Covered Bridge & Arts Festival

Apply to be a Vendor!

The 2025 Covered Bridge & Arts Festival is now LIVE!

If you are a prospective new crafter or fine artisan, you will be able to submit an application to be considered for entry until Sunday, August 31st at 11:59pm.

PLEASE NOTE: Once submitted, your application will held until it is time to be reviewed for entry. Our application process is now being hosted on Eventeny, a well-known platform for festivals. While you will be asked to input a payment method during the application process, you will not be charged for a booth space unless your application is marked “Accepted” to the festival. Please also be aware that Eventeny charges a 3% service fee, which will be added to your space payment.

This year's Festival will be held October 2nd - 5th, 2025

AT THE BLOOMSBURG FAIRGROUNDS!

980 West Main St. Bloomsburg, PA 17815

Situated in beautiful Central Pennsylvania at the Bloomsburg Fairgrounds, the 42nd Annual Covered Bridge & Arts Festival will have something for everyone! The Festival is one of the largest craft festivals on the East Coast, and four-day annual attendance is typically near 150,000 visitors.

The Festival Features:
• Hundreds of unique craft & food vendors
• FREE Parking & FREE Admission

Handmade & Traditional Crafts • Turned & Carved Wood • Glass
Prints • Sewn & Woven Textiles • Jewelry • Photography • Paintings • Pottery
Decor for Every Holiday • New & Repurposed Primitives
Plus Much More!

Looking for lodging options in our area for your stay? Click here.

Covered Bridge Festival Parking

Parking will take place in the main parking lot of the Bloomsburg Fairgrounds. Attendees will be able to access the main parking lot by entering the Fairgrounds from the Main Entrance off Route 11 via Fort McClure Boulevard (Gate 3), or from the town-side parking lot entrance off 5th Street (Gate 6). Both will allow access into the main parking lot.

Regular tram service will run from the parking areas to the festival gate entrance (Gate 3). Gate 3 is the main pedestrian entrance into the Festival this year. However, additional pedestrian entrances will be open from the town side, including Leonard Street, Barton Street, & Gate 8.

Covered Bridge Festival Maps

Activities & Events

New This Year at the Festival

The list below showcases the 2024 Festival additions. New things for 2025 will be noted here as they are added.

There will be a variety of new additions to this year’s Festival, including the following:

  • Children’s Museum Scavenger Hunt: A Festival scavenger hunt for kids will be available all four days, organized by the Bloomsburg Children’s Museum. Youth may pick up scavenger hunt materials at the Children’s Museum booth, which will be located near the main entrance of the Festival. Upon completing the scavenger hunt, participants may bring them back to the Children’s Museum booth and turn them in for the choice of a prize. All completed scavenger hunts throughout the four day event will also be entered into a grand prize drawing for a larger prize.
  • Sunday Vesper Services: To be held on Sunday morning at 8 AM.
  • Classic Cars & Trucks on Display: There will be a variety of classic cars and trucks on display at the Festival, likely all four days but especially on Sunday, October 6. An area for the classic vehicles will be set up between Avenues C & D and between 4th & 10th Streets.
  • COVERED BRIDGE BUS TOUR COMING BACK IN 2024 – A guided covered bridge bus tour, leaving directly from the Festival on Saturday, October 5th. The cost to attend the bus tour is $30 per person. Tickets for the bus tour may be purchased by calling the Visitors Bureau office at 570-784-8279. Bridges visited will include: Rupert, Wanich, Shoemaker, Kramer, Patterson, East & West Paden Twins, Josiah Hess, and Stillwater. The bus will leave and return directly from the Fairgrounds with time to shop and walk around the event after the tour concludes. The tour is planned for 10 AM to approximately 1 PM. Attendees will meet for the bus by Gate 2 of the Fairgrounds by no later than 9:45 AM.

Covered Bridge Festival Fine Artist Section

Fine artists will be at their booths throughout the four day event actively working on their crafts. These artists will mostly all be located in the historic barn on the festival grounds.

Additional Festival Happenings: Live Music

Live Entertainment is being decided for 2025. Please stay tuned for details. In the meantime, here’s the lineup from 2024!

11:30AM – 12:15 PM: Knorrwood
Knorrwood is an American-based instrumental folk-rock duo featuring brothers Wes Knorr (acoustic guitar) and Joey Knorr (percussion). Their magical kinship built upon rock n’ roll roots is heavily adorned by inspirations of ethnic music, cinematic soundscapes, and epic folklore. Paired with open guitar tunings, synthesizers, and the theremin they continually explore uncharted musical territory. That is the sound of Knorrwood.

12:45 – 1:30 PM: Strawberry Ridge
Strawberry Ridge, entering their 9th season, began in 2012 in the small village of Strawberry Ridge, Danville. Started by Renee Goocey and Bob Shuey, Strawberry Ridge has grown in recent years. Bob, a resident of Montgomery, PA is their lead bluegrass guitar player and was a member of the well-known bluegrass band, Bluegrass Express. Renee, a former teacher, was busy raising her family on their small farm in Montour County when she became his guitar student in 2012. Combined with her love of singing and a brand-new guitar in hand, a band was born. Mark Doncheski, formerly of the bluegrass band, Stained Grass Window, was asked to fill in with Strawberry Ridge in 2013. He never left. Mark’s quick fingers can keep the banjo moving and your toes tapping. Rick Marcera of Bloomsburg, also a former member of Stained Grass Window, is a drummer, guitar and bass player. Rick is most known in the bluegrass community for his mandolin picking and incredible vocals. Dave Kessler of Bloomsburg joined the spotlight in 2019. Dave has been a great addition, bringing soul and groove to the upright bass.  Strawberry Ridge is known for their tight blends, harmonies and eclectic variety of songs. While bluegrass is at their core, Strawberry Ridge likes to have fun and put their own twist on this timeless and historical genre of music. Expect to hear traditional old favorites as well as some modern songs in their repertoire. Playing at summer parks, festivals, restaurant venues, churches and private events, it’s easy to see Strawberry Ridge loves making music together and sharing their talents with the community.

