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.

 

Planning Your Visit to Hershey

Most summertime visitors to Hershey have one destination in mind: Hersheypark. But there's so much more to Hershey than the amusement park! Here are some tips for making the most of your visit to our community, with a few tips for accommodations, dining and other attractions. To get the latest news and event information about Hershey, follow us on Facebook.

Accommodations
In addition to operating Hersheypark, Hershey Entertainment & Resorts runs the luxurious Hotel Hershey and the Hershey Lodge and Convention Center.

If you want to be pampered on vacation, the Hotel Hershey is the obvious choice. With its acclaimed Chocolate Spa and a recent $75 million dollar expansion (featuring new cottage-style accommodations and a brand-new outdoor pool), the hotel is a destination itself. Room rates during the summer start at $400, but there are often special packages offered and the room rate includes a number of perks, including complimentary admission to the Hershey Gardens and The Hershey Story museum, local shuttle service, access to golf and kids’ activities and more.

The Hershey Lodge offers family rooms starting at $300 in summer, with many of the same perks as the Hotel Hershey, in a slightly less luxurious setting. Hershey bar characters roam the lobby and family-friendly activities abound.

There are plenty of alternative accommodations in the Hershey area, including many newer suite hotels. We like the Spring Hill Suites by Marriott, just a few miles north of Hersheypark on Route 39. Within a half-mile, you’ll also find a Quality Inn & Suites and a Country Inn & Suites. A Hampton Inn & Suites is located on East Chocolate Avenue, and another suite hotel is planned for the downtown.

If you’re not planning to bring the kids, there are some impressive bed & breakfast accommodations in the surrounding area as well. The Annville Inn and The Inn at Westwynd Farm come highly recommended.

Hersheypark Tickets and the Free Preview Evening

If you plan on spending more than two days at Hersheypark, consider a season pass. It will pay for itself —not only does it cover your admission to the park, it also gives you free parking, a 15% discount off food and merchandise in the park and a coupon book with excellent deals (10% off purchases at Hershey’s Chocolate World, for example). If your time is more limited and you've purchased one-day tickets, make sure you get to Hersheypark for the Free Preview Evening : the evening before your full day at the park, you can get in a couple hours before closing for free, and it's well worth the trip. Crowds are lighter, and you have the chance to get a feel for the layout of the park.

 
Making the Most of Your Day at Hersheypark

If you plan to try the waterpark attractions in the new Boardwalk theme area, a good advice is to wear your swimwear under your clothes and be at the main gate right at opening time (10 a.m.) Then get to the Boardwalk (on the far end of the park, in the shadow of the Ferris Wheel) as fast as you can and send one person to get a big locker there—they go quickly, and they're essential if you want to stow your swimming suits and enjoy the rest of the park after the Boardwalk. Another person should go to the wave pool area and claim lounge chairs for the family—lounge chairs are very hard to come by after 10:30.

Whew.

Now you can enjoy the park!

If you like big water rides, do the Vortex and the Whirlwind at the Boardwalk first to avoid hour+ waits later in the day. Then enjoy East Coast Waterworks. The wave pool, where your lounge chairs are located, is a fairly central location and a good place to relax with a drink and a snack mid-morning.

By noon, the Boardwalk is elbow-to-elbow people and the rides have long waits. That's a great time to change, stow your swimsuits in your locker and head out to see the rest of the park. The rides around Midway America (just outside The Boardwalk) should have short lines just after noon. If you're getting hungry, a great recommendation is the Sidewinder food court area. There are several good food stands there—a favorite is Mixed Grille, where you can actually find healthy food, and it's made from scratch. But there's a good burger stand, a sausage concession, a smoothie place and an ice cream place there, as well as a Subway, and it's a nice shaded area that tends to stay quiet.

Another tip: Take a break in the heat of the afternoon and head to the adjacent (and air-conditioned) Hershey's Chocolate World. It's just outside the main gate of Hersheypark, but it's easy to get a handstamp for a quick return to the rides. Chocolate World has recently reconfigured almost everything in the building—there’s the chocolate tour ride, a revamped merchandise area, a fairly good 3-D show, a chocolate-tasting experience, the "Factory Works" (kids get to "work" on a Kiss assembly line) and a Create Your Own Chocolate Bar attraction. It's worth spending at least an hour or two here. The milkshakes in the food court area are excellent and there are often new products and other surprises to be found around the central garden area.

Once you've returned to the park, don't forget to take in the shows. It's a nice break from the crowds and the entertainment value is excellent, whether you choose the aquatheater or one of the music/dance productions.


But Wait, There's More...Now How Much Would You Pay?

