Dauphin and Lebanon counties
What's Happening in Central PA This Week: September 6–16, 2026
Labor Day opens a week of riverfront outings, local history and live music across Dauphin and Lebanon counties. For food trucks followed by fireworks over the Susquehanna, our pick is Sunday's Kipona.
The pick: Kipona on the Harrisburg riverfront
Free this week
7 free outings:
- The Wall That Heals closes in Campbelltown
- Lebanon County in the Revolution — Online attendance requires registration through the event listing.
- Midtown JazzWalk
- The Uptown Band at H Lounge — Age limit: 21 or older to enter the casino.
- Lebanon Valley Fall Fair
- Unwrap the Music — Hershey Symphony — Free, but reservations are required. — Reserve through the theatre's event page.
- Dance Fever at H Lounge — Age limit: 21 or older to enter the casino.
The memorial closes in the afternoon; Kipona's fireworks come after its main festival hours. Keep those two finishes separate when planning Sunday.
Kipona on the Harrisburg riverfront
Kipona gives the holiday weekend a riverfront finish: work through the food trucks, then stay for the fireworks over the Susquehanna. Live music, artisans and family activities leave room to change the plan as you go. Sunday's fireworks make it our pick; Monday brings the petting zoo.
- When
- Where
- Riverfront Park and City Island, Harrisburg — Dauphin County
- Cost
- Free family activities; food and some City Island attractions cost extra.
- Fireworks
- 8:15 p.m., after the main festival hours. Additional Sunday-evening road closures affect the fireworks period.
- Parking and roads
- Metered street parking is free Sunday and Monday; City Island parking is $5. Front Street is closed between Forster and Walnut through Monday evening.
Narrated canal boat ride in Lebanon
A narrated boat ride puts Lebanon's canal history around you. Choose one departure and let that be the outing.
- When
- Where
- Union Canal Tunnel Park, 25th Street and Union Canal Drive, Lebanon — Lebanon County
- Cost
- Adults $10; students ages 6–17 $5; children 5 and younger ride free. Park admission is free.
- Tour
- Roughly 45 minutes; first two Sundays monthly, June–October.
- Before you go
- First come, first served; weather permitting. Confirm departures through the society's Facebook page or email.
The Wall That Heals closes in Campbelltown
The Wall That Heals comes down Sunday afternoon. The traveling memorial is a three-quarter-scale replica of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial in Washington. Make time to visit before the closing ceremony; this can't be an evening stop.
- When
- Where
- Campbelltown Community Park, 129 Lawn Road, Palmyra, PA 17078 — Lebanon County
- Cost
- Admission and parking are free.
Vertigo Vultures at H Lounge
Vertigo Vultures bring classic rock to H Lounge for the Sunday-night slot. This is an adults-only outing: you must be 21 or older to get into the casino.
- When
- Where
- H Lounge, Hollywood Casino at Penn National Race Course, 777 Hollywood Blvd., Grantville — Dauphin County
- Age limit
- 21 or older to enter the casino.
Kipona on Labor Day
Monday's petting zoo gives families a reason to return to Kipona. It's the shorter festival day, with food trucks, artisans and riverfront activities still on the menu. Keep the Front Street closure in mind when choosing your route.
- When
- Where
- Riverfront Park and City Island, Harrisburg — Dauphin County
- Cost
- Free family activities; food and some City Island attractions cost extra.
- Parking and roads
- Metered street parking is free Sunday and Monday; City Island parking is $5. Front Street is closed between Forster and Walnut through Monday evening.
Lebanon County in the Revolution
Jack McClain takes the Revolutionary War story beyond the battlefields, into the furnace, local militias and life on the home front. There's an online option, too.
- When
- Where
- Cornwall Manor, 1 Boyd Street, Cornwall, PA 17016 — Lebanon County
- Cost
- Free; donations welcome.
- Online
- Online attendance requires registration through the event listing.
- Venue
- Cornwall Manor, not the furnace's visitor entrance.
Midtown JazzWalk
Midtown Scholar Bookstore, The Millworks and Susquehanna Art Museum are among the stops on Friday's JazzWalk. Pick a venue or two from the musician list and build your evening around them. This is the free, venue-to-venue walk; Saturday's Fort Hunter festival is a separate outing.
- When
- Where
- Participating Midtown venues, Midtown Harrisburg — Dauphin County
- Cost
- Free admission.
