Tag: winter

Ice, Chili & Fire


It is our favorite time of year again…the annual Lititz Fire & Ice Festival would be right around the corner. What we typically look forward to and  know is a time with ice sculptures, great food, live fire show, breathtaking art, block party, an awesome chili competition and the Lititz Lions Carnival & vender fair. While the Lititz Fire & Ice Festival is not happening this year it will be back in February 2022. But that doesn’t go without some celebration this year! 

Though we will not have our favorite chili cookoff, fire show, carnival or block party festivities we WILL be able to experience the remarkable ice sculptures! Lititz Fire & Ice Festival is revamped to the Lititz Ice Walk for 2021. From February 12th until February 20th you can walk through the streets to see the sculptures. Each day more will be added so this does not have to be a one day walk you can go to Littiz multiple times to see what has been added! This is a great way to get the family outside and moving after the past few cold snow storms we have had while getting a taste of one of our favorite Lancaster County winter traditions. 

Venture Lititz has thought of everything making sure we are all kept safe, this event is all outside, there will be no live carvings, and people are required to be masked and stay socially distant. By adding extra days to the event this is a way they are working to help spread out the crowds as well. It truly is magnificent that during this time the committee and organizers thought to figure out a way for us all to have a little cheer and taste of our Lancaster! 

The ice sculptures will be located on North, South and Broad street. There are going to be twenty six ice sculptures put out on just one day! Then in the following days another fifteen sculptures and twenty two…that is over sixty plus ice sculptures to enjoy and truly marvel at.  What is wonderful is that like the Lititz Fire & Ice Festival the Lititz Ice Walk is also sponsored by local businesses and organizations. Some of the ice sculptures are in front of local shops and businesses. This is a great way to pop into the shops and get a valentine gift for someone you love or a birthday gift! Attending this event is a great way to support our local businesses while enjoying the artwork of so many! Consider getting a hot chocolate or order takeout for when you finish your walk for a great meal after with your family. 

So over the next few days plan a night, an afternoon or two or three to get over to downtown Lititz, you will not want to miss the incredible artwork of the ice sculptures or a little taste of our favorite festival. Bundle up with some warm clothing, look up some of the shops and local buisnesses that are sponsoring the event, check out some restuarant menus in Lititz and have yourself a day! Get out into the town and enjoy the fresh air while getting a piece of our favorite tradition and opportunity to help buisnesses in the local area by enjoying a treat or two and shopping for your loved ones. Thank you to all that worked so hard to bring us a version of our Lititz Fire & Ice Festival. We look forward to when we can all be back together enjoying the festivities like in years past! 

Thanks for checking out this week’s Lancaster Local Secret, did you know in Pennsylvania many call pickled vegetables Chow Chow? Have a great week! 

 Contact Mary Sue Wolf to look at homes and properties that could bring you to experience some Lancaster County Traditions yearly, seasonaly or monthly. You will love it here!

For more information on wonderful homes in Lancaster County call Mary Sue at 717-333-9653 or visit her website at www.WolfandWebb.com

Bent Creek the Community Within

Bent Creek is a gated community as well as a country club located in Lititz, Pennsylvania within Lancaster County. This community is a wonderful place to be a part of the sense of neighborhood and a strong community could not be greater while providing safety in the gated community. Bent Creek gated golf community consists of luxury single family homes and villas. Bent Creek is close to restaurants, school and quick access to the major highways making it truly a great spot for families. The community is in Manheim Township School District which is a very highly rated school system. While it’s location and accessibility is incredible that is not all that Bent Creek community has to offer with many wonderful amenities year round and during the holiday season it is truly a gem within Pennsylvania and a wonderful space within Lancaster County.

