Inside Hershey

This Weekend in Hershey

There are so many events, we could hardly keep track of them all! But here's an attempt to list *most* of the fun events around Hershey for the upcoming weekend. It's the final weekend to enjoy our town before the AACA Eastern Region Fall Meet brings tens of thousands of visitors to Hershey, so get out there and have fun!

Friday, September 30

Hershey Homecoming

• Hershey High School Athletics Hall of Fame luncheon, noon at the Hershey Country Club
• Alumni Association Tailgate begins at 5:30 p.m. in the Hersheypark parking lot
• Parade begins at 6 at Tram Circle 2 in the Hersheypark lot
• Football game (Trojans vs. Mechanicsburg) begins at 7:00 p.m. at Hersheypark Stadium

It’s the final scheduled evening for Jazz on the Veranda at the Hotel Hershey. Fretwork is the featured artist at this relaxing event, which takes place on the Hotel’s front veranda from 7:30 to 10:30 p.m.

Paula Deen appears at the Hershey Theatre at 7:00 p.m. Tickets are still available at the theatre box office: 717-534-3405

 

Saturday, October 1

Inaugural Chocolate Tour bike ride (with 5-, 25-, 30- and 65-mile rides) and six-mile run/walk event to support cancer research. Sign-ups and registration begin near 30 Hope Dr. at 7:30 a.m. The ride and run/walk will impact traffic, according to the Derry Township Police Department: Although the run will follow the pedestrian/bicycle trail it will cross Centerview Rd, University Dr, and Bullfrog Valley Rd. Motorists traveling in the area during that time should expect heavier than normal pedestrian traffic and possible short delays. 

Hershey Gardens presents "Go Dutch: Take Your Spring Bulbs to a New Level" with horticulturalist George Weigel at 10:00 a.m. This program will show you how to take your bulb use to a new level and introduce you to some of the best under-used bulbs. Plus, learn how to force bulbs for indoor color in winter The program is $20 for non-members, $10 for members

The annual Hershey Soup Cook-Off runs from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. at the Hershey Fire Company. Admission is $10 for adults, $5 for kids 10 and under.

Picasso’s Place Grand Opening. This interactive art school opens its doors to the public from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., with art projects benefiting the Children’s Miracle Network. Location: 513 W. Chocolate Ave, Suite 100. 

ZooAmerica is offering the adult version of its popular ZooCamp. Wild Workshop at ZooAmerica runs from 11:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. for adults ages 18 and over. Participants will have the opportunity to learn about endangered species, experience hands-on animal encounters, enjoy a guided tour of ZooAmerica and the Animal Health Center, build a birdhouse, dissect owl pellets, watch a skunk paint works of art and more! The workshop comes complete with a T-shirt and catered lunch, and is offered for $85 (members) and $95 (non-members). Call 717-534-3900 for details.

Hershey hosts the Wilkes Barre-Scranton Penguins at the Bears' preseason home opener: at the GIANT Center, beginning at 7:00 p.m. 

Hershey Homecoming Dance begins at 7:00 p.m.

 

Sunday, October 2

Hershey Gardens Gardenfest, a free community day, from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Friends of the Hershey Library presents the program “Our Changing Climate” at 2:00 p.m.:  “You are the Future!” is the message Dr. Exhaustus delivers to children in this kid-friendly and interactive program. For details, contact the library at 717-533-6555.

 

Entertain Yourself in Hershey This Summer

There's something for just about everyone on the entertainment schedule this summer in Hershey! Here's a list of the performances and events that have been announced so far:

May 29, 2011 —  The Go-Go’s at The Hershey Theatre

June 15, 2011 —  Josh Groban at the GIANT Center

June 19, 2011 —  Tony Orlando at the Hersheypark Amphitheatre

June 20, 2011 —  The Monkees (minus Michael Nesmith) at The Hershey Theatre

June 21, 2011 —  WWE Smackdown at the GIANT Center

June 26, 2011 —  Tanya Tucker at the Hersheypark Amphitheatre

July 3, 2011 —  Cody Simpson at the Hersheypark Amphitheatre

July 3, 2011  —  Def Leppard and Heart at Hersheypark Stadium

July 7, 2011  —  Keith Urban and Jake Owen at the GIANT Center

July 10, 2011 —  Kid Rock with Sheryl Crow at Hersheypark Stadium

July 10, 2011 —  Burton Cummings of The Guess Who at the Hersheypark Amphitheatre

