Events

Music On the Lawn, Celebrating Music for Everyone’s 20th Anniversary

  • July 12, 2026
  • LancasterHistory, 230 N. President Ave., Lancaster
  • 5pm-7pm
  • $10 Donation/Adults (+18) | Free for Children
Jordan & Mark Rast

LancasterHistory is teaming up with Music for Everyone to celebrate MFE’s 20th anniversary on July 12, from 5pm-7pm. Grab your family and a friend and help us celebrate all the work the organization does, such as providing free week-long music camps for more than 200 students across Lancaster County. Music for Everyone (MFE) also provides music education not only to local schools, but to the community! Jordan & Mark Rast will perform a bluegrass and folk ensemble. Dr. Michael Jamanis with Music for Everyone will talk about the history of music in America. Donate to MFE at the concert to keep the tunes coming!

Registration is required. Walk-ins are welcome. Concerts are rain or shine. LancasterHistory members get in free. Kids are free. Concerts are open to the public, and it’s a $10 donation for Adults. Attendees are encouraged to bring-your-own blanket or chair, and pack a picnic if you like! Dogs on leash are welcome. Reminder: the Tanger Arboretum works really hard to beautify the grounds and keep all living things healthy. We ask that visitors treat the plants, flowers and trees with extra kindness! No climbing trees, please, as tempting as it is!

 

Thank you to our 2026 Music on the Lawn sponsors for bringing music to the community!

 

Featured Event Music on the Lawn Family-Friendly Outdoor Performance

July Storytime | “A Flag for Juneteenth

The flowers have bloomed and the sun is shining! What better way to enjoy the outdoors than to join us for Storytime each Thursday this July! Each week, we’ll read aloud a book with different themes, followed by a craft or activity inspired by that week’s book. For July 16, we’ll be reading A Flag for Juneteenth by Kim Taylor to honor the legacy of Juneteenth!

“Kim Taylor’s portrayal of a girl witnessing the first Juneteenth, accompanied by exquisite quilted artwork, is filled with a spirit of jubilation and freedom. . . . her textile art perfectly complements her evocative prose. . . .“—BookPage, Starred Review

Storytime is free, and registration is requested to ensure we have craft supplies for everyone. Storytime is designed for young readers, ages 2-6, but older and younger siblings or friends are welcome to attend. Register for all Storytime programs or individual programs online or over the phone by calling (717) 392-4633.

Storytime will take place outdoors unless it rains, in which case it will be moved indoors. We kindly ask that at least one (1) adult 18 years or older attend for every household.

Children's Program Family-Friendly In-Person Event Outdoor

July 16, 2026 LancasterHistory Museum & Research Center, 230 N. President Ave., Lancaster 10-11am FREE | Registration Requested
Get Tickets

July Storytime | “I’m So Happy You’re Here: A Celebration of Library Joy”

 

The flowers have bloomed and the sun is shining! What better way to enjoy the outdoors than to join us for Storytime each Thursday this July! Each week, we’ll read aloud a book with different themes, followed by a craft or activity inspired by that week’s book. For July 23, we’ll be reading I’m So Happy You’re Here: A Celebration of Library Joy by Mychal Threets (Illustrated by Lorraine Nam). Following the reading, we’ll take a mini tour of LancasterHistory’s Research Center with Director of Collections and Research Center, Aimee Caya.

“[An] affectionate picture book….embracing readers and suggesting that among a library’s greatest treasures are the people who find their place within its walls.” — Publishers Weekly

Storytime is free, and registration is requested to ensure we have craft supplies for everyone. Storytime is designed for young readers, ages 2-6, but older and younger siblings or friends are welcome to attend. Register for all Storytime programs or individual programs online or over the phone by calling (717) 392-4633.

Storytime will take place outdoors unless it rains, in which case it will be moved indoors. We kindly ask that at least one (1) adult 18 years or older attend for every household.

Children's Program Family-Friendly In-Person Event Outdoor

July 23, 2026 LancasterHistory Museum & Research Center, 230 N. President Ave., Lancaster 10-11am FREE | Registration Requested
Get Tickets

Monarchs, Milkweed, & More!

An older woman with light skin and short brown hair is on an image on the left. On the right is an image of a monarch butterfly.
(left) Presenter Kim Frey. (right) A Monarch butterfly on a pink aster.

