Summertime, and the living’s easy. (Hey, that should be a song.) It’s no surprise that weekends in June, July and August are the subject of so many tunes and movies: they’re always overflowing with things to do. Here’s a sampling of the many offerings across the county.
1. Make a Dairy Dash to September Farm
Serghei Platonov
Parmesan cheese on transparent background. png file
parmesan cheese on transparent background. png file
After spending a few years perfecting the art of making cheese in the kitchen of his farm, David Rotelle and his family established September Farm Cheese in 2007, becoming the fourth generation of his family to serve the food business in the process. In 2013, September Farm moved to its present location in Honey Brook, just over the Chester County line. The site features a manufacturing plant, bakery, sandwich shop and market. September produces nearly a dozen varieties of cheese, from the hallmarks — cheddar, gouda, mozzarella— to lesser-known varieties, such as Amish butter cheese and farmer’s cheese. Not enough dairy for you? There is also homemade yogurt and ice cream. And, yes, there are non-dairy items for the lactose intolerant, including coffee, jarred goods, pretzels, smoked meats and baked goods.
2. Enjoy a Training Day at Colebrookdale Railroad
Photo Courtesy Colebrookdale Railroad
This restored Civil War-era railroad, slicing though Berks and Montgomery counties, was voted the No. 2 Best Scenic Train Ride in USA Today’s 10 Best Readers’ Choice travel competition in 2020, and then followed that up with No. 3 placements in 2021 and 2022. The two-hour train rides showcase one of the Northeast’s most scenic regions. If you seek a more active afternoon, you can put some pedals to the metal with railbikes. Seating up to four, the user-powered bikes are the rail deal.
3. Belly Up to the Par with Mini-Golf
When the weather warms up, mini-golf comes to the fore. Whether you’re a frequent golfer or a novice, an adult or a child, anyone can win with putt-putt. Check out Sittler Golf in Sinking Spring, Crystal Cave in Kutztown and Noah’s Mini-Golf in Mount Penn if you’re just in the mood for a game. If you want some competition followed by some treats and eats, Gasser’s Golf Driving Range & Miniature Golf in Fleetwood; Kauffman’s Bar-B-Que Restaurant in Bethel; and Schell’s Restaurant, Dairy Swirl & Miniature Golf in Muhlenberg Township fit the bill.
sittlergolf.com/facilities/mini-golf
kauffmansbbqrestaurant.com/minature-golf
schellsfoodandminigolf.com/miniature-golf
4. Get in Touch with Your Inner Dutch at the Kutztown Folk Festival
Photo Courtesy Kutztown Folk Festival
The oldest continuous folklife festival in the U.S. returns for its 75th iteration this year. Straddling the July 4 holiday — this year’s edition runs from June 29 through July 7 — the event draws visitors from around the world to the Kutztown Fairgrounds for authentic demonstrations, a smorgasbord of Pennsylvania Dutch food, hours of live music and dozens of family-friendly activities.
Andrew Rusell Andrew Rusell/Kutztown University
The Kutztown Folk Festival gets underway, Sunday, June 30, 2019. The Kutztown Folk Festival is the oldest continuously operated folklife festival in America. This nine-day event continues to draw visitors from all over the world, entertaining families while providing valuable insight into the traditions of the Pennsylvania Dutch and their fascinating way of life.
Some of the highlights this year include the Best of Show live quilt auction on Saturday, July 6, and a motorcoach ride through the countryside narrated by Patrick Donmoyer of the PA German Cultural Heritage Center. And, as always, there’s the July 4 parade, which snakes through the fairgrounds, featuring performers, crafts makers and tractors. Kumm esse!
5. Learn What’s Cool About Science at the Reading Science Center
Photo Courtesy Reading Science Center
Interacting with science in downtown Reading is cool in more ways than one. Featuring more than 50 interactive science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) exhibits, Reading Science Center offers plenty of edutainment to keep a family busy for hours on end. And the 7,000-square-foot space at 645 Penn St. is a sanctuary on steamy summer days. “It stays nice and cool in the Science Center throughout the summer,” says Elizabeth Lally, director of experience. “We often say cool down and explore science with us.” Parking note: patrons can have their parking in the DoubleTree by Hilton hotel garage validated.
6. Escape to Skate (and Bike) at Stonecliffe Action Park
Photography by Don Reed
Stonecliffe Action Park, nestled inside Stonecliffe Recreation Area in Reading, is a haven for skaters, BMX bikers and scooters. If skating and biking aren’t your thing, the recreation area also features familyoriented recreation and athletics, such as volleyball courts, a basketball court, shuffleboard courts, a football/soccer field, a fishing dock and a children’s play area. Other family-friendly gathering spaces offered by the Berks County Parks & Recreation Department include Gring's Mill Recreation Area, the Red Bridge Recreation Area and the Berks Leisure Area/Sheeler House, all in Wyomissing; Antietam Lake Park and Angora Fruit Farm just east of Reading; and the Berks County Heritage Center in Bern Township.