Bent Creek Country Club was established by six Lancaster businessmen in 1987. Through working with contractors and organizations their dreams of luxury, leisure, safety and enjoyment were able to come true developing and creating an 18-hole course surrounded by 400 homes. Partnering with Jay Morrish golf course architecture firm the course was created-it’s design and layout truly makes it one of a kind! In 1990 membership began, with an overwhelming response and interest the club was able to sell over 200 memberships very quickly! Not only is the terrain of the course beautiful but the clubhouse offers an incredible opportunity for members to enjoy and relax in a beautiful setting. The club offers four types of membership you can have a golf membership, sports membership, social membership or other membership specifically based on families needs and wants. With so many options joining this establishment opens the doors to endless possibilities of enjoying your community. With that comes the amenities from tennis, to golf, and dining, swimming or special events members can find many ways to get involved and enjoy their time. 

With the course created by the 1991 recipient of Golf Course Architect of the Year the grounds are magnificent from its beauty of lakes, hills, trees and more, upkeep and challenging terrain it makes a day on the course an enjoyable one. The 18-hole course is a par 71 with a yardage range of 5,289 for women and 6,750 for men. The golf shop provides you the opportunity to book your tee time, private lessons, attend multiple events and outings as well as join either the Men or Women’s Association.  

If you are not much of a golfer that is alright, this wonderful community has something for you! The tennis program at Bent Creek provides opportunities for leisure play or competitively with professional lessons for all ages and levels. The courts are Har-Tru courts that are open daily. Like the golf community at Bent Creek there are events, competitions and U.S.T.A. team leagues to enjoy! 

On property there is also the Bent Creek competitive-sixed heated pool. WIth 6-lanes for laps and space to swim recreationally this is the ideal summer spot. Whether lounging by the pool with a new book is your go to in the summer or enjoying a nice snack after a swim, the pool is the best spot to enjoy time with your friends! If your children are interested in swimming there is a swim team they can join, family pool parties to attend and raft & grill nights! 

Aside from the snack bar at the pool within the clubhouse there is a wonderful option of fine dining. They offer casual seating at the bar, have a beautiful outdoor patio, a cafe, and formal dining room. The food is magnificent with a variety of pallets and cuisine options. The culinary staff ensures great experiences every time you go! Bent Creek offers lunch, brunch and dinner options throughout the week and a wonderful reservation system. 

While the club provides safety within the gates, activities for all to enjoy and multiple ways to get involved within the community through teams, and associations they also offer the opportunity for you to host an event on property from weddings, meetings, reunions, outings you name it! You can work with the staff to plan and execute the event of your dreams. 

This year Bent Creek has worked to get us all in the holiday spirit in a safe way with a Santa Parade! There was a parade throughout Bent Creek with Santa, Mrs. Claus, elves, reindeer and more! You were able to go out into your yard to watch the parade and receive a Christmas surprise from santa. Neighbors within the community could join in on the parade by decorating their golf carts for the holiday festivities, and the bar at the clubhouse provided an opportunity to watch the parade with beverages. The holiday feeling was so present you could see smiles on everyone’s faces young and old! 

Whether it is to find a place where you can reside with just a short walk to enjoy wonderful amenities or you are searching for a family friendly community look no further than Bent Creek their efforts to ensure neighborhood feeling mixed with wonderful events, competition and safety are unlike any other! 

 Contact Mary Sue Wolf to look at homes and properties that could bring you to live in a wonderful community like Bent Creek where you could enjoy wonderful holiday traditions with your loved ones, days on the course or games of tennis and wonderful dining.  You will love it here!

For more information on wonderful homes call Mary Sue at 717-333-9653 or visit her website at www.WolfandWebb.com

Walking in Lancaster Wonderland

Sleigh bells ring, are you listening? In the lane snow is glistening! A beautiful sight, we’re happy tonight walking in a Lancaster Wonderland! As we continue through the month of December and the holiday season it may be hard to get into the spirit. The weather is getting colder and amidst the pandemic it can be hard to find fun things to do. While Lancaster County has always gone above and beyond during the holidays that has not changed during the pandemic. Our favorite holiday activities, events and traditions are continuing in new, unique and safe ways! I would like to share three of my holiday favorites within Lancaster that you can enjoy with your family! 

