Here are some of the local venues and events we’ve come to know around the cabin, along with a few of our favorite spots to visit. Lake Marburg is under three minutes from the cabin, and Hanover, Gettysburg and York are all an easy drive away. We hope you have a great time while you’re here, and that you get out to enjoy some of these places and events along the way.
November 2026
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Thu, Nov 12, 11 AM
Plants in the Park
A free ranger-led plant walk at the park next door with a second session at 2 PM, though Penn State Extension now shows registration closed, so treat it as a walk-up.
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Sat, Nov 14
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Sat, Nov 14
Gettysburg Remembrance Day Observance
Civil War re-enactors fill the town for the annual observance, with dedication ceremonies from 10 AM at the Meade monument and nothing to pay.
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Sun, Nov 15
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Sun, Nov 15, 3 PM
Cinderella (The Panto Company USA)
A British-style family pantomime at the nearest theatre, timed so you can still have a slow morning at the cabin.
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Mon, Nov 16 – Thu, Nov 19
Lincoln at Gettysburg (America250PA)
Four days of free programming around the square, including a square dance, author talks and a full re-creation of Lincoln's arrival, with free tickets needed for the evening events.
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Thu, Nov 19, 10 AM
Dedication Day: 163rd Anniversary of the Gettysburg Address
A free ceremony on the spot where Lincoln spoke, with a procession down Baltimore Street from the Wills House beforehand and the main programme running into the early afternoon.
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Fri, Nov 20, 7 PM
Bob Marley: Stand-Up Comedy
A Friday-night comedy show fifteen minutes from the door, good for a couple who want an evening out without a long drive.
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Fri, Nov 20 – Sun, Dec 27
Bright Nights York
Twenty-seven nights of a three-million-light walk-through display around the downtown ballpark; tickets are good for any night of the season and the gates close at 9 PM.
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Fri, Nov 20
Live on Lincoln Square
An outdoor ticketed concert on the square headlined by Uncle Kracker, and the only real Friday-night live music in range that weekend; no start time is posted yet, so check before you drive.
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Sat, Nov 21, 5:30 PM
Remembrance Day Illumination
A candle on each of the 3,512 Civil War soldiers' graves after dark, free to walk through, and on its own weekend this year rather than observance day.
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Sat, Nov 21, 9 AM
Christmastime in Loganville
A free holiday open house at a working orchard and market, with Santa photos from 10 AM to 1 PM and no tickets needed.
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Sat, Nov 21
A Cowboy Christmas Train
A heritage train ride with a cowboy Santa and his elves, in its second year and the earliest of the railway's holiday runs; book ahead because these fill up.
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Fri, Nov 27 – Sun, Nov 29
Christmas Elves Express
A heritage train ride to Glen Rock over Thanksgiving weekend, with several departures a day and advance booking advised.
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Sat, Nov 28
Hanover Christmas Festival
Tree lighting and parade. The town's biggest night.
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Sat, Nov 28, 11 AM
Christmas in Hanover Festival
Hanover's holiday kickoff: Santa parade at 11, Santa's Cabin, a mechanical reindeer to ride, live music in the Square and the tree-lighting countdown at 6 PM, though roadworks around Center Square mean parking further out.
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Sat, Nov 28, 12 PM
The Muppet Christmas Carol on screen
Three $7 screenings at noon, 2 and 4 PM on Christmas Festival day, so small children get a warm sit-down between the parade and the tree lighting.
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Sat, Nov 28, 2 PM
York Symphony: Holiday Pops Spectacular
The region's full orchestral holiday concert, with a 2 PM matinee and a 7:30 PM show so it fits either side of dinner in York.
December 2026
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Tue, Dec 1 – Sun, Dec 20
Holiday Tour: Hands That Built the Holiday
Decorated historic buildings across the museum grounds, 9 AM to 4 PM on weekdays and noon to 4 PM at weekends, which makes it the easy daytime fallback in December.
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Wed, Dec 2
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Dec 4–6
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Fri, Dec 4 – Sun, Dec 6
A Gettysburg Christmas Festival
A whole downtown given over to markets and a Victorian Christmas, with the tree lighting at 6:30 PM and the 30th Tuba Carol Fest at 7 on the Friday; the best full-day December outing in range.
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Sat, Dec 5, 7 PM
Country Live: Chesney, Twain, Urban & Bryan Tribute
A Saturday-night country tribute show at the closest theatre, with easy parking once the shops have shut.
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Sun, Dec 6, 3 PM
We Three Kings: Irish Christmas Spectacular
A Sunday-afternoon holiday concert fifteen minutes away, which pairs well with a late checkout.
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Sat, Dec 12, 12 PM
2nd Saturday: Hot Chocolate & Cookie Stroll
A $25 walking tour of downtown cookie and cocoa stops from noon to 2 PM, with check-in from 10:30 AM at the Main Street Hanover tent; it is expected to sell out.
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Sat, Dec 19, 3 PM
Hanover Symphony Orchestra Winter Concert
The only orchestral date left before Christmas, on the last full weekend of the window and fifteen minutes from the cabin.
Local Venues, Restaurants & Experiences
Food Experiences
Mansion House 1757 — Chef’s Tasting Room
Private tasting-room dining; advance arrangements.
crEATe at 48
Chef-driven scratch-made dinner.
Historic colonial dining.
Gettysburg Baking Co.
European-style breads and pastries.
Vineyard tastings.
Reid’s Winery: The Cider House
Local fruit cider and fermentation.
OAK
Seasonal chef-driven dining.
Hanover Market House
Local food vendors and baked goods.
Table 1837 at Glen Rock Mill Inn
Fine dining in a restored 1837 wool mill.
Fresh seafood, crab cakes and the town’s raw bar on Main Street.
Rafael’s
Casual, romantic dining in historic downtown Westminster.
Maryland Mallet & Smokehouse Pub
Steamed crabs, seafood, steaks and BBQ, with a pub downstairs.
Multi-course chef experience.
Victor’s Italian Restaurant
Seasonal Italian cuisine.
Private French cooking classes.
Naturally leavened breads and pastries.
Seasonal farm-based culinary classes.
The Tasting Room
Refined regional cuisine.
Tempo di Pasta
House-made pasta.
Multi-course fine dining.
Puerto 511
Peruvian tasting menu.
Outdoor Adventures
Guided horseback battlefield rides.
Sachs Covered Bridge
Scenic walking and photography.
Codorus State Park
Lake Marburg hiking, boating and kayaking.
Ziplining and ropes courses.
Aerial ropes courses and ziplining.
Hiking and scenic overlooks.
Guided haunted-history walks and paranormal investigations.
Haunted Orphanage and Jennie Wade House tours; some tours enter historic buildings.
Ghosts of Gettysburg Candlelight Walking Tours
Baltimore Street and Gettysburg College haunted-history walks.
Confirm hours, tour dates, booking availability and seasonal operations directly with each business before visiting.
Events are gathered from Destination Gettysburg, Main Street Hanover, the Eichelberger Performing Arts Center, PA DCNR and Friends of Codorus, Carroll County Tourism, the Appell Center and York History Center, and nearby wineries, breweries and farms. Dates are checked against more than one source and refreshed weekly, and anything we cannot confirm is left off. Even so, please confirm dates and times with the venue before you drive — organizers do move things.