July 13, 2011 —  Motley Crue and Poison with New York Dolls at Hersheypark Stadium

July 14, 2011  —  The Wiggles at the Hershey Theatre

July 17, 2011  —  Miranda Cosgrove at the Hersheypark Amphitheatre

July 26, 2011 —  Far East Tour, featuring Lil Wayne, Keri Hilson, Lloyd and Rick Ross at The Star Pavilion

July 30, 2011 —  New Kids On The Block and Backstreet Boys with Matthew Morrison at Hersheypark Stadium

July 31, 2011 —  Bonnie Dune (featuring Cory Monteith) at the Hersheypark Amphitheatre

August 13, 2011 —  The Honda Civic Tour, featuring blink-182 and My Chemical Romance, at The Star Pavilion

August 14, 2011 —  Tim McGraw with Luke Bryan and The Band Perry at Hersheypark Stadium

August 15, 2011 —  Maroon 5 and Train with Gavin DeGraw at The Star Pavilion

August 16, 2011 — Journey with Foreigner and Night Ranger at Hersheypark Stadium

August 18-21, 2011 — Cirque du Soleil’s Quidam at the GIANT Center

August 21, 2011 —  Selena Gomez & The Scene with Allstar Weekend at The Star Pavilion

August 24-28, 2011 —  Cathy Rigby in Peter Pan at The Hershey Theatre


NOTE: Hersheypark offers a special discounted admission price of just $34.95 to concert goers when using a Park ticket the day before, day of, or the day after the concert. Concertgoers may purchase one Hersheypark ticket during one of the three days. Just present your concert ticket at the Hersheypark Front Gate on one of the three days to receive the discount, or purchase your Hersheypark tickets at Giant Center Box Office when you purchase your concert tickets. Available for summer concerts held at Hersheypark Stadium, Star Pavilion, Giant Center, and Hershey Theatre during the Hersheypark summer public operating season (May-September)

100 Sweet Facts About Hershey | Milton S. Hershey

The community of Hershey traditionally celebrates Mr. Hershey's birthday each year on September 13. This year, guests of the Hershey Story museum will receive cupcakes and Hershey bars, beginning at 11:00 a.m. that day. A celebratory concert on the historic Aeolian-Skinner organ will be offered at the Hershey Theatre at noon on September 13 as well.

We're celebrating Mr. Hershey's legacy here, as well as on the Inside Hershey Facebook page. Feel free to join in with your own Hershey memories! As part of the celebration, here are 100 facts about Milton S. Hershey and the town that bears his name:

Mr. Hershey’s Background

• Milton S. Hershey was born in Derry Township (today better known as Hershey) on September 13, 1857. He died on October 13, 1945 at the age of 88.
• His parents were Henry and Fanny Hershey.
• Henry was a farmer and a bit of an inventor, but he never had much success.
• Milton’s middle name was Snavely, his mother’s maiden name.
• He left school at the age of 14 to start an apprenticeship.
• After a failed printing apprenticeship, Milton became an apprentice to a candymaker in Lancaster named Joseph Royer. He learned a great deal from Royer before deciding to set out on his own as a candymaker.

