Winter days in Pennsylvania might be cold and dark, but they don’t have to be dreary. Pennsylvania cities and towns are home to a host of winter festivals that encourage you to get outside and celebrate the season by admiring ice sculptures, playing in the snow, embracing holiday cheer, or learning about seasonal folklore.
We’ve rounded up some of our favorite winter festivals in Pennsylvania for you to put on your calendar this season.
Independence Blue Cross RiverRink Winterfest – Philadelphia
Dates: Friday, Nov. 27, to Sunday, Feb. 28, 2027
Independence Blue Cross RiverRink Winterfest is an annual tradition in Philadelphia and a season-long ode to winter. Winterfest lights up the Delaware River Waterfront with a giant ice skating rink, plus arcade games, fire pits, and food and drink vendors (including a s’mores pop-up). You can also enjoy the holiday tree lighting featuring free live performances on Nov. 29 or a (ticketed) Valentine’s Day party on Feb. 13.
Dickens of a Christmas – Wellsboro (Tioga County)
Date: Saturday, Dec. 5
Dickens of a Christmas is a unique, one-day Christmas celebration in the small town of Wellsboro in north-central Pennsylvania that harkens back to a simpler, more traditional time—the Victorian era of Charles Dickens. After all, Dickens, as the author of “A Christmas Carol,” played a major role in shaping Christmas into the family-oriented holiday focused on generosity that we celebrate today.
For its festival, Wellsboro returns to the holiday’s roots by transforming itself into a Victorian-era town, which isn’t too hard to do since the charming downtown is still lit by gas-powered streetlights.
Attendees are surrounded by singers, dancers, and performers clad in Victorian dress and are invited to join community caroling. The festival also hosts a large arts and crafts market plus plenty of food and drinks for sale.
Black Forest Krampusnacht – Jim Thorpe (Carbon County)
Date: Saturday, Dec. 5
Black Forest Krampusnacht is an annual winter festival in Jim Thorpe that celebrates winter folklore. If you’re unfamiliar, Krampus is St. Nicholas’ more unsettling counterpart. In Alpine folklore, the half-goat, half-demon accompanies St. Nicholas on Krampusnacht—Dec. 5, the night before the Feast of St. Nicholas. While St. Nick rewards children’s good behavior with presents, Krampus… swats naughty children with birch rods.
Black Forest Krampusnacht, hosted at Pocono Whitewater headquarters on Route 903, nods to this good-cop, bad-cop lore with a festival featuring local art, live music, a haunted trail themed around Krampus and local cryptids and folk tales, games, and lots of folks in costume a la Krampus. Plus, the festival aligns with St. Nick’s vision of the holiday season: game and haunted trail proceeds will fund presents for Carbon County kids in need.
Phoenixville Firebird Festival – Phoenixville (Chester County)
Date: Saturday, Dec. 12
The Phoenixville Firebird Festival is not just a community arts festival—it’s anchored by a tradition in which the city embraces its namesake and celebrates rebirth by lighting a massive wooden phoenix the community built over the previous three months.
Besides the ceremonial burning, the festival also features live performances, arts and crafts vendors, and food and drink for sale.
Fire and Ice Festival – Somerset (Somerset County)
Dates: Friday, Jan. 15 to Sunday, Jan. 17, 2027
The Fire and Ice Festival in Somerset promises both frozen and fiery fun. The theme for the 2027 festival is “A Tale of Fire and Ice,” and more than 50 ice sculptures inspired by books and stories will line the streets of uptown Somerset. The festival also promises a vendor market and Friday fireworks. Plus, in keeping with the theme, the children’s area will be centered on bedtime stories.
IceFest – Chambersburg (Franklin County)
Dates: Thursday, Jan. 28 to Sunday, Jan. 31, 2027
According to its organizers, IceFest in Chambersburg is the largest ice festival in the state. Started 25 years ago as a way “to help the community shake the mid-winter blues,” per IceFest organizers, the four-day festival now features as many as 100 detailed ice sculptures—including a giant ice slide—and a host of other events and activities.
This year will mark the 25th anniversary of the iconic festival. The full event schedule is still being finalized, but you can expect live ice-carving demonstrations, live music, contests, arts and crafts vendors, kids’ activities, art exhibits, fire dance performers, food and drink, and distinctive community activities like sample classes with the Cumberland Valley School of Music.
Wally Ice Fest – Newfoundland (Wayne County)
Dates: Saturday, Feb. 6 and Sunday, Feb. 7, 2027
Wally Ice Fest is a winter festival with a pond hockey championship on the ice of a Newfoundland pond in the Pocono Mountains. The pond hockey tournament—planned for all day Saturday and half of Sunday—lets dozens of teams from across the region play the game at its purest: outdoors on a natural pond!
In addition to the hockey (both playing and watching), the festival includes a warming bonfire, public ice skating, ice golf chipping, keg curling, live music, local food and drink vendors, and much more.
Lititz Fire and Ice Festival – Lititz (Lancaster County)
Dates: Friday, Feb. 12 to Monday, Feb. 15, 2027, and Thursday, Feb. 18 to Sunday, Feb. 21, 2027
The Lititz Fire and Ice Festival combines frozen festivities—like dozens of hand-carved ice sculptures—with warming ones, like fire shows and a chili cook-off, over two full weekends this winter. The annual community festival takes place in downtown Lititz, allowing visitors to enjoy the fun and patronize some of Lititz’s charming local businesses, from unique gift shops to restaurants and bars featuring fire-and-ice-themed specials.
Along with an ice cream festival and a kids’ activity area, the small-town festival will also host live music and an arts and crafts market.
Mountainfest (Scranton)
Dates: Friday, Mar. 5 and Saturday, Mar. 6, 2027
Mountainfest is an annual winter sports and music festival that takes over Montage Mountain, a ski resort in Northeastern Pennsylvania. Visitors are treated to live music, snowboarding and skiing, and a fireworks show—but one of the festival’s major highlights is Preston & Steve’s Cardboard Classic, a race featuring handmade sleds made out of, you guessed it, cardboard.
Mountainfest requires tickets, with prices varying based on whether you want to see the music or also hit the slopes.
State park winter festivals in Pennsylvania
These Pennsylvania winter festivals at state parks with free admission help get you outdoors even in the midst of winter by offering opportunities to try winter recreation, whether you’re hiking through the chilly woods or strapping on snowshoes for the first time.
Ohiopyle State Park Winterfest – Ohiopyle (Fayette County)
Date: Saturday, Feb. 6, 2027
At Ohiopyle State Park’s Winterfest, sledding is the main activity (BYOS—bring your own sled), but you’ll also be treated to cross-country skiing and snowshoeing demonstrations, a self-guided hike, and concessions. Plus, if the conditions are right, there will also be a sleigh ride through the park.
Prince Gallitzin State Park Winter Blast – Patton (Cambria County)
Date: Saturday, Feb. 6, 2027
During Prince Gallitzin State Park’s Winter Blast, visitors can head to the Prince Gallitzin Marina for a day of free winter activities including guided nature hikes, sledding, ice skating, broomball, cross-country skiing, snowmobile demos, disc golf, geocaching, and more!
Lackawanna State Park Winterfest – North Abington Township (Lackawanna County)
Date: Saturday, Feb. 13, 2027
Winterfest at Lackawanna State Park will feature opportunities to try snowshoeing and birdwatching. You can also head out on a guided nature hike and make a pinecone bird feeder, among other fun winter activities. Plus: s’mores!
This article first appeared on Good Info News Wire and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.
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