This year's Gourmet Gala at Lime Spring Farm looks like it's going to be a fantastic event!  The Gala benefits the Lancaster County Preservation Trust, which is an organization near and dear to our hearts.  And the venue, Lime Spring Farm, is a popular local wedding venue that I can't wait to visit for the first time, it looks just beautiful!

The organizers have over 30 restaurants, breweries, wineries and other food suppliers lined up to serve attendees... and these aren't 'slouch' establishments either... they're some of our favorite dining venues in the county!

To help promote this event and support an organization we believe in, we're offering any guest who stays with us on Sunday, May 18th AND attends the Gourmet Gala, 15% off your room rate!  The discount will apply to the entire length of your stay... so why not come out early and enjoy a long weekend?!

• Here's a link where you can buy your tickets online:  http://hptrust.org/gourmet-gala-2013
• And here's the link for you to book your room with us:   https://secure.rezovation.com/Reservations/AvailabilityCalendar.aspx?s=zcdwecwzHg (just send me a note letting me know you're attending the gala and I'll manually apply the discount for you)

The Historic Smithton Inn has submitted a "wish" to Intuit's 'Love a Local Business' contest.  We registered for the contest on April 13th by uploading some basic information about ourselves and a description of the "wish" that will help us grow our small business:

"The Historic Smithton Inn in Lancaster County, PA, was in a terrible state of repair and nearly in foreclosure when we purchased it in 2009. We have spent the past 4 years bringing the property back to life so that this wonderful historic site will still be here for the community and guests to visit and enjoy 100 years from now! We’d like to be able to host weddings, and need improvements to our landscaping to make that work. A $5,000 grant would be an investment in the property that could help ensure the revenue stream required to maintain this historic landmark for years to come."

We are one of THOUSANDS of small business who have entered to win... now it's up to our friends and fans to help us win the grant. 

Please VOTE FOR US.  It's quick and easy and you can vote once per day until the contest ends on May 12th.  If we win we'll be able to add an additional revenue stream to our business, hosting weddings, which will create jobs in the community and help us maintain our historic property.

B&Bs for Vets 2012

And as always, our ability to maintain a thriving business, puts us in a position where we can give back to the community, which is important to us!  Just a few of our causes include donating all 7 of our guest rooms to the B&Bs for Vets program, hosting a Jazz Brunch on the grounds that raised $2,000 for music programs in the Ephrata School District, and donating gift certificates and gift baskets to numerous local charities.

Jazz Brunch 2013

Thank you so much for your support of our wish!!  And don't forget to vote!!

The group "Over the Rhine" is coming to Ephrata for an acoustic performance on Sunday, April 14th at 6:00 pm.  Tickets are $25 each.  Click here to buy tickets online.

The acoustic duo of Karen and Lindford are playing the Ephrata Main for the first time, and are bringing with them very special guest will be Ben Sollee, also making his first appearance.

A fun fact about the show: The owner / operator of Lily's On Main restaurant and the Ephrata Main Theatre, Steve Brown, was the drummer for The Innocence Mission who played many times with Over The Rhine in the 1990's.

If you've never heard of this group, check out a video I found of them on YouTube - one of my favorite songs, Hallelujah:




Also note:  The next weekend, Sunday April 21st, here at the Historic Smithton Inn, we're hosting a Jazz Brunch Benefit for the Ephrata Music Program.  This event is part of our ongoing 250th Anniversary Celebrations.  Click here to buy tickets!

Angels in America:  "Perestroika", at EPAC

Spring is in the air, and with spring showers, May flowers, and all that other good stuff, comes a great array of spring theater performances here in Lancaster County.  Best of all, catching a show means you're not at the mercy of unpredictable weather, which we've had our share of this winter!!  That's GOT to be a good thing!

Ephrata Performing Arts Center -
Sharadin Bigler Theatre:  At less than a mile away, this is the closest theater to the Historic Smithton Inn.  It's an absolutely wonderful, critically acclaimed, community theater.  If you've ever been to London for "Fringe Theater", or "Off-Broadway", it's a lot like that. I guarantee that you won't be disappointed by a performance!

