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City of Harrisburg Special Events

The City of Harrisburg hosts several events throughout the year. Some events are hosted by the City and others are held by 3rd party organizations. Please read on to learn more about events held in the City and how you can host your own event.


Community Events & Programming Organized by the City of Harrisburg

The City of Harrisburg's Parks & Recreation team coordinates free events and programming for the local community and neighborhoods throughout the year.  This programming aims to enrich our community by giving kids and their families a fun and safe space to have fun, learn a new skill and spend time together.

Annual events include the Halloween Bash at the Brownstone, Family Fishing Day,  Winter Wonderland, and an Annual Easter Egg Hunt. 

Additional programming includes craft classes, movie nights, bird watching walks, and much more. We are always adding new programming to the calendar so check back often for updates. 

Follow the Community Events webpage for all event and programming information.

VIEW THE PARKS & RECREATION WEBPAGE



Annual Events Organized by the City of Harrisburg

The City of Harrisburg's Special Events team coordinates six free events throughout the year for the community and visitors from across the region and neighboring states to enjoy. These events aim to highlight the City as a desirable place to live, visit and do business. All event attractions are funded through sponsorships and vendor fees.

EVENTS

Ice & Fire Festival
  • Held annually on the first Saturday in March. 
  • This end of winter celebration features 60+ ice sculptures throughout the City and a Downtown street festival featuring a giant ice slide, fire dancers, live ice carvings, stage performances, an artist market, food trucks,  free kids activities, and more. Learn more about the event at https://harrisburgpa.gov/ice 
Artsfest
  • Held annually on the Saturday-Monday of Memorial Day Weekend in Riverfront Park.
  • This celebration of the arts features 170+ juried artisans and craftsmen from across the country selling their handcrafted items, live entertainment, Jazzfest, a community art project, Kidsfest, HBGFest powered by the HBG Flea, 25 food trucks, and more. Learn more about the event at https://harrisburgpa.gov/artsfest
July 4th Food Truck Festival
  • Held annually on July 4th in Riverfront Park.
  • Come to the park for a day of food and fun! There will be nearly 50 food trucks, a beer and wine garden, live music, free kids activities, and more fun for all ages to enjoy. Learn more about the event at https://harrisburgpa.gov/july4
Kipona Festival
  • Held annually on the Saturday-Monday of Labor Day Weekend in Riverfront Park and City Island.
  • This end of summer celebration features something for everyone! Enjoy a Native American Festival, Multicultural Celebration,  art in the park, family fun zone, drone and fireworks show, Keystone Dock Dogs, giant puppet parade, bubble festival, live music, 25 food trucks,  and a beer and wine garden. Learn more about the event at https://harrisburgpa.gov/kipona
Holiday Parade
  • Held annually the Saturday before Thanksgiving in Downtown Harrisburg. 
  • This parade kicks off the holiday season in Harrisburg with performances by high school marching bands and dance teams, giant parade balloons, decorated vehicles,  specialty cars,  Santa Claus and more. Learn more about the event at https://harrisburgpa.gov/parade.
NYE Celebration
  • Held annually on New Year's Eve in Downtown Harrisburg.
  • Bring in the New Year in Downtown Harrisburg! The evening kicks off with a Kid's Glow Party inside City Hall with a glow balloon drop, face painting, balloon animals, crafts, and free snacks. Outside City Hall, there will be free hot chocolate and a DJ spinning your favorite tunes leading up to the midnight strawberry drop and fireworks display.  Learn more about the event at https://harrisburgpa.gov/nye

GET INVOLVED

Sponsorships

  • The City of Harrisburg relies on sponsorships to produce all special event attractions. By sponsoring a City event, you are helping to highlight Harrisburg as a desirable place to live, visit and do business to the thousands of visitors the events attract. Sponsors receive a variety of benefits such as signage, space at the event, recognition on social media, press releases and marketing materials and more. Sponsorship benefits can always be tailored to meet your needs and goals.  Available sponsorship opportunities are listed on each event webpage. Please contact [email protected] for more information on event sponsorship opportunities.

Vendors
Entertainers
  • Many City of Harrisburg events offer opportunities for performers such as bands, musicians, dancers, kids entertainers and more. Entertainment acts are typically coordinated through a 3rd party that earns the work based on the quote submitted following the City's purchasing policy (learn more about the purchasing policy here). If you are interested in being considered to perform at a future event, please provide your information at the online form found at the link below. We periodically provide this list of interested entertainers to the list of prospective booking agents we have on file so they can connect with your group directly if they are interested in booking you.
  • CLICK HERE TO SUBMIT ENTERTAINMENT INTEREST FORM 
  • If you are interested in serving as a booking agent for a future event, please email [email protected]. We will add you to our email list so you receive the request for quotes from booking agents when they become available. 

Volunteers
  • We often seek volunteers to assist with a variety of tasks for City events. This may include helping at the event information table, serving as an activity monitor and more. Volunteers are not compensated. If you are interested in volunteering at a future event, please provide your contact information at the online form found at the link below.
  • CLICK HERE TO SUBMIT VOLUNTEER INTEREST FORM


Planning an Event in the City?

The City of Harrisburg offers many fantastic venues to hold events of all sizes. Whether you need a pavilion for a birthday party, soccer field for a sports tournament, a route for a charity walk or race, or a road closure for a block party or parade, we are here to help you. 

  • If you would like to hold an event in a City park or on City Island, please contact Parks Manager Kevin Sanders at [email protected].
  • If you like to hold an event that involves a road closure within the City, such as a block party, parade or race, please contact Traffic Manager Veronica Lefever at [email protected].