Inside Hershey

The Milton & Catherine Hershey Conservatory

A new addition to Hershey this year, the Milton & Catherine Hershey Conservatory is perched on a hill above Hersheypark.

The 16,000-square-foot Conservatory will feature a tropical butterfly atrium that will be open year 'round and will include more than 600 butterflies representing 200-300 species. The Butterfly Atrium will be one of only 25 enclosed tropical butterfly atriums in the U.S., and word is that timed tickets may be offered to ease congestion. Another wing of the Conservatory will house lush tropical foliage and serve as a space for education programs, weddings and social events.

Expected to open in mid-summer, the Conservatory will serve as the new entrance to the Hershey Gardens. Part of the new construction is an additional accessible parking lot.

The Milton & Catherine Hershey Conservatory is yet another addition to Hershey Gardens, which opened in 1937 as a 3 1⁄2-acre rose garden out of Milton Hershey’s request to “create a nice garden of roses.” Many other milestones have marked the expansion of Hershey Gardens which, today, is a 23-acre botanical garden hosting 115,000 visitors annually. A non-profit entity of The M.S. Hershey Foundation, Hershey Gardens features 11 themed gardens, including a children’s garden.

Notable Facts about the Milton & Catherine Hershey Conservatory

• Projected opening date is mid-July—up-to-date information about the official opening can be found on the Hershey Gardens website;
• The Conservatory is the only structure to be named for both Milton and Catherine Hershey;
• The 16,000-square-foot structure will include a Welcome Pavilion, Ticketing, Butterfly Atrium, Educational and Horticultural Wing, Overlook, Terrace and Garden Shop;
• Local artists were commissioned to provide stained glass butterflies (Hershey artist Louise Howell) and a water feature designed to look like banana leaves (Shane Morgan);
• The Conservatory and at least part of the outdoor gardens will be open year 'round;
• Butterfly species will include the stunning Blue Morpho, the Atlas Moth (largest moth in the world) and the Owl Butterfly;
• Dan Babbitt, new associate director at Hershey Gardens will manage the Butterfly Atrium. Babbitt has 20 years of experience in the field of entomology and environmental studies and  formerly served as director of the Insect Zoo and Butterfly Pavilion at the Smithsonian Institution;
• The Butterfly Atrium will feature a unique Chrysalis Cabinet with innovative climate control technology. The Chrysalis Cabinet will enable visitors to view butterflies emerging from the chrysalids;
• In addition to palm trees and tropical foliage, the Butterly Atrium will have its own cacao tree.

 

Chocolate World Changes

 Visitors to Hershey this spring and summer will notice plenty of changes around town. We'll be highlighting more of the changes and improvements in the coming weeks, but wanted to spotlight Hershey's Chocolate World today. Operated by The Hershey Company, Hershey's Chocolate World is located adjacent to Hersheypark (which is operated by Hershey Entertainment & Resorts, a separate entity). Both the exterior and interior of Chocolate World have been undergoing a transformation as the facilities modernize and expand to meet increased visitor demand. Although some of the changes are cosmetic (e.g., new bar characters introduced in the 4D show have steadily replaced the old, signage has been updated, the tour ride queue has moved), parts of Chocolate World are undergoing more extensive renovations. This year, the popular tour ride is being completely revamped for the first time in nearly a decade. If you want to see kids' favorites Gabby, Olympia and Harmony, you'll have to visit the free tour ride before mid-April as the animatronic cows are being replaced by other barnyard friends.

Easter Events in Hershey

 

Whether you're young or young at heart, you'll want to know where to find the bunny and the eggs. There are plenty of Easter events to keep you busy around Hershey!

March 19-27
Photos with the Easter Bunny at Hershey's Chocolate World (from 11 a.m.)

March 19
Easter Egg Hunt at the AACA Museum
Derry Township Easter Egg Hunt at Shank Park
Easter Bunny Express at Middletown & Hummelstown Railroad
Easter Basket Bonanza at The Hershey Story Museum
Visit with the Easter Bunny at The Pantry Café
Easter Egg Hunt at Derry Presbyterian Church

March 20
Easter Bunny Express at Middletown & Hummelstown Railroad
Easter Basket Bonanza at The Hershey Story Museum

March 25
Easter Bunny Express at Middletown & Hummelstown Railroad
Easter Basket Bonanza at The Hershey Story Museum

March 26
Easter Egg Hunt at the AACA Museum
Easter Bunny Express at Middletown & Hummelstown Railroad
Easter Basket Bonanza at The Hershey Story Museum

March 27
Sunrise Service at the Hershey Gardens
Easter Basket Bonanza at The Hershey Story Museum

March 28
Easter Basket Bonanza at The Hershey Story Museum

 

Chocolate-Covered February 2015

Celebrate chocolate all month long with these Chocolate-Covered February events around Hershey!

 

 

Events at The Hotel Hershey include:

 

Chocolate Dinner Extraordinaire

February 6, 6:30 p.m.

$94.50 per person, plus $54 for wine pairing per person

 

Complimentary Chef Demonstration

Every Saturday in February, 11 a.m.

 

Chocolate Tea

Every Saturday in February, 3 p.m.

$31.50 per person

 

Wine & Chocolate Pairing

Every Saturday in February, 4 p.m.

$48 per person (must be 21+)

 

Dessert Buffet

Every Saturday in February, 7–9 p.m. 