Mr. Hershey’s Early Business Ventures

• Mr. Hershey opened his first candy business at the age of 18. This was in Philadelphia, the focal point of the country’s centennial celebration.
• He went bankrupt twice—in Philadelphia in 1882 and in New York City in 1886.
• He also explored business opportunities in Denver, Chicago and New Orleans, but found nothing satisfactory.
• While he was in Denver, he learned the art of adding fresh milk to caramels to make them creamier and chewier.
• He returned to Lancaster in 1886 and opened the Lancaster Caramel Company.
• He relied on a former employee, William “Lebbie” Lebkicher (who became a trusted friend and advisor), and his Aunt Mattie to give him enough money to buy the necessary supplies.
• The caramel that made him famous was called the “Crystal A” caramel.
• He bought his first chocolate-making equipment from a German company, the J.M. Lehmann Company, in 1893. He saw the equipment at work at the World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago. He was so fascinated by it that he purchased two of the actual pieces of machinery he saw on display at the exposition, and then bought additional equipment directly from the company’s New York office.
• He established the Hershey Chocolate Company in 1894 as a subsidiary of the caramel company.
• He became the first person in the United States to mass-produce milk chocolate. In late 1900,he introduced the world to his milk chocolate products.
• On August 10, 1900, he sold his caramel company for $1 million and relinquished the Lancaster factory, the caramel recipes and the “Crystal A” trademark.
• He kept the right to make chocolate and all of his chocolate-making equipment, though, and rented a wing of the caramel factory to continue that venture.

The Famous Chocolate Factory

• Mr. Hershey returned to his birthplace to build what would become the largest chocolate factory in the world. He settled in Derry Township because he needed cows for fresh milk, hard-working people and a source of water.
• Construction on the factory began on March 2, 1903 and ended in 1905.
• The original factory has grown to occupy 2.2 million square feet today. When it was first constructed, the factory covered six acres.
• The bushes outside the original factory that spell out “Hershey Cocoa” are red barberry bushes.
• There are three chocolate factories in town: the original, a new one on the west side of town (built in 1990) and the Reese’s plant on Chocolate Avenue (built in 1957).

And Speaking of Reese’s...

• Harry Burnett Reese, founder of the H.B. Reese Candy Company, was once an employee of the Hershey Chocolate Company. He decided he could make a living by making his own candy.
• In 1923 he began making that candy in his basement at night. Peanut butter cups became part of his assortment in 1928. In 1942, due to war rationing, Reese eliminated everything except for peanut butter cups from his product line.
• Reese got his chocolate from the Hershey Chocolate Company and always enjoyed a good relationship with the company. All of his peanut butter cups bore the banner, “Made in Chocolate Town—So They Must Be Good.”
• Reese died in 1956 and was succeeded by his six sons. In 1963 they sold the company to Hershey Chocolate Corporation.
• Today The Hershey Company continues to produce Reese’s peanut butter cups, which have become its most popular candy.

The Town of Hershey

• It was important to Mr. Hershey to create a community where his employees could be self-reliant and own their own homes.
• In creating “his” company town, Mr. Hershey made provisions for recreation (he provided a park and community center), religion (he donated $20,000 to five congregations), and financial independence (he established the town’s bank).
• The official name of the community is Derry Township. It has never been officially incorporated as Hershey.
• In the early 1900s, the town held a contest to determine the name the U.S. Postal Service would use. The winning entry was “Hersheykoko,” which got shortened to just “Hershey.” That’s the name the Postal Service has acknowledged since 1906.
• About 22,000 people use the services of Derry Township, but only about 9,000 people live in the town itself. The town is 26 square miles.

Those Kiss-Shaped Streetlights

• The lights line Chocolate Avenue. There are 107 total—55 wrapped and 52 unwrapped.
• In addition, there are eight lights on Park Avenue between Chocolate Avenue and the railroad bridge, plus a few at the entrance to the West Hershey Plant and at the entrances of each of the company’s factories outside the town of Hershey.
• The lights were installed in 1963.
• They were installed under the direction of then-Hershey Chocolate Corporation President Samuel Hinkle and were nicknamed “Hinkle’s Twinkles.”