The Uptown Band at H Lounge
The Uptown Band takes Friday's dance-band slot at H Lounge. Add it to the week's choices for an evening of music in Grantville.
- When
- Where
- H Lounge, Hollywood Casino at Penn National Race Course, 777 Hollywood Blvd., Grantville — Dauphin County
- Cost
- Free; no tickets needed.
- Age limit
- 21 or older to enter the casino.
The Fall Fair and the symphony overlap. Choose the fair for crafts and browsing, or the concert for a family introduction to the orchestra.
Lebanon Valley Fall Fair
Crafts and vendors fill the Lebanon Expo Center, with fall coloring pages and animal masks for kids. Snow White and Cinderella are there for photos. Choose this one for browsing and crafts; the symphony is the sit-down alternative.
- When
- Where
- Lebanon Expo Center, Lebanon — Lebanon County
- Cost
- Admission and parking are free; vendor purchases are separate.
- Character photos
- Snow White and Cinderella, 10 a.m.–noon; bring your own camera.
Unwrap the Music — Hershey Symphony
Hershey Symphony introduces children and their families to the instruments and sounds of an orchestra. This is our choice over the fair for a family that wants to sit down and listen together. The tickets are free, but you'll need reservations.
- When
- Where
- Hershey Theatre, Hershey — Dauphin County
- Cost
- Free, but reservations are required.
- Reservations required
- Reserve through the theatre's event page.
Dauphin County Jazz & Wine Festival
Friday's JazzWalk moves between venues; this is an afternoon to bring a chair and stay put. Fort Hunter adds food and craft vendors to the music, with a youth jazz ensemble opening Saturday's program.
- When
- Where
- Fort Hunter Park, 5300 N. Front Street, Harrisburg, PA 17110 — Dauphin County
- Cost
- $60 advance or $75 at the gate; online processing fees apply. Children 12 and younger enter free. Tickets cover both September 12 and September 13.
- Doors
- 2 p.m.; Saturday youth jazz ensemble at 2:30 p.m.
- Bring and know
- Chair or blanket. No outside alcohol; wine tasting is 21+ with ID. Free parking; rain or shine.
Dance Fever at H Lounge
Dance Fever is Saturday's late music option in Grantville. The dance-band set rounds out H Lounge's weekend lineup.
- When
- Where
- H Lounge, Hollywood Casino at Penn National Race Course, 777 Hollywood Blvd., Grantville — Dauphin County
- Cost
- Free; no tickets needed.
- Age limit
- 21 or older to enter the casino.
Looking ahead: September 13–16, 2026
Union Canal boat tours
September's second Sunday is also on the historical society's canal-tour schedule. A narrated ride offers a smaller Lebanon outing alongside the weekend's music choices.
- When
- Where
- Union Canal Tunnel Park, 25th Street and Union Canal Drive, Lebanon — Lebanon County
- Cost
- Adults $10; students ages 6–17 $5; children 5 and younger ride free. Park admission is free.
- Before you go
- First come, first served; weather permitting. Confirm departures through the society's Facebook page or email.
Jazz & Wine Festival, day two
The music continues at Fort Hunter. Bring the chair back for another afternoon of jazz, food and craft vendors.
- When
- Where
- Fort Hunter Park, 5300 N. Front Street, Harrisburg, PA 17110 — Dauphin County
- Cost
- $60 advance or $75 at the gate; online processing fees apply. Children 12 and younger enter free. Tickets cover both September 12 and September 13.
- Doors
- 2 p.m.
- Bring and know
- Chair or blanket. No outside alcohol; wine tasting is 21+ with ID. Free parking; rain or shine.
Brad Williams at Hershey Theatre
- When
- Where
- Hershey Theatre, Hershey — Dauphin County
Iron Maiden at Hersheypark Stadium
Iron Maiden's Run For Your Lives tour draws its set from the band's first nine albums. That's the reason to look beyond the weekend: a stadium night built around the early catalogue.
- When
- Where
- Hersheypark Stadium, Hershey — Dauphin County
America's Largest RV Show opens
America's Largest RV Show brings RVs, accessories and upgrades together at GIANT Center. Make a list of what you want to compare before you go. The show continues through September 20; Wednesday is the opening day.
- When
- Where
- GIANT Center, Hershey — Dauphin County
- Show dates
- September 16–20; this edition covers opening day.