Pumpkin patches, corn mazes, and apple cider, oh my! Fall is on its way to Lancaster County. Accompanying the cooler weather and changing leaves, fall brings an abundance of fun family activities to experience around Lancaster.
Whether you love taking in Lancaster’s colorful foliage, participating in fall-themed events, or channeling your spooky side, there is never a shortage of activities for you and your littles to enjoy this harvest season in Lancaster County.
Visitors, new residents, and natives alike are sure to find something in this list to keep busy!
Open Thursdays to Saturdays September 13 to November 2, 2024
Full of fun, education, and adventure, Cherry Crest Adventure Farm offers 60 attractions on 25 acres of land. You and your family can laugh and learn your way through the themed corn maze, farm wagon tour, bee barn exhibit, hay chute, animal grove, and so many more attractions.
Special Fall Events:
Saturdays and Sundays from August 17 through October 27, 2024
Travel back in time at the Pennsylvania Renaissance Faire! Meet kings and queens, watch an exciting joust, and enjoy a turkey leg as big as your head. Each week has a different theme and will showcase a different experience. With immersive experiences around every corner you will witness history right before your eyes.
You know what is better than fresh produce? Fresh produce that you picked yourself. Take the family to Cherry Hill Orchards to pick your own peaches, apples, and pumpkins! Visit their website to see what produce is in season before you head out for a fun-filled afternoon in the orchard.
While you are there, be sure to visit their farmer’s market just down the road to shop for fresh produce, baked goods, flowers, and more!
All Aboard! The Strasburg Railroad is a local favorite for a family-friendly experience. Hop on to take a ride through Lancaster’s beautiful farmland and fall foliage. Stop at one of the picnic groves or playgrounds and catch another train on the way back. Learn all about locomotives with one of the many tours.
It’s a big day when celebrities like Thomas the Tank Engine and his friends roll into town! This 45-minutes train ride is pulled by the fully operational Thomas the Tank Engine. Thomas and Friends will be at the Strasburg Railroad September 14 and 15 and September 19 to 22..
Open weekends, Labor Day Weekend to November 3rd.
Celebrate the fall season by creating lifelong memories at Corn Cob Acres. A fall family favorite with over 50 activities for kids of all ages, Corn Cob Acres will have you and your family adventuring all day long. Take a hayride, paint pumpkins, feed goats, see the pigs race, climb a pyramid of straw bales, walk through the cornfield trail, and many other fun-filled farm activities. End the season with their Halloween Party on Saturday, November 2 and Sunday, November 3.
Open Now to October 29
When you think of fall, you think of pumpkin picking. You will definitely want to stop by The Country Barn for picking your own pumpkin. Jump on one of their wagons and ride out to their pumpkin patch. Finding your perfect pumpkin won’t be too hard with over 10 acres of pumpkins to pick from. Looking for pre-picked pumpkins, head to their Farm Market!
After you’ve found your pumpkins and celebrated the season with them, be sure to come back for Pumpkin Demolition Day!
Explore a working farm and learn about the Amish life at Old Windmill Farm. Take a hayride farm tour and meet the animals, milk cows, and gather eggs. Hop on one of the barrel train rides. Join a garden tour to plant seeds and harvest vegetables.
Join them between September 9 and November 23 for their seasonal Farmhouse Experience. Try your hand at making fresh cider, baking bread, and churning butter. Afterwards, sit down with your family to enjoy the fruits of your labor.
Open Saturdays and Sundays in October
Ready for some Spooktacular family fun? Happy Hauntings at Dutch Wonderland is a fun, fall event featuring themed rides, special entertainment, yummy treats, and the Trick-or-Treat Trail.
NEW this year:
Open Every Weekend from September 20 to November 2, 2024
Head over to Oregon Dairy and partake in the “Battle of the Roses” Corn Maze and Pumpkin Patch! Fall! Enjoy activities like barrel trains, pedal tractors, a jump pad, and corn launcher! Hop on the new ride, The Barnyard Express Train Ride! Also pick pumpkins in their pumpkin patch!
Open select days from September 13 to October 31
Hersheypark In The Dark is filled with rides and rollercoasters, chocolatey trick-or-treat adventures, wild zoo visits, and festive Hershey Character experiences. Grab some of their pumpkin-flavored goodies and hop on a lights-out ride experience!
Trick-or-treat at the sweetest place on earth! The Trick-or-Treat trail takes you from Hershey’s Chocolate World to The Boardwalk at Hershey park, enjoying 13 sweet stops along the way.
Starting October 11, head over to ZooAmerica to see “Creatures of the Night.”
Dark Nights Are Coming To Hersheypark Halloween. Starting September 15, this fully immersive haunted experience is sure to have you frightfully spooked with three scare zones and four spine-tingling haunted houses.
