Jump into more summer fun with these July events and festivals in Pennsylvania.
1. Philadelphia Latino Film Festival
Celebrate Latinos in film at the Philadelphia Latino Film Festival. This 43-day extravaganza is the Greater Philadelphia area’s only annual festival showcasing the innovative work of emerging and established Latine/x/a/o filmmakers. Discover diverse and new film favorites when you attend.
When: Now-Jul. 9
Where: Philadelphia
Cost: Price varies
2. Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival
To be or not to be in the Keystone State this summer? Well, that’s an easy question to answer, especially when the annual Pennsylvania Shakespeare Festival provides you with the most poetic reason to visit. This professional theatre company, comprised of actors, directors, and designers from throughout the U.S., takes center stage at DeSales University’s Labuda Center for the Performing Arts with thrilling, top-of-the-line performances. You’ll laugh, cry, and feel all the emotions of Shakespeare’s best!
When: Now-Aug. 6
Where: Center Valley
Cost: Price varies
3. The Philadelphia Chinese Lantern Festival
See Old City light up the night during the annual Philadelphia Chinese Lantern Festival. Located at Franklin Square at 6th and Race Streets, watch as the lanterns transform the park into a dreamlike garden with massive, handcrafted displays of dragons, tigers, and rabbits that celebrate Chinese traditions. The festival also features live cultural stage performances, including contortion and acrobatics.
When: Now-Aug. 13
Where: Philadelphia
Cost: $22 for adults; $20 for youth and seniors; $14 for children
4. 2023 Summer Movie Series
Lights, camera, action! Pack up some blankets, lawn chairs and popcorn (of course!), and bring your family and friends to enjoy a family friendly movie during Allegheny County's 2023 Movies in the Park. Shows start at dusk at a different location each Thursday evening and best of all, are free!
When: Now-Aug. 17
Where: Allegheny County, location varies
Cost: Free
5. Summer Classic Movies
Enjoy the action of some of your favorite Hollywood classics at Gettysburg’s 2023 Summer Classic Movies series. Located at the beautifully restored historic Gettysburg Majestic theater, grab some popcorn, sit back, and enjoy a great movie on the big screen every Wednesday all summer long.
When: Now-Aug. 23
Where: Gettysburg
Cost: $8
6. 100 Nights of Taps
Notes of “Taps” fill the air every evening as the famous 24-note call is sounded in Gettysburg National Cemetery during 100 Nights of Taps. New this year, join free tours of the cemetery that explore the aftermath of the battle of Gettysburg. After listening to the nightly bugle call played by local musicians, servicemembers, and veterans, stay for live performances of historical vignettes that change each night.
When: Now-Sep. 5
Where: Gettysburg
Cost: Free
7. Festival of Fountains
Spend a warm summer evening enjoying the vibrant and illuminated fountain performances of Longwood’s Festival of Fountains. Each week from Thursday through Saturday, take the whole crew to enjoy the colorful water spectacle during the 30-minute show. Although happening all summer long, this is a popular event and tickets go fast so make sure you add this to your things to do in PA.
When: Now-Sep. 24
Where: Kennett Square
Cost: Price varies
8. Dining Under the Stars
Dine Under the Stars every Wednesday night this summer when Media’s State Street opens to foot traffic only for the biggest alfresco shopping and dining event around. You’ll find kids drawing with sidewalk chalk, see store owners chatting with patrons, and hear music echoing between the buildings. It’s a little bit of the weekend right in the middle of the work week!
When: Now-Sep. 27
Where: Media
Cost: Free
9. Clarion Summer Fest
Clarion Summer Fest is back! Downtown Clarion comes alive with pop ups from local shops, food trucks, and breweries. Get outdoors for free concerts and movie screenings all weekend long. Also, paint the town with chalk art and community art projects that make this small town even more fun and charming.
When: Jul. 6-8, Aug. 4-7
Where: Clarion
Cost: Free
10. 2023 National Senior Games
Cheer on more than 10,000 athletes 50 years and older competing in the 2023 National Senior Games. Competitors from all 50 states go head-to-head in this Olympic-style event in the City of Champions. Watch individual and team sports including basketball, soccer, triathlon, and even pickleball!
When: Jul. 7-18
Where: Pittsburgh
Cost: Price varies
11. Gretna Theatre presents Gypsy: A Musical Fable
Settle into Gretna Theatre’s their historic 700-seat Playhouse for the live performance of Gypsy: A Musical Fable. Featuring some of Broadway’s most iconic songs and numbers, Gypsy takes the audience through the tale of a stage mother who is desperately pushing for her daughter’s success.
