We love summer events in Erie, PA! Anything that brings us outdoors and can bring family and friends together is a win for us. We were so excited to find out about St. Nick’s Food ‘n Cruze, where you can take a look at some awesome cars while enjoying some of Erie’s great food trucks! This event is free to enter and has free parking!
Location:
This event is located at St. Nick’s Picnic Grove in Erie, PA. The address is 5131 Old French Road, Erie, PA 16509.
Property Description:
The property is very open; it is a very large picnic grove with tons of open space with green grass. There is a picnic pavilion and several picnic tables; you’ll even find a small play area with swings! The grounds are beautiful, with trees towards the back and plenty of shady spots to relax if the sun is out in full force.
For this particular event, you’ll see food trucks set up to the right of the cars. At our stop, we had the option of 5 different food trucks, which we thought was really awesome!
Advertisements
What to Do:
This is a very simple event, yet so fun! If you’re into classic cars and checking out other vehicles in general, you’ll love wandering through the line of cars parked in the grass and chatting up the owners. Out littles absolutely loved looking at the different colors of cars especially! We did have to remind them that this event was for looking, not touching!
Come to this event hungry! As we stated, there are several food trucks that will be awaiting your arrival to offer you their yummy goodness. You’ll find meals, snacks, and even dessert! We enjoyed a lot of food on our visit, such as chicken fingers, french fries, soft pretzels, an orange soda float, and even snow cones!
We also noticed 50/50 tickets being sold to benefit St. Nick’s Church, so bring some cash if you can to help support them and this wonderful event that they put on!
Advertisements
Who Can Go:
Anyone is welcome at this event! You can even bring your pups to walk around and check out the sights! We saw a few dogs and they looked pretty happy to be there!
Final Thoughts:
We really enjoyed the Food ‘n’ Cruze at St. Nick’s Grove and thought it was fun for the whole family. You can make it a long trip and really take your time, or a quick pit stop if you’re running low on fuel and want to grab a bite to eat!
This event runs tonight (June 28) and July 5, 2022 from 4 p.m. until 8 p.m. and if you can’t make it tonight on June 28, please be sure and try to attend on July 5! It did run every Tuesday in June, so we can hopefully look forward to the same type of schedule for next year! If you’re looking for free events in Erie, PA, this is definitely one to attend!
If you enjoyed reading and look forward to more events in Erie, PA, please subscribe to our exclusive email list!
We have a lot of favorite spots in Erie that we wander to several times; Wintergreen Gorge is one of them. Here’s a quick update on the Gorge and some tips on one of our favorite trails from our trip out there on May 16, 2022. If you want more information about Wintergreen Gorge, click here to read our full blog post.
We arrived at Wintergreen Gorge around 6:45 p.m. and started at the Prischak lot trailhead. If you enter this way, be careful as you will encounter a slightly steep hill to go down (and back up on your way back to your car) very quickly. It’s not too bad, and our kids were able to walk it while holding our hands.
The trail was beautiful, the greens on the trees were so bright as the Gorge prepared for the rain showers that were about to hit within the next half hour. The trail was slightly muddy, but not enough that would make you slip and fall. Now that it has gone through a little more rain, we would imagine that today (May 17) it is slightly more muddy.
Advertisements
Even though we knew it was going to rain, we decided to be extra adventurous and go down to a lower trail to admire the waterfalls. The hill we went down was steep, but tree roots provided many “steps” that we were about to take to get down. One of our littles had to be carried. Getting back up the hill was much easier than going down, as we were able to hold on to the roots for support.
If you are able to, we highly recommend walking the lower trail which runs higher but alongside the creek. You’ll actually travel back in the direction you came from, so remember where you went down. We knew where our climbing spot was because of giant cement blocks that are near a wide waterfall. Once you get down to the trail, Wintergreen Gorge boasts some absolutely beautiful views of the nature and wildlife. We saw several waterfalls along the walk, and the sounds that go along with them were music to our ears. And we love the fact that you’re higher than the creek so our littles didn’t feel tempted to go in the water.