The Cuban Connection

• Mr. Hershey owned sugar plantations and mills in Cuba from 1916 until 1946.
• When they were sold in 1946, the operations included 60,000 acres of land, five raw sugar mills, a peanut oil plant,a henequen plant, four electric plants, and 251 miles of railroad track with sufficient locomotives and cars.
• His flagship sugar mill was located at “Central Hershey” in Cuba. The town that was created to support the mill was developed as a model town and featured many of the same types of services that Mr. Hershey had established in “his” town in Pennsylvania.
• Profits from the sugar business in Cuba helped sustain the Pennsylvania town during the Great Depression. It was with this money that Mr. Hershey was able to embark on his “Great Building Campaign.
• The Chocolate Spa at the Hotel Hershey features Cuban treatments in honor of this part of Mr. Hershey’s story.

Who Was Mrs. Hershey?

• Catherine Sweeney, whose nickname was “Kitty,” hailed from Jamestown, New York.
• Mr. Hershey met her while he was making a sales call at a candy store in New York.
• They were married in the rectory of St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York in 1898.
• Kitty had a progressive neurological disease that was never fully diagnosed. She died in 1915 at the age of 42.
• The Hersheys had only been married for 17 years and did not have any children. Mr. Hershey never remarried.

The Milton Hershey School

• Mr. Hershey left almost his entire fortune to fund the Milton Hershey School.
• Founded by the Hersheys in 1909 as a home and school for orphan boys, the school today serves both boys and girls from more than 30 states, with 70 percent of the students coming from Pennsylvania.
• The school’s guiding legal document, the Deed of Trust, gives priority to children from its home county, Dauphin, and neighboring Lebanon and Lancaster counties, then to children from Pennsylvania. After the priority regions, the school then considers students from across the country. The school currently serves about 1,800 boys and girls in grades pre-kindergarten through 12. The School has more than 8,800 graduates who are productive citizens in cities and towns across the country.
• Meals, clothing, medical care, dental care and educational supplies are provided free of charge to enrolled students.
• Underclassmen live in family-like environment with a married couple—called “houseparents”—and other children their age in 143 student homes.
• Approximately 90 percent of the school’s graduates pursue post-high school education and take advantage of the school’s generous continuing education scholarship to do so.
• Before 1951, the School was known as the Hershey Industrial School.
• The school’s campus extends over 10,000 acres.
• Founders Hall features the second largest unsupported dome in the world. The largest is St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome.

High Point

• The home the Hersheys built in town overlooks the original chocolate factory.
• High Point features 22 rooms and was constructed for just $53,433. It’s less ornate than some of the homes Mr. Hershey’s executives built for themselves.
• After Kitty died, Mr. Hershey moved into a suite of rooms on the second floor of the house and allowed the Country Club he created to use the remainder of the mansion as its clubhouse.
• Today High Point is home to the Hershey Trust Company.

Hersheypark

• Mr. Hershey founded the park as a picnic and pleasure grounds, but today it has evolved into a world-class theme park.
• The oldest ride in the park is the Carrousel, which was built in 1919 and installed in Hershey in 1944.
• The Comet was built in 1946 and remains in its original location. It’s the park’s oldest roller coaster.
• Hersheypark is home to 11 roller coasters, more than can be found at any other park in Pennsylvania.

ZooAmerica

• The year 2010 marks the 100th anniversary of a zoo in Hershey.
• The first zookeeper was Franz Zinner, the man who first approached Mr. Hershey about starting a zoo when he learned that the entrepreneur was building a park.
• Hershey Zoo started with a colony of prairie dogs and a bear cub. ZooAmerica continues to be home to both of those species.
• The Zoo is home to 200 animals from North America. They represent 75 species and live on 11 acres.

Hershey’s Chocolate World

• This facility is America’s most visited corporate visitors center. Each year, nearly 3 million people take the free chocolate-making tour here to learn how chocolate goes from bean to bar.
• The facility opened in 1973. Since then, more than 75 million visitors have passed through its doors.
• Chocolate World is home to the world’s largest selection of Hershey’s products found anywhere.