If you're in Hershey for more than a day and you want to see some other attractions, there are countless options nearby:

• Take a trip on the Hershey Trolley Works (tickets and departures from Chocolate World);
• Have lunch on the veranda or afour-star dining experience at the Hotel Hershey;
• Take a stroll through the Hershey Gardens (don't miss the Children's Garden and the Butterfly House);
• Play a round of golf at one of the courses in the Hershey Golf Collection;
• Take in The Hershey Story Museum downtown and by all means, schedule a class at the museum’s Chocolate Lab;
• Catch a performance or take a Spotlight Tour of the Hershey Theatre, offered Friday mornings year ‘round;
• See the animals at Hershey's ZooAmerica, a small zoo that's perfect for kids or a two-hour stroll;
• Stop by Founders Hall at the Milton S. Hershey school, gaze at the dome and find out what made Mr. and Mrs. Hershey so amazing;
• Go back in time and see more than 100 historic cars, buses and motorcycles at the AACA Museum;
• Visit Adventure Sports on Route 743S (batting cages, mini sports cars and boats, miniature golf and an arcade);
• Cool down at Indian Echo Caverns, just a few minutes west of Hershey;
  Stop by one of the many great downtown restaurants (we love Bricker's Pizza on West Chocolate Avenue for an Old World Pizza);
• Don't miss the Kiss-shaped streetlights while you're downtown, and by all means, drive past the factory on East Chocolate Avenue to see the Hershey Cocoa hedges on the east side;
• Visit the impressive Pennsylvania State Capitol building, located just 10 miles west of Hershey ;
• Take in all the sights (and tastes!) of Pennsylvania Amish Country, located less than an hour’s drive from Hershey.

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.

Down a Garden Path | The Hotel Hershey's Formal Gardens

The formal gardens at The Hotel Hershey are a joy to wander around on a sultry summer evening. Before the Hotel even existed, these gardens were here, built to beautify the town reservoirs. The reservoirs are still a highlight of the formal gardens today.

From the plaque at the hotel:

"In 1914, the Hershey Water Company broke ground for new water reservoirs to serve the growing community. True to Milton Hershey's style, the reservoirs were landscaped to become a focal point of a new picnic area, Highland Park, completed in April 1915. The reservoirs, bordered by a concrete balustrade, gazebos and wooden pergolas, looked like decorative reflecting pools. In fact, the reservoirs are thirty feet deep and hold one million gallons of water.

"The beds that hold today's formal gardens were laid out following the construction of the Highland reservoirs. The grounds were extensively landscaped with flowerbeds and hundreds of rose bushes cascading down the slopes of Highland Park. These gardens were restored beginning in the summer of 1990. The present gazebos were rebuilt, walkways repaired and circulating fountains were installed in the reservoirs."

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!

What's New in Hershey?

Now that all that troublesome snow has melted, Hershey is preparing for another season of hosting out-of-town guests. Although there's no Big New Ride planned for Hersheypark this year, there are plenty of changes taking place around town that will make your stay in Chocolatetown even better!

Let's start with restaurants. The Fountain Café at the Hotel Hershey is now officially undergoing its transformation to an upscale Italian grill, which is slated to open this spring. And no more Tudor Grill at Hersheypark: it's rumored to be reopening as a family restaurant with a carousel theme.

In the village of Hershey, our favorite pizza place (Bricker's) has a new sister restaurant and bar next door called The Brickhouse (try the Angus burger there!) If you've ventured outside the Hershey orbit slightly to try the fine dining at al Mediterraneo in Hummelstown, you won't find it there—at least not in its former fine dining format. Al Mediterraneo has just reopened as The Gas Station gastro pub. Finally, if it's been more than a year since your last visit, you'll want to try the Hotel Hershey's new Harvest Restaurant and the new Devon Seafood Grill downtown (in the Hershey Press Building).

There are some non-culinary changes afoot in Hershey as well this year, and these are of the temporary-inconvenience-permanent-improvement variety. That's right, the dreaded road construction. There's a new bridge under construction over Swatara Creek, within sight of the GIANT Center. The bridge will replace the historic (and narrow) bridge just to the west on Hersheypark Drive.

While the bridge construction won't slow down many visitors, the realignment of Rt. 743 will irritate plenty of people for the next two years. Here's the scoop on the project, which will begin this summer and continue through 2012:

• Cocoa Ave. will be realigned beginning at the Cocoa Ave. / Caracas Ave. intersection and ending at Chocolate Ave. This will reduce the number of intersections from two to one in this area.
• Park Ave. will be realigned beginning at the Park. Ave. / Chocolate Ave. intersection and ending at the ZooAmerica parking lot entrance.
• A new bridge will be constructed east of the existing bridge to span over the Norfolk Southern railroad tracks. The existing bridge will be removed once this construction is finished.
• Park Boulevard (T-591) will be extended east to meet with the relocated Park Ave. roadway.
• New traffic signals will be installed at the Chocolate Ave. / Park Ave. intersection. Once the project is complete, only one signal will be used to control traffic in this area.