We will say, this trail was slightly more muddy than the one that runs above it. Be careful as you will have to cross a few spots that can be slightly tricky. What is a hop, skip, and jump for an adult can be a scary situation for a kid! Keep them close to you and away from the edge as you are still walking on a cliff above the creek.
Notice how high the trail is up head compared to the water flowing below, and how close the trail can get to the edge. Keep your littles close and take safety precautions!
As we were making our way to another waterfall view, we started to feel some raindrops, so that’s when we decided to head back. We ended up making really good time, as the rain began pouring just as we got back up that first hill by the parking lot!
Advertisements
We know going for a walk in nature like this before the rain can be very intimidating as you don’t know exactly when the rain will start, but it is also very beautiful. There was a different feeling at Wintergreen Gorge last night. Everything was a bit brighter, contrasting colors really stood out, and the rushing waters of the creek were a sight to see.
Don’t forget, this is a dog friendly environment! Just make sure your pup can handle the slight climbing you’ll have to do if you want to walk the trail above the creek that we described!
And one thing we want to add is that you should always remember to check for ticks after walking in the woods this time of year! After we got home, we found one on one of our littles.
If you like what you read, enter your email below to subscribe to our exclusive list! Never miss a wandering!
What do blooming cherry blossom trees, construction equipment, frisbee golf, and muddy trails have in common? You can find all of these things right now at Pleasant Ridge Park!
Weather reaching up to 70 degrees brought us to Pleasant Ridge Park for a little stroll. Even though it rained early Saturday morning, we decided to grab the dog and head to the park; clearly we were hoping it wasn’t too muddy throughout the woods.
FYI: Because this is an update on a previous wandering, we’re linking the article with general information on Pleasant Ridge Park here. With that in mind, check out how our visit on April 23, 2022 went!
With the rain, comes mud.
Currently, the park is pretty muddy. On our walk, we went through several areas of thick, wet, “your shoe will stick in this” mud. The kiddos had a really hard time getting through some of it and had to be picked up. The dog needed a bath when we got home. Our shoes are all being washed. If you don’t like mud, don’t plan a walk here for at least a week. If you don’t mind mud, head on over!
A section of the trails through the woods
“Your shoe will stick in this” mud
It’s that time of year…
Another thing we would caution you about is to check yourself and your dog for ticks. We found 2 on our pup when we arrived home. This shouldn’t deter you from going as it is to be expected in the woods this time of year, but be aware of it and make sure to check your dog any time they spend long periods of time outside.
Advertisements
Get out your camera!
On another note, the cherry blossom trees are starting to bloom and they are absolutely gorgeous. If you’re a fan of pink trees, head to the park and get some photos as they have 2 on the outskirts of the parking lot, across from the sports fields.
Blooming Cherry Blossom Tree
Perfect Photo Spot
Construction Vehicles
Upon entering the parking lot, you’ll see several construction vehicles currently parked (or at work, depending on when you visit) on the edge of the lot by the fields. They were simply parked during our visit as it was a Saturday afternoon, so we were unable to tell exactly what they were there for. From the looks of the parking lot and the vehicles, our guess is the parking lot refurbishment. If you know what’s going on, please drop us a comment!
Parking Lot
No matter what reason they were there, we had fun looking at them. The littles loved seeing the big vehicles. If you head to the park be sure to take a peek, but remember to keep a safe distance; we kept about a 15 foot distance. It’s important to let kids know this is a “looking” experience and not to touch them. If they look forward to seeing construction vehicles up close and personal, Equipment Day at the zoo is scheduled for 10 a.m.-2 p.m. on Saturday, June 4, 2022.
Advertisements
Golfing at the park…with a frisbee?