Elizabeth Farms is a year round establishment located at 262 Hopeland Road Lititz, PA 17543. This 8th generation family owned farm is a beautiful location to buy your Christmas tree  and home to many animals including Mangalitsa pigs! These pigs are 100% natural, free range and GMO free treated. With the pandemic the farm has moved to 3 ways of distributing their products, you can pick from pick up, have it delivered or have it shipped! A great way to support local and enjoy your favorites! What makes Elizabeth special is their annual Christmas celebrations at the farm and this year is no different! Following safety procedures and protocols the farm has been able to create their wonderful holiday ambiance for so many to enjoy! This year they are pre-cutting their Christmas trees for purchase. While at the farm you can enjoy their delicious free hot chocolate stations. Their gift shop is open and full of wonderful gift ideas for those on your list! While this year they are not hosting their horse drawn wagon ride to cut your own tree it is important to note that is an annual opportunity they offer for families, be sure to check back next Christmas for hopeful rides! A family favorite of ours is their Christmas Fantasy Barn that holds their model trains, holiday window display and Santa’s workshop where you can get your photo taken with Santa! Photos are offered 10:00am-4:00pm each weekend! The farm now has transformed into a farm to table experience where their food and drinks are unlike any other! This is a great way to enjoy local draft beer, season cider and other wonderful cocktails with friends! This family owned farm is truly bringing the Christmas cheer this year! 

Another Lancaster favorite of my family’s is Hershey Park’s annual Christmas Candylane! Every year Hershey creates a light show like no other! With millions of lights this walking lane brings you to Santa his reindeer, rides and tasty treats! To maintain social distance tickets are needed to be purchased ahead of time. If you are not comfortable with walking through their Candylane Hersey is offering a drive through opportunity for families to enjoy over 600 light displays. Get your favorite cozy clothes on, stock up on your favorite chocolate treats and enjoy cruising through this winter wonderland! Not from the area or unable to do a day trip and enjoy these holiday events? Hershey is offering cookies from the Santa room package that includes free milk and cookies to enjoy as a family before, after or during your park exploration! Before heading home a must in our family is stopping at their gift shop to stock up on all our favorite sweets-these are wonderful stocking stuffers, or little extras to add to holiday gifts! 

The last holiday attraction I would like to share with you is at Stone Gables Estates. The Estates offer a variety of Christmas attractions, there is something everyone in your family will enjoy! Every Friday and Saturday from 5:00pm-9:00pm you can drive through their Christmas Lights, a beautiful trail full of bright lights! This is a 2.6 mile drive decked out in over 600,000 LED lights. On Saturdays and a few weekdays you can hop on the Santa Express and enjoy a Christmas experience through a narrated train ride, this includes holiday sing alongs, meeting Santa and enjoying delicious hot chocolate! The Estate also offers Christmas dinner at the Star Barn. This event gives you the chance to relax in a Christmas wonderland while enjoying hors d’oeuvres, and a delicious dinner. You can enjoy their gift shop, live christmas music and their village. Each of these Christmas attractions require tickets, I suggest booking in advance to ensure you and your loved ones can enjoy all that the Stone Gables Estates have to offer! 

While these are three of my favorite holiday attractions in Lancaster they are not the only ones. Be sure to check out downtown Lancaster, Lititz and other towns to enjoy their holiday season with gift shopping, enjoying their holiday decorations and local delicacies (always a great gift idea for someone you love). The holidays are always a wonderful way to get the family together, enjoy each other’s company and reflect on the year behind while looking forward to the year ahead. Get in the holiday spirit this year by trying one of the many wonderful attractions Lancaster has to offer or get creative with your family to create a new holiday tradition! Whether you and your family hop in the car to see the christmas lights, support a local business by buying one of their cookie kits or find a group of friends to host a virtual secret santa with Lancaster County is here to make this holiday season one that is unforgettable full of laughter, joy and love! 

 Contact Mary Sue Wolf to look at homes and properties that could bring you to live in our winter wonderland every year.  You will love it here!

For more information on wonderful homes call Mary Sue at 717-333-9653 or visit her website at www.WolfandWebb.com