$36.50 (adults), $15 (ages 3-8)

Prices include tax and gratuity

 

 

 

Events at Hershey Lodge include:

 

Chocolate Martini Mixology

February 6 and 27, 4 p.m.

$45 per person (must be 21+)

 

Beer & Chocolate Pairing

February 20, 4 p.m.

$30 per person (must be 21+)

 

Chocolate and Spirits Pairing Class & Chef Demonstration

February 7 and 21, 2 – 4 p.m.

$45 per person (must be 21+)

 

Hershey’s Hot Chocolate Pajama Party

February 21 and 28, 5:30 p.m.

$43 per adult and 1 child; each additional person is $20

 

Hershey’s Characters Breakfast 

February 22, 7 – 11 a.m.

$16.95 per person

Prices do not include tax and gratuity

 

 

Events at Hershey’s Chocolate World Attraction include:

 

Complimentary Hersheypark Chocolate Parade

Every Saturday and Sunday at 2:30 p.m.

 

Hershey’s Chocolate Dessert Journey

Every Saturday and Sunday throughout regular operating hours

$9.95 per person

 

Complimentary Interactive Story Time & Hot Cocoa

Every Saturday and Sunday at 1 and 3 p.m.

 

 

Events at The Hershey Story, The Museum on Chocolate Avenue include:

 

Chocolate Lab Classes

Daily, times vary

$10 (adults), $9 (ages 62+), $7.50 (ages 4-12)

 

Truffles for Couples Chocolate Lab Class

February 6, 7, 12 – 15, 6 and 8 p.m.

$18.75 per person

 

Rainforest Adventure

February 7, 8, 14 – 16, 21 and 22, 11 a.m.–3 p.m. 

Free with Museum Experience or Chocolate Lab admission, or $5 per participant

 

 

Complete details on all activities and events offered during Chocolate-Covered February are available at www.ChocolateCoveredFebruary.com.

New Year's Eve in Hershey

Hershey offers many family-friendly ways to bring in the New Year!

Here's a list of Wednesday's events:

Hershey's Chocolate World is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.

http://www.hersheys.com/chocolateworld/

 

Hersheypark's Christmas Candylane is open until 5 p.m. and Hershey Sweet Lights is open from 5 p.m. until 10 p.m.

http://www.hersheypark.com/seasonal/christmas/index.php

 

The Hershey Story is hosting Rock Around the Clock—children will have the opportunity to celebrate the New Year by stomping on giant sheets of bubble wrap and dancing through five decades of music from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on New Year's Eve. Hershey’s product characters will also be joining in on the fun. The Bubble Stomp is scheduled for three different times: 11 a.m.; 1 p.m.; and 3 p.m. 

http://www.hersheystory.org/activities/calendar/details.aspx?EventID=2536&Current=12/31/2014

 

Steven Courtney and the Suitcase Musicians will present three identical concerts on New Year's Eve at First United Methodist Church at 64 W Chocolate Ave.. The concerts are at 7, 8, and 9 p.m. and are free and open to everyone. Cookies and hot drinks will be served and games will be available.

 

Hershey New Year's Eve, a free family-friendly event, features three musical acts in a festive evening culminating in the raising of the Hershey's Kiss and celebratory fireworks. The Swaines start the show at 9 p.m. on the stage at the corner of Chocolate and Cocoa. All Jacked Up follows with a performance at 9:40 p.m.  Alex & Sierra, Season 3 winners of The X Factor USA, take the stage from 10:30 p.m. 'til midnight.

http://www.hersheynewyears.org/schedule.html

Happy Birthday, Mr. Hershey!

** This post has been updated! 100 Sweet Facts About Hershey 2016 **

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 expanded to occupy 2.2 million square feet. 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.
• Until last year, there were 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).
• Demolition of the original factory at 19 E. Chocolate Ave. began in 2013. The Hershey's Cocoa bushes and the two Hershey's stacks will remain, but the land is expected to be developed.

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 27,000 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, the Hershey Company Tech Center 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 marked 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.

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.

 

New Coaster at Hersheypark: Skyrush

Hersheypark announced today that its 12th coaster will debut in 2012. SKYRUSH is a  mega/hyper coaster from Intamin, and will be the tallest (at 200 feet), fastest (at 75mph+/-) and longest (nearly 3600') rollercoaster at Hersheypark.

Coming with the new coaster—a renovation to the former Sunken Gardens area of Hersheypark, which will now include a scenic observation path lined by globe streetlights and landscaping.

Here are some Skyrush facts to get your heart racing:

• The coaster will cost $25 million;
• Skyrush will feature a 50º ascent and an 85º descent;
• The trains will be deep blue with yellow accents, and ride on a yellow track;
• Lift speed on the first hill is 26 feet per second;
• Four seats per car, featuring two floorless outer wing seats that will offer a 270º panoramic view;
• Track length is 3600 feet;
• Capacity is 32 riders per train;
• Ride time will be 63 seconds;
• The Skyrush cantilevered trains will be the first of their kind in the United States;
• The coaster will offer five air-time hills and four high-speed, high-banked turns.

To take a virtual ride on Skyrush, go straight to YouTube.

Hersheypark's 2012 ride—rumored to be "SkyRush," an Intamin coaster—will be unveiled at 12:12 p.m. in Comet Hollow today. If you can't be there, be sure to follow @InsideHershey on Twitter for live coverage of the event!

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)