Walking around, we saw several “holes” (they look like big metal and chain baskets) set up as we went on our walk, and noticed several signs warning you to watch out for flying discs. Pleasant Ridge Park now boasts a disc golf course throughout their 80 acres of park. If this is something you’re interested in, you should definitely go check it out. Although we didn’t play ourselves, we did see other people playing.
Frisbee Golf Hole
We never saw a flying disc or feared getting hit by one, so don’t let this stop you from coming to the park. There are strict rules the disc golfers must follow, signs posted throughout to let you know where you could run into someone playing the sport, and pathways to walk as they play the course.
For more information about disc golf, specifically at Pleasant Ridge Park, please click here.
Final Thoughts:
Although very muddy, we still managed to have a lot of fun on our visit! The mud is not bad at all in the grass near the cherry blossom trees, so if you just want to visit those and play at the small playground, you won’t end up with soaking wet shoes like we did after venturing through the trails. If you do want to venture through the trails, in its current state after the rain, we would recommend visiting the open areas before you head into the woods and get muddy.
Like what you read? Subscribe to our exclusive email list and never miss a wandering!
On this trip, we were thankful to be wearing our Vessi shoes. Our feet were completely dry because of our Vessi’s yet again! A walk in the wet, sticky mud never felt so dry! Vessi makes 100% waterproof sneakers that we highly recommend. We have an exclusive code for $20 off your first purchase of $100 or more. Click here to be directed to Vessi’s website to browse and use our code!
[Editor’s note: Please be aware that we are not affiliated with The Buffalo Cherry Blossom Festival in any way. This is true of all of our posts. We simply enjoy wandering around Erie as we know finding what to do in Erie, PA area can be hard.]
This post contains affiliate links for a product. If you buy something, we may earn a commission at no cost to you.
Even though the weather wasn’t very nice, we decided to take a walk at Presque Isle on Saturday, October 23, to check out the trees and see if the colors of Fall have reached the shores of Lake Erie.
We did, indeed, find more color on the trees.
However, we were surprised to see the amount of color below the trees! Colors of all kinds were found in blooming flowers along the water.
If you’re missing Spring and Summer, be sure to take a walk and enjoy looking at these beautiful flowers!
But if you’re ready for Fall and loving the Autumn leaves, you’ll find them by looking up.
The trees are definitely changing, and more vibrant than they were last time we visited.
Our feet were saved by our Vessi’s yet again! A walk in the rain never felt so dry! Vessi makes 100% waterproof sneakers that we highly recommend. We have an exclusive code for $20 off your first purchase of $100 or more. Click here to be directed to Vessi’s website to browse and use our code!
And if you enjoy our blog, please subscribe by entering your email below!
[Editor’s note: Please be aware that we are not affiliated with Presque Isle in any way. This is true of all of our posts. We simply enjoy wandering around Erie as we know finding what to do in Erie, PA area can be hard.]
This post contains affiliate links for a product. If you buy something, we may earn a commission at no cost to you.
As we’re still focused on Fall, we wanted to go to another farm. We stumbled across Wooden Nickel Buffalo Farm, and decided to head on out as we have been wanting to go there since early Summer 2021, and boy are we glad we finally went!
Location:
Wooden Nickel Buffalo Farm is located at 5970 Kuman Road, Edinboro, PA 16412.
Advertisements
Property Description:
This is a working buffalo farm, so you will see farm equipment, pastures, several different animals, and barns. There is a restaurant and gift shop on the property, as well as a corn maze. One of our favorite things about this property was looking out by the buffalo pastures and just seeing greenery and sky in one direction, it was really cool, especially when you’re used to being in neighborhoods or on city streets.
What to Do:
There is plenty to do while visiting Wooden Nickel Buffalo Farm in Edinboro, PA. First, you can walk in the gift shop and take a look at everything they have to offer inside. You can purchase anything from novelties, like buffalo and donkey plush animals, to actual buffalo meat.
