Inside Hershey

Greens from the Gardens

This weekend, December 4 through 6, Hershey Gardens has a holiday greens sale on tap. From 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day, visitors may visit the gift shop at the Gardens to purchase beautiful fresh greens and decorative pieces make from the wide variety of conifers found in the Gardens.

Guests of Hershey Gardens during the holiday greens sale will be eligible to enter to win a four-pack of tickets to The Radio City Christmas Spectacular featuring the world-famous Rockettes, coming to the Giant Center on December 21-22.

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.

One Last Weekend at the Butterfly House

The Butterfly House at Hershey Gardens will close for the season after this weekend. It's well worth a visit!

The Gardens are open from 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. this weekend.

Admission prices to the Gardens (includes Butterfly House admission):

Regular .............. $10.00
Seniors (62+) ...... $9.00
Junior (3-12) ....... $6.00
Children under 3 and members are FREE

Hershey Gardens for Free!

I just photographed a wedding at the Hershey Gardens yesterday, and I have to say the Gardens are as lush and gorgeous as I've ever seen them. The roses are in bloom, the annuals are blooming and the perennial grasses are spectacular!

So it's a perfect time to visit—and this Sunday, you can take your family to the Gardens free of charge, as the 14th annual Hershey Community Gardenfest at Hershey Gardens takes place from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

In addition to the amazing scenery, you'll enjoy performances by Hershey Area Playhouse, Hershey Gardens Puppet Patch Players and Central Pennsylvania Suzuki Association.

Several non-profit organizations will have exhibits, including the Hershey Horticulture Society, Susquehanna Valley Chapter of The Rhododendron Society, Hershey-Derry Township Historical Society, Hershey Christian School, The Garden Club of Harrisburg, Ronald McDonald House Charities of Central PA and Dauphin County Master Gardeners.

And that's not all! From 1 to 3 p.m. local artisan Bruce Johnson will sign limited edition Hershey Gardens Children’s Garden posters as well as copies of the book “It's A Fine Line.”

The forecast for Sunday looks good, but the event will take place rain or shine!

Buy One, Get One Free Deal | Hershey Story and Hershey Gardens

Starting today, visitors to Hershey can take advantage of a great deal when they visit The Hershey Gardens and The Hershey Story.

To celebrate Milton Hershey's September birthday, both attractions are offering a "buy one, get one free" coupon for admissions between September 1 and October 15. Buy one admission to the Gardens and get an admission to The Hershey Story free—or vice versa. Click here to download a PDF version of the coupon, and enjoy a fun off-season day in Hershey!

Hershey Gardens Butterfly Festival

The annual Butterfly Festival at the Hershey Gardens will take place this Saturday, July 25 from 10:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

The Gardens will host a butterfly-themed art exhibit and offer special crafts and kids' activities, plus the Butterfly House is at its peak with many spectacular varieties of butterflies and moths. There's no extra charge for the Butterfly Festival—simply pay the regular Hershey Gardens admission.

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.

Mother's Day in Hershey

With Mother's Day coming up this weekend, there are plenty of people searching for the perfect gift for mom. In Hershey, it's never too difficult to find just the right thing to show mom you love her: a trip to the Hershey Gardens or Hersheypark makes a great gift!

And it's free—at least for mom!

If you'd like to treat mom to a day at Hersheypark, stop by your local Friendly's restaurant: Mom receives a free Mother's Day admission to Hersheypark with a special coupon from participating Friendly's in Pennsylvania now through May 10 (or while supplies last).

If your mom would welcome a more reflective day, spend some time among the blooms at the Hershey Gardens, which continues its tradition of welcoming moms on Mother's Day by offering free admission for all mothers.

And if you're a drive away, consider spending the weekend in Hershey. And don't make any reservations before you check into Hershey's Family Stimulus Package, which may save you big bucks.

Blooms and Beer

It's a wonderful time of year to visit Hershey Gardens: waves of tulips are blooming, flowering trees fill the arboretum, and sprouts of every variety are popping up all over!

If you're a beer aficionado, there's another excuse to visit the Gardens this weekend — the third annual Biergarten celebration takes place this Sunday, April 26 from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Pennsylvania is home to a growing number of renowned craft breweries, and this year's Biergarten features some of the best homegrown beers. The following breweries will be present with samples:

• Troegs Brewing Company (Harrisburg)
• Appalachian Brewing Company (Harrisburg)
• Lancaster Brewing Company (Lancaster)
• Victory Brewing Company (Downingtown)
• Bullfrog Brewing Company (Williamsport)
• Bavarian Barbarian Brewing Company (Williamsport)
• Yuengling Brewing Company (Pottsville)
• Magic Hat Brewing Company (Burlington, Vermont)
• Dogfish Head Craft Brewed Ales (Milton, Delaware)
• Sam Adams Boston Beer Company (Boston, Massachusetts)

Biergarten tickets are $35 each in advance or at the door, and your ticket includes a commemorative 12 oz. Pilsner glass. Designated Driver tickets are available for $10. To order tickets (it's a good idea to get them in advance!), call 717-534-3492.

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.