Festivals & Events

EXPERIENCE

FESTIVALS & EVENTS!

“We had a fantastic experience at Celebrate Erie! The streets of downtown put on quite the display of local culture! Food trucks, restaurants, art, and music provided plenty of activities for ALL to enjoy. Vibrant murals covered the streets of an entire city block. It was such a wonderful time and we look forward to visiting Erie again soon!” ~ Karen Fortunato and Lauren Cercel – The 2 Orchids, Youngstown OH

TRAVEL DONET LASIT

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January 17-20 Stars and Stripes Gymnastics Invitational

Bayfront Convention Center eriegymnastics.com 814-454-1000 Thousands of gymnasts from across the region come to Erie for four days in Pennsylvania’s second largest co-ed gymnastics competition.

January 17-20 Lake Erie Wine Country Stack Your Rack

Lake Erie Wine Country lakeeriewinecountry.org 877-326-6561 Stock up your wine “Rack” with your favorite Lake Erie Wine Country wines as the wineries make room in their tanks/barrels for the new wines. Check the Lake Erie Wine Country web site for winery hours.

January 25-26 Erie Kennel Club All-Breed Show

Bayfront Convention Center eriekennelclub.com AKC All Breed Conformation and Obedience Show.

Janaury 30-February 2 Erie Auto Show

Bayfront Convention Center eriepromotions.com 814-790-5079 Over 100 Models of New cars, SUV’s, Trucks & Vans on display 25 Erie County Dealers, Domestic & Imported Vehicles, Classic Cars, Muscle Cars, Motorcycles and Auto Accessories.

February 2020

February 6-9 Erie RV Show, Powersports & Camping

Bayfront Convention Center eriepromotions.com 814-790-5079 RV’s, campers, motorhomes and much more!

February 7-9 Sarah Backstrom Girls Hockey Tournament

ERIEBANK Sports Park erieyouthhockey.com Erie Youth Hockey Association presents one of the area’s largest girls hockey tournaments.

February 14-16 Lake Erie Wine Country Decadent Pairings

Fri Noon-6pm, Sat 10-6, Sun 10-5 Lake Erie Wine Country lakeeeriewinecountry.org 877-326-6561 Enjoy savory food, chocolates and of course, wine! Participants will receive a gift box for chocolates that will be collected at 12 wineries.

February 22 Wine on the Lake 2020

Bayfront Convention Center wineonthelake.com info@wineonthelake.com The region’s best celebration of the local grape! Taste wines, sample cheese and foods, shop for unique gifts.

February 28 - March 1 Erie Sports & Travel Expo

Bayfront Convention Center eriepromotions.com 814-790-5079 Outdoor enthusiasts delight: fishing, hunting, camping and power sports.

March 2020

March 13-15 VNEA Pool Championships

Bayfront Convention Center warnercoin.com 814-454-1587 Thousands of the state’s top billiards players compete at Erie’s Bayfront Convention Center.

March 14-15 16th Annual Maple Taste & Tour Weekend

10am-4pm At Northwestern PA sugarhouses pamaple.org Explore the heart of the Pennsylvania Maple Producer. Each of these sugaring operations are unique in their own way. Free tours

March 20-22 Erie Home & Garden Expo

Bayfront Convention Center eriepromotions.com 814-790-5079 There are over 150 vendors with a broad range for all homeimprovement needs, an actual home constructed inside the convention center for attendees to tour, and seminars.

April 2020

April 4 2020 Erie Micro Brew Fest

1pm-4pm and 5pm-8pm The Brewerie at Union Station WQLN.org/Brewfest 814-864-3001 Over 20 regional microbreweries offering their finest, pouring over 100 kinds of beer. Two sampling sessions.

April 4-5 Lake Erie National Cheer & Dance Championships

all weekend Erie Insurance Arena championcheercentral.com 814-454-1000 The culmination of Champion Cheer Central’s Battle of Lake Erie series concludes at the Erie Insurance Arena with cheer competition for all levels.

April 4-5 Asbury Woods Maple Festival

11am-4pm Asbury Woods Nature Center Asburywoods.org 814-835-5356 Maple syrup making historical tours, arts & crafts, maple flavored foods, pancakes & music

April 24 - Sept 4 The Nicole & Harry Martin Spring Show

Regular museum hours Erie Art Museum ErieArtMuseum.org 814-459-5477 Juried, regional art show, open to artists within a 250-mile radius of Erie.