2:00 – 2:45 PM: The Mighty Susquehannas
The Mighty Susquehannas are an ensemble of musicians who bring a variety of styles and influences to the table with a wide catalog of original material. Their self proclaimed genre of River Funk has been central to their sound as the years pass along. They blend together healthy doses of Funk, Jam-Band, and Alternative Rock that has a little something for everybody. The resulting music is a refreshing soundscape that leaves the listener yearning for more of their uniquely original music.

Classic Cars & Trucks On Display

We will be seeking classic car and truck owners who would like to display their vehicles at the 2025 event in a car cruise-in! Please check back in summer of 2025 for more details.

2025 Registration Available Soon

Covered Bridge Festival FAQ's

  1. Will there be a cost for entrance and parking? NO!
  2. Will there be help for handicapped? There will be scooters available to rent and will be located just inside of Gate 3. No pre-registration of scooters, wheelchairs, or wagons: please just show up and rent them! For more information, please visit: stillwaterscooters.com.
  3. Will there be transit trams operating in the parking lots? Yes!
  4. Will there be any kid-friendly activities? There will be several carnival-style games, a weekend petting zoo, and live crafter demonstrations throughout the festival. New this year will also be a kid’s scavenger hunt, organized by the Bloomsburg Children’s Museum. Visit their booth, located near the main festival gate, to pick up scavenger hunt materials!
  5. Are dogs allowed at the Festival? No, dogs are not permitted at the Festival. The Festival rents the Bloomsburg Fairgrounds for the event and thus abides by traditional Fairground policy regarding dog entry.
  6. Are service dogs allowed at the festival? Service dogs ARE PERMITTED at the Festival. You may be asked if the animal is required because of a disability and which task(s) the animal is trained to perform.
  7. Will there be ATMs there?  There are two ATMs available on premises.
  8. What types of food will be there? A wide variety of food vendors will be at the Festival. A complete list of food vendors is published on this page.
  9. How do you get into the Festival? Vehicles will enter the Fairgrounds through the main gate (Gate 3) of the Fairgrounds, or from the 5th Street side (Gate 6). Both will allow access into the main parking lot. Attendees will then enter the festival through the main gate (Gate 3). Attendees walking down from town can also enter through the pedestrian entrances on Leonard Street, Barton Street, & Gate 8.
  10. Where can I get Festival information on the day of the event? The information booth will be located right inside the main entrance (Gate 3).
  11. Will the gates open prior to 9 AM each day? The Festival officially opens at 9 AM each day; however gates may be opened prior to 9 AM at the discretion of Fairground security in consideration of patron safety. Vendors set-up/re-stock daily on the grounds; customers will NOT be permitted to enter while vendor vehicles are on-site.
  12. Will there be entertainment?  There will be music on Saturday only at the free stage. The entertainment lineup is listed further down this page!
  13. Where will the wineries, distilleries, and brewery be located?  There will be a number of wineries located in the Horticultural Building. There will also be several distilleries and a brewery located amongst the craft vendors in the festival grounds.

Share Your Festival Photos With Us!

Enjoying your time at the event and want to share your shots with us? We’d love to see them and share them on the festival page! Use the hashtag #iTourColumbiaMontour or #2025CoveredBridgeFestPA

2025 Festival Rack Card

The 2025 Festival rack card is now available! Click the brochure to view and share with friends/family/customers.

2024 Festival Vendors

Apply to be a Vendor!

The 2025 Covered Bridge & Arts Festival is now LIVE!

PLEASE NOTE: Once submitted, your application will held until it is time to be reviewed for entry. Our application process is now being hosted on Eventeny, a well-known platform for festivals. While you will be asked to input a payment method during the application process, you will not be charged for a booth space unless your application is marked “Accepted” to the festival. Please also be aware that Eventeny charges a 3% service fee, which will be added to your space payment.

Vendor Testimonials

Toby Bouder – Woodturner; Liverpool, PA
“I have been doing the Covered Bridge & Arts Festival for at least six years now, and it is always a very enjoyable and profitable show for me. I’m a part of the new fine arts section of the festival that was introduced last year. Linda and the Visitors Bureau staff have been great to work with in getting that set up.”

JoAnn & Brad Bason; Bason Coffee Roasting – Danville, PA
“As a small local business, it is important we attract folks from outside the local area. The Covered Bridge & Arts Festival provides us with an opportunity for tremendous exposure.  A common comment we hear from repeat customers in our shop is that they first found our coffee company at the Covered Bridge Festival.  I am certain that our success has been helped by being there each year.”

Holly Steward; Holly’s Handbags Plus – Berwick, PA
“The Covered Bridge & Arts Festival is one of our favorite venues as a crafter. One nice thing about it is that it is easily accessible for all levels of mobility. Plus, there are high quality crafters with an amazing variety of crafts.  Come see for yourself!”

Judy Horning; Pennsylvania Dutch Rugs – Fleetwood, PA
“I have been a vendor at the Covered Bridge & Arts Festival since 2007 and it has been my best show for sales every year since. It is well organized and well attended. It is definitely the highlight of my season.”

2024 Sponsors & Partners

Thanks to Jo’s Equipment & Supply in Winfield for providing the tram service for the 2024 Festival!

Sponsorship Opportunities

Interested in being a sponsor of the Festival? Reach out to the Columbia-Montour Visitors Bureau at 570-784-8279.