The foliage peaks in mid-October. The farm stands are full. The events calendar is the best
of the year. If you have been thinking about a Lancaster trip, this is the season to take it.
The Season Lancaster Was Made For
Lancaster County is farmland first. That is true all year, but fall is when it shows off.
Harvest season fills the roadside stands in Amish country with apples, pumpkins, and
late produce. The county’s covered bridges and winding back roads turn into some of the
best leaf-peeping drives in the mid-Atlantic. And the foliage itself typically peaks in mid-
October, with color holding on into early November, which gives you a wide window to
plan around.
The pace of the region fits the season too. Fall here is not a spectacle you fight crowds
to see. It is farm country doing what it has always done, and you get to be in the middle
of it.
What to Do on a Fall Weekend
Drive the back roads east of the city through Pennsylvania Dutch Country. The farm
stands are the real thing, run by the families who grew what is on the table. Kauffman
Orchards and Cherry Hill Orchards both do apple picking through the season, with fresh
cider and baked goods to take home.
Ride the Strasburg Rail Road, the oldest continuously operating railroad in America. The
45-minute ride through the farmland is good any time of year and genuinely spectacular
in October.
Spend a morning at Central Market in downtown Lancaster, the oldest publicly owned
farmers market in the country, open Tuesday, Friday, and Saturday. Then give the
afternoon to the city itself. The restaurant scene is as good as anything in Pennsylvania
and the galleries and shops around the square make for an easy few hours.
The Fall Events Are the Best of the Year
The Pennsylvania Renaissance Faire runs every Saturday and Sunday through October
25th at Mount Hope Estate in Manheim, about 20 minutes from downtown. It is one of
the top renaissance faires in the country and we wrote a full guide on planning a
weekend around it.
Harvest Days at Landis Valley Museum in mid-October celebrates Pennsylvania Dutch
culture with craft demonstrations, wagon rides, and live bluegrass at one of the region’s
best living history museums.
And this November brings something historic. On November 18th and 19th, Gettysburg
is re-creating Lincoln’s 1863 visit and the delivery of the Gettysburg Address as part of
America’s 250th anniversary. Gettysburg is about 40 minutes from Lancaster, and
lodging near the battlefield is expected to fill well in advance.
What the Weekend Looks Like
Saturday morning: a served, two-course breakfast at your own table, made from scratch.
Then the day is yours. The faire, the orchards, the rail road, or nothing but back roads
and farm stands. Dinner downtown, a mile away.
Sunday morning: the same unhurried breakfast, then coffee on the porch while you
decide whether you actually have to leave. That last part is harder than it sounds in
October.
Where to Stay: The Lancaster Bed & Breakfast
We are a 1912 Dutch Colonial B&B one mile from downtown Lancaster, with seven
guest rooms with private baths, two fireplaces, a patio, gardens, and a goldfish pond.
The fireplaces earn their keep this time of year. Breakfast is a served, two-course meal
prepared fresh for each guest. Jason cures and smokes the bacon in-house, Kim does
all the baking from scratch, and much of what ends up on the table comes from the
gardens out back. Chowhound named it the best B&B breakfast in Pennsylvania.
“This was the perfect B&B experience! Did we mention the exquisite breakfast? Never
had better. Such love and attention goes into every step. We will keep returning to this
bit of paradise!”
5-star review, Google, 2026
TripAdvisor’s number one rated B&B in Lancaster County and one of the top 25 in the
United States. Fall weekends book early here, especially during the Ren Faire run and
peak foliage. If you are planning a trip for September or October, sooner is better. We
would love to have you.