We took a look around the store, and after much persistence from one kiddo insisting a plush donkey was coming home with us at the end of our trip, we walked up to the register to purchase some feed to take to the real animals in their petting zoo. Each cone of food will cost $1, and if you would like, you can bring your cone back up for a refill for only 50 cents. When you’re done with refills, you break up the ice cream cone and the animals will eat that as well. We can tell you from experience that the donkeys love it, but there was also a goat that butted in to claim some as well.
Speaking of donkeys and goats, clearly you will find them in the petting zoo yard. You will also find ducks and chickens. All of the animals are very friendly. You can’t go inside of the yard, as it’s fenced in, but the animals will get very close to you to enjoy the food that you have for them. We noticed the donkeys and goats are especially friendly, and one of our littles even developed a new love for donkeys! Fun fact, two of the donkeys are babies; one was born in July and the other in August.
We were excited to find out that they have a big corn maze set up for their guests to enjoy. We went on a muddy day, and with the littles we decided that the maze would be a little too difficult for us, so we opted out. However, we would love to do it on a day that the weather was a little better and the ground less wet. The corn maze is open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. from October 1 until November 7, 2021. The corn maze will cost you to go through; ages 5-54 is $8, ages 55+ is $5, and ages 4 and under are free!
The next thing we did after the petting zoo was walk around the property and look for the buffalo. We found them decently close to the petting zoo area, and all in a large pack. They were grazing, but we did get to see a few running and playing. Be sure to stay away from the fences. There is no feeding or petting the buffalo, as they do not enjoy that.
After enjoying our walk around the pastures, we visited the petting zoo again. Our littles just love the animals, and we couldn’t help staying around these ones just a bit longer because they were just so sweet! After, we headed back into the gift shop to purchase some souvenirs from our visit. We also decided to try some food, so one of us got a buffalo burger, and the other some fries to share with the kids. We also got some apple cider to drink. Everything was very good, as neither of us had ever tried bison before. They even offer a great seating area for you to enjoy your food at.
Who Can Go:
Anyone can enjoy the fun at Wooden Nickel Buffalo Farm. We would caution you that you may have difficulty with a stroller or a wheelchair if it’s muddy, so if you need to bring anything on wheels check the weather before you go. We went on a rather wet day, and when walking through the fields to take a look at the buffalo we noticed that we were walking through a lot of mud and wet grass. If you’re only planning on taking a trip into the store or restaurant, you’re good to go no matter the weather.
Speaking of wet ground and mud, when walking through it our feet (and socks) stayed completely dry, nothing soaked through our shoes! Vessi makes 100% waterproof sneakers that we highly recommend. We have an exclusive code for $20 off your first purchase of $100 or more. Click here to be directed to Vessi’s website to browse and use our code!
Wooden Nickel Buffalo Farm is pet friendly! Just remember to keep your furry friend on a leash! You can walk your dog through the corn maze if you’d like; this might be a fun activity to test your pups navigation skills!
Final Thoughts:
We didn’t really know what to expect as we planned to go to the Wooden Nickel Buffalo Farm, but we are so glad that we went! We are even planning on going again, as we truly enjoyed our experience. From what we experienced, we believe the people that run the farm truly care for the animals and the business that they run, and that makes us feel even better about our visit to the farm. See for yourself by enjoying your own trip out to this farm in Edinboro, PA! Their normal hours are currently 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, and 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Friday and Saturday. If you’d like to come in and they are not open, just give them a call to set up an appointment, they’re very willing to work with their customers! And as their website states, if the open sign is blinking, come on in!
We truly recommend this as a fun experience if you’re looking for things to do in the Fall in Erie, PA, or any other time of the year for that matter!
Did you enjoy reading this? Have we helped you at all in finding things to do in Erie, PA? If so, subscribe to exclusive email list and never miss a wandering!
[Editor’s note: Please be aware that we are not affiliated with Wooden Nickel Buffalo Farm in any way. This is true of all of our posts. We simply enjoy wandering around Erie as we know finding what to do in Erie, PA area canbe hard.]