The Hotel Hershey

• During the Great Depression, Mr. Hershey embarked on his “Great Building Campaign” in order to keep townspeople employed. It’s said that more than 600 people worked together to build the Hotel.
• The Hotel’s architect, D. Paul Witmer, received specific direction from Mr. Hershey about how to build the Hotel based on his own travel experiences and preferences.
• Mr. Hershey is reported to have said that if people dined alone or didn’t tip well, they were put in a corner. He didn’t want any corners in his restaurant; hence, the Hotel’s famed Circular Dining Room is literally shaped like a circle.
• The Hotel, which was constructed for about $2 million, celebrated its grand opening on May 26, 1933.

The Spa At The Hotel Hershey

• The design is based on that of High Point, the Hersheys’ home.
• The Spa opened in 2001; it expanded in 2004, nearly doubling in size from 17,000 square feet to 30,000.
• There are now 53 treatment rooms.
• The Spa is home to the signature Whipped Cocoa Bath, a rarity in that it’s a patented spa treatment.

Hershey Lodge

• The Lodge is the largest private convention facility in Pennsylvania.
• The Lodge has hosted two bi-partisan Congressional retreats, in 1997 and 1999.
• The Lodge celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2007.

Hershey Country Club

• Ben Hogan was the golf professional at Hershey Country Club from 1941 to 1951.
• Henry Picard, who personally selected Hogan as his replacement, was the golf pro from 1934 to 1941. Both are members of the World Golf Hall of Fame.
• The fifth hole of the famed West Course features an incredible view of High Point.

Hershey Gardens

• The Gardens opened in 1937 and stretch over 23 acres.
• There are 275 varieties of roses here on 7,000 bushes.
• Kitty’s rose garden from High Point was moved here.

Hershey Theatre

• The Theatre was also constructed as part of Mr. Hershey’s “Great Building Campaign.”
• It features 1,904 seats.
• The Theatre’s fire curtain features a scene of Venice, with its Grand Canal slowly flowing past Doge’s Palace.
• Behind the French doors of the Theatre’s front balconies are concealed the more than 4,715 pipes and 25 bells of the historic Aeolian-Skinner organ.

Hershey Bears

• The Bears are the oldest continually operating franchise in the American Hockey League.
• The Bears were the 2009 and 2010 Calder Cup champions.
• The Bears have won 11 Calder Cup championships, more than any other team in the league.
• The Bears were originally called the “B’ars,” but they added the “E” when they were criticized for being too blatantly commercial.  

Hersheypark Arena

• Dwight D. Eisenhower celebrated his 63rd birthday with a birthday party held at Hersheypark Arena on October 13, 1953.
• Wilt Chamberlain scored a record 100 points in a single basketball game at Hersheypark Arena on March 2, 1962.

Saving Money at Hersheypark

Let's face it, the economy isn't rebounding very quickly and we're all scrambling to save a few extra bucks. If you're planning on a trip to Hersheypark, there are several simple ways to save a lot of money—in fact, discounts are so prevalent that there is no way you should be paying the full admission to get in this summer.

First, if you're planning to be at Hersheypark for more than one day, check out the multi-day plans and the season pass. Season passes are a fantastic deal—they get you free parking (there's a $10 savings right away!), full admission, worthwhile discounts on food and merchandise (if you're feeding a family, 15% savings can be significant) and coupons for other area attractions. 

If you're staying in the Hershey area overnight, be sure to check with your hotel to see if it offers additional savings on Hersheypark admissions. The Hershey Entertainment & Resort properties certainly do, but other area hotels have partnered with Hersheypark to offers savings as well—it's always worth asking!

Speaking of partnerships, you can usually find Hersheypark discount coupons at Dunkin' Donuts, Burger King, Dairy Queen, Subway, Wawa, Friendly's, CVS and TGIFridays locations within a few hours of Hershey. Check near the register or ask. I picked up a few coupons at the Hershey Dunkin' Donuts this morning—it's within view of Hersheypark.

Giant Food Stores have worked with Hersheypark for years to provide discounted admission passes, often combined with free parking. Check at the Customer Service Desk at your local Giant, or stop by one of the Giant food stores around Hershey.

