Date(s): 08/10/2025
Time: 1:00 PM - 4:00 PM
Admission: $10/person, Ephrata Cloister Associate Members $5/person, Ages 5 and under Free
Historic Ephrata Cloister will open its grounds to the community on Sunday, August 10, from 1 to 4 p.m. for their summer Ice Cream Social. This fund-raising event, a project of the Ephrata Cloister Associates in partnership with the Pennsylvania Historic and Museum Commission, will feature ice cream and brownie sundaes scooped by Celebrity Dippers. This includes WIOV morning radio host Casey Allyn, Ephrata mayor Ralph Mowen, journalist/novelist Larry Alexander, PA State Representative Keith Greiner, and Blue Ridge’s Cindy Mellinger. The event is sponsored by Blue Ridge. The New Cloister Restaurant will provide the ice cream.
Tickets are $10 for the general public and include ice cream, brownie sundaes, and admission to the property. Children under 5 are admitted free. Tickets for members of the Ephrata Cloister Associates are just $5. 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. The acoustic duo, the Groove Slingers, will perform from 1:00 to 4:00 in the new amphitheater. Their extensive live performance experience includes a variety of blues, rock, jazz, country, bluegrass & pop, plus original music.
Visitors are encouraged to stroll the grounds of the Cloister, pet the KPETS therapy dogs, and watch the Lancaster Spinners and Weavers Guild and Friends in action. Visitors will also be able to play colonial games and try their hand at the art of colonial printing on the reproduction printing press.
The early community of Ephrata was known for its charity, an outreach that continues today, nearly 300 years after the founding of the town. Learn more about charity in Ephrata today and visit with local non-profits to see how they carry on the tradition of kindness and generosity, community building, and literacy today.
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 original art, Fraktur, and scherenschnitte, plus Cloister-branded products, such as mugs, pottery, 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 this website for updates and information, or call the Visitor Center at 717-733-6600.
