Community Calendar
The Community Calendar
A central part of LancasterHistory’s mission is to support the needs and interests of history-oriented organizations in our region and to bring into greater focus the extraordinary opportunities for learners of all ages to experience America’s past in Lancaster County and the surrounding region. LancasterHistory is proud to provide this Community Calendar to highlight upcoming events of history-focused institutions and organizations.
Looking for LancasterHistory’s main events calendar? View events calendar.
How To Submit An Event
If you are an authorized representative of a Lancaster County-based, history-focused institution or organization, please fill out our Community Calendar Submission form to submit your event for inclusion on this webpage. Before submitting, however, we highly recommend you review our Community Calendar Guidelines [PDF, 217kb].
A LancasterHistory staff member moderates this Community Calendar. Questions about this calendar can be directed to info@lancasterhistory.org.
Submit Event to Community Calendar
COMMUNITY CALENDAR GUIDELINES [PDF, 217KB]
Calendar Guidelines & Disclaimers
Each submission will be reviewed and must be in compliance with our Community Calendar Guidelines [PDF, 217kb]. LancasterHistory will do its best to make sure all information on this calendar is correct and up-to-date. Despite our efforts, some information may be incorrect or may have been submitted incorrectly to us. We apologize for any inconvenience.
Listings below may contain URLs to other organizations’ or institutions’ websites or ticketing pages, or other third-party URLs. These URLs do not constitute official endorsement on behalf of LancasterHistory and are for informational purposes only. LancasterHistory is not responsible for those URLs, the content found on those webpages being linked to, or those website’s privacy policies and policies on collecting data.
African American Heritage Walking Tours
What: Tours
When: Saturday, July 5
Cost: Adult$17/ Senior (65 and older) $10 / Students (6-18) $5 / Under 6 Free. Registration is required.
Downtown Lancaster
Focused largely on the Underground Railroad, including four authenticated sites, tour features African agency and resistance to an institution that has kinship to economic, political, and social/cultural forces which fueled the nation’s early growth and beyond; an institution which dehumanized the enslaved and enslaver alike. Because the Underground Railroad was by necessity secret, uncovering the details of its existence has required a great deal of detective work. Local African American history, such as that shared on this tour, is the vital lifeblood that gives rise to an authentic national history. This tour includes the latest research and recent discoveries which further reveal the rich fabric of African American history in Lancaster before and after the Civil War. No reservations needed.
Saturdays: July 5, August 2, September 6, October 4, November 1 | Depart from City of Lancaster Visitor Center
Southeast Lancaster
The Southeast Area tour highlights that liberation is up to African Americans, whose experiences represent a complex connection to their past—both the trauma of enslavement and the resilience of their heritage. This tour brings to life the triumph of the African American community as it built a culture of service, faith, and social activism, alongside the tragedy of Urban Renewal, which saw the demolition of 14 square blocks of thriving businesses, churches, and civic associations. The fabric of the community was ruptured as individual homes were replaced with public housing and vibrant community spaces were obliterated. This tour traces the life stream and economic castration of that community, which was attacked by the policy of Urban Renewal, but which has not been forgotten or erased. No reservations needed.
Saturdays: June 14, July 12, August 9, September 13, October 11, November 8 | Depart from Crispus Attucks Community Center
Learn more by visiting https://www.aahsscpa.org/guidedwalkingtours
“A Sanctuary for the Rights of Mankind: Lafayette and Human Rights”
What: Presentation
When: Sunday, July 6 | 2pm
Cost: General admission is $10. Details and Tickets may be purchased at HistoricRockFord.org/special-events.
On Sunday, July 6 at 2 PM, Historic Rock Ford welcomes Diane Windham Shaw of Lafayette College as she presents “A Sanctuary for the Rights of Mankind: Lafayette and Human Rights.” The Marquis de Lafayette is best known in America for his role in the American Revolution—from his arrival in 1777 as a nineteen-year-old volunteer to his pivotal contributions to the successful culmination of the Yorktown Campaign in 1781. This lecture will explore Lafayette’s less known remarkable role as an advocate for human rights on three continents.
