September may indicate the end of summer, but it certainly doesn’t mean that festival season is slowing down in Pennsylvania.
In fact, September offers a loaded slate of festivals statewide, from food-forward events to music and heritage festivals, to long-standing celebrations like The Great Allentown Fair (which has been going on since 1852) and Scranton’s La Festa Italiana, which turns 50 this year.
Here are 13 September festivals to put on your calendar.
The Great Allentown Fair – Allentown
Dates: Wednesday, Sept. 2 to Monday, Sept. 7
The Great Allentown Fair is one of the oldest fairs in the United States, with its first incarnation held in 1852 to showcase area agriculture. More than 170 years later, the fair—a unique mix of agricultural show and classic fair—remains one of the largest in Pennsylvania. As usual, this year’s fair at the Allentown Fairgrounds will be filled with farm animals, rides, grandstand entertainment, amusing contests (hay bale throwing contest, anyone?), plenty of scheduled fun, and lots of classic fair eats (read: delicious fried food).
La Festa Italiana – Scranton
Dates: Friday, Sept. 4 to Monday, Sept. 7
Scranton’s La Festa Italiana, which turns 50 this year, attracts more than 100,000 people each year to celebrate Italian culture through food, music, entertainment, and community connections. The four-day festival is centered within downtown Scranton’s Courthouse Square, meant to evoke a piazza, the open town square in Italian communities. Italian vocalists, heritage dance troupes, and local bands perform for the crowd while vendors hawk traditional Italian cuisine, including coffee drinks at the festival’s cappuccino tent. And on Sunday morning, the
festival hosts a Catholic Mass in Italian.
Pittsburgh Soul Food Festival
Dates: Friday, Sept. 4 to Sunday, Sept. 6
The Pittsburgh Soul Food Festival comes to downtown Pittsburgh over Labor Day weekend, offering free live entertainment, a craft vendor market, fun activities, and several opportunities to eat delicious soul food. Admission is free, so you can save your money for barbecue, mac and cheese, sweet potato pie, and other eats from over a dozen food vendors.
Kipona Festival – Harrisburg
Dates: Saturday, Sept. 5 to Monday, Sept. 7
The Kipona Festival, held every Labor Day weekend at the capital city’s Riverfront Park and City Island, is a free, family-friendly festival celebrating the Susquehanna River. After all, the name Kipona means “on sparkling water.” Expect lots of food, live entertainment, family games and activities, an arts market, fireworks, and even a giant puppet parade. You can also spend time on the Susquehanna River herself, whether that’s by riverboat, paddleboard, kayak, or canoe.
Free concerts at SteelStacks – Bethlehem
Dates: Friday, Sept. 4 to Sunday, Sept. 6
Bethlehem’s Levitt Pavilion SteelStacks hosts free outdoor concerts all summer, and you can catch three shows during Labor Day weekend. The lineup features the Psychodelics on Friday, Judy Blank on Saturday, and the Adam Ezra Group on Sunday. You can grab food and drinks at Mack Truck and Palette Kitchen, or you can bring your own food and (non-alcoholic) drinks while you enjoy the show on the Levitt lawn.
Pittsburgh Irish Festival
Dates: Friday, Sept. 11 to Sunday, Sept. 13
As if yinz needed another reason to celebrate western Pa.’s deep Irish roots, this year marks 35 years for the Pittsburgh Irish Festival. Held at National Historic Landmark, the Carrie Blast Furnaces, the festival features traditional Irish food, dancing, and music, along with trivia and a raffle for a trip to Ireland. There’ll probably be a pint or three raised as well.
Kennett Square Mushroom Festival
Dates: Saturday, Sept. 12 to Sunday, Sept. 13
Did you know that Kennett Square is considered the mushroom capital of the world? About half of all mushrooms grown in the US come from the Chester County town, which the community celebrates each year with the Kennett Square Mushroom Festival, an event filled with all sorts of ‘shroom-forward foods as well as games, entertainment, a vendor fair, and a fried mushroom eating contest.
America’s Largest RV Show – Hershey
Dates: Wednesday, Sept. 16 to Sunday, Sept. 20
The name pretty much says it all. America’s Largest RV Show sets up shop in the parking lot of Hershey’s Giant Center (rain or shine) with the equivalent of 33 football fields of RVs from cozy trailers to decked-out motorhomes on display, along with the latest gear and gadgets to upgrade your next road trip. There’s plenty to see and learn, with nearly 1,500 models to explore, dealers, and seminars from RV pros.
Pittsburgh International Jazz Festival
Dates: Thursday, Sept. 17 to Sunday, Sept. 20
Pittsburgh will come alive with the sounds of the 16th annual Pittsburgh Jazz Fest, a mix of free outdoor shows in the Strip District and ticketed performances at the August Wilson African American Cultural Center. Performers this year include Lalah Hathaway, Terri Lyne Carrington, legendary drummer Bernard “Pretty” Purdie, and a tribute to the late R & B icon D’Angelo with the Dennis Garner Band. And if you plan on traveling from the Philadelphia area, Amtrak is offering Jazz Train tickets to and from the festival.
Peanut Butter Festival – New Bethlehem
Dates: Friday, Sept. 18 to Sunday, Sept. 20
New Bethlehem’s Peanut Butter Festival is a community festival dedicated to the delicious, creamy—but sometimes crunchy!—nut spread. Besides lots of peanutty food and fun, the Clarion County festival also promises local food sellers, a 5K race, contests, a parade, and an arts and crafts fair. You will also likely see a lot of people dressed up in peanut butter-adjacent garb.
ComiCon Erie 2026
Dates: Friday, Sept. 18 to Sunday, Sept. 20
Erie’s Bayfront Convention Center will transform into the ultimate playground for pop culture fans to geek out at the annual ComiCon event. In addition to seminars, vendors, cosplay contests, photo ops with celebrity guests, and video game tournaments, the event features one-of-a-kind LEGO displays constructed by user groups from the area.
Bird-In-Hand Hot Air Balloon Festival
Dates: Friday, Sept. 25 to Saturday, Sept. 26
Whether you want to take a tethered balloon ride yourself or just stay earthbound and watch hot air balloons take flight, you can do it at the Bird-In-Hand Hot Air Balloon Festival, held at the Bird-In-Hand event field in Ronks. The festival features music, family activities, food trucks, craft vendors, and each night ends with tethered hot air balloons illuminating the night sky as they glow in sync with lasers.
Goose Day – Lewistown
Dates: Friday, Sept. 25 to Tuesday, Sept. 29
The Juniata River Valley’s annual Goose Day celebration is one of Pennsylvania’s most unique celebrations. The event is based on the centuries-old legend that if you eat goose on Sept. 29, you’ll attract wealth and prosperity for the coming year. Thus, local restaurants will be adding goose to the menu beginning the weekend over the course of the five-day event, which features a Goose Day Drone Light Show on opening night and the new Red, White & Goose Parade on Sept. 29.