When: Jul. 13-22
Where: Mt. Gretna
Cost: Price varies
12. Blobfest
The Colonial Theatre’s 24th annual Blobfest is a must-do July event for sci-fi fans and movie buffs near Philadelphia! The three-day event celebrates the classic sci-fi horror film “The Blob,” a classic 1950s movie set in several of PA’s small towns. Attend the Blob Ball after party, watch creature feature movies and short films, and drive around the filming locations. Also, star in a re-enactment of a famous movie scene filmed at the Colonial Theatre!
When: Jul. 14-16
Where: Phoenixville
Cost: Price varies
13. 36th Annual Blueberry Festival
Add Heritage Bethlehem’s 36th annual Blueberry Festival at the Burnside Plantation to your list of things to do in July in PA! The event features great food, live music, fresh, delicious blueberries and desserts, as well as colonial cooking, gardening, and brewing demos, pony rides, and kids activities. Pre-order your discounted tickets before Jul. 15 to enjoy a free extra tasting from the Blueberry Brewery Tasting Tent.
When: Jul. 15-16
Where: Bethlehem
Cost: Price varies
14. Gettysburg National 19th Century Baseball Tournament and Festival
Bring your lawn chairs and blankets, pack a picnic basket, then sit back and enjoy a rousing game of baseball as it was played in the 1860s — bare-handed, with a single ball, and no catching equipment — at the Gettysburg National 19th Century Base Ball Festival. Players from 30 vintage baseball clubs compete using the same rules and customs of 1864, including authentic wool uniforms and the equipment of that bygone era. Be sure to cheer on your favorite team(s) with a rousing "Sis Boom Rah"!
When: Jul. 15-17
Where: Gettysburg
Cost: Free
15. The Lebanon Community Theatre presents Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street
Be transported back to 19th century London and into the world of Sweeney Todd, an unjustly exiled barber who returns to London to seek vengeance after being framed for murder at Lebanon Community Theater’s production of “Sweeny Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street.” This classic show is perfect for your must-do things to do in July this summer!
When: Jul. 19-30
Where: Lebanon
Cost: Price varies
16. Couple’s Retreat
Enjoy Olmsted Manor’s Couples Retreat with that extra-special someone in your life to focus on your most important earthly relationship. Stay at the retreat center for three days and two nights and attend sessions that will include activities for couples. Led by the Christian Counseling Associates of Western Pennsylvania, you’ll be guided through a Bible study, relationship assessments, communication tools, and steps to immediately put these principles into action.
When: Jul. 21-23
Where: Ludlow
Cost: $175 per person
17. Picklesburgh
Voted USA Today’s 2023 reader’s choice “Best Specialty Food Festival,” Picklesburgh offers all the dill-ectable treats you can eat! Bigger and better than ever at a new location this year, pickle fanatics can try fermented favorites from a variety of vendors serving up everything from fried pickles, pickle tots, and wash it down with pickled cocktails or shots. Enter the pickle juice drinking contest to be named the Mayor of Picklesburgh!
When: Jul. 21-23
Where: Pittsburgh
Cost: Free
18. 26th Annual 100 Mile Yard Sale
Pennsylvania has the best roadside attraction for your summer road trip: the famous 100 Mile Yard Sale! Now in its 26th year, the biggest yard sale in PA is hosted at homes, local businesses, and community buildings across a dozen towns in Happy Valley. Follow your GPS for the best bargains and second-hand treasures in Clearfield, Cameron, Elk, and Centre counties!
When: Jul. 21-22
Where: Multiple locations
Cost: Free
19. Kecksburg UFO Festival
On December 9, 1965, several residents of the small-town of Kecksburg looked up and reportedly saw an unknown object in the sky that defied explanation, with most agreeing they had definitely seen a UFO. Come celebrate the occasion at the Kecksburg UFO Festival. Lovers of all things weird and paranormal can’t miss this three-day, family-friendly event. Snap a picture with the mysterious UFO monument, shop from local vendors, and compete in quirky contests.
When: Jul. 21-23
Where: Kecksburg
Cost: Free
20. Uptown Somerset Chalk the Block
Enjoy one of western PA's largest chalk festivals at Chalk the Block where professional street artists transform the sidewalks of historic Uptown Somerset into beautiful and colorful 2D & 3D murals. Spend your weekend checking out their amazing work before it disappears, join in youth and adult art competitions, and enjoy the fare from a variety of local food trucks while listening to live music.
When: Jul. 22-23
Where: Somerset
Cost: Free
21. Grand Carnivale at Dorney Park
Join a larger-than-life international festival at Dorney Park’s brand-new Grand Carnivale. After you ride the rollercoasters, stay to celebrate the sights, sounds, smells, and tastes from cultures from around the globe. Featuring the Spectacle of Color Parade, summer evenings at Dorney will be filled with interactive street performers, games, and multicultural music and food.
