Center, Philadelphia, USA
Website: Subaru Cherry Blossom Festival
Takes Place: April
4. Philadelphia Folk Festival
If you love music and you find yourself on the East Coast during August, then be sure to make your way to Upper Salford for the famous Philadelphia Folk Festival. This is one of the most important events in the state, and it is also the longest-running outdoor music fiesta in North America. During the festival, Old Pool Farm turns into a music park, with performances from both renowned and rising stars in the folk genre. Dance, drink and make merry in the company of other free souls seeking fun.
Philadelphia Folk Festival
Address: Old Pool Farm, Pennsylvania, United States
Website: Philadelphia Folk Festival
Takes Place: August
Price: 80 - 155 USD
Philadelphia Tour Guide
Annie Leguennec
My name is Annie. I am a local Tour guide based in Philadelphia enjoying fully what the city has to offer with its deep history, street arts, murals, architecture, traditional food, black history, Farmer Markets, green space, a melting pot of neighborhoods and its great locals. I am looking for to welcome you and show you this incredible city where you will gain a better understanding of the ci... Read more
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Philadelphia Tour Guide
Stephanie Eley
I'm a graduate of ITMI, International Tour Management Institute and 17 years as a licensed Tour Director and Program Director. My expertise began in NYC and Washington, DC where I'm a licensed guide and has expanded to Europe, South America, Cuba and the Western / Southwestern National Parks of the US. I'd love to introduce you for a day or a week to Denver, Colorado and the 4 corners region of... Read more
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Philadelphia Tour Guide
Vance Lehmkuhl
Tour operator and tour guide for American Vegan Center in historic Old City Philadelphia, administering walking tours focusing on Philadelphia's "veg history" - the vegans and vegetarians through history that started the US vegetarian and vegan movements in this city. Author of "Eating Vegan in Philly" (2016) and also "V for Veg: The Best of Philly's Vegan Food Column," a collection of my colum... Read more
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5. Applefest
Applefest is a three-day festival held in Franklin, Pennsylvania. The event is the largest crafts festival in the state, and an obvious crowd-puller, as it’s known to attract more than 300,000 participants and spectators every year. Though the festival is themed around apples, it offers more than just apple-eating contests, apple-based breakfasts, and apple pie-baking. Additional highlights include a farmers’ market, a kid’s corner, antique and classic car shows, and free entertainment of various kinds.
Applefest
Address: Peddlers Village, Philadelphia, USA
Takes Place: October
Price: 3 - 5 USD
6. Three Rivers Arts Festival
Posted by Three Rivers Arts Festival on Thursday, 14 June 2018
Three Rivers Arts Festival takes place in early June in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania. It is a 10-day event where more than 400 artists gather for craft demonstration and showcasing various types of visual arts. The event is free for the public, and it normally features a fine arts and crafts market and lots of musical performances and dances. During the event, it is common to find other events being featured as well, to take advantage of the crowds and the massive exposure. Such micro-events usually include walking tours of the cultural district, food booths, and family-friendly performances.
Three Rivers Arts Festival
Address: Point State Park, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, United States,
Website: Three Rivers Arts Festival
Takes Place: June
Price: Free
7. Budweiser Made in America Festival
Budweiser Made in America Festival takes place between late August and early September every year. It is an annual music festival with several stages playing live music from a variety of genres. This musical extravaganza provides both fans and artists with the opportunity to meet and enjoy live shows. Whether you love country, rock, hip hop, RnB, or any other genre, this two-day festival will let you enjoy your favorite tunes from your preferred genres. This is another festival that every music lover in Philadelphia should strive to attend.
Budweiser Made in America Festival
Address: Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, Benjamin Franklin Parkway, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
Website: Budweiser Made in America Festival
Takes Place: Usually held in late August or early September
8. Phoenixville Beer & Wine Festival
Phoenixville Beer & Wine Festival is just a few years old but it has quickly become the premium beer and wine festival in Pennsylvania. This event offers unlimited sampling of various types and brands of beers, ciders, wines, spirits, and meads. During the festival, guests are free to sample as much as they want while enjoying live music by various local artists. Also featured during the festival are tasty foods from local restaurants, and food tours to give guests a chance to sample the incredible culinary diversity of the region.
Phoenixville Beer & Wine Festival
Address: 762 Pike Springs Rd, Phoenixville, PA 19460, United States
Website: Phoenixville Beer & Wine Festival
Takes Place: May
9. Jim Thorpe Fall Foliage Festival
Jim Thorpe Fall Foliage Festival Weekend
Posted by Bill Bernhard on Monday, 14 October 2019
Jim Thorpe is small and one of the most beautiful towns in Pennsylvania. Jim Thorpe Festival is among the biggest fall festivals held here, and it is a time when the town comes to life in a very special and remarkable manner. For the first three weekends of October, the town’s community will come together to enjoy live music, train rides, food and drink, parades, and fun historical tours. Of course, this is all happening while being surrounded by some of the most beautiful sceneries and foliage cover you will ever witness in fall.
