Had a lot of fun kids participated in the ponies rides and hay ride not a lot of apple pie thoread more

There weren't very many apples at the "Apple" festival. Parking was fine. For $5, Quickly boarded a…read moreschool bus in a field about a mile or two away. A lot of people were there. But expecting the focus to be on Apples, it was more like a craft fair. If you like that stuff, great. Not me. Would not go again. Apple festival is the code word for Craft sales. Quickly left and enjoyed the rest of the day in very empty Havre de Grace.

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.

Very fun, got a ton of useful stuff there! Great food, but long lines so you know it's the real…read moredeal!!

Always a great time. Bring a chair grab some BBQ listen to the band. Something for everyone to…read morehave some fun. Plenty of vendors to Do a little shopping. Some good BBQ to try. Only bad thing I can say is the whole event needs to be at a bigger location.

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.

Friends of mine have been attending this festival for a few years, and I was finally able to join…read morethem last year (and plan to attend again this year). Think Renaissance Festival only a million times better: the people who put this one provide a real sense of community and a sacred space that is unlike any other I've ever been to. Drum circles, dances, great food, fun shops, and famous and soon-to-be famous authors work their magic on this place, and I look forward to attending as often as I can work it into my schedule. The festival held every year around the start of May and dressing up is highly, highly encouraged! Kubiando!

We had a blast with the kids. I thought it was a bit expensive for what it was and they didn't…read moreeven give us a flyer/map at the gate where we gave up our money. It is completely magical as explained in the other posts. It's fun and lots of people dress up and there are food vendors, stuff vendors, fairy goodies, circles, dancing, a may pole, characters walking around like smasher and mossman. I enjoyed it very much - I wish there had been some more shade here and there (got a bit warm for a while). Loved the animal corner with the pets to touch, greyhounds, pigs, and other awareness venues. Very fun, parking was at a cost as well, but it wasn't too bad. Glad it didn't rain - would have been a lot of mud. Porta pottys were not too busy, but they were running out of paper towards the end of the day. Magical - fun, I will be back.

Amazing festival! Highly recommend going and enjoying the day! The food, art, and music are amazing!read more

I agree with the fellow reviewers on here. I expected much better quality from a seafood festival…read moreON THE WATER in Maryland!!! There was one bright spot: the soft-shell crab sandwich. It was big, not battered too much, and tasty. However, everything else was an exercise in starch. When I ordered the gator balls, I expected to get the flavor of gator rather than potato. It came with these round slices and fried potatoes. There were more potatoes than gator, and they charged $15 for it. The lobster mac and cheese was, by far, the worst. Again, they charged $15. It looked great but had NO flavor. Even the lobster had no flavor. The same can be said for the lobster roll. I just returned from Portland, Maine, so this was not gonna live up to it. Still, it wasn't even close. There was no seasonings or flavor, or even options like drawn butter or chipotle mayo.

Saengerbund Oktoberfest is an annual festival that celebrates German-American heritage with food,…read moremusic, beer, amusements and shopping. It occurs the third weekend of September normally. Although it is nothing like Oktoberfests in Germany, it is about as close as you'll get without boarding a plane and using your passport. We went and had a great time last Fall. It was an easy trip from the Philadelphia area and offered much more than the weak Octoberfests that seem to pop up and disappear forever in the Philly area. The highlights were the food and music under the big tent! The beer was good, but the offerings were a tad disappointing. None of the beers that make German beers the envy of others. Like at any festival, the prices are on the high side. Everything is paid for using tickets that can be purchased at booths throughout the venue. The plum cake is awesome! Sweet yet a bit sour-not overly sugary or heavy. The other desserts are also very good. I was excited about the roast pork-but found it a bit bland and greasy. The sausages and sides were all a little disappointing-they could and should be improved. In general, buffet-quality food, at festival prices. The music was good, and as would be expected, hyper-traditional German "muzik." The dancers clearly do what they do out of pride and love-definitely a mom and dad dance club vibe to their performances. But that makes it even more charming and far better than an Epcot Center-Disney-Gone-Wild über-version of traditional german dances. Saengerbund Oktoberfest also has a carnival-like midway with rides (included in the price of admission). Certainly a plus for the kids-should you bring any. Also there is a good selection of "German" souvenir kitsch at über-prices so you can take home a reminder of the day or as a shout-out to your german heritage. One big downside (at least for me) is the "let's go drink beer until we puke" element that seems to become more prevalent as the day turns into night. Another downside is the porta-potty situation. Too few pottys, too many people waiting in long lines, and too many drunken 20-somethings "sneaking" into the bushes to release über-amounts of kidney-processed beer.

Attended my very good friends wedding there, mostly the reception but it was fun. Pretty roomy, big…read moredance floor, the bar area was tucked behind the stage. The staff hired to tend the bar were friendly. I like that it was decorated with German stuff. Pretty conveniently located too, close to the highway so you're not searching for it. I especially liked the vast selection of beers.

Another great year. Gyros for $12 each, all day every day. Yum! Can't wait until September 2026!read more

Not what it used to be but we have been going for 48 years?! lol Changes are: No more flea market…read more The gyros are now $12 with half the meat. ( I know, inflation). :-) No more rice with the entrees. Charge for parking. However, we can't miss it. So many memories with our then kids and grandkids. Hope to go again next year and on and on.

Really fun (and free admission!) carnival to take the kiddos to. Ride wristband for unlimited rides…read more$25 each and if I had to guess, there are probably about 15+ rides varying from little kid rides to rides that are fun for older kids and adults. They have a lot of typical carnival games like ring toss, they have clowns and face painting, etc. Also they sell food and drinks - pit beef, fries, Italian sausage, cotton candy, funnel cakes, beer, etc. And the food prices aren't bad at all. They did start a little later than their posted opening time of 3:00 when I went (6.1.19) and unfortunately the operator of the bumper cars was very obviously under the influence, but aside from that we had a fantastic time and definitely plan to make this an annual tradition.

My first time was this past weekend and I LOVED it. I tagged along with my husband and some of his…read morefriends since I was told I didn't have to dress up. I didn't don a costume but lots of people did and they're all willing to have their pictures taken. Lovely. I heard that this festival is less popular than the renaissance one in terms of number of people but this place was pretty well attended. In fact, I think it struck a good balance: good crows but not so packed you could barely move and all the lines stretch for miles. Tons of beer and cider options (also a dairy free fresh fruit smoothie cart for those opting for a healthier route). Stay hydrated (and the women's restrooms were surprisingly very clean, in case you were too hydrated ;) There are several artisanal stands selling everything from tie-dyed kilts to tote bags, other shops have your regular funnel cake and even a cute little tea shop that was surprisingly well stocked with both tea and accessories. There is so much to look see...you can't do it all in one trip. Also I can't forget about the jousting, live bands/performances etc. Thank goodness there was a ton of available seating. My husband promised me a turkey leg and I definitely got one (cost about $8, I'm told this is a price increase). It was huge and perfectly seasoned, very satisfying. Get your dollar bills ready to play some of the games or go on the little rides. (Maybe if you win enough coins you can get some prizes). The game attendants were witty and funny, definitely got you to stop and spend the $3. Finally, parking was a breeze. The attendants do a great job of keeping things orderly. This is such a great place for all ages including kids on a beautiful sunny day. (Some of the stuff seems like it's not just Celtic, but that didn't take away from the fun).

Been in attendance for 5 years. Always a great time. Be prepared to learn, drink, and be watching…read morethe best live music ever.