On July 25, take flight with the Friends of the Tanger Arboretum to learn all about the world of monarch butterflies! Master Gardener Kim Frey will present about monarch’s life cycle, migration, and anatomy before taking a deeper dive into the remarkable process of metamorphosis. Learn about current research and how monarchs are tested for health and tagged for migration studies. Plus, discover citizen-science projects you can participate in to help this iconic butterfly rebound in the wild.

Kim Frey is a Lancaster County Master Gardener and, since 2026, she has co-chaired the nationally-recognized and award-winning Master Gardener butterfly garden at the Southeast Agricultural Research and Extension Center (SEAREC) in Manheim, PA. Kim is a passional advocate for monarch-friendly habitat and native plantings, and continues to participate in ongoing monarch research initiatives and citizen-science projects.

HOW TO REGISTER
The program, “Monarchs, Milkweed, & More!” will take place on Saturday, July 25 at 10am in the Carriage House at the LancasterHistory Museum & Research Center. The event is open to the public. Tickets are $10/Adults (18+) and Free for Children 17 and Under (must be accompanied by an adult). Friends of the Tanger Arboretum members receive complimentary admission, but should still register for the program. Tickets may be purchased online or by calling 717.392.4633. Advance tickets recommended as walk-in tickets are not guaranteed.

PURCHASE TICKETS ONLINE

Membership gets you more! Membership to the Friends of the Tanger Arboretum not only supports the care and conservation of this local natural resource, but also gets you great benefits such as complimentary admission to Nature Series programs! Learn more about membership and sign up today here.

The Friends of the Tanger Arboretum is a member of the American Horticultural Society Reciprocal Admission Program. AHS Reciprocal Admission Program members may register for tickets in advance and must show a valid membership card upon checking in. AHS Members should contact Emily Miller, emily.miller@lancasterhistory.org, with any questions or to register for tickets in advance.

This event is hosted by the Friends of the Tanger Arboretum. The Friends of the Tanger Arboretum, a subsidiary organization of LancasterHistory, helps foster public interest in, and support for, the maintenance and development of the Tanger Arboretum as a community asset. To learn more about the Arboretum or to become a member, please visit the Arboretum’s webpage.

 

The 2026 Friends of the Tanger Arboretum Nature Series is sponsored by Pine Brook Farm, Inc. and Ever Green Tree & Lawn Care.
Their support enables us to offer these programs for the community and free tickets for children! Thank you for your generosity!

Family-Friendly In-Person Event Nature Series Program

July 25, 2026 The Carriage House at the LancasterHistory Museum & Research Center, 230 N. President Ave., Lancaster 10-11am $10/Adults (18+) | FREE for Children | FREE for Tanger Members
Get Tickets

Music on the Lawn, Untethered (featuring Paul Geiss and Jazz Trio, Jam)

Philadelphia trumpeter Paul Giess and his quartet Untethered

Music on the Lawn returns this summer with more fantastic local bands in James Buchanan’s backyard! This family- (and dog-) friendly event welcomes attendees to relax and enjoy an evening outdoors with live music. August’s concert features Untethered, featuring Paul Geiss and Jazz Trio, Jam, a Philadelphia-based spontaneous composition and jazz collective led by Paul Geiss (Ropeadope), playing what their drummer, Grant Calvin Weston (Ornette Coleman, John Modeski, Vernon Reid).

“the music is in constant flux, opening up and tightening, cooling down and catching fire, riding stasis and exploding with hyperactive motion.” Peter Margasak, Bandcamp Daily

LancasterHistory members get in free. Kids are free. Concerts are open to the public, and it’s a $10 donation for Adults. Attendees are encouraged to bring their own blanket or chair and pack a picnic if they like! Dogs on leash are welcome. Reminder: the Tanger Arboretum works really hard to beautify the grounds and keep all living things healthy. We ask that visitors treat the plants, flowers, and trees with extra kindness! No climbing trees, please, as tempting as it is!

Registration is required. Walk-ins are welcome. Concerts are rain or shine.

 

  Thank you to our 2026 Music on the Lawn sponsors for bringing music to the community!

Music on the Lawn Family-Friendly Outdoor Performance

August 15, 2026 LancasterHistory, 230 N. President Ave., Lancaster 5pm-7pm $10 Donation/Adults (+18) | Free for Children
Get Tickets

The Nocturnal World of Moths

(left) A man wearing a khaki shirt with an orange hand showing a furry caterpillar. (right) A moth lighting. People are gathered around a bedsheet handing in the air with lights pointed at the sheet to attract moths.
(left) Presenter Keith Williams. (right) A group of people gathered for a moth lighting.

