15+ Things to Do This Summer

Spend your summer in Bucks County at any number of these hot, hot, hot happenings! How many can you check off your list?

1. Explore Unique Castles

Bucks County is home to not one, but five castles, with a sixth castle just steps from Bucks County! Explore the architecture as you learn the history, sip some wine and even take home a souvenir. This summer, visit Henry Chapman Mercer’s former home, Fonthill Castle, which includes 44 rooms, more than 6,000 books and 18 fireplaces. 

2. See an Outdoor Movie on the Lawn of the Mercer Museum

Join the County Theater of Doylestown on the third Thursday of each month on the green of the Mercer Museum for a family-friendly series of outdoor film screenings. The Mercer Museum and The County Theater, in partnership with The Moving Picture Cinema, bring outdoor movies to the community, with the 2022 Movies at the Mercer Museum series. The line-up is: Hook (June 15), Hairspray (July 20), Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone (August 17) and Dirty Dancing (September 21).

WHEN: Every third Thursday of the month
WHERE: Mercer Museum

3. Sing and Dance at William Penn Bank Summer Music Fest in Bristol

Join Bristol Riverside Theater at their outdoor amphitheater all summer long! See acts like the Rhinestone Cowgirls (June 14-18), Forever Motown (July 12-16) and The Hit Men (August 11). Grab a bite to eat at nearby dining before or after!

WHEN: June 14 - August 27
WHERE: William Penn Bank Arena

4. Follow the Bucks County Wine & Art Trail

Wine and art lovers can get a free mobile passport at VisitBucksCounty.com/WineandArtTrail. After checking in at 3 or more participating wineries along the Wine & Art Trail, participants will receive a FREE set of limited-edition Bucks County fine art notecards featuring works of art created at wineries along the Wine & Art Trail this past spring and summer. Participants will also be entered to win one of the outdoor art reproductions on display at the wineries.

WHEN: All summer long!
WHERE: Sand Castle Winery, Crossing Vineyards & Winery, Bishop Estate Vineyard & Winery, Buckingham Valley Vineyards, Rose Bank Winery, Wycombe Vineyards & Rushland Ridge Winery

5. Head to the Bucks County Beach Days: Sand Sculptures in the Village

Free and open to the public from June 1 through August 31, Stories in Sand will showcase six exceptionally tall sculptures created by three world-renowned master sand sculptors. The spectacular sculptures, all of which are due to be completed by June 1 (weather depending), will pay homage to stories and characters revered for generations: Brothers Grimm fairy tales, Peter Pan, The Jungle Book, Winnie-the-Pooh, Mother Goose stories, and Alice in Wonderland. Sandboxes designed for family play will also be placed throughout the property.

WHEN: June 1 - August 31
WHERE: Peddler’s Village

6. Find Family-Friendly Fun at Sesame Place® Philadelphia

Find tons of family-friendly events all summer long at Sesame Place® Philadelphia in Langhorne! Stop by for Dino Stomp Celebration (June 3 - 4)  Elmo's Spring Spectacular (through June 18), July 4th Fest (June 28 - July 4), and Christmas in July (July 21 - 25). There will fireworks Memorial Day Weekend, July 4 and Labor Day.

7. Celebrate Doylestown Pride

A festival of films, celebrations and events, the month kicks off with the Pride flag raising on June 1 at the Bucks County Administration Building at 6:00 pm. Hurry up and book your reservation for a fun-filled Drag Brunch at Genevieve's Kitchen on June 12 at either 11 am or 1:30 pm! Finally on June 18, save the date for a Block Party.

WHEN: June 17 - 25
WHERE: Around Doylestown

8. Outdoor music & events at The Tileworks

Part of the Mercer Mile of museums in Doylestown, The Tileworks is Bucks County native Henry Chapman Mercer's still working tile factory and museum. Stop by this summer for some music and fun on the lawn. Of course, tours are always an option any day in summer, too.

WHEN: Select Dates through June & July
WHERE: The Tileworks

9. Feel Better than Blue at the Bluegrass & Blueberries Month

Keep the fruit fun going by celebrating National Blueberry Month at Peddler’s Village! Stop by for the freshest locally grown blueberries in the Peddler’s Village General Store selling blueberry pies, butters, jellies, and preserves. Dance along to live Bluegrass and Country bands playing live throughout the village. Also in July is Peddler's Village's Red, White & Blue BBQ Bash (July 4) and a Food Truck Thursday on July 13.

