Pennsylvania Dutch Festival

This year’s Pennsylvania Dutch Festival was the 35^th anniversary and was widely advertised, but a bit underwhelming for me. There were some specials in the market ($ 1 bread from one of the Amish places, etc.) But no large display of Amish made goods like I was expecting. Reading Removal was more crowded than usual, even at 3 pm (the line for Beilers wrapped around the market). Chaos.
Outside, there was a small petting zoo with cows, ponies, pigs, sheep, goats and baby chicks that everyone kept picking up. They looked terrified and one showed his displeasure with being picked up by leaving a stinky present behind in her hand. It all seemed very disorganized.
The blue grass band was cool, and there were some bales of hay set up for sitting. Songs ranged from mildly Jesus-​y to full on sermon-​y.
A tiny buggy led by tiny horses took people around for rides around the market, with some kid-​sized barrels on wheels attached to the back transporting other kids. I wish I could have fit in one of those!
Overall, I wouldn’t go out of my way again for this festival, and certainly wouldn’t come in from out of town for it, but if I had city kids who never saw animals maybe I would bring them by for a taste of the country. (Just bring hand sanitizer).

Buggy ride: my favorite activity of the day. Lovely and that carefree, in the present, lose your sense of self feeling. Loved it. Wish it was available again this year.
Petting zoo: ended all our squabbling and returned us to our child selves. Horses and cows are way bigger than my city mind envisioned. Loved petting them. Also fed them hay. Very child-​friendly.
Fresh, hot donuts: not a fan of Boston crème, chose it anyway over chocolate alternatives of chocolate and peanut butter and something with vanilla cream. Loved it.

The second weekend of August is when the Pennsylvania Dutch Festival is held inside and outside of Reading Terminal Market. You can buy crafts including quilts, woodcrafts, paintings, hand braided rugs, wooden toys and cedar chests. They also serve traditional foods like chicken pot pie ice cream, pies and canned fruits and vegetables but my favorite are the hot fresh donuts. Outside they offer Amish buggy rides and horse drawn wagon rides around the Market, as well as country and bluegrass bands. They also have a cadre of live animals such as horses, cows, chickens, lambs out there as well. One year they even had an animal parade down the streets of Center City. Where else can you witness a sheep get loose and almost get broadsided by a SEPTA bus? That year a goat got loose and had to be evicted from the fountain at Love Park. Only in Philly!