Date(s): 08/13/2023
Time: 1:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Annual Ice Cream Social at Ephrata Cloister
Location: 632 West Main Street, Ephrata, PA
When: Sunday, August 13th
Time: 1:00 – 4:00 pm
Admission: $10/person, Ephrata Cloister Associate Members $5/person, Ages 5 and under Free
Historic Ephrata Cloister, where Ephrata began, will open its grounds to the community on Sunday, August 13, from 1 to 4 p.m. for their summer Ice Cream Social. This fund-raising event, a project of the Ephrata Cloister Associates with cooperation from the Pennsylvania Historic and Museum Commission, will feature ice cream and brownie sundaes, scooped by Celebrity Dippers, including WIOV morning radio host Casey Allyn, author and journalist Larry Alexander, Ephrata mayor Ralph Mowen, Akron mayor John McBeth, and Blue Ridge’s Cindy Mellinger. The event is sponsored by Blue Ridge.
Tickets are $10 for the general public and include ice cream and admission to the property, but tickets for members of the Ephrata Cloister Associates are just $5. Children under 5 are admitted free. Tickets can be purchased in the Visitor Center the day of the event.
Guides in historic costume will be stationed in the buildings to greet visitors and interpret the history of the 18th century structures. Americana folk-pop duo, the Wild Hymns, will perform from 1:30 to 3:30 under the tent by the Visitor Center. Visitors are encouraged to stroll the grounds of the Cloister, visit with KPETS therapy dogs, watch the Spinners and Weavers Guild in action, and see a Fleece-to-Shawl demonstration from Woven Together. Information about the project to rebuild the amphitheater on the grounds will be available, and visitors will get a sneak peek at the new promotional video narrated by movie, TV, and Broadway star, Jonathan Groff. Suzanne Accardo, The Yoga Place, will offer information about the healing benefits of yoga, Grief Recovery, and Life Coaching services offered at the studio. Visitors will also be able to try their hand at the art of colonial printing on the reproduction printing press. The Museum Store, featuring candles, cards, books of historical interest, and the work of local craftspeople, will be open for browsing and purchases at special discounts. Featured items include new Cloister-branded products, such as tee shirts, hats, and tote bags.
Proceeds from the day will support educational programming at Historic Ephrata Cloister, including the Student Historians and Community Days for local elementary students. The event will be held rain or shine. Please visit the Ephrata Cloister website www.ephratacloister.org for updates and information or call the Visitor Center at 717-733-6600.
Historic Ephrata Cloister is administered by the Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission with support from the Ephrata Cloister Associates.
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