On Saturday, August 22, join the Friends of the Tanger Arboretum for a special nighttime Nature Series program called “The Nocturnal World of Moths!” Moths are incredibly diverse and beautiful insects, well adapted to avoid predation and find love in the dark. Yet we hardly know them due to their nocturnal behavior. Join Lancaster Conservancy Naturalist Keith Williams for a presentation about the biology and ecology of these nocturnal beauties, followed by a special moth lighting set up to see what moths we may attract in the Tanger Arboretum!

What is a moth lighting? A moth lighting (also called ‘mothing’ or ‘light-sheeting’) is an activity where an artificial light source is used to attract moths and other nighttime insects to a white sheet, allowing for individuals to look at the nocturnal specimens up close. We’ll attempt to attract moths on August 22 using this method.

Keith Williams is a naturalist, educator, writer and photographer. He has a BS in Environmental Biology from Kutztown University and MS in Ecological Teaching and Learning from the Lesley University Audubon Expedition Institute. He has been taking people into backcountry settings for 30 years and has established outdoor education programs across the contiguous US, China, and in Puerto Rico. His first book, Snorkelhead, Adventures in River Snorkeling, was published in 2016, and his second river snorkeling book, Snorkeling Rivers and Streams an Aquatic Guide to Underwater Discovery and Adventure, was published by Stackpole Books in March 2020. Keith is the Vice President for Engagement and Education at the Lancaster Conservancy where he serves as the conservancies lead naturalist, develops and manages volunteer and education programs, and manages the interpretive ranger program.  He is a Nationally Registered Paramedic, Wilderness Emergency Medical Technician, Wilderness medicine instructor, swift water rescue technician and wildlands firefighter.

HOW TO REGISTER
The program, “The Nocturnal World of Moths” will take place on Saturday, August 22 from 8-10pm in the Carriage House at the LancasterHistory Museum & Research Center. The event is open to the public. Tickets are $10/Adults (18+) and Free for Children 17 and Under (must be accompanied by an adult). Friends of the Tanger Arboretum members receive complimentary admission, but should still register for the program. Tickets may be purchased online or by calling 717.392.4633. Advance tickets recommended as walk-in tickets are not guaranteed.

PURCHASE TICKETS ONLINE

Please note that the program will begin with an indoor presentation before heading outdoors to view the moth lighting. Attendees are recommended to wear comfortable shoes and bring bug spray (to ward off mosquitos) and a flashlight or headlamp.

Membership gets you more! Membership to the Friends of the Tanger Arboretum not only supports the care and conservation of this local natural resource, but also gets you great benefits such as complimentary admission to Nature Series programs! Learn more about membership and sign up today here.

The Friends of the Tanger Arboretum is a member of the American Horticultural Society Reciprocal Admission Program. AHS Reciprocal Admission Program members may register for tickets in advance and must show a valid membership card upon checking in. AHS Members should contact Emily Miller, emily.miller@lancasterhistory.org, with any questions or to register for tickets in advance.

This event is hosted by the Friends of the Tanger Arboretum. The Friends of the Tanger Arboretum, a subsidiary organization of LancasterHistory, helps foster public interest in, and support for, the maintenance and development of the Tanger Arboretum as a community asset. To learn more about the Arboretum or to become a member, please visit the Arboretum’s webpage.

 

The 2026 Friends of the Tanger Arboretum Nature Series is sponsored by Pine Brook Farm, Inc. and Ever Green Tree & Lawn Care.
Their support enables us to offer these programs for the community and free tickets for children! Thank you for your generosity!

Family-Friendly In-Person Event Nature Series Outdoor Program

August 22, 2026 The Carriage House at the LancasterHistory Museum & Research Center, 230 N. President Ave., Lancaster 8-10pm $10/Adults (18+) | FREE for Children | FREE for Tanger Members
Get Tickets

Music on the Lawn, Matt Hostetter

Singer and songwriter Matt Hostetter

Music on the Lawn returns this summer with more fantastic local bands in James Buchanan’s backyard! This family- (and dog-) friendly event welcomes attendees to relax and enjoy an evening outdoors with live music. September’s concert features Matt Hostetter, a Lancaster-based singer and guitarist whose musical style encompasses American roots like folk, blues, and jazz. 

