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Beat the Winter Blues with These Harrisburg Events

Published: Dec 22, 2023
Theatre Harrisburg

Don’t let the winter blues keep you at home. Winter in Harrisburg is packed with low-cost and family-friendly events, indoor sporting events and even an Ice Festival! Check out a few of Harrisburg’s upcoming events and activities below or visit our calendar for a complete list of events and attractions.

Winter Events at the Farm Show Complex

The PA Home & Garden Show (Feb 29 - Mar 3)
Home + Garden Show

More than 350 exhibitors gather at the Farm Show Complex for a massive Home & Garden Show. From bathroom remodels to home decor, this is your place for inspiration. Bonus: Discounted tickets available when you purchase through the Facebook Event.

Discover the Harrisburg Heat (through March 30)

Bring the kids to a professional soccer game right here in Harrisburg. The Heat is PA's only Major Arena Soccer League Team and plays in Renu Solar Field, located within the PA Farm Show Expo Center. With family-fun nights, kids entertainment and much more, mark your calendars for one of their winter games.

Farm Show (Jan 7 - 14) 
PA Farm Show Bunny Jumping

The largest indoor agricultural exposition in the country comes to Harrisburg! The PA Farm Show welcomes more than half a million visitors each ear, along with thousands of animals, hundreds of exhibits and vendors, dozens of demonstrations and contests, and one incredible sculpture carved from over 1,000 pounds of butter. Don’t forget to check out PA Dairymen Association’s new limited-edition flavor, Salted Caramel! Check out the full schedule of events here.

Auto Show (Jan 25 - 28)

The PA Auto Show will feature more than 800 cars, trucks, SUV's, motorcycles, ATVs and boats.  Saturday and Sunday are "Family Fun Days" with mini electric vehicles for the youngest attendees, inflatable bounce houses, face painting, games and more.

Take a Food Tour
HBG Food Tour

Take a professionally guided food tour through the Midtown neighborhood of Harrisburg. Visit several locally owned restaurants and cafes to sample unique dishes and explore the city’s history, architecture, and culture. It is a great opportunity for both tourists and locals alike! For more information and to book a tour, visit harrisburgfoodtours.com. Dietary restrictions can also be accommodated! 

Watch a Show at the Many Harrisburg Theatres 

Theatre Harrisburg

Escape the winter chill and immerse yourself in the vibrant world of Harrisburg theaters, offering a diverse array of performances to uplift your spirits. Join the laughter at Open Stage, where from January 11th to 14th, the stage will come alive with the iconic Mean Girls the Musical. Experience the gripping narrative of American Son by Christopher Demos-Ward at Narcisse Theatre Company, running from February 1st to 18th, as it explores timely and thought-provoking themes. Meanwhile, Gamut Theatre invites you to delve into the legacy of Black musicians with The Jackson Rooming House: Music's Resting Place, captivating audiences from February 10th to 25th. Theatre Harrisburg will be showing Next to Normal from January 6th to February 11th. 

Visit an Art Gallery or a Museum
State Museum Mastodon

Harrisburg is host to several art galleries and museums. Adults and kids alike can visit the Susquehanna Art Museum, PA State Museum, and PA Fire Museum, just to name a few. Every third Friday of the month, during Third in the Burg, Susquehanna Art Museum is free from 5-8pm. In addition, they even offer art classes on different days of the week for ages 4+ . Explore Pennsylvania's heritage, archaeological artifacts, and decorative arts at the State Museum. Visit the Planetarium for a show the whole family will enjoy or wander through the Hall of Geology for a look at our region's rocks and minerals. For children 5 and under, Curiosity Connection offers an educational play space for kids to learn and discover. The Pennsylvania National Fire Museum is in an historic 1899 Victorian Firehouse. It was once the home of the Reily Hose Fire Co. No. 10 of Harrisburg. Exhibits focus on the history of the fire service from the time of America's colonial days to the present.

Harrisburg’s Ice & Fire Festival (Mar 2)

Kid on Ice Slide

On Saturday, March 2nd, from 11am to 9pm, downtown Harrisburg will be filled with ice sculptures, street vendors, live musical performances and delicious food trucks! Dozens of ice sculptures will be clustered across the City in Downtown, Midtown, Shipoke, Italian Lake, Reservoir Park, and on City Island. Live ice-carving demonstrations will take place in front of City Hall, and Second Street (in downtown Harrisburg) will be packed with fire pits, an ice slide, and food trucks. Be sure to check out the fire dancers and the cocktail/coffee/cocoa crawl!

For more details, visit: explorehbg.com/ice-and-fire


For a full list of events, visit our calendar of events.

Copy of Syeda headshot
Author: Syeda Tayyeba

Director of Marketing & Communications, ExploreHBG