WHEN: July 1 - 31
WHERE: Peddler’s Village

10. Celebrate National Peach Month at Peddler’s Village

It’s a peach and shopping lover’s paradise with plenty of peachy treats, sizzling shopping deals, and scenic strolls through our summer gardens! Savor the flavors of all things peach from savory to sweet at the restaurants and weekend outdoor food tent. 

WHEN: August 1 - 31
WHERE: Peddler’s Village

11. Rev Up Your Engine at the Annual New Hope Automobile Show

The New Hope Automobile Show is a Bucks County tradition and one of the oldest antique car shows in the country! This two-day show features the finest foreign and domestic classic and antique vehicles. Nationally recognized judging standards are employed for each marque. Proceeds benefit local scholarships and charities.

WHEN: August 12 - 13
WHERE: New Hope-Solebury High School

12. Download a Bucks County Ale Trail Passport to Win a Free Shirt

All summer long, download or pick-up your Bucks County Ale Trail Passport, cross 5 breweries off your list and be eligible to win the limited-edition T-shirt! Look out for Visit Bucks County coll-beer-ations with participating breweries this summer, too. Taste the Ale Trail's seasonal brews as well!

13. Pick fresh flowers at Peace Valley Lavender Farm

Tis the season for lavender! This purple favorite that only blooms in the summer is fresh for the picking at the gorgeous flower farm in Doylestown overlooking Lake Galena. Pick up lavender-scented soaps, culinary lavender and more inside their gift shop while you’re there.

WHEN: June – August
WHERE: Peace Valley Lavender Farm

14. Book your tickets to see Tick, Tick ... BOOM! at the Bucks County Playhouse

Before Rent, there was Tick, Tick… Boom!. See the musical that inspired the Oscar-nominated film! “Tick, Tick … Boom” is a high-octane rock musical that follows the life of a young composer facing 30 with little to show for it. His girlfriend wants to get married and move out the city (Tick ….), his best friend is making big bucks on Madison Avenue (Tick …), yet Jon is still waiting tables and trying to write the great American musical (Boom!). Based on his life of before he wrote Rent, Jonathan Larson’s “Tick, Tick … Boom” is a youthful, vibrant, and moving musical reminding us that sometimes dreams can come true.

WHEN: June 24 – July 30
WHERE: Bucks County Playhouse

15. View the exhibit "Mid-Century to Manga: The Modern Japanese Print in America" at the Michener Art Museum

The exhibition highlights the contributions of James Michener in the United States’ national appreciation and consumption of Japanese prints and print-media in the post-war period and celebrates the continued local interest in, and contributions to, contemporary Japanese and Japanese-American print-making and illustration.

WHEN: Through July 30
WHERE: Michener Art Museum

16. “Tree”-vose climbs to new heights with the opening of TreeTrails Adventure Park in late summer

The courses range in difficulty from beginner to advanced with skills and element challenges increasing in height and difficulty as guests progress. The courses all start at a centralized main platform, and after being harnessed and given a safety and training briefing, guests explore the park at their own speed and comfort level of difficulty. Both the adult and kids courses include zip lines, bridges made of cable and rope, and netted tunnels that are suspended between platforms built around trees and poles.

WHEN: August
WHERE: TreeTrails Adventure Park

17. Kayak, Paddleboard or Canoe

Hit the water with a paddleboard, kayak or canoe. Driftwood Water Adventures operates out of Tyler State Park, as well as down near Bristol. Kayaks are also available for rent at Lake Nockamixon, Silver Lake Nature Center and more. Paddleboard and do yoga at the same time with Mill Melanie Yoga in Ottsville!

18. See the Bi-Planes Soar at Van Sant Historic Airfield 

Rides, instruction and rentals are available within this flying circus of Biplanes, Cubs, Champs, Taylorcrafts and Gliders. Many other makes and models of antique aircraft are based on or visit our field that it feels like we have our very own airshow every weekend while antique - classic cars & motorcycles are lining the parking lot. The picnic area provides a fantastic shaded spot to watch those magnificent men in their flying machines take to the sky on a calm sunny afternoon. During the week, if the time is right, you may want to stroll down to the shop "Old School Aviation" and see what restorations are being given to some old mechanical birds. Come, sit, ride, fly, tell stories, watch and enjoy being a part of our new and old comrades giving the gift of flight.

WHEN: Wednesday-Sunday 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.
WHERE: Van Sant Historic Airfield