• Angels in America:  Perestroika - March 28 - April 7
• Avenue Q - May 2 - May 18

Sight and Sound:  This wonderful theater is actually the #1 tourist attraction in Lancaster County!  And there's a lot of great competition for that top slot... this theater is just THAT good!!  Their shows are impressive no matter what your religious persuasion; think Epic staging combined with live animals!!  There's not  a bad seat in the house, and if you can fit it in, I highly recommend the "Behind the Scenes Tour".

•  Noah - March through November

Fulton Opera House - Photo by Wickersham Construction

Fulton Opera House:  I love that Lancaster has a beautiful, historic, architecturally gorgeous theater... the fact that they put on a great show too is just gravy!!  Set in the center of downtown Lancaster, the venue is surrounded by restaurants, markets, shops and art galleries, so you can make a whole afternoon adventure out of it if you'd like.

• A Chorus Line -March 12 - 30
• Dreamgirls - April 23 - May 12

Rainbow Dinner Theatre:  This all-comedy dinner theater is a fun way to combine dinner with a show.  Perfect for couples, groups of friends or family, you can enjoy a full night out without having to drive all over town to do it!

• Fun Between the Covers - March 21 - May 25

Dutch Apple Dinner Theatre:  It says something about Lancaster County that we enjoy our live theaters so much that we've got TWO dinner theaters.  Dutch Apple is known for putting on great musicals, and they've got some favorites scheduled this spring.  And if you just want to catch a show without doing dinner at Dutch Apple, they have that option available.

• Brigadoon - March 28 - May 11
• Cats - May 16 - June 29

Hershey Theatre:  The Hershey Theatre is an easy 40 mile drive west along 322 from the Historic Smithton Inn, making it a great place to go for a quick jaunt or a day trip.  The theater is gorgeous and hosts a number of types of shows including concerts, Broadway performances and old classic films.

• View List of Events [Click Here]

American Music Theatre:  AMT is the place to go in Lancaster County for great live music... plus the occasional comedy or specialty performance.  The venue hosts a combination of in-house produced shows and touring stars of all genres, from Country and Rock, to Classical and Big-Band... AMT has it all.  The theater is the perfect size, with a combination of great acoustics and not a bad seat in the house!

• Gary Allen - March 28
• The Beach Boys - April 7
• Broadway: Now & Forever - April 16 - October 12
• ABBA The Concert - April 18
• The Gaither Vocal Band - April 21

From Taste the World's Facebook Page

A couple years ago, a really hip girlfriend of mine introduced me to the "Taste the World" walking and sampling tour of downtown Lancaster ... and it was a BLAST!  It felt a bit like a "foodie scavenger hunt"... we followed a map, working our way from restaurant to restaurant, tasting the delicious samples they had planned for us.  In between the restaurants we enjoyed the sights, shopped a bit, people-watched, listened to live music, and generally enjoyed exploring beautiful & eclectic downtown Lancaster.

Noodle King - photo by Seth Marsical

Fast forward a few years and the Taste the World tour has expanded considerably!  They have tours scheduled monthly (2nd Fridays) from May to November, each one with a different theme.  Proceeds from the tours go to the Lancaster Public Library, so by taking this tour, you're not just having a deliciously good time, you're helping a good cause to boot!!!



Here are the list of dates and themes:
May 10:  Signature Foods
June 14:  Vegetarian Foods
July 12:  Exotic Foods
August 9:  Chill!!!
Sept 13:  Seafood
Oct 11:  Finger Foods
Nov 8:  Soups On!

And some of our favorite restaurants are participating!!

