August 9, 2026
Ice Cream Social
Sunday, August 9, 2026
1 - 4pm
Historic Ephrata Cloister will open its grounds to the community on Sunday, August 9, from 1 to 4 p.m. for its Annual Ice Cream Social. Visit where Ephrata began during this family-friendly summer celebration, featuring activities and happenings perfect for all ages!
This fund-raising event, a project of the Ephrata Cloister Associates in partnership with the Pennsylvania Historic and Museum Commission, will feature ice cream provided by The New Cloister Restaurant and brownie sundaes! Get your ice cream scooped from our Celebrity Dippers! The acoustic duo, the Groove Slingers, will perform from 1:00 to 4:00 in the new amphitheater. This community event is sponsored by Blue Ridge.
The event features kid-friendly activities, such as nature crafts and games, under the tent in the meadow. Prizes will be awarded for the first 50 children who complete the Nature Scavenger Hunt. They can make their own wooden necklaces and explore the nature trail along the Cocalico Creek. The trail will take the explorers up the hill to the Witness Tree, a huge sycamore that has stood for over 250 years at the site of the 1777 Revolutionary War hospital. Families can learn more about the Historic Landscape Restoration Initiative that will transform the Cloister property into a natural habitat for local wildlife, flowers, and plants, and see the work that has already started.
Local non-profits will showcase their efforts to give back to the community in the large tent by the Visitor Center. The early village of Ephrata was known for its charity 300 years ago, an outreach that still continues to this day. Learn more about charity in Ephrata today and visit with local non-profits to see how they carry on the tradition of kindness and generosity, community building, and literacy today.
Visitors are encouraged to stroll the grounds of the Cloister. Guides will be stationed in the buildings to greet visitors and interpret the history of the 18th century structures. There will also be live entertainment, nature hikes, crafts, and more!
Admission at the door: $10/person, Ephrata Cloister Associate Members $5/person, children ages 6 – 10 are $5, and children 5 and under are admitted free.
Proceeds from the day will support educational programming at Historic Ephrata Cloister, including the Student Historians and Community Days for local elementary students. The event will be held rain or shine.
The Museum Store, featuring candles, cards, books of historical interest, and the work of local craftspeople, will be open for browsing and purchases at special discounts.
Please visit our website at www.ephratacloister.org for updates and information, or call the Visitor Center at 717-733-6600.