This post contains affiliate links for a product. If you buy something, we may earn a commission at no cost to you.
As we try to go back to the way it was, festivals are coming back in the Erie area. With the ability to be outside, even though we assumed large crowds would form eventually, we thought it would be great to stop by Oktoberfest at the beginning of the day, when they were just getting started. Keep reading to learn more about Oktoberfest and what we did while we were there!
Location:
Oktoberfest hosted by St. Joe’s is located at 147 West 24th Street, Erie, PA 16502.
Oktoberfest at St. Joe’s is held 5 p.m.-11 p.m. on Friday October 1st, 1 p.m.-11 p.m. on Saturday October 2nd, and 12 p.m.-5 p.m. on Sunday October 3rd. This festival has free parking and free admission.
Advertisements
Property Description:
This Oktoberfest in Erie, PA is located on the property of St. Joseph Church. You will find a few large tents set up, most with tables in them, and a few tables set up outside of the tents. You do have the ability to go inside of the community center to get your food and purchase raffle tickets. We will say, when we did go inside it was very crowded, so just be aware of that.
What to Do:
First and foremost, in order to purchase your food at Oktoberfest, you’ll need to purchase tickets, so find a ticket sales table and purchase your tickets! We found the ticket sales pretty easily; we can tell you for sure that one is located inside of the community center and another is located in the beer tent. Each ticket is equivalent to $1.
There is a TON of German food available at Oktoberfest! Although we weren’t there to eat a meal, we saw a lot of people enjoying some delicious looking eats and treats. You can get a bratwurst sandwich, sauerkraut balls, a Limberger cheese sandwich, Oktoberfest pizza (mustard sauce, Swiss cheese, bratwurst, and onion) or cheese/pepperoni pizza, German waffles, German potatoes, and so much more! There are also full dinners available inside of the community center! Those dinners include pork and sauerkraut, Sauerbrauten, and Bavarian goulash.
There is a Bavarian Coffee House hosted by The Tipsy Bean located in a tent outside, where you can get a ton of sweet treats and different types of coffee. We kept it simple and got some cut out cookies that were adorned as beer mugs, and a very large lemon cookie with an Oktoberfest design on it.
There is also a mini store set up across from the Bavarian Coffee House, where you can get German souvenirs of all sorts! They had a great dachshund hat that appeared as if the dog was laying on your head. They also had several flower headbands and crowns, and even headbands with little Bavarian hats on them! And you can get the Bavarian hats as regular size, too! There were also many German t-shirts available for sale, as well as other German trinkets and decorations.
Being at Oktoberfest, we just had to try something from the beer tent. Although there were several beers available inside the beer tent, we didn’t opt for a traditional Oktoberfest beer. We did, however, try a hard cider with a black cherry spin on it, and it was really good. There are also 5 different wines you can try while you’re there!
One thing that we did at Oktoberfest that we definitely want to highlight is watching the dachshund races! Unfortunately, this event is only available on Saturday, so if this is something that interests you put it on your calendar for next year! The famous dog Max from Bianchi Honda was there to cheer on his fellow dachshunds. All of the little wiener dogs were so cute, and the announcer was hilarious as he set up the competition! It was so funny to watch the dogs run, as some of them had no idea what they were doing. The races featured pups of all ages, including a 10 week old puppy! So cute! All in all, it was a great experience and the littles loved to be around all of the dogs! Because of these races, Oktoberfest is a dog friendly event! We saw a ton of different dogs, leashed of course, walking around with their humans! So if you’re looking for a great time and the ability to bring your dog, head over to St. Joe’s!
They also have over 170 baskets inside that they are raffling off, so be sure to get your raffle tickets! Basket tickets are 50 cents, but there are also 8 premium baskets, for which tickets are $3 each.
Who Can Go:
Everyone is able to come to Oktoberfest. Be aware that crowds can develop, so if you’re pushing a stroller or wheelchair you may have a hard time getting through at times. and remember, this event is dog friendly outside!