When: Jul. 22-Aug. 6
Where: Allentown
Cost: Price varies
22. Discover Presque Isle
Discover Presque Isle at the multi-day, family-friendly celebration with activities throughout Presque Isle State Park! Play and learn with self-guided and in-person hikes, archery, catered pancake breakfasts, live music, sand sculpture competition, giant bonfire, and Presque Isle Lighthouse tours. Almost all the programs are free, but donations help preserve the pristine park.
When: Jul. 24-30
Where: Erie
Cost: Free
23. Richfield Dutch Days
Honoring the region’s rich Pennsylvania Dutch heritage, Richfield Dutch Days serves up delicious Dutch fare in Basom Memorial Park. Celebrate Dutch Days with this July event with games, rides, and live bands. Top the weekend off by watching the popular parade or even compete for one of the parade prizes!
When: Jul. 26-29
Where: Richfield
Cost: Free
24. 43rd Allegheny Mountain Championship Rodeo
This July, don’t miss out on three days’ worth of the “toughest show on dirt!” Watch the 43rd annual Allegheny Mountain Championship Rodeo at the Flying W Ranch featuring several breathtaking events including bareback and saddle bronc riding, steer wrestling, women’s barrel racing, and bull riding, while enjoying concession stands, vendors, and a country band.
When: Jul. 27-29
Where: Kellettville
Cost: $25 for ages 12 & up, $10 for children ages 3-11
25. Lake Erie Cyclefest
Strap in for an all-cycling weekend at Lake Erie Cyclefest 2023! Bike along safe routes through Erie County’s stunning natural landscape, from sandy beaches and forests to downtown and the gorgeous grape-growing region. Cyclists of all ages and abilities can join the self-supported rides, with all event proceeds benefitting local charities.
When: Jul. 27-30
Where: Multiple locations
Cost: Price varies
26. Military Weekend at World War II Museum
Dive into three full days of history at the World War II Museum during their Military Weekend. The weekend is packed with vehicle demonstrations, living history encampments, displays, veterans, a 1940s swing dance, and many more surprise visits from friends in the air.
When: Jul. 28-30
Where: Gettysburg
Cost: Price varies
27. Elk Expo
Celebrate "Everything Elk” at Elk Country Visitor Center’s 2023 Elk Expo! Bring the entire family to the celebration of the largest wild elk herd in the northeast. Learn about PA wildlife at the many exhibits and seminars, and don’t forget to shop and take a souvenir home from the 100+ vendors who will be on hand. Enter to win the annual PA Conservation Elk Tag raffle, a hunting package that benefits PA’s Elk Country.
When: Jul. 29-30
Where: Benezette
Cost: Free; $5 for shuttle
28. Hermitage Art Festival
The Hermitage Arts Festival is the community’s two-day celebration of local artistic and musical talent. Hosted on the beautiful grounds of the Rodney White Olympic Park, the festival features a marketplace for local artists to display and sell their art. Stroll the grounds and pick out some new pieces for your collection or stop by one of the many musical and theatrical performances happening throughout the grounds.
When: Jul. 29-30
Where: Hermitage
Cost: Free
29. Historic Schaefferstown, Inc.’s WWII Weekend
Travel back in time as the Alexander Schaeffer House and Farm becomes a World War II infantry encampment. Highlights include live battle re-enactments, displays, and demos. soldiers’ campsites. After you tour the WWII soldiers’ tents and campsites, explore the rest of Historic Scaefferstown. This authentic folk village showcases the history and culture of Pennsylvania with many museums, collections, and historic sites.
When: Jul. 29-30
Where: Schaefferstown
Cost: $5
30. Peach Fest
Peach Fest at Flinchbaugh’s Orchard is just peachy! The peaches are ripe for picking at this sweet family-friendly July event in PA. Ride in the tractor-drawn wagons to pick your own peaches and sunflowers. After the orchard, cool off with a peach sundae or slushie and listen to live music!
When: Jul. 29, Aug. 5, 12
Where: Hellam
Cost: Free
31. Park in the Park Car Cruises
Cruise your way into summer with Park in the Park car cruises. Bring your very own pride and joy vehicle, or just come and stroll through the classic, custom cars. Mike Fraser from 3WS will be on hand and dash plaques will be given to the first 100 cruise cars.
When: Jul. 30, Sep. 4, 17
Where: Allegheny County, location varies
Cost: Free
Looking for more things to do in PA this summer? Be sure to check out the VISIT PA website and follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, and Instagram for more PA inspiration. Do not forget to sign up for our monthly PA travel e-newsletter so you never miss an update.