Registration is required. Walk-ins are welcome. Concerts are rain or shine. LancasterHistory members get in free. Kids are free. Concerts are open to the public, and it’s a $10 donation for Adults. Attendees are encouraged to bring their own blanket or chair and pack a picnic if they like! Dogs on leash are welcome. Reminder: the Tanger Arboretum works really hard to beautify the grounds and keep all living things healthy. We ask that visitors treat the plants, flowers, and trees with extra kindness! No climbing trees, please, as tempting as it is!

 

         Thank you to our 2026 Music on the Lawn sponsors for bringing music to the community!

Music on the Lawn Family-Friendly Outdoor Performance

September 19, 2026 LancasterHistory, 230 N. President Ave., Lancaster 5pm-7pm $10 Donation/Adults (+18) | Free for Children
Get Tickets

America250PA: Revolution to Reconstruction: Pennsylvania and the Fight for Liberty & Equality

LancasterHistory presents “Revolution to Reconstruction: Pennsylvania and the Fight for Liberty & Equality.” This America250PA lecture will take place on October 7th, 2026 at the Ware Center and will feature Clint Smith, who will share insights on Pennsylvania’s central role in shaping our ideals of liberty & equality from the Revolution through Reconstruction and the notion that there is no such thing as a single American story. The event will include a Q&A portion for our audience.

Clint Smith is a staff writer at The Atlantic and the author of the upcoming book Just Beneath the Soil

Clint Smith is the author of the upcoming nonfiction book, Just Beneath the Soil (Knopf, May 2027) which explores how World War II is remembered around the world. He is also wrote the narrative nonfiction book, How the Word Is Passed: A Reckoning With the History of Slavery Across America, which was a #1 New York Times bestseller, winner of the National Book Critics Circle Award for Nonfiction, the Hillman Prize for Book Journalism, the Stowe Prize, and selected by the New York Times as one of the 10 best books of 2021. With Sonja Cherry-Paul, Smith adapted How the Word Is Passed into a bestseller for young readers (Little, Brown, 2025). He is also the author of the New York Times bestselling poetry collection Above Ground and the award-winning poetry collection Counting Descent. His writing has been published in The New Yorker, The New York Times Magazine, Poetry Magazine, The Paris Review, and elsewhere. In 2020, Smith was named a New America (Emerson Collective) Fellow, and in 2026 was named the inaugural fellow of the Sachs Foundation. Clint received his B.A. in English from Davidson College and a Ph.D. in Education from Harvard University. He is a staff writer at The Atlantic.

Lecture

October 7, 2026 Ware Center, 42 N Prince St, Lancaster, PA 17603 5pm-7pm Free

Edible Insects

A woman wearing a green t-shirt and hat stands in the forest.
Lisa Sanchez

Join the Friends of the Tanger Arboretum on Saturday, October 24 for a creepy, crawly, but tasty Nature Series program on “Edible Insects” featuring Lisa Sanchez, Senior Naturalist at the Lancaster County Environmental Education Center. Entomophagy—the eating of insects—is practiced unintentionally daily by everyone through eating processed and packaged foods and fresh fruits and vegetables. On October 24, you’ll learn about edible and inedible insects and how these tasty critters can be a good source of protein. Plus, we’ll put insect tastiness to the test and cook up some edible insects for attendees to try.

Lisa J. Sanchez has been a naturalist at the Lancaster County Department of Parks and Recreation Environmental Center for 30 years. Teaching students of all ages to explore and value the wonders of nature is her passion. She enjoys helping people reconnect with the earth through education and observation. Lisa can often be found in her garden or kayaking on the river.

HOW TO REGISTER
The program, “Edible Insects” will take place on Saturday, October 24 from 10-11am in the Carriage House at the LancasterHistory Museum & Research Center. The event is open to the public. Tickets are $10/Adults (18+) and Free for Children 17 and Under (must be accompanied by an adult). Friends of the Tanger Arboretum members receive complimentary admission, but should still register for the program. Tickets may be purchased online or by calling 717.392.4633. Advance tickets recommended as walk-in tickets are not guaranteed.

PURCHASE TICKETS ONLINE

Please note that eating insects at this program is completely voluntary. Those who wish to try some insects must sign a liability waiver at the program.

Membership gets you more! Membership to the Friends of the Tanger Arboretum not only supports the care and conservation of this local natural resource, but also gets you great benefits such as complimentary admission to Nature Series programs! Learn more about membership and sign up today here.