About the presenter: Diane Windham Shaw is Special Collections Director Emerita at Lafayette College, where she oversaw the activities of the Special Collections from 1985 to 2019 and served as College Archivist from 1987 to 2017. She holds a Master of Librarianship degree, as well as her B.A. from Emory University, where she also spent the first years of her career as an archivist. As curator of Lafayette College’s extensive collections on the Marquis de Lafayette, Shaw was a primary organizer of the College’s celebration of the 250th anniversary of Lafayette’s birth in 2007, and as part of this celebration, she collaborated with Mount Vernon on an exhibition commemorating the friendship between Lafayette and George Washington, “A Son and His Adoptive Father.” In 2016-17, she served as co-curator for the exhibition “‘A True Friend of the Cause’: Lafayette and the Antislavery Movement” at the Grolier Club in New York City. She has long been active with the American Friends of Lafayette and currently serves as the AFL curator.
This presentation is part of the museum’s Lafayette Lecture Series and will be held on the first floor of the Rock Ford Barn. Due to rental event turnover, this area will open to guests at 1:45 PM. Ticket includes admission to the Snyder Gallery and our 2025 Focus Exhibit “1825: Lafayette in Lancaster.” The Snyder Gallery is located on the second floor of the Rock Ford Barn. The Gallery closes promptly at 4 PM.
Historic Rock Ford, located at 881 Rock Ford Road, Lancaster, PA 17602, is comprised of the General Edward Hand Mansion and the John J. Snyder, Jr. Gallery. It is owned and operated by the Rock Ford Foundation, a private, not-for-profit corporation.
“The Lincoln Funeral Train in Pennsylvania”
What: Presentation
When: Saturday, July 12| 9-10:30am
Cost: No, tickets or registration is not required. Open to the public.
The Millersville Area Historical Society invites the public to a a free slide-presentation titled “The Lincoln Funeral Train in Pennsylvania” when it meets at 9 a.m. Saturday, July 12, in the Millersville Borough Administration & Police Building, 100 Municipal Drive. The speaker will be Scott L. Mingus, Sr., a multiple award-winning author, retired scientist and executive in the global specialty paper industry.
The funeral train carrying the remains of the slain President Abraham Lincoln passed through Pennsylvania on April 21-22, 1865, on its way to New York City and again on April 28 as it headed west from Buffalo to Cleveland. Thousands of Pennsylvanians passed by the coffin as Lincoln lay in state in Harrisburg and Philadelphia, and untold numbers saw the train as it went by. Mingus will present a detailed account of the train’s passage through the state, and discuss the locomotives used, the railroads on which they traveled, the crewmen, and timetables. A Q&A session will close the presentation.
Mingus, a York County resident, earned lifetime achievement awards from the York County History Center and the Camp Curtin Historical Society for his contributions to local Civil War history. His biography of William “Extra Billy” Smith won two national awards for Confederate military history.
Although admission is free, donations are appreciated. For more details, contact Phil Gerber at 717.872.8837 before noon or at pge8507@aol.com.
Lafayette Day 2025
What: Special Event
When: Monday, July 28 | 10am-4pm
Cost: Free
Lafayette Day is free, but we recommend registering to assist in our planning: REGISTER NOW!
100 Years of Popcorn
What: Special Event
When: Saturday, September 13| 4pm-9pm
Cost: No, tickets or registration is not required.
Join us to celebrate 100 Y’EARS of Popcorn with a special Community Day on Saturday, September 13, 2025! We’re hosting an unforgettable event at Reist Farm in Mount Joy, PA to thank you, our amazing community, for being part of our journey. Entry is free for everyone!
The day will be filled with excitement, including free hot air balloon rides, a corn maze, hayrides, and fun games for all ages. There will be food vendors, live performances, and fireworks to close out the night. We’re planning to make the evening truly special.
For 100 years, Reist Popcorn Company has been proud to bring farm-to-table, non-GMO popcorn to your homes. We’re incredibly grateful for the continued support of our community and can’t wait to celebrate this milestone together.
Please note that seating will not be provided, so we encourage you to bring your own chairs or blankets to enjoy the event comfortably.
Let’s make some amazing memories, stay tuned for more updates as we count down to the big day!