MUD SALE in AUGUST!   Most "mud sales" (annual fund-raising auctions by local fire departments) occur during early springtime, when the snow is melting and the rain in falling.  However, the Intercourse Fire Company is having their annual sale on Saturday, August 17, beginning at 8:30am. Stop by and experience a combination of culture, food, fun, and great deals! For more information, see below sales agenda ...

Although the clouds seem to be helping out a little bit, we are having another classic July heat day in Lancaster County.  As we travel the back roads in "search of" our many hidden gems, it is heartening to see so many "filling stations & rest stops" being made available along the roadside.   ...

The hidden gems of www.realLancasterCounty.com were well represented today at the 3rd annual Lancaster County Food & Spirits Festival in the City of Lancaster...including Olio Olive Oils & Balsamics, The Savory Gourmet, and The Sturgis Haus of Lititz, Green Market Company of Mount Joy, and Maplehofe Dairy of Quarryville.  We were also delighted to interact with two hidden gems that will be joining w ...

Enjoy this postcard from www.realLancasterCounty.com...while picking up two dozen whoopie pies for a family gathering we hosted this weekend, we found two mares standing guard over their young foals at Millport Bakery. ...

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A drive through the country roads of Lancaster County reveals that Monday is the official wash day our PA Dutch friends & neighbors! ...

It's Springtime in Lancaster County!  Now we can only hope that the temperature gauge gets" the memo" and starts adjusting upward! Along with budding trees, greening grass, and flowering daffodils, plowing is now underway.  As pictured below, an Old Order Mennonite farmer near Ephrata prepares his ground for planting in the heart of PA Dutch country. ...

www.reallancastercounty.com wishes everyone a Happy Easter! If you live in Lancaster County or are just visiting for the weekend, you can sense that Springtime feeling in the air! This means it's time to start preparing your lawn and gardens for the upcoming growing season. Check out these locally owned markets that feature everything you need for all your gardening, landscaping, and lawncare needs! http:// ...

Although it keeps delaying evidence of having arrived,www.realLancasterCounty.com officially welcomes SPRING to Lancaster County and encourages it to show its face! See attached gorgeous bouquet that represents what we are hoping for...this pic was taken at last week's American Quilters Society convention in Lancaster. ...

Each year, a variety of fun events and  interesting traditions take place in Lancaster County but there is nothing that presents a more compelling "portrait of local colors," than the annual community mud sale.  Aptly named for the thawing ground of springtime, these auctions/sales are a major fundraiser for local volunteer fire companies.  With the earliest sale beginning in February, these community gathe ...

For those who were grew up in Lancaster County, didn't the annual snowfall seem exceedingly high each winter?  Not so in this day and age!  It seems we are lucky to get even a foot per winter.  The winters seem warmer as well.  So the other week, during our cold snap in our county, it was a delightful surprise to see this scene....Mennonite and Amish youth skating on a swimming pond turned skating rink. The ...

The voting has finished for the 2013 America's Coolest Small Town contest and the winner is Lititz, PA! While the reasons for this win are clearly obvious to those who live in Lancaster County, we invite those who have never been in Lititz to come discover why this vote was such an overwhelming win! The community pride and hometown enthusiasm run deep...visit www.realLancasterCounty.com to discover why Liti ...

Whether you are a resident of Lancaster County or are just visiting PA Dutch country for the weekend, www.realLancasterCounty.com invites you to the amazing annual Fire and Ice Festival in Historic Lititz. Beginning at 5pm on Friday the 15th through Sunday the 17th, this weekend is packed with wonderful events...from the Block Party with beautiful ice sculptures to the Chili Cook-off event, from the Winter ...

Do you enjoy creative art?  In support of the residents of  The heART of Friendship ART Gallery provides value through artistic expression.  Artwork shown by the heART of Friendship feature artists with developmental disabilities and their creative masterpieces, as well as volunteers and professional artists who all contribute to the success of this non-profit gallery located in historic downtown Ephrata, P ...

Although the rest of the world may call it FAT TUESDAY, Lancaster County celebrates FASNACHT DAY...alternately spelled Fastnacht, Fausnacht, Fauschnaut, or Fosnacht. Regardless of spelling, it is always occurs on Shrove Tuesday, which begins the traditional 40-day period of fasting and prayer practiced by Christians prior to Easter. While this day is synonymous with the image of Mardi Gras (the term for Fat ...

www.reallancastercounty.com welcomes Fishers Soap Shop, located on an Amish farm in the heart of PA Dutch country in Lancaster County. A real hidden gem that is a must visit for anyone who likes finer things or just enjoys being clean, all of the soaps are homemade ”on-the-farm” by the Fisher family. They feature a full range of soaps including herbal, scented, and loofah varieties, plus milk based lye, gar ...

www.reallancastercounty.com welcomes Living the Experience Underground Railroad Reenactment...a true hidden gem that shares an important part of the history of Lancaster County.  This is a creative, spiritual, and interactive historical reenactment of the Underground Railroad, as it occurred on-site, at the Bethel African Methodist Episcopal Church in the City of Lancaster. Those who attend are provided an ...

WHO KNEW? www.reallancastercounty.com features the wonderful health benefits and savory goodness found at Olio Olive Oil & Balsamics, located in historic Lititz. As featured on their facebook page, "It has been documented that olive oil intake bolsters the immune system against external attacks from microorganisms, bacteria or viruses. It has been known for some time that mineral and vitamin deficiencie ...

www.realLancasterCounty.com wishes all of our friends a HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! For those who are in Lancaster County on January 1 and don't have plans for lunch...bring your appetites and your families to celebrate the New Year at the Kinzer Fire Companies annual pork & sauerkraut meal! Their home-made sauerkraut and fresh pork is sure to put a smile on your face and they guarantee you will not go home hungr ...

Welcome to realLancasterCounty.com! As avid travelers, we find that the best memories of our trips usually come from the recommendations we get from “the locals.”  We LOVE finding unique, authentic places…and not having to settle for chain restaurants, franchise lodging, and big box stores.  One day, when back home in Lancaster County, we said to ourselves, “Hey, there are SO many ‘REALS’ in our own backyar ...

Rembering their horrific tragedy and unthinkable pain experienced on October 2, 2006, realLancasterCounty.com shares this endearing story, honoring the strength, courage, and forgiveness of those families who were part of the West Nickel Mines School in Southern Lancaster County.  Step into the experience and cultural tradition of Amish schooling that has stood the test of time...enjoy!  Read the Story here ...

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