Final Thoughts:
For never attending Oktoberfest at St. Joe’s before, we thought it was really cool to finally see it in person this year. We think it’s one of those festivals in Erie County that we will continue to attend year after year. With no fee to get in, it’s a great opportunity to get out of the house in the beginning of Fall and enjoy all things German.
[Editor’s note: Please be aware that we are not affiliated with St. Joe’s Oktoberfest in any way. This is true of all of our posts. We simply enjoy wandering around Erie as we know finding what to do in Erie, PA area can be hard.]
If you’re an avid reader of our blog, you will know that’s we’ve been to Mason Farms in Lake City quite a few times. There’s just an element of country charm to it that we absolutely love. We recently found out that this farm stand in Erie County has a new offering, and we just had to check it out!
Location:
The Farm Stand at Mason Farms is located at 8603 West Lake Road, Lake City, PA 16423. You can’t miss it, there are several floral arrangements in front of it, and you can noticeably see a fun Fall time as you drive by. With their hours being Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m.-7 p.m. and Sunday from 9 a.m.-6 p.m., there is more than enough time throughout the day for you to head on over to Lake City to enjoy the farm stand!
Advertisements
Property Description:
This is farm stand, meaning that everything here is outdoors. Now, some areas are covered by some sort of roof, but nothing about this will be indoors. Remember to dress warm if you’re planning on going on a colder day. You’ll park in a gravel parking lot, and head to the left of the parking lot (if you’re looking at it from the road) to go to the stand. If you continue past the stand, you will see their seasonal display, along with a sunflower field behind it, for you to enjoy and take pictures of or with! We loved this!
What to Do:
Mason Farms farm stand has a ton of fruits and vegetables for you to enjoy. If you’re looking for a pumpkin, this is a great spot to grab one! They also have a ton of mums to choose from, so be sure to check out all of the beautiful flowers while you’re there. If you check out the photo slideshow below, you’ll see all of the wonderful locally grown produce you can purchase, along with some beautiful flowers! Below we’ve posted a slideshow of just some of the produce and plants available at the stand.
Although we love all of the great, healthy, local food that the farm stand provides, we are writing this blog post in particular to inform you of a “special event” they have going on right now. The sunflowers are standing tall and in full bloom, and you’re invited to take pictures with them, in front of them, and anywhere in the general area of them!
There is no cost to take photos with the sunflowers; you can literally just bring whoever you’d like and take photos! You can even pick your own sunflowers, with the price being $1.50 per stem.
They have two Fall displays set up with hay, cornstalks, and pumpkins, several bails of hay with pumpkins near them, and a pumpkin walkway going down to the display. We honestly loved everything about this. We took the littles pictures, we walked around and looked at all of the pumpkins (which, by the way, are for sale), and we enjoyed the beautiful sunflowers.
Who Can Go:
Everyone is welcome at the farm stand! Quick note, you will be parking on gravel and walking on gravel and grass, so dress accordingly and make sure you’re able to push a stroller or a wheelchair if you need to.
Also, we are super excited to tell you that we’ve recently seen photos on Mason Farms Facebook page with DOGS in them! So bring your furry friends and get them in your pictures, too!
Final Thoughts:
Mason Farms farm stand is a really great place to swing by for some quick Fall fun! If you’re looking for a free Fall Instagramable photo spot in Erie PA, you’ll find it at Mason Farms Farm Stand in Lake City! And be sure to grab some yummy fresh produce at this farm in Erie County.
Be on the lookout for our post on Mason Farms Pumpkintown information! Mason Farms always provides a good time for the kids in the Autumn season, at any of their locations. If you’re looking for Fall family fun in Erie, PA, you’ll find it at Mason Farms.
[Editor’s note: Please be aware that we are not affiliated with Mason Farms in any way. This is true of all of our posts. We simply enjoy wandering around Erie as we know finding what to do in Erie, PA area can be hard. And in the case of this post, we went during a time when crowds were extremely low.]
