Pennsylvania travelers choose from 45 Best Western hotels.

Covered Bridge
Central Pennsylvania

Philadelphia and eastern Pennsylvania greet spring and summer with baseball, festivals and PA  traditions. Upstate Pennsylvania and the Poconos Mountains fill with outdoor enthusiasts hiking, mountain biking and fishing. Meanwhile, events like Allentown's Mayfair and Celebrate Lancaster in Pennsylvania Dutch Country, commemorate the region's culture and heritage. Athletes test their training at challenges like PHLYTri, Philadelphia’s premier triathlon, SheRox Philadelphia for women and the Rock ‘n’ Roll Marathon Philadelphia late summer. Visitors fill the stands at Citizens Bank Park for Philadelphia Phillies games and travel to traditional country fairs like the Great Allentown Fair.

Allentown, north of Philadelphia, is the heart of Pennsylvania’s Lehigh Valley. Celebrate the transition to summer in Allentown’s Cedar Beach Park at Mayfair Festival of the Arts, Memorial Day weekend 2012. Mayfair 2012 celebrates its 26th year and Allentown’s 250th Anniversary with the Artist Market, Culinary and Garden Markets, live music and performances. Bring the family to Cedar Beach Park for the festivities May 24th through 28th.

Lancaster, the heart of Pennsylvania’s Dutch Country Roads region, welcomes visitors to the city’s largest celebration in June. MOOSE, the mayor’s office of special events, in Lancaster hosts 2012 Celebrate Lancaster on June 22nd. Festivities include live music on two stages, more than 20 food vendors and locally crafted beer and wine. Be sure to stick around until dusk and top off a day of fun with the spectacular fireworks show.

Athletes, set your training goals for the 2012 PHLYTri, June 24th. Events begin at Smith Field on the 22nd with the PHLYTri MultiSport Expo, running through the weekend. Kids events are on Saturday, with the sprint and Olympic distance triathlon events on Sunday. The women’s only 2012 SheROX Philadelphia Triathlon / Duathlon is August 5th. Choose a swim, bike, run, or run, bike, run course for your challenge and join like minded women for the event.

Sample the best offerings of the Brandywine Valley at the Myrick Conservation Center. The 2012 Brandywine Food & Wine Festival is June 9th. Hosted by the Brandywine Valley Association, guests enjoy wine seminars by Pennsylvania’s winery and vineyard advocate and food demonstrations by the area’s most popular restaurateurs.

Nothing beats the summer tradition of baseball and in Philly it’s all about the Philadelphia Phillies. Home field is Citizens Bank Park on the north side of Interstate 95 near the Philadelphia Navy Yard. With the Phillies regular 2012 home season running through September, there’s no excuse for missing a day at the ballpark. Attend the May 24th game against the Astros for a Phillies Liberty Bell cap, June 25th and 26th games feature fireworks, and receive a Hunter Spence bobble head August 21st, when the Phillies host the Reds.

The Great Allentown Fair is an ideal end to summer. The 2012 fair runs August 28th through September 3rd, at the Allentown Fairgrounds. Organized by the Lehigh County Agricultural Society, the Allentown Fair has been a Lehigh Valley tradition for over 160 years. Grandstand headliners include Victoria Justice, The Band Perry and Blake Shelton. Browse exhibitions of the best of region farmers, gardeners and homemakers and enjoy all the fun of midway games and amusement rides.

Covered Bridge
Central Pennsylvania

Pennsylvania is rich in history, heritage and culture. Harrisburg, the Pennsylvania state capital is located in central Pennsylvania on the banks of the Susquehanna River. With the iconic capital dome glimmering in the skyline, Harrisburg beckons visitors to attractions like the National Civil War Museum, and the Harrisburg Shakespeare Company – and it's now the season for Metro Bank Park and a Harrisburg Senators baseball game. Roads south from Harrisburg lead travelers to well-known cities like Gettysburg and Lancaster, in the heart of Pennsylvania’s Dutch Country Roads region. Northeast of Harrisburg travelers find Allentown, PA’s third largest city and another hub of culture and fun.

The heart of Adams County, a visit to Gettysburg is fun and educational any-time. Home of historic Gettysburg National Military Park, its featured activities range from Segway and horseback tours to a walk in the steps of President Abraham Lincoln. Gettysburg visitors will be happy to know the 2012 Original Ghosts of Gettysburg tours resume weekends in March and full-time in April.

