39th Annual ChambersFest Kicks Off Community Events on July 12
Delicious food, family activities, ice cream, history and so much more is planned for the 39th Annual ChambersFest from July 12 to 19 in the greater Chambersburg area.
The weeklong family-friendly festival will include a variety of fun community events including Restaurant Week, Scoop-a-Palooza, Tim & Susan Cook Memorial Race, Old Market Day, 1864: The Burning Re-enactment, history exhibits, live music and more.
“ChambersFest is a powerful reminder of what makes our community special. It takes the dedication and collaboration of many organizations and volunteers to bring this celebration to life each year,” said Steve Christian, president of the Greater Chambersburg Chamber of Commerce. “We’re proud to celebrate our history, culture and local businesses with a week full of events that showcase the best of Chambersburg.”
ChambersFest will start on Saturday, July 12 with the 9th Annual Restaurant Week sponsored by Signature Sponsor Penn National Insurance and Platinum Sponsor The Franklin Shopper. More than 20 restaurants will participate with special cuisines, meal deals and daily prizes through Saturday, July 19. Restaurants involved include Affinity Café, Big Oak Café, Bruster’s Real Ice Cream and Nathan’s Famous Hot Dogs, Falafel Shack, GearHouse Brewing Co., Hickory Ridge Restaurant, Kenny’s Grill & Ice Cream, Montezuma Mexican Restaurant (both Chambersburg locations), The Orchards Restaurant, Screaming Bambino Cellars, Veroni Café, Waffles & Shine Powered by Cold Spring Hollow Distillery andothers. For a full list of restaurants and contest information, visit Chambersburg.org/ChambersFestRW.
Saturday’s events will also include the 21st Annual Tim & Susan Cook Memorial 1-Mile Race/Walk beginning at 7 a.m. at Chambersburg Area Senior High School (CASHS) Upper Concession Stand. Scoop-a-Palooza, the popular all-you-can-eat ice cream festival, will also be at CASHS that day from 10 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.
Other ChambersFest activities throughout the week include North Square Farmers Market, The 39 Steps at Totem Pole Playhouse and the 21st Anniversary Sale at the Chambersburg Heritage Center.
Finally, the festival finale on Saturday, July 19, will conclude with the largest events of the week: Old Market Day and 1864: The Burning Re-enactment.
Old Market Day from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. will fill the streets of downtown with music, food, arts and crafts. The day features more than 150 craft and food vendors, on-stage entertainment and other activities. The Cumberland Valley School of Music Summer Camps will perform starting at 9 a.m. on the Courthouse steps. Later that evening will be the final round of the Acappella & Unplugged music competition as well as the popular military re-enactment light show: 1864: The Burning.
ChambersFest began in 1986 when local organizations came together to create a festival commemorating the town’s rebirth after its burning on July 30, 1864. On that fateful day, Chambersburg became the only town north of the Mason-Dixon line to be burned by Confederates during the Civil War. More than 500 structures were destroyed and 2,000 people left homeless. The townspeople were resilient, however, and rebuilt the town, which enabled Chambersburg to grow and prosper.
Today, ChambersFest celebrates the spirit of the townspeople with fun, family-friendly events. View the entire schedule of events at Chambersburg.org/ChambersFest. For questions about ChambersFest, please call the Chamber at 717-264-7101.
ChambersFest events are coordinated by a variety of organizations, including the Greater Chambersburg Chamber of Commerce, Downtown Business Council, Franklin County Visitors Bureau, North Square Farmers Market, Greater Chambersburg Chamber Foundation and others.
Special thanks to the ChambersFest Corporate Sponsors: Live & Work at Central, Rose Rent Lofts, Penn State Brandywine, Penn State Mont Alto, Penn State York, Teflon Roofing, Tommy’s Express Car Wash, The Franklin Shopper, Ventura Foods, VerStandig Media and WellSpan Health.
We would also like to thank our Premier Sponsors: Chambersburg Area Development Corp., Patriot Federal Credit Union, Salzmann Hughes, P.C. Law Firm, Valley Agency Company and Penn National Insurance. We’d also like to thank Benefactor Sponsor Impressive Aesthetics and Wellness.