3 Ways to Savor the Flavors of Pennsylvania

Get out your map (and your fork) – it’s time to discover all that this state has to offer.

By Kim Madlom on July 2, 2022

Greater Easton Development Partnership

There are endless options when it comes to eating well in the Keystone State. But to fully experience Pennsylvania cuisine, you must stop at one (or all) of these places. Bon appétit!

Find a Fabulous Festival

Pennsylvania hosts many popular festivals throughout the year. Erie, for example, is home to the annual Erie Veg Fest in Perry Square Park, where attendees can find eco-friendly and cruelty-free products and learn the science behind the benefits of a plant-based diet.

Centre Hall also draws crowds, hosting the yearly Centre County Grange Fair Encampment, which offers mouthwatering food like red velvet funnel cakes, venison jerky and Cajun fried chicken on a stick.

Delicious dishes can also be found at Biglerville’s annual National Apple Harvest Festival, along with handmade crafts and entertainment. Additionally, Kennett Square celebrates the state’s No. 1 cash crop at its annual Mushroom Festival, while the Pennsylvania Maple Festival, held in Meyersville each year, celebrates the tapping of syrup from local maple trees.

Meshoppen holds the Wyoming County Fair, where visitors can try foods like pretzel sandwiches and haluski (cabbage and noodles). And if berries tickle your tastebuds, check out Bethlehem’s annual Blueberry Festival (we suggest you try the blueberry beer).

Jeff Adkins

Enjoy the Variety of Food Halls

Food halls, with their variety of food and drink options, are quite the att raction in Pennsylvania.

Travel to Philadelphia and explore Reading Terminal Market, which is housed in a National Historic Landmark building. It’s open daily from 8 a.m.-6 p.m. (with the exception of a few holidays), and it is home to a variety of tenants, such as A Taste of Spain, Beck’s Cajun Café (shown above), Careda’s Caribbean Cuisine and Luhv Vegan Deli.

In Pittsburgh, visitors and residents can enjoy Oxford Market, a bustling downtown food court in the basement of the One Oxford Centre. Vendors here offer everything from burgers and fries and housemade pasta to artisan pizza, pad thai and authentic street tacos.

At Broad Street Market in Harrisburg, you can find foods for breakfast, lunch and dinner. The market, which has operated since 1860, is home to more than 40 vendors such as The Cheesesteak Guy, Phyllo, and Shawarma & Falafel.

Root Out a Good Farmers Market

It’s an activity many people love, perusing tables lined with fresh produce and handmade items at the local farmers market, and the lineup Pennsylvania offers is hard to beat. Check out Lancaster Central Market, which has been around since 1730 and features about 60 local vendors. It is open three days a week and is housed in the beautiful 1889 Market House.

Easton boasts the oldest continuous open-air market in the nation – Easton Farmers’ Market. Established in 1752, the market’s regular season takes place on Saturdays from May through December, while its winter season takes place on Saturdays from January through April.

Scranton is home to the Co-Op Farmers Market. It offers fresh picked, homegrown produce, and some its vendors include Hoppy’s Produce, Beta Bread and Lucchi Family Wine Cellars.

Also, the Meadville Market House in Meadville holds a farmers market on Saturdays from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. from May through October.