If you're in the military, discounts are available at your base. If you belong to a church within a few hours drive of Hersheypark, it's worth checking with them as well—our church and many others offer Hersheypark tickets at a discount to members. Also, check with your local municipal parks & recreation department—Hersheypark partners with many municipalities to offer discounts as well. Finally, if you're a member of AAA, you should be able to get discounted Hersheypark tickets there, too.

How about going with a group? Hersheypark has group incentives worth checking into if you're planning to bring a posse! And if you're headed to Hershey for one of the many summer concerts scheduled here, don't forget about Hersheypark's concert special.

So pull out those budgets and start recalculating—your trip to Hersheypark is suddenly looking a lot more affordable!

Hershey Concerts for 2010

Although the Hershey summer concert series hasn't been officially announced yet, we've found out about some great acts coming to town this year. Keep checking here for more concert news—it seems like a new concert is announced every day in spring!

• Trans Siberian Orchestra - April 3 - Hershey Theatre
• Ben Folds - April 10 - Hershey Theatre
• Goo Goo Dolls - April 13 - Hershey Theatre
• Bon Jovi - May 19 - Hersheypark Stadium
• Phish - June 13 - Hersheypark Stadium
• The Eagles with Keith Urban - June 15 - Hersheypark Stadium
• Brooks and Dunn - June 17 - GIANT Center
• Bamboozle Roadshow - June 25 - Hersheypark Stadium
• Dave Matthews Band - July 9 - Hersheypark Stadium
• American Idol Live  -  July 15  -  GIANT Center
• Meat Loaf - July 18 - GIANT Center
• John Mayer with Train - July 25 - Hersheypark Stadium *rescheduled to August 5, 7 p.m.*
• KISS  -  July 31  -  Hersheypark Stadium
  
• O.A.R. - August 4 - Star Pavilion *postponed due to severe storm; may be rescheduled*
• Daughtry with Kris Allen - August 6 - Star Pavilion
• Honda Civic Tour, featuring Tegan and Sara and Paramore - August 7 - Star Pavilion
• Rascal Flatts - August 12 - GIANT Center
• Jonas Brothers with Demi Lovato  -  August 14 -  Hersheypark Stadium
• Rihanna with Ke$ha - August 21 - Hersheypark Stadium
• Kings of Leon - September 8 - Star Pavilion
• Jackson Browne with David Lindley  -  September 9  - Hershey Theatre
• Nickelback with Three Days Grace and Buckcherry  -  September 25  - Hersheypark Stadium

Caution: Big Weekend Ahead | Hershey Events

It's looking like a big tourist weekend in Hershey ahead, with several events drawing diverse crowds to our small community.

The 10th Annual Quilt Odyssey begins its run today at the Hershey Lodge & Convention Center. This isn't your grandmother's craft show: it's a sophisticated show of fabric art, and draws thousands of enthusiasts. Quilt Odyssey runs July 30 through August 2.

Tomorrow, Kid Rock and Lynyrd Skynyrd hold court at Hersheypark Stadium for, oh, about 30,000 fans. As with any concerts in the Hershey summer concert series, discounted tickets to Hersheypark are part of the deal:

Ride the day away at Hersheypark before you rock and roll all night! Hersheypark offers a special discounted admission price of just $32.95 to concert go-ers when purchasing a Park ticket the day before, day of, and/or the day after the concert. Concert-goers may purchase one Park ticket per day on any or all of these three days. You must present your concert ticket or ticket stub at the Hersheypark Front Gate on each of the days to receive the discount. Purchase Park tickets at Giant Center Box Office when you purchase your concert tickets. Available for summer concerts held at Hersheypark Stadium, Star Pavilion, Giant Center, and Hershey Theatre during the Hersheypark
summer public operating season (May-September).

The North American Final of the Hershey's Track & Field Games takes place this weekend as well. Athletes and their families begin arriving today, and many will spend tomorrow touring Hershey attractions. The games themselves take place at the Milton Hershey School's Henry Hershey Field.

Last, but not least, the Hershey Public Library's 2009 Books Sale begins on August 1. This may seem like a blip on the crowd radar, but the event brings plenty of traffic to the library's Cocoa Avenue neighborhood. With 60,000 items on sale at bargain prices, it's worth checking out!