May 14-17 Edinboro Art & Music Festival

Downtown Edinboro Edinboroartandmusic.com 814-734-3777 A three day event that showcases grassroots art and music in the unique spirit of Appalachian culture and tradition.

May 15-17 Lake Erie Wine Country “Tapas & Wine” Weekend

Fri Noon-6pm, Sat 10-6, Sun 10-5 Lake Erie Wine Country lakeeriewinecountry.org 877-326-6561 Visit all the wineries for fabulous cheese-inspired food samples, each paired with a complementary wine.

May 22-24 12th Annual Troika Russian Festival

Fri Noon-10pm, Sat Noon-4pm, Sun Noon-10pm Old Orthodox Church of the Nativity ChurchoftheNativity.net 814-459-8515 Authentic Russian food, ice bar, live folk entertainment. Free admission and free parking.

May 27-30 30th Annual Erie Wild Rib Cook Off & Music Festival

11am-11pm Perry Square, Downtown Erie ErieRibFest.com 814-899-5177 numerous vendors compete for best rib competition plus plenty of music, entertainment and tasty barbecue!

June (date TBA) Presque Isle Poker Paddle

Time is TBA Presque Isle State Park/Lagoon Boat Launch discoverpi.com 814-838-5138 Paddlers of all types and skill levels are invited to join us for a day of fun on the waterways of Presque Isle! The 6.25 mile poker run takes you through the Presque Isle Lagoon, Marina Lake, Presque Isle Bay, Horseshoe Pond, Misery Bay and Graveyard Pond

June 10 ,17, 24 , July 8 ,15 UPMC Sunset Music Series/Food Truck Wednesday at Presque Isle

Every Wednesday 6pm-9pm Presque Isle State Park, Beach 1 DiscoverPI.com 814-838-5138 Free concerts on the beach plus food trucks and world-class sunsets!

June 18-20 Lake City Fire Company 95th Annual Carnival

Thurs/Fri 5pm-10pm, Sat 1pm-11pm Lake City, PA LakeCityFire.org 814-774-4402 Food, rides, games, bingo, parade and live entertainment. Family friendly!

June 20 Erie’s Downtown Food Truck Festival

3pm-Midnight State Street between 13th and 12th Streets Bourbonbarrel.com 814-452-3000 Fun for the whole family! Local food trucks will line the block along with local bands, entertainment, local vendors and more!

June 24-26 B.A.S.S. Nation Northeast Regional Championship

Lake Erie/Presque Isle Bay bassmaster.com/bass-nation The top anglers from 11 states will compete over three days in Bassmaster’s B.A.S.S. Nation Northeast Regional Championship.

June 26-28 Lake Erie Wine Country “Red, Whites and BBQ Too”

Lake Erie Wine Country lakeeriewinecountry.org 877-326-6561 Enjoy summer fare, BBQ recipes local fruits and produce, and picnic sides in time for July 4th

June 27 Erie PrideFest

1pm-4pm Perry Square, Downtown Erie nwpapride.org 814-314-9075 Pride Parade18th & State to Perry Square. Fest includes drag queen performances, entertainment, vendors, food and more!

July 2020

July 7,14,21,28 8 Great Tuesdays

6pm-9pm Highmark Amphitheater at Liberty Park PortErie.org 814-455-7557 Live music every Tuesday evening, each week a different artist and style July & August

July (dates TBA) 75th Annual North East Fireman’s Cherry Festival

All day Downtown North East necherryfestival.com 814-725-5616 Family entertainment with midway rides, games, arts, crafts, large parade and of course cherry pies!

July 10-12 Panegyri Greek Festival

Fri. 2:30-11pm, Sat 11am-11pm, Sun 12pm-7pm Assumption Greek Orthodox Church ErieOrthodox.org 814-838-8808 authentic Greek dancing, food and pastries. Church tours, arts, crafts and entertainment.

July 14-19 Harley Davidson of Erie BikeFest

All day Harley Davidson of Erie/Erie’s Bayfront HDErieBikeFest.com 814-838-1356 9 days of rides, music, giveaways, vendors, entertainment and more!

July 17-19 Waterford Days

10am-9pm Gazebo Park, Waterford PA waterforddays.com waterforddays@gmail.com Parade steps off at 10am. Crafters will be open from 10am to 8pm, music continues at the gazebo until 9pm. Gazebo Park, Waterford, PA

July 24-26 Discover Presque Isle Days

Various times each day Presque Isle State Park/Beach 11 Area DiscoverPI.com 814-838-5138 Art area, children’s games and activities, beach volleyball, various music locations, pancake breakfast, vendors, bonfire and much more.