Jim Thorpe Fall Foliage Festival
Address: Josiah White Park
Website: Jim Thorpe Fall Foliage Festival
Takes Place: October
Price: 12 USD
10. Peddler’s Village Strawberry Festival
Forecast for this weekend: Intermittent Drizzling & Delicious. Peddler's Village Strawberry Festival, May 19 & 20. Rain or shine. https://bit.ly/2veLMEm
Posted by Peddler's Village on Thursday, 17 May 2018
This festival is designated for May, and the main focus is to celebrate the berry traditions at Peddler’s Village. During the festival, guests are treated to a variety of strawberry eats and treats that will appeal to all family members. Also featured are lots of strawberry-themed foods and drinks, entertainment for kids, lots of food trucks, and live music performances from local and invited artists. Another highlight you will love about the festival is the pie-eating contest for children and adults held for two days of the festival. Entrance and parking are free for all.
Peddler's Village Strawberry Festival
Address: Routes 202 & 263, Lahaska, Bucks County, PA – 18931
Website: Peddler’s Village Strawberry Festival
Takes Place: May
11. Musikfest – Bethlehem
Posted by Musikfest on Friday, 1 November 2019
If you are in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania in early August, then you must not miss this ten-day music festival. The festival is the largest, non-gated music extravaganza in the United States. It features more than 15 stages where guests will enjoy more than 450 musical performances throughout the festival. Performances are by some of the top musicians and music groups in the United States, with previous lineups such as Carrie Underwood, BB King, George Clinton, Boys II Men, Steve Miller Band, and many others.
Musikfest - Bethlehem
Address: 101 Founders Way, Bethlehem, PA 18015, United States
Website: Musikfest - Bethlehem
Takes Place: July to August
Price: from 30 USD
12. Philadelphia Flower and Garden Show
If you are a passionate gardener, or you simply adore beautiful plants and flowers, then this show is for you. It is an internationally recognized show that has been held in early March of every year for the last 80 years. Currently, it is not only the largest but also the oldest indoor flower show on the planet. It brings together horticulturalists from all corners of the world who come to showcase their garden plants and flowers to get recognition, make sales, and earn landscaping deals among other objectives. Attending the festival will also give you a chance to meet and interact with vendors selling all kinds of flowers, orchids, floral-inspired artwork, and garden supplies. If you don’t want to buy, simply attend to increase your knowledge of gardening and to admire the beautiful plants and flowers.
Philadelphia Flower and Garden Show
Address: 1101 Arch St, Philadelphia, PA 19107, United States
Website: Philadelphia Flower and Garden Show
Takes Place: Usually held in March
Price: from 17 USD
13. Odunde Festival
Celebrating 45 YEARS 1975-2020 www.odundefestival.org #odunde #odunde365 #odundefestival #africa #festival
Posted by THE OFFICIAL ODUNDE FESTIVAL on Sunday, 10 November 2019
On the East Coast, Odunde Festival is considered the largest African American festival. It is an extremely popular event known to attract hundreds of thousands of participants. The venue of the event usually covers nearly 12 city blocks of the African American neighborhoods in Philadelphia. The highlights include two stages with live entertainment, arts and crafts, food vendors, and a Family Village with several crafts designed to entertain the junior guests. This event celebrates the highly diversified African and African American culture, not just in Pennsylvania, but the entire United States.
Odunde Festival
Address: 23rd and South St, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
Website: Odunde Festival
Takes Place: June
14. The Gettysburg Festival – Celebrating America
Posted by Gettysburg Bluegrass Festival on Saturday, 17 August 2019
The Gettysburg Festival is designed to celebrate America’s cuisine, art, and culture. The festival features more than 100 events with some of the highlights being Edible Art Tours to celebrate the country’s culinary diversity, Art Market, the children’s arts fair, and lots of music, games, and magic. If you would like to get a real scope of how highly diversified American culture is, then make a date with this festival.
The Gettysburg Festival – Celebrating America
Address: 3340 Fairfield Rd, Gettysburg, PA 17325, United States
Website: The Gettysburg Festival – Celebrating America
Takes Place: May
Price: 25 - 140 USD
15. Kutztown Folk Festival
Kutztown Folk Festival happens between late June and early July every year. The nine-day festival is reputed as one of the most unique and oldest folklife festivals in North America. The origin of the festival was to celebrate Pennsylvania’s Dutch heritage, and through the years, it has gained international fame, attracting visitors from all parts of the world. Currently, the major draw to the festival is the Quilt Sale, given that it is not only the largest in the US but also a great chance to purchase some of the finest fabric art from around the country. Additionally, the festival features crafts by more than 200 artists, as well as traditional music and dances and fun activities for children.