Photos Courtesy Stonecliffe Action Park
berkspa.gov/departments/parks-and-recreation
berkspa.gov/departments/parks-and-recreation/berks-county-parks/ stonecliffe-action-park
7. Take a Spin with Disc Golf at French Creek State Park
The nearly 8,000-acre French Creek State Park in Union Township is home to many animals and plants that are uncommon in this part of the commonwealth, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. And you can often find another unique breed at play: frisbee golfers. Winding through the woods by Hopewell Lake, the park’s course features recently replaced baskets —frisbee golf’s version of golf’s holes — thanks to more than $20,000 in donations. Each of the 18 holes has one tee pad to start and two baskets – yellow and pink – to choose from to finish the hole. The pink baskets are a par 54; the yellow baskets are a par 64. You can choose all one color or mix and match. Give yourself at least two to three hours to complete the course.
dcnr.pa.gov/StateParks/FindAPark/FrenchCreekStatePark/Pages/DiscGolf.aspx
8. Relax in the Water with Rivertribe Outdoors
Photo Courtesy Rivertribe Outdoors
Beaches certainly have their place during the summer, but sometimes it’s good to have a more peaceful experience with a body of water. Rivertribe Outdoors, LLC in Douglassville specializes in guided and self-guided trips, primarily along the Schuylkill River but also along the French Creek, Perkiomen Creek and others. Options include canoeing, kayaking (3- and 6-mile options), tubing and rafting. Rivertribe also offers a First Saturdays Summer Music Event Series. As its name implies, the first Saturday of each summer month, along the few bookending them, features live bands, food, drink, refreshments and camping options.
9. Hop to It with Local Breweries
Photo Courtesy Fawn Hill Hop Yard
Not only does Berks County feature several winemakers, it also produces great beer. Pick a designated driver from your crew and then spend an afternoon and evening sampling what the local breweries have to offer — there are three along Penn Avenue in West Reading alone. The list is long and continues to grow: the Barley Mow, Broken Chair Brewery, Chatty Monks, Oakbrook Brewing Company, Pagoda City Brewing, Saucony Creek Brewery and Schaylor Brewing Company. Of special note is Fawn Hill Hop Yard: not only does the Cumru Township hop grower offer Beer Gardens on the fourth Saturday of May through September, it also hosts Hop Harvest parties during August and September. Similar to the late-summer grape picking events held by local wineries, the event features employees and volunteers harvesting hops by hand, with food and refreshments provided.
fawnhillhopyard.wixsite.com/ hopandcraft
10. Make a Family Run to Family-Run Brecknock Orchards
Photo Courtesy Brecknock Orchards
Nestled just over the Berks County line in Brecknock Township, Lancaster County, this family-run orchard and farm market is well worth a run with your family to check it out. Pick-your-own fruit and vegetable options, which depend on the season, include strawberries, rhubarb, asparagus, raspberries, blueberries, blackberries, peaches, nectarines, apples, eggplant and zucchini.
Photo Courtesy Brecknock Orchards
It also offers events over the summer months — strawberry festivals in June, a summer festival in July and peach festivals in August — and orchard tours focusing on planting, growing and picking fruit.
Photo Courtesy Brecknock Orchards
11. Discover the Grape Outdoors with Berks County Wine Trail
Francesco Marzovillo ©2020 Francesco Marzovillo, Fossano, Italy - All rights reserved
Goblet glass of red wine
Goblet glass of red wine
Composed of 11 wineries spread across the county and reaching into surrounding counties, the Berks County Wine Trail features a mix of longtime and relatively new establishments. Along with offering a wide range of wines, most of the businesses feature outdoor entertainment during the spring and summer months — Manatawny Creek Winery in Amity Township offers live music and food trucks one Saturday a month in June, July and August; Setter Ridge Vineyards in Greenwich Township does as well, along with multiple Summer Ice Cream Flights, to name a few. And each quarter the members team up to organize an event. Their warm-weather offering this year will be Sangria Summer, taking place June 15 and 16 across the wineries.
12. Enjoy Some Local History
Photo Courtesy Conrad Weiser Homestead
Celebrating two of the country’s forefathers — one of whom was a famed frontiersman who grew up in Berks County, the other of whom lived here for a time while playing a significant role in the history of colonial Pennsylvania — the Daniel Boone and Conrad Weiser homesteads offer healthy doses of history and leisure. Tour the historic buildings in Heidelberg Township (Conrad Weiser) and Exeter Township (Daniel Boone) while taking advantage of picnic areas, parks and walking paths. This month, the Daniel Boone Homestead is bringing back a revamped Evening on the Green event on Saturday, June 29, featuring a pop-up biergarten by Sly Fox Brewery, wine and mead from Ridgewood Winery and Stonekeep Meadery, a colonial beer brewing demonstration and a concert on the lawn.