• Annie Bailey's Irish Pub
• Arabian Knight
• Catering by Christina
• Cocina Mexicana
• Himalayan Curry & Grill
• Kohm's Eggroll Paradise
• La Cocina Restaurant
• La Dolce Vita Italian Courthouse Bakery
• Mucho Mexico
• Noodle King
• Rachel's Cafe & Creperie
• Sakura Asian Fusion
• Spyro Gyros
• Upohar Ethnic Cusines
• plus Lonley Monk Coffees

Tickets are $12.50 for early birds (more than 1 month ahead), $15.00 the month of the event, or $17.50 the day of the event.  Here's a link where you can purchase tickets:  http://www.tastetheworldlancaster.com/get-tickets.html 

So if you're looking for a unique way to tour downtown Lancaster, while sampling delicious foods and enjoying a lovely spring, summer or fall evening walk, then this is the tour for you.  We'll definitely be recommending it to guests of the Historic Smithton Inn!!

Mud Sales are a wonderful Lancaster County tradition that locals and tourists, Amish and English, all look forward to as the cold winter weather begins to break.

These sales go back to the mid-1960s and are fundraisers for the local volunteer fire companies.  Auctions often take place both inside and out... it's the outside part, taking place in fields that have begun to thaw, that earned them the affectionate nickname, "Mud Sale".

Here's the schedule and descriptions for this year's Spring events.

2013 Mud Sales:

February 25
Strasburg Spring Consignment & Mud Sale
8 a.m., Strasburg Fire Company #1, 203 Franklin St., Strasburg. 717-687-7232 or Strasburg Fire Co. website
Furniture, antiques, quilts, crafts, farm machinery, horses, mules, tools, groceries, fruit, homemade food.

March 2 & March 16
Bart Township Annual Auction/Mud Sale
8:30 a.m., Bart Twp. Fire Company, 11 Furnace Rd., Quarryville. 717-786-3348 or Bart Twp. Fire Co. website
Antiques, quilts, furniture, new & used equipment, small goods, hay & straw, livestock, buggies, tools, crafts and food.

March 9
Gordonville Spring Mud Sale & Auction
8:30 a.m., Gordonville Fire Company, Old Leacock Rd., Gordonville. 717-768-3869 or Gordonville Fire Co. website
The largest firemen's auction/sale on the East Coast, featuring 500-600 Amish quilts, antiques, collectibles, new & used furniture, tools, farm equipment, horses, mules, buggies, lawn & garden, barns, utility sheds & trailers, construction equipment.

March 16
Penryn Fire Company 4th Annual Mud Sale
8:30 a.m., Penryn Fire Company #1, 1441 N. Penryn Rd., Penryn. 717-664-2825 or Penryn Fire Co. website
Woodcrafts, furniture, antiques, quilts, crafts, farm equipment, food and more.

March 16
Airville Volunteer Fire Company Mud Sale
7 a.m. coffee & doughnuts, 8 a.m. auction begins. 3576 Delta Road, Airville, PA 17602. 717-862-3806
Crafts, antiques, and household furniture, building material, plants, trees, equipment, groceries, windows & doors, tools, quilts, tractors, saddles, tack, buggies, and more.

March 23
Gap Annual Spring Mud Sale/Auction
8 a.m., Gap Fire Company, 802 Pequea Ave., Gap. 717-442-8100
Horse-drawn carriages, buggies, wagons, new & used furniture, quilts, crafts, dry goods, groceries and more.

April 6
Robert Fulton Volunteer Fire Company Mud Sale
7 a.m. breakfast, Robert Fulton Fire Company, 2271 Robert Fulton Hwy., Peach Bottom, 717-548-8995 or website
Crafts, plants, tools, antiques, farm equipment, furniture, food, buggies, wagons, groceries, horses.

April 13
Rawlinsville Annual Mud Sale
8 a.m., Rawlinsville Fire Company, 33 Martic Heights Dr., Holtwood. 717-284-3023 or webiste
Quilts, horses, crafts, building materials, lawn equipment, new and used furniture

Yep, you read it correctly... the Historic Smithton Inn Bed and Breakfast in Ephrata, PA turns 250 years old this year!!!  It’s not always possible to trace history back over 250 years, but that’s exactly what we're doing in 2013.


For more details on the Smithton Inn’s 250^th celebration and to buy tickets to attend the events, visit our website http://www.historicsmithtoninn.com/250Anniversary.html.   And don’t miss out on this unique glimpse at a very historically significant part of Ephrata’s past!!