Intercourse, PA
September 15 and 16
Every year Kitchen Kettle Village pays tribute to tailgating season with a two-day food festival. See the Village come alive with scarecrows, pumpkins and corn shocks. Enjoy delicious fall food and seasonal themed events!
Bird-in-Hand, PA
*Unfortunately this event has been canceled for 2024. Hopefully it will be back next year!
Lititz, PA
Saturday, September 21, 2024
This charity-fundraising event features live music, great local food trucks, and more than 80 craft breweries with 150+ offerings to sample. Also enjoy the homebrew competition!
Strasburg, PA
Weekends from October 4 to November 2 (Thursdays starting October 24)
Step aboard Strasburg Rail Road’s Haunted Rails & Tails for a spine-chilling journey through Lancaster’s most eerie folklore and fables, guided by acclaimed author and storyteller Matt Lake. Known for his works Weird Pennsylvania and Weird Maryland, Lake brings local legends to life in this unique steam train experience. Featuring a talented cast of professional actors, this event promises a night of spooky entertainment. Don’t miss the opening night on October 4, 2024, where you can meet Matt Lake and have your favorite "Weird" book signed.
Strasburg, PA
September 28, 2024
Ride the train to our convenient Groff’s Picnic Grove – a recreational area along the train’s route. Here you will have a fun filled 40-minute layover as you enjoy live music, games, and pumpkin decorating.
Included with each guest ticket is:
Strasburg, PA
Select Dates October 4 - October 26
Hop aboard your scooter for the only motorized ghost tour in Lancaster County. Visit some of Lancaster County's best haunts as you travel along eerie back roads, make stops to hear local folklore and see the lesser-known haunted side of Lancaster County.
Lancaster, PA
October 12 and 13
Harvest Days is Landis Valley’s oldest and largest family event. Come see demonstrations, visit exhibits, listen to live music, and enjoy children’s activities. Taste heirloom varieties of apples and watch them turn into apple butter and apple cider! Witness wool turn from sheep to shawl. Pick a pumpkin of your very own and then decorate it.
This year’s event offers food demonstrations such as making apple butter and sauerkraut, processing pork, bake oven and hearth cooking; craft demonstrations such as coopering, blacksmith, leather, brooms, pottery, millinery, weaving, woodwork, and more; craft sales where you can buy jams & jellies, pottery, soap, candles, and more; and kid’s activities such as a pumpkin patch and crafts!
Manheim, PA
October 7 - 11
Every October the Manheim community gets together to celebrate their town and agriculture. Enjoy all things farm! From livestock to tractors, baked goods to crafts you won’t want to miss this community fun!
Participating restaurants and bakeries in Lancaster County
September 9 - 15
Celebrate 10 years of Lancaster City Restaurant Week! One thing that makes Lancaster special is the wide variety of cuisine that it offers. Now is your chance to enjoy all those by supporting local restaurants. Continue to visit their website to see the list of incredible eateries, bakeries, restaurants, pubs, bars, and cafes so you can plan your week!
Middletown, PA
October 12 & 13, October 19 & 20
This ride stops at a special pumpkin patch along the line where each passenger may go and select their very own pumpkin.
Intercourse, PA
Saturday, October 26
Visits Kitchen Kettle Village for the perfect recipe for Halloween fun! Enjoy a meal, some colorful characters, including Yummie, a costume contest, whoopie pie making experience, special treats and more.
Intercourse, PA
November 8 - 10
The Red Rose Film Festival is a celebration of storytelling through the art of film, connecting filmmakers and the Lancaster community. Attendees will be treated to a mix of short films, documentaries, and feature-length movies, along with engaging panel discussions that dive into the creative process.
September 18 - 20
September 24 - 28
September 25 - 27
October 2 - 5
Local fall activities in Lancaster can definitely keep the family busy all season long, but if you're looking for a more low-key experience, try getting out into nature. Breathe the crisp cool air and take in the colors of fall on one of the many local hiking trails.
Here are a few of our favorite hiking spots:
Uncharted Lancaster is more than just geocaching; it's a thrilling blend of treasure hunts and real-life adventure, inspired by the cinematic magic of Raiders of the Lost Ark, The Goonies, and National Treasure. Fueled by his passion for these iconic films, Adam Zurn has masterfully created a series of immersive experiences that bring the spirit of adventure to life in Lancaster County. Each challenge, meticulously crafted by Adam, offers a unique opportunity to explore the rich history and hidden gems of the area. This fall, embark on one—or more—of these exhilarating quests, and uncover the secrets that make Lancaster County truly legendary.
We hope this list helps your family jumpstart your fall fun in beautiful Lancaster County this year! And if you have more ideas that we should include in next year's list, please leave them in the comments!