Site Highlight: Presque Isle Lagoon Area Picnic Spot
Entrance Sign
We recently found a great spot at Presque Isle State Park, and wanted to share it with all of you!
Lagoon Viewing
In searching for a place to enjoy our dinner at the beach, we found an incredible location we just have to tell you all about it! This area is serene, romantic, and truly majestic. The sounds of nature fill the air like music, and the peaceful tranquility of the lagoons of Presque Isle will leave you with a calming feeling.
Kayaks
There are plenty of picnic tables and a viewing deck for the lagoon, which has benches for you to relax on. You could even set up a great picnic on the viewing deck, if you wanted to.
One of many picnic tables
We picnicked at the table right by the viewing area, and enjoyed watching kayaks and small pontoons travel through the waters.
Boats passing through
There is ample room for parking in the designated lot, and plenty of picnic tables stationed throughout the area. Charcoal grills are provided if you would like to use them.
Ample Parking
We’ve included a map below, to try and give you an idea of where the Lagoon Area Picnic Spot is located. If you search “Evening Lagoon by Pontoon” in Google Maps, it will take you to the general area.
Location
Again, we really enjoyed this spot. Having grown up in Erie and been to Presque Isle so, so many times, this outing was the first time we had ever seen this area! If you’re looking for places to eat at Presque Isle, this could be a great spot for you! We hope you check it out and love it just a much as we do!
[Note: This is a Site Highlight post, a short and sweet yet informative look at a place within a place.]
Like what you read? Subscribe below and like us on Facebook to be notified of new things to do in Erie County whenever we post!
[Editor’s note: Please be aware that we are not affiliated with Presque Isle in any way. This is true of all of our posts. We simply enjoy wandering around the Erie area as we know finding what to do in Erie, PA can be hard.]
We’ve shown you a few ice cream stand locations on the west side of Erie County towards Ohio, such as Castle Ice Cream, and even though we’ve been east at the Double Dipper, we decided to head even east even more towards New York, and we ended up at The Straw Hat in North East, PA. And we have to say, it is a really cool place to visit with some great ice cream treats! With over 50 years of service to the North East community, this sundae shop is pretty impressive!
Location:
The Straw Hat is located at 207 South Lake Street, North East, PA 16428. It is right on the main street of town, and very easily accessible.
Property Description:
The Straw Hat is an ice cream stand that is outdoor only for patrons. The area where you order is covered, which is the first we’ve seen of this in the Erie area! You actually feel like you’re indoors because it is covered so well, with overhead lighting included. There are picnic tables outside for you to enjoy your food at.
We found parking across the street, but we think you may also be able to park behind the building as well.
View from the side
Advertisements
What to Do:
The Straw Hat in North East, PA is home to not only Perry’s Ice Cream, but ice cream from the Penn State Berkey Creamery as well! Between the two, we counted well over 30 flavors of ice cream! We tried the Grilled Stickies ice cream, and it was so, so yummy! They also have milkshakes, root beer floats, and soft serve ice cream.
Bubble Gum
Pumpkin Pie in a Waffle Cone
Chocolate Mint
Grilled Stickies over Pumpkin Pie in a Waffle Cone
Some of the many flavor options!
We also love that The Straw Hat has dairy free options, for those who are lactose intolerant or vegan. They also have dairy free shakes!
We found something here that we have never seen before; the Straw Hat has a Mighty Fine Donut ice cream sandwich! We had to try one, and of course it was all sorts of delicious! This insanely good donut sandwich is filled with soft serve ice cream. Fair warning, one might not be enough to fill you up, and in our case took a lot less time to eat than an ice cream cone!
Mighty Fine Donut Sandwich
We also found several “Instagram-able” spots if you enjoy taking photos. On the side of the building, there’s a sign with a giant ice cream cone on it, as well as a vintage Straw Hat sign with a chicken on it. In the very front, near the road and within the picnic tables, there is also a giant rooster statue to take photos with as well.
