Admission: $10 for adults (ages 11 and up), $5 for members of the Ephrata Cloister Associates, $5 for youth (ages 6 to 10), and free for children (ages 5 and under).

 

Historic Ephrata Cloister will open its grounds to the community on Sunday, August 9, from 1 PM to 4 PM for its annual Ice Cream Social. Visit the place where Ephrata began during this family-friendly summer celebration, featuring activities perfect for all ages. This fund-raising event, a project of the Ephrata Cloister Associates in partnership with the Pennsylvania Historic & Museum Commission, will feature ice cream provided by The New Cloister Restaurant and brownie sundaes. Get your ice cream scooped by our Celebrity Dippers, including WIOV morning radio host Casey Allyn, Ephrata Mayor Tom Reinhold, journalist/novelist Larry Alexander, PA State Representative Keith Greiner, and Blue Ridge’s Cindy Mellinger. This community event is sponsored by Blue Ridge.

 

Nature crafts and games under the tent in the meadow will be the highlight of the event. Prizes will be awarded for the first 50 children who complete the Nature Scavenger Hunt. Children can make their own wooden necklaces and explore the nature trail along the Cocalico Creek. The trail will take the explorers up the hill to the Witness Tree, a huge sycamore that has stood for over 250 years and was present at the 1777 Revolutionary War hospital at Ephrata Cloister. Learn more about the Historic Landscape Restoration Initiative that will transform the property into a natural habitat for local wildlife, flowers, and plants, and see the work that has already started.

 

The acoustic duo, the Groove Slingers, will perform from 1 – 4 PM in the new amphitheater. Their extensive live performance experience includes a variety of blues, rock, jazz, country, bluegrass & pop, plus original music.

 

In the tent by the Visitor Center, local non-profits will showcase their efforts to give back to the community. The early village of Ephrata was known for its charity, an outreach that continues today. Learn more about charity in Ephrata and visit with local non-profits like Community Hive (formerly Ephrata Area Social Services), the Ephrata Library, KPETS, the American Cancer Society, Mainspring, the Historical Society of the Cocalico Valley, Friends of Eberbach, and more to see how they carry on the tradition of kindness, generosity, and community building.

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. Guides will be stationed in the buildings to greet visitors and interpret the history of the 18th century structures.

 

Shady Nook Barn, the Museum Store at the Ephrata Cloister, will feature 18th century reproduction toys, crafts, and souvenirs; books of historical interest; and local handmade arts and crafts. Cards, candles, pottery, sleigh bells, and chocolate are among the many treasures found in this unique store.

Tickets for the event will be available for purchase in the Visitor Center on the day of the event. Pricing is as follows: $10 for adults (ages 11 and up), $5 for members of the Ephrata Cloister Associates, $5 for youth (ages 6 to 10), and free for children (ages 5 and under).

 

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 page for the most updated information or call the Visitor Center at 717-733-6600.