July 25 13th Annual Beer on the Bay

12pm-7pm Liberty Park/Highmark Amphitheater eriepa.com/beer-on-the-bay 814-454-7191 x123 The region’s largest craft beer festival held on the picturesque Erie Bayfront

July 30-Aug 1 Dan Rice Days

Th 6pm-10pm, Fri 10am-10pm, Sat 8:30am-10pm Downtown Girard danricedays.com 814-774-9683 Event commemorating the life and times of the most famous clown in history.

July 30-Aug 2 Lake Erie Cycle Fest

Various times each day Various locations eriecyclefest.org 814-454-1000 An all-cycling weekend for all cycling lovers, Lake Erie Cycle Fest features unique collection of rides for cyclists of all levels.

July 31-August 2 Blues, Jazz and Arts Festival

1pm-11pm Frontier Park erieartsandculture.org 814-452-3427 Various local, regional and national blues and jazz bands perform on one professional stage.

August 2020

August (date is TBA) 37th Annual Lake Erie Fanfare

7pm Veterans Stadium leregiment.org 814-456-5300 Featuring a variety of drum and bugle corps from across the nation in competition.

August 4, 11, 18, 25 8 Great Tuesdays

6pm-9pm Liberty Park/Highmark Amphitheater PortErie.org 814-455-7557 live music every Tuesday evening, each week a different artist and style July & August

August 7-9 St. Paul’s Annual Italian Festival

Various times each day St. Paul’s Church stpaulrc-erie.com 814-459-3173 Italian food, cookies, pasta fagioli dinner, musical entertainment and procession of the Virgin Mary.

August 14-16 Celebrate Erie 2020

Fri-Sun Noon-10pm Downtown Erie CelebrateErie.com 814-870-1200 Three day extravaganza celebrating everything Erie from food to culture to music and performances filling the streets of downtown.

August 21-23 Zabawa Polish Festival

Fri 5pm-10pm, Sat 1pm-10:30pm, Sun Noon-6pm Holy Trinity Church grounds holytrinityrc.org 814-456-0671 Polish festival featuring home-made specialties, polka music, dancing and raffles.

August 31-September 5 Erie County Fair

Various times each day Erie County Fairgrounds/Wattsburg, PA wattsburgeriecountyfair.com 814-739-2232 Erie County’s oldest and largest fair. Entertainment, amusement rides, truck/tractor pulls, horse pulls and great food.

September 2020

September 5-6 German Heritage Festival

Sat 11am-8pm, Sun 11am-6:30pm St. Nick’s Grove DANK-Erie.org 814-456-9599 Gemutlichkeit starts with “The Mad Bavarian”, German music, food, dancing, petting zoo and historical research.

September 7-12 Waterford Community Fair

Various times each day Waterford Fairgrounds/Waterford, PA Waterfordfair.org 814-796-4490 Agricultural exhibits, thrill rides, truck/tractor & horse pulls, food & entertainment.

September 12 27th Annual Edinboro Highland Games

All day Edinboro University Edinboro.edu 814-732-1420 Variety of music, massed pipe bands marching, food, athletics, kids’ games, and an array of gift and clothing vendors.

September 15-19 76th Annual Albion Area Fair

Various times each day Albion Fairgrounds/Albion, PA albionfair.com 814-756-3911 Animal exhibits, produce exhibits, tractor pulls, live music, amusement rides and food.

September 18-20 Erie Irish Festival

Fri 5pm-10:30pm, Sat 11:30am10:30pm, Sun 11:30am-6pm St. Patrick’s Church erieirishfestival.com 814-454-8085 Irish vendors, Irish food and entertainment, Irish-themed art show and raffles

September 19 Asbury Woods Honey Harvest Festival

11am-3pm Asbury Woods Nature Center Asburywoods.org 814-835-5356 A festival celebrating the wonderful honey bee and the vital role it plays in agriculture, pollination and the food chain. Learn how to harvest honey from a honeycomb, sampling several types of honey and touring Asbury Woods’ bee hives.

September 24-26 Presque Isle Downs & Casino Race of Champions Weekend

Times are TBA Lake Erie Speedway rocmodifiedseries.com 814-454-1000 The second-longest consecutiverunning auto racing event in North America, second only to the Indianapolis 500, returns to the Erie region with three days of high-speed action.