Definitely a needed improvement, and one that will ease traffic...eventually. But construction will have an impact on anyone driving through downtown Hershey in the meantime, and it's worth planning a detour if you're visiting Hershey this year!

Finally, Hershey's Chocolate World is adding a two-story, 1800-square-foot "factory experience" area that is expected to open by summer. Visitors will get to create their own chocolate bar, similar to the smaller Chocolate Lab program now available at The Hershey Story museum.

Welcome to March!

Now that Chocolate-Covered February has officially ended in Hershey, you may be wondering what the next Big Promotion will be. And Hershey Entertainment & Resorts has a good one lined up, beginning today: March Sweetness.

If you plan on visiting Hersheypark this season, it's well worth checking the Hersheypark web site this month—the sooner, the better. You'll have the chance to score some deeply discounted Hersheypark tickets, as well as the opportunity to book hotel packages at the best rates of the season. For Hersheypark tickets, the earlier the purchase is made, the greater the savings. A maximum of ten tickets is allowed per transaction. Pricing is as follows:

• March 1 to 7, tickets are $20 off regular admission
• March 8 to 14, tickets are $18 off regular admission
• March 15 to 21, tickets are $16 off regular admission
• March 22 to 31, tickets are $14 off regular admission

One caveat: all discounted tickets must be used by July 1, 2010.

Basketball (or Hershey's bar character) fans also have a chance to predict the winner of Hershey's "March Sweetness" tournament and win a grand prize.

Hersheypark's summer season begins on May 1 this year; the "Springtime in the Park" preview weekend has been expanded to two weekends: April 2,3 and 4, plus April 10 and 11.

More Holiday Shopping Fun | Hotel Hershey Boutiques

The Shops At The Hotel Hershey, a collection of seven new boutiques and part of the Hotel's $70 million Grand Expansion, are celebrating their grand opening on December 12 and 13 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Enjoy complimentary cupcakes, assorted desserts, and hot cocoa as you check out the new shops at the Hotel Hershey this weekend. Santa and a Hershey's Character or two may also make an appearance, we hear.

Grand Opening guests will also have a chance to win a John Pomp hand-blown glass vase (valued at $300). Plus, The Shops are offering a special deal as part of the weekend's festivities: shoppers who spend $75 or more in any shop will receive a FREE 10.5 oz Claus Porto candle (valued at $38).

Christmas in Hershey

Although it may seem a little early to see Christmas lights and decorations, Hershey is beginning to show its holiday colors this week.

Festive displays are in place at Hersheypark and ZooAmerica, the Kissing Tower tree is up and Sweet Lights is lighting up the night (and the day, occasionally) as every bulb in this multi-million-light display is checked. Yes, it's almost time for Christmas in Hershey—in fact, the season officially begins here this Friday!

Hersheypark's Christmas Candylane opens on Friday, November 13 at 5:00 p.m. Many rides will be operating (no coasters and no water rides, obviously) and Santa will be there with his reindeer. New this year—N.O.E.L., a light show in Comet Hollow featuring more than 125,000 dancing lights synchronized to Christmas music. Christmas Candylane hours are typically limited to weekends until mid-December; be sure to check the schedule before you make plans.

Sweet Lights also makes its debut this Friday. It's become a holiday tradition for our family, worth at least one $20-per-car visit. And don't be fooled—the lights you can see from the road are only a small part of the Sweet Lights experience, which winds up and down the forested hill behind the Hotel Hershey as well.

The National Christmas Tree Walk at Hershey Gardens opens this Friday as well. Now in its third year, this display of Christmas trees decorated with ornaments of the 50 states is growing in popularity. It's open from 10-4 each day from November 13 through December 27.

Holiday decorations at Hershey's Chocolate World this year include a new attraction: a 13-foot-tall Candy Chalet, slated to open on November 20.

For more indoor holiday entertainment, check out "Christmas in Chocolate Town," a dinner show at the Hershey Lodge with performances running from November 20 through December 28. The GIANT Center has a full schedule of Hershey Bears games and public skating, as well as the Radio City Christmas Spectacular and the Trans-Siberian Orchestra. The Hershey Theatre has several holiday events and concerts (Wynonna Judd, Chris Botti) on tap as well.

There are more holiday offerings around town, many of which are included on the Christmas in Hershey weekly schedule of events.

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.