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.

this is a wonderful "small town" festival that gives you the feeling of a hometown block party. It…read moreis well organized with plenty of burger stands to choose from and lots of childrens activities. And FREE to attend! It's always held on the Saturday of Labor Day weekend. Lot's of music, great food, friendly atmosphere.. just a fantastic day!

Another great festival! Excellent weather, good food and amazing entertainment! It's such a fun day…read moreand my husband and I love being a part of it. Here's to next year!​

This is the absolute worst fair I've ever been to! Nothing…read moreto do, but walk around and look at vendors trying to sell farm equipment. The food was God awful, too. YUCK! If you want to go to a real country fair, look for the 4-H fair in Ringoes, N.J.. Now that's a fair!!! Good food, lot's of amusement rides, fun events like dog shows and pig races...something for everyone! Stay away from this place. it is a waste of the day!

Growing up in NYC I only read about fairs like this in books . Once in a while you saw them on TV…read moreor in the Movies. Oley is small town America and the Oley Fair is what small town America fairs should look , feel and taste like. Me and my family look forward to it every year and lifelong memories are truly made here. In case your wondering this years biggest Pumpkin came in at just over 1000 pounds and was grown by a local family . Thats the Oley Fair , and in todays America its a pleasure to have the Oley Fair. Visit and join in small town america.

Great ice cream and nice to see the cows names from the farm on the ice cream flavors…read more Got 2 scoops mocha chip which is a subtle coffee flavor and mint chip. I was worried i only got one scoop and already left. I found the mint chip packed down in the bottom of the cake cone cavern which was super weird but still good. I normally don't eat the whole cone but now I had to to get the ice cream lol

I'm so glad I finally got to visit this charming farm in Chester Springs! The property is…read moreabsolutely beautiful, with plenty of friendly farm animals to see -- perfect for kids or just a relaxing day out. There was a long line for ice cream, but it moved quickly, so the wait wasn't bad at all. You can't see the ice cream behind the counter, so you have to go by the menu board (and samples). I tried the cookies and cream, chocolate, and chocolate with peanut butter cups -- all were incredibly creamy and full of flavor. It's 10x better than anything store-bought! There's also plenty of seating both inside and out on the porch, which made it easy to sit back and enjoy the treat. Can't wait to come back and try more flavors!

Attended Fall Festival- simply too chaotic for my taste. They need a better plan! A map or list of…read moreactivities; or appointed people to push you in the right direction. We arrived w/ no clear sense of where to go or begin. There were tented areas, but then little shacks w/ awnings, pockets of people standing in a field, others across the street. Do I pay for this outside? Do I go inside? Are there tickets? The market (which had really nice things) was impossible to shop. Some things were outside, other things inside, w/ a line of people waiting to pay starting at the tented outside register area, backed up, weaving all the way thru the market isles to the front door. You had to squeeze between the line of people waiting to pay & the shelves of food to shop, making it hard to look at anything, much less grab anything. I know this sounds like a good problem to have, but not when chaos is driving the experience more than demand. Exhausted from wondering the outside trying to figure out what all there was to do & where to go, then braving the market, I decided to skip apple picking which was the main reason I was there! That process appeared even less clear, so no regrets. I do love the things purchased at the market, including apple cider donuts, frozen pastas, & Reading Soda Works bottles- just think I'll return to shop on a day when nothing is going on.

We had a great experience here! It was a cute little drive away from us in the countryside. There…read morewas farm fresh produce & other grocery items, as well as a deli and cafe. We would love to come back when the weather is nicer to enjoy their outdoor area and orchard!

"You come on like a flame Then you turn a cold shoulder…read moreFire and ice" (Pat Benatar) Lititz is one cool little town with a vibrant downtown of 60 shops, 20 restaurants and a pretty little park. To promote winter tourism, in February they host an annual 10-day bash known as the "Fire & Ice Festival". Local businesses sponsor the creation of an ice sculpture for public display, and we saw dozens of them on Main Street, Broad Street, Juniper Lane and at the entry to Lititz Springs Park. Some of the sculptures we saw were fire trucks, tow trucks, a snowman, Mr. Moneybags from Monopoly, an angel, a unicorn, the Liberty Bell, Mr. Potato Head, a bird, a dog and various other animals, a train, a bicycle, praying hands, and a palm tree. The Fire and Ice Festival also has food trucks, music, kid-centric activities, a photography exhibit and a Lititz pub crawl. We enjoyed looking at the ice sculptures, fed the ducks in the park, shopped at Wilbur Chocolate and the Sturgis Pretzel Bakery, and visited the town's Visitor Center to chat with Earl - one of the coolest ambassadors any town can possibly dream of having. Well done Lititz!!

Fun to see. Lititz has lots of interesting events through all the seasons and I live close enough…read moreto walk there.

My daughter-in-law was excited to bring us here for the holiday boutique. She had never been but…read morehad heard wonderful things about it. Apparently, they host other events as well. The Holiday Boutique boasted local artisans & German food. We were NOT disappointed. There were a variety of local vendors selling their products. From jewelry to candles to ceramics to woodworking to glass blowing to knitting to clothing...you name it, it was here. I was able to purchase quite a few special gifts . If you're a supporter of small businesses, then you'll love it just like me. You will find so many talented artisans. In addition, there was food & drink to be had as well. On this chilly day, we opted for hot cider. If you get cold, you can warm yourself up at the many little fire pit stops. This was a super fun day!

Excellent food and service! It's one of our favorite family dinner restaurants in Berks County.read more

"He's washing dishes and baby clothes He's so ambitious, he…read moreeven sews But don't forget, folks That's what you get, folks, for makin' whoopee" (Ella Fitzgerald) You had me at "Create Your Own Whoopie Pie". The veritable cherry on top of their cornucopia of fruits, vegetables, jarred foods, baked goodies, pretzels, popcorn, candies, and frozen foods is their Whoopie Pie Festival, which we attended today. The Festival runs on Feb. 26-28 & March 5-7 between 9am - 4pm. Essentially, you can create Your Own Whoopie Pie for $4 each, 4 or more at $3.50 each, and 12 or more $3 each. Here's how it works - make your customized selections of one of 12 cookies, one of 11 frostings, and one of 7 toppings, and Brecknock will build your pie. I went full Elvis mode and selected banana cookies, peanut butter frosting, and chocolate chip toppings around the circumference. We had a great time at Brecknock -making our Whoopie pies, playing a whoopie pie trivia game, and picking up a few odds and ends for us and friends. PRO TIP Hats off to Brecknock for their generosity and hospitality. They had free samples everywhere- whoopie pie wedges, pretzels, popcorn, and all sorts of goodies. It worked on us, because after sampling some honey mustard pretzels, we couldn't grab a bag fast enough.

Great food products and the most amazing friendly helpful staff I have ever dealt with. We bring…read moreour family and friends here all season long. Three stars!