September 25-27 WineFest

Various times each day Gravel Pit, Gibson & Heard Parks, North East PA nechamber.org 814-725-4262 Wine tasting, winery tours, grape stomping, vendors, bed racing, car/ motorcycle shows, food and live entertainment.

October 2020

Oct. 3-4, 10-11, 17-18 Fall Fest at Peek ‘N Peak

Various times each day Peek ‘N Peak Ski Resort pknpk.com 716-355-4141 Pumpkin cannon, huge craft show, live entertainment and family activities.

October 15-30 ZooBoo!

6pm-9pm Erie Zoo eriezoo.org 814-864-4911 Scary but not too scary annual Halloween event. Come in costume and enjoy the Zoo at night. Treats and fun for the entire family.

October (date TBA) Fall Harvest Celebration

11am-5pm Mt. Pleasant of Edinboro skimountpleasant.com 814-734-1641 Saturday is the 5K Challenge plus challenging course mountain bike race. Sunday is Kids Day with games, face painting, bouncy houses and a fun run. Fall-themed entertainment, activities, chair rides, ski swaps, food and vendors on both days.

October 8-10 Scary Creature Feature

6pm-9pm Asbury Woods Nature Center Asburywoods.org 814-835-5356 Fall, family event complete with hayride, donuts and cider, crafts, storytelling and a guided walk through the woods where guests encounter and learn about some not-so-scary, nocturnal creatures that live in the forest.

November 2020

November 6-8, 12-14 Lake Erie Wine Country “Harvest Weekends”

Fri Noon-5pm, Sat/Sun 10am-5pm Lake Erie Wine Country lakeeriewinecountry.org 877-326-6561 Enjoy delicious harvest food & wine sample pairings at each winery over a 3-day weekend!

November 6-8 WQLN Holiday Arts and Craft Show

Fri 1pm-6pm, Sat 10am-5pm, Sun 10am-3pm Rainbow Gardens wqln.org 814-217-6058 The official start to the holiday shopping season!

November 14 Wurst Party at Peek ‘n Peak

Times are TBA Peek ‘N Peak Ski Resort pknpk.com 716-355-4141 German Beer Fest. Jump into your

lederhosen, grab a beer stein and get ready for the WURST party of the year!

November 16 Ales & Aces featuring the Lake Erie Ale Trail

times are TBA Churchill’s Bourbon & Brew/ Presque Isle Downs & Casino lakeeriealetrail.com 11 local craft brewers and their winter beer release. Live entertainment and $10 in free slot play. Tickets at lakeriealetrail.com

November (date TBA) Erie Craft Beer Week

Details are TBA Breweries in the Lake Erie Ale Trail lakeeriealetrail.com Visit all of our local craft brewers for exciting activities and events all week!

November 27-29 Festival of Trees

Various times each day Bayfront Convention Center www.ahn.org/locations/saint-vincenthospital/festival-trees 814-452-5302 Over 100 beautiful professionally decorated themed Christmas trees. Musical holiday entertainment, holiday displays, vendors and Santa.

December 2020

Throughout November & December Holiday Performances, Craft Shows and Art Sales

Check VisitErie.com for a complete list

December 3-6 Victorian Holidays 2020

Wed-Sat 11am-4pm, Sun 1pm-4pm Hagen History Center eriehistory.org 814-454-1813 A multi-faceted celebration of the season featuring 12 themed rooms and trees throughout the Hagen History Center plus Victorian teas, music, more.

December 4 Downtown d’Lights

6pm-8pm Downtown Erie/Perry Square eriedowntown.com 814-455-3743 Downtown Erie comes alive with light and festivities for the holiday season. Vendors, horse-drawn sleigh rides and entertainment.

December 4-6, 11-13, 18-20 Asbury Woods Winter Wonderland

6pm-9pm Asbury Woods Nature Center asburywoods.org 814-835-5356 Stroll along the 1/3 mile boardwalk illuminated with thousands of lights, holiday music, children’s craft. Relax with a hot drink, popcorn or a s’more indoors or by the fire in the outdoor pavilion.

December 5-6 School House Craft Festival

Sat 10am-5pm, Sun 10am-4pm McDowell Intermediate Auditorium asburywoods.org 814-835-5356

FREE FIREWORKS at Erie SeaWolves AA Baseball Games

Dusk following the game.

May 22 May 29 June 19 July 2 July 3 July 10

July 24 August 14 August 21 August 28 September 3

UPMC Park SeaWolves.com 814-456-1300