Now, for a few words on how all these events affect your Hershey plans.

If you want to dine at any Hershey-area restaurant that takes reservations, make them now. If you want to grab a quick lunch at Houlihan's, be there before 11:30 a.m. or expect a long wait for a table. If you were thinking of popping over to Chocolate World to buy a few bags of the new Meltaway Kisses, try Target instead. The Outlets at Hershey have great school shopping sales...but I'd recommend waiting until Monday or Tuesday to take advantage of those sales. If your route to work involves any Hershey thoroughfares, allow extra time this Friday, Saturday and Sunday.

And plan for things to be back to normal around Hershey...by September!

Little Bits from Hershey | Twitter

If you'd like all those little tidbits of news that aren't quite big enough for a blog post, please follow The Hershey Insider on Twitter!

For example, if you're interested in knowing that the Calder Cup will be at Hersheypark today from 3:00 – 5:00 p.m. — it's on Twitter!

If you don't want to bother creating a Twitter account to follow us, it's just as easy to check the right column for the latest tweets or subscribe to the Hershey Insider TweetFeed here.

Gridlock Alert: May 15

The concert season in Hershey is just beginning, and that means smart visitors will be checking the event calendar before making plans to enjoy a day in Hershey.

This Friday, Bruce Springsteen comes to town, and his Hersheypark Stadium concert is a near sell-out. If you're planning a day at Hersheypark...well, you may want to reschedule. The roads will have all the traffic they can handle, especially after the concert — and local restaurants will have all the traffic they can handle before the concert!

If you reschedule, you'll want to plan around the following dates as well:

Sunday, May 24 — Coldplay is at Hersheypark Stadium

Friday, July 3 — Aerosmith and ZZ Top concert scheduled for 7/3 was postponed as of July 2.

Friday, July 17 — Nickelback is at Hersheypark Stadium

Friday, July 24 — The Dave Matthews Band always sells out at Hersheypark Stadium (Jason Mraz opening)

Friday, July 31 — Kid Rock and Lynyrd Skynyrd reprise the "Rock and Rebels Tour"

Sunday, August 9 — Creed is at Hersheypark Stadium

Wednesday, August 12 — Blink-182 and Fall Out Boy with Panic at the Disco, which should fill Hersheypark Stadium

Saturday, August 29 — Rascal Flatts is at Hersheypark Stadium

Demi Lovato is scheduled to perform at Hersheypark Stadium's Star Pavilion on August 21 and Keith Urban will bring his tour to the GIANT Center on August 18, but those concerts are expected to draw fewer fans. Still, if you'd prefer to enjoy Hersheypark without the Demi Lovato demographic, you may want to avoid the August 21-23 weekend.

New Guide to Hershey Coming Soon!

Whether you're planning a vacation to Hershey or you just want to learn more about Chocolatetown, U.S.A., you'll want your own copy of Hershey: A Guide to the Town Built on Chocolate.

The book, which is available at Amazon (pre-order now for significant savings!), was penned by Patriot-News entertainment columnist Sara Bozich.

Four Big Events, One Crowded Town

 
If you're coming to Hershey this weekend, well...join the crowd!

If you live in Hershey, this may be a good weekend to visit out-of-town relatives.

Hershey will almost certainly host its biggest crowd this season as four big events move into town. And the demographics are interesting -- could there BE four more divergent audiences? 

Quilters have already converged upon the Hershey Lodge for Quilt Odyssey 2008. The Jonas Brothers, Demi Lovato and Avril Lavigne will entertain a sell-out crowd at Hersheypark Stadium this evening. Brad Paisley will play GIANT Center tomorrow, along with Jewel, Chuck Wicks and Julianne Hough. And 3 Doors Down is at the Stadium on Sunday night, with Staind.

All four crowds will be filling local restaurants, hotels and roadways -- and they'll be rubbing elbows at Hersheypark and Chocolate World, too. It might be fun to see how all those people look rubbing elbows, too. If I didn't mind the crowds.