The National Civil War Museum is a must-see while visiting Central Pennsylvania. The museum, located less than an hour north of Gettysburg in Harrisburg, offers visitors a comprehensive timeline of the Civil War, exhibited through artifacts, documents and photographs. This is the place for Civil War enthusiasts and anyone wanting to learn about the Civil War. The museum sits on a hill overlooking the city of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania’s state capital. Take time to enjoy the grounds and the history they honor.

Allentown, the 3rd largest city in Pennsylvania, is 60-miles northwest of Philadelphia. The commercial and cultural hub of Lehigh Valley, Allentown’s attractions draw visitors from across northeast Pennsylvania for fun and entertainment. The Lehigh Valley Grand Prix on 10th Street, is a popular destination for kids of all ages – as long as you’re 10 or older. LVGP features a quarter-mile track with up to 12 racers' on a course featuring more than 10 turns. Join the fun on March 18th for the LVGP500 and party – a 500-lap race commemorating the Daytona 500.

The County of Lehigh hosts the inaugural Science Festival of the Lehigh Valley in April. The 2012 festival, a much-anticipated first, is Saturday April 14th. The Science Festival features a full day of science-related fun and exhibits at the Allentown Fairgrounds. A family friendly festival, bring the kids for hands-on activities and exhibits, stage performances and live entertainment. Help make the Science Festival of the Lehigh Valley an annual event and join the fun this inaugural year.

Celebrate the unofficial start of summer in Allentown at Mayfair 2012. For five-days, Cedar Beach Park is transformed into a festival site complete with an art and craft market, food row, kid's space, and multiple stages for live music and entertainment. Join the Mayfair festivities in Allentown for Memorial Day Weekend, May 24th through the 28th.

Downtown Pittsburgh

Spring in Pittsburgh is just around the corner. A delightful Pennsylvania destination, the city is known for its location on the three rivers – Monongahela, Allegheny and Ohio. Destinations abound for visitors with a diversity of interests. Culture and arts enthusiasts enjoy the Carnegie Museum of Art and its contemporary arts focus, as well as events at the Benedum Center for the Performing Arts. The College of Fine Arts at Carnegie Mellon University is another hub of culture for Pittsburgh. Sports fans, this is the season for Pirates action at PNC Park – Give yourself plenty of time for fun on a visit to Pittsburgh.

Put some tropical flair into your spring at the University of Pittsburgh. William Pitt Union hosts the 2012 Latin American and Caribbean Festival Saturday, March 31st. The 32nd annual festival is free and open to the public. Bring the family, children’s activities are a highlight, along with music food, dance and arts from countries across Latin America and the Caribbean.

Formerly the Pittsburgh Jewish Festival, now the Pittsburgh Jewish Film Forum hosts the 2012 JFilm, March 15th through April 1st. Selected films are screened at venues across Pittsburgh including SouthSide Works Cinema. A wonderful event for Film buffs to visit, see cutting edge independent films and rub shoulders with film industry professionals and film-makers.

The 2012 Pittsburgh Marathon benefits the Humane Society of Western Pennsylvania. Plan you training to join the race Sunday May 6th. Sponsored by Dick’s Sporting Goods, the course takes runners along the North Shore of Pittsburgh and across each of the city’s three rivers. Continuing through neighborhoods like Shadyside, Bloomfield and Oakland the Pittsburgh Marathon finish is across the river from Point State Park. Events also include a half marathon, relay, kid’s run and a 5K – something for everyone to enjoy at the Pittsburgh Marathon.

The Pittsburgh International Children’s Festival is wonderful event for family visiting Pennsylvania. With a vision to inspire kids through professional performing arts experiences, the Pittsburgh Cultural Trust presents the 2012 Pittsburgh International Children’s Festival May 16th through 20th. Featuring performances of Cinderella, by Scotland’s Shona Reppe Puppets, Dudes from the Netherlands, and Japan’s Origami Tales, the festival is hosted at the University of Pittsburgh Theaters and Schenley Plaza.

Welcome summer in Pittsburgh at the Three Rivers Arts Festival. Sponsored by Dollar Bank, the 2012 festival fills downtown Pittsburgh with arts and fun, June 1st through the 10th at Point State Park. The park is located at the tip of Pittsburgh’s “ Golden Triangle” – the confluence of the Allegheny River and the Monongahela River, where they join to become the Ohio River. Enjoy performances, arts and activities in Pittsburgh’s Cultural District, the Hertz Gateway Center and outdoors at Point State Park – don’t miss the lobster burgers – served in the Hertz Gateway Center Plaza, close to the Gateway Towers Building.