13. Make a Splash at Community Pools
Photo Courtesy Green Valley Country Club
About as synonymous with summer as cookouts and baseball, pools are the glue of their communities, offering affordable relief from the heat, a safe and productive place for youth to hang out and a prime location for birthday parties. It’s always a good weekend to make a splash — as long as those pesky thunderstorms stay away.
Options include:
kutztownboro.org/departments/parks/pool
westreadingborough.com/recreation/pages/swimming-pool
14. Create Your Own Small Business Saturday
![AdobeStock_276069448 [Converted].png](https://berkscountyliving.com/downloads/23766/download/AdobeStock_276069448%20%5BConverted%5D.png?cb=8cd6c3b710c6620e63a01591c8fa7d18&w={width}&h={height} "AdobeStock_276069448 [Converted].png")
Small Business Saturday officially occurs the weekend after Thanksgiving, but small businesses deserve — and need — that same level of support each of the other Saturdays of the year. So why not partake in the metaphorical “two birds, one stone” scenario and tour Berks County’s mosaic of main streets while patronizing the many small businesses that call those stretches of commerce home? Think Downtown Boyertown, Hamburg, Kutztown and West Reading. Tell the shop owners we sent you!
hamburgpa.org kutztownpartnership.org
visitpaamericana.com/things-todo/main-streets
15. Book It to Area Libraries
Photos Courtesy Berks County Libraries
“Bustling” might seem like an odd word to describe libraries, but in the case of the Berks County Public Library system, it’s accurate over the summer months. Each of the nearly two dozen locations hosts a summer learning program called Summer Quest, offering comic cons, read-to-a-therapy-animal programs, art programs, interactive animal encounters, and STEM/STEAM events. And, as always, there are thousands upon thousands of books and movies available to borrow.
16. Spend a Day Outdoors at Blue Marsh Lake
Photo Courtesy Blue Marsh Lake
Constructed in the 1970s by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to provide flood control and help supply the region with water, Blue Marsh Lake has become a go-to warm-weather destination. Its 6,200 acres house a 1,150- acre lake, a day-use area with a small beach, picnic areas, volleyball courts, pavilions, boat launches and more than 35 miles of trails for hiking, biking and bird watching.
17. Have a Ball with the Reading Fightin Phils
The Reading Fightin Phils continue to be one of the most popular family attractions in the area; they're why Reading became known as Baseballtown. The double-A affiliate of the Philadelphia Phillies has called FirstEnergy Stadium home since 1967, and dozens of Phillies legends have spent time perfecting their craft on FirstEnergy's field. While baseball is the main attraction, the team goes all out to appeal to all members of the family. There are oftenzany promotions in between nearly every halfinning — including longtime favorites, the Crazy Hot Dog Vendor and the Veggie Race — and fireworks after many of the games.
18. Size Up the Tiny but Historic St. Peter’s Village
Photos Courtesy St. Peter’s Village
About a quarter-mile in length and home to about 30 people, St. Peter’s Village is small, but what it lacks in size it more than makes up for in history and beauty. Located in Warwick Township, Chester County, the charming hamlet is on the National Register of Historic Places. While there, be sure to stop by the equally historic St. Peter’s Bakery. Residing in the same building that baked bread and provided comforts to the miners of the town and surrounding area more than 100 years ago, it makes everything from scratch, with some recipes also dating back over a century.
Photos Courtesy St. Peter’s Village
Its outdoor deck offers a stunning view of French Creek Falls, which runs parallel to the town’s Main Street. You can also take a shop/glassblowing class at Glasslight Studio and end the day with dinner and an overnight at the Inn at St. Peter’s Village.
FB: St. Peter's Village - St. Pete's
19. Go Out to Eat Outside
Photo Courtesy Beverly Hills Tavern
Berks County has no shortage of places to enjoy a meal outdoors; many establishments are all in on al fresco. Three of the most popular are the Barley Mow in West Reading, which sports a raised deck offering a gorgeous view of Penn Avenue as well as an outdoor beer garden in the back; Beverly Hills Tavern in Sinking Spring, which features a Beach Bar area complete with sand-filled spaces in which children can play; and Union Jack's Inn on the Manatawny, the Manatawny Creek-adjacent establishment in Oley that marks the warm weather months by opening its outdoor patio and bar and offering live music on Sunday evenings.
20. Wing It to Eagle’s Peak Campground and Water Park
Photo Courtesy Eagle’s Peak
This campground near Robesonia is overflowing with things to do: heated swimming pools, miniature golf, playgrounds, sports courts, a fishing pond and a water park. Summer events include “S’more” Summer fun in June, featuring s’mores, crafts, sand art and marshmallow wars; the Best Holiday Ever/Christmas in July Weekend, featuring Christmas morning with Santa, an Easter egg hunt and trick or treating; and the delightfully named Icky, Sticky, Ooey, Gooey Weekend in August, offering a critter connection show, a shaving cream/color run obstacle course and icky sticky dessert bingo.