The Friends of the Tanger Arboretum is a member of the American Horticultural Society Reciprocal Admission Program. AHS Reciprocal Admission Program members may register for tickets in advance and must show a valid membership card upon checking in. AHS Members should contact Emily Miller, emily.miller@lancasterhistory.org, with any questions or to register for tickets in advance.

This event is hosted by the Friends of the Tanger Arboretum. The Friends of the Tanger Arboretum, a subsidiary organization of LancasterHistory, helps foster public interest in, and support for, the maintenance and development of the Tanger Arboretum as a community asset. To learn more about the Arboretum or to become a member, please visit the Arboretum’s webpage.

 

The 2026 Friends of the Tanger Arboretum Nature Series is sponsored by Pine Brook Farm, Inc. and Ever Green Tree & Lawn Care.
Their support enables us to offer these programs for the community and free tickets for children! Thank you for your generosity!

Family-Friendly In-Person Event Nature Series Program

October 24, 2026 The Carriage House at the LancasterHistory Museum & Research Center, 230 N. President Ave., Lancaster 10-11am $10/Adults (18+) | FREE for Children | FREE for Tanger Members
Get Tickets

A Tuber of Many Tales: The Sunchoke

A young man wearing a thick outdoor jacket presents a sunchoke tuber.
Presenter Andrew Leahy

The sunchoke is a lesser-known member of the sunflower family, but it is beginning to bloom out of obscurity and into the spotlight. Join the Friends of the Tanger Arboretum on Saturday, November 7, at 10am for “A Tuber of Many Tales: The Sunchoke,” to discover this prolific producer of edible tubers. A staple of Indigenous diets across the east, sunchokes (Helianthus tuberosus) quickly captured the attention of European colonists, soon making their way into Old World cuisine. However, due to changes in the American landscape and diet, the once-beloved sunchoke went the way of many native plants: relegated to the fringes of our culture and landscapes. At our final Nature Series program of 2026, presenter Andrew Leahy, Education & Outreach Specialist at the Horn Farm Center, will unbury the curious history and evolving reputation of the sunchoke. Together, attendees will gain a deeper appreciation for this hardy and reliable winter food, exploring its ecological value, cultural significance, and versatility in the kitchen.

Growing up in a rural town called Sweet Valley, just south of Ricketts Glen, Andrew Leahy spent his life fostering a love for the PA wilds. He attended Muhlenberg College in Allentown and majored in English Literature and Music Composition while exploring regional ecology, slow food, composting, gardening, and foraging in the spaces between. This eventually led him to the staff of the Horn Farm Center, where, as the Education & Outreach Specialist, he leads and coordinates classes, engages volunteers, and oversees communications and outreach.

HOW TO REGISTER
The program, “A Tuber of Many Tales: The Sunchoke” will take place on Saturday, November 7 from 10-11am in the Carriage House at the LancasterHistory Museum & Research Center. The event is open to the public. Tickets are $10/Adults (18+) and Free for Children 17 and Under (must be accompanied by an adult). Friends of the Tanger Arboretum members receive complimentary admission, but should still register for the program. Tickets may be purchased online or by calling 717.392.4633. Advance tickets recommended as walk-in tickets are not guaranteed.

PURCHASE TICKETS ONLINE

Membership gets you more! Membership to the Friends of the Tanger Arboretum not only supports the care and conservation of this local natural resource, but also gets you great benefits such as complimentary admission to Nature Series programs! Learn more about membership and sign up today here.

The Friends of the Tanger Arboretum is a member of the American Horticultural Society Reciprocal Admission Program. AHS Reciprocal Admission Program members may register for tickets in advance and must show a valid membership card upon checking in. AHS Members should contact Emily Miller, emily.miller@lancasterhistory.org, with any questions or to register for tickets in advance.

This event is hosted by the Friends of the Tanger Arboretum. The Friends of the Tanger Arboretum, a subsidiary organization of LancasterHistory, helps foster public interest in, and support for, the maintenance and development of the Tanger Arboretum as a community asset. To learn more about the Arboretum or to become a member, please visit the Arboretum’s webpage.

 

The 2026 Friends of the Tanger Arboretum Nature Series is sponsored by Pine Brook Farm, Inc. and Ever Green Tree & Lawn Care.
Their support enables us to offer these programs for the community and free tickets for children! Thank you for your generosity!

In-Person Event Nature Series Program

November 7, 2026 The Carriage House at the LancasterHistory Museum & Research Center, 230 N. President Ave., Lancaster 10-11am $10/Adults (18+) | FREE for Children | FREE for Tanger Members
Get Tickets