Kutztown Folk Festival
Address: 225 N Whiteoak St, Kutztown, PA 19530, United States
Website: Kutztown Folk Festival
Takes Place: Usually held between last week of June and first week of July
Price: 5 - 24 USD
16. Westmoreland Arts and Heritage Festival
SCULPTURE AWARD “Donuts and Cupcakes with Free Small Coffee”- Ron Koehler - Cleveland, OH
Posted by Westmoreland Arts & Heritage Festival on Tuesday, 9 July 2019
Westmoreland Art and Heritage Festival has been around for more than four decades, during which it has continually attracted crowds north of 150,000 every year. The date of the event is on the 4th of July weekend. The festival showcases the best of the best in terms of fine arts, crafts, and live performances designed to celebrate the rich cultural heritage of the state of Pennsylvania. Also featured during the festival are lots of ethnic food to give you a glimpse of the incredible culinary diversity of the region.
Westmoreland Arts and Heritage Festival
Address: 252 Twin Lakes Rd, Latrobe, PA 15650, United States
Website: Westmoreland Arts and Heritage Festival
Takes Place: July
17. Christkindlmarkt
Pennsylvania isn’t short of Christmas festivals, but if you are looking for a festival that truly captures the warm and authentic feel of Christmas, then you will not find a better one than Christkindlmarkt in Bethlehem. During the weekends of December, Christkindlmarkt turns into a little Christmas City Village. And with the strong German heritage, it is a chance to celebrate Christmas the German way, with exciting shopping opportunities, sampling authentic German foods, riding German carriages, enjoying German music and simply getting lost in the spirit of the festivities the same way you would do if you were in Berlin or Dresden.
Christkindlmarkt
Address: Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, USA
Website: Christkindlmarkt
Takes Place: November to December
Price: Free
18. Bloomsburg Fair
Bloomsburg Fair is an annual event held every September in Bloomsburg, Pennsylvania. It is the largest agricultural show in the state. The fair features exhibits, hundreds of craft stands, food stands, rabbit and poultry exhibits, dog shows, and livestock exhibits, among others. It is another festival worth attending if you want to see the full depth of the state’s agricultural prowess.
Bloomsburg Fair
Address: 620 W 3rd St, Bloomsburg, PA 17815, United States
Website: Bloomsburg Fair
Takes Place: September to October
19. Scranton St. Patrick’s Day Festival
Scranton St. Patrick’s Day Festival started way back in 1862 and has since grown to command the attendance of more than 200,000 participants. The festival is held in early March during the weekend before St. Patrick’s Day, and the aim is to usher in the St. Patrick’s Day celebrations. It is the second-largest and features one of the best St. Patrick’s Day parades in the nation. Every year, the parade features more than 12,000 participants with all kinds of performances, such as string and high school bands, music by local artists, bagpipes, and step dancers among others. Whether or not you are Irish, you will find it irresistible to join the parade and enjoy the fun.
Scranton St. Patrick’s Day Festival
Address: Scranton, Pennsylvania
Website: Scranton St. Patrick’s Day Festival
Takes Place: March
Price: Free
20. Pennsylvania Maple Festival
What’s that delicious smell? It’s the Meyersdale Volunteer Fire Department’s Chicken BBQ happening today from 11 a.m. until sold out! They usually sell out fast, so don’t wait!
Posted by Pennsylvania Maple Festival on Sunday, 29 September 2019
Pennsylvania Maple Festival happens in the second and third weeks of March every year. During the festival, both locals and visitors join together to tap maple syrup from the local maple trees as a way of celebrating the heritage of Laurel Highlands. Additionally, it is also a chance to experience and learn the culture, commerce, and industry of Laurel Highlands and its evolution over the last 170 years.
Pennsylvania Maple Festival
Address: 120 Meyers Ave, Meyersdale, PA 15552, United States
Website: Pennsylvania Maple Festival
Takes Place: Usually held in March
Price: 1 - 10 USD
Enjoy the festivals while you soak in Pennsylvania's beautiful culture
One of the best ways to learn about a community’s culture is to participate in their festivals. It allows you to discover and learn new things and practices that you wouldn’t encounter the usual way. If you are planning a trip to Pennsylvania soon, go back to the above top festivals in Pennsylvania, USA and figure out the ones you can attend based on your destination and date of travel.
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