“Instagram-able” Ice Cream sign
Who Can Go:
We love that this ice cream stand is easily accessible by anyone who wants to stop by. We also really appreciate the covering over the front, which makes it so that you can always get your ice cream, even when it’s raining!
Final Thoughts:
This is a really cool place! We love the amount of seating, the covered ordering area, and the yummy donut sandwiches!
We appreciate the variety of flavors between Perry’s Ice Cream and Penn State Berkey Creamery. If you’re a Penn State alumni or if you live in the Erie area and you’re looking for Penn State ice cream without traveling to State College, this is a great stop for you!
They are open from 5 p.m.-9 p.m. Monday through Friday and 12 p.m.-10 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays.
Like what you read? Join our exclusive list and be notified of new things to do in Erie County whenever we post!
[Editor’s note: Please be aware that we are not affiliated with The Straw Hat Sundae Shop in any way. This is true of all of our posts. We simply enjoy wandering around the Erie area as we know finding what to do in Erie, PA can be hard.]
Have you ever gone somewhere assuming it’s one thing, but being completely surprised by what you find there? That’s what happened to us when we went to Freeport Beach in North East, PA.
Location:
Freeport Beach is located at 1 Freeport Road, North East, PA 16428. Freeport Road is Route 89, so if you get off of the highway and head towards town, you literally do not have to make any turns to get to the beach. Just go straight, pass through town, keep going a bit more, and you will end up there.
Property Description:
We went to this park not knowing what to expect, and it took us by surprise! Not only does it have plenty of beach access, but also a playground, picnic pavilion, a volleyball net, plenty of benches, and public restrooms.
The beach access is simple, yet enchanting. There’s a short sand area that then melts into rocks and pebbles which the waves crash into. It’s a great combination for everyone; we had members of our group sit on the benches in the sand, some on the rocks (skipping rocks, of course), and some walking along the water.
What to Do:
Freeport Beach has something for everyone in the family to enjoy. The kids will love playing on the playground equipment right off of the beach. Adults will enjoy the benches all throughout the park as well as the ability to lay towels or blankets out on the sand to catch some rays. And the fact that there’s a bathroom within the park is a positive for everyone!
You can swim on this beach as a lifeguard is typically on duty from 12 p.m. until sunset. As with any other beach, we would not recommend swimming unless the lifeguard is present.
If you’re looking for places to watch the sunset in Erie, PA, we think Freeport Beach should be on your list. The sunset will be slightly angled here, but it is beautiful nonetheless. The benches along the beach are great for relaxing or even snuggling close if you’re on a date; not to mention you don’t have to go on the sand if you don’t want to in order to enjoy the sunset.
Who Can Go:
This is a beautifully laid out park, with space for everyone to get around. There is a mat laid out for easy access to the shore, and various areas to stop and take a load off of your feet. We did not bring our stroller, but walking on the mat that is provided made us realize that it would be easy to push a wheelchair or stroller to the end of the mat if you wanted to get a closer view of the water.
While dogs are welcome at the park in general, they are not permitted on the beach. We were kind of bummed because we actually had a pup with us, but the benches and other areas of the park gave some of our group something to do while the others were on the beach.
Final Thoughts:
Freeport Beach in North East, PA is a great place to spend the whole day at. With a few food options available up the road, we could easily see how this park could be an all day affair. Enjoy a picnic lunch, play a game of volleyball, relax on the sand, take a swim, play on the playground, and end your day with a beautiful Lake Erie Sunset.
Like what you read? Subscribe below and be notified of new things to do in Erie County whenever we post!
[Editor’s note: Please be aware that we are not affiliated with Freeport Beach in any way. This is true of all of our posts. We simply enjoy wandering around the Erie area as we know finding what to do in Erie, PA can be hard.]
Wander Erie 