If you’ve been a Bucks County homeowner for any length of time, the summer calendar has a few non-negotiable dates on it — and the Peddler’s Village fruit festivals are near the top of the list. The Strawberry Festival in May. Bluegrass & Blueberries in July. The Peach Festival in early August. These aren’t just events, they’re seasonal rituals — the kind of weekends where you run into half your neighborhood somewhere between the peach pie pre-order line and the kids’ gem mining setup. At Homeowners in the Know, we’ve been to plenty of summers’ worth of Peddler’s Village festivals, and the 2026 lineup is shaping up to be one of the strongest. Here’s a complete guide to what’s happening, when to go, where to park, and how to actually enjoy these festivals instead of getting overwhelmed by them.
Why Peddler’s Village Is the Festival Capital of Bucks County
Peddler’s Village in Lahaska has been a Bucks County institution since 1962, when Earl Jamison turned a former chicken farm into a 42-acre village of independent shops, restaurants, and gardens designed in the spirit of an 18th-century Pennsylvania town. Six decades later, it’s still owned by the Jamison family, and the Village has grown into one of the most reliably well-programmed festival venues in the region. Their calendar runs year-round, but the summer fruit festivals are the events that have entered Bucks County household-vocabulary territory.
What makes the Peddler’s Village festivals work, year after year, is the combination of free admission, free parking (in their main lots), genuine programming for kids, real food and not just festival food, and a setting that’s pretty even when nothing’s going on. Bring strollers, bring grandparents, bring out-of-town visitors — the Village has built an experience that works for all of them. Three festivals stand out as the summer headliners, and a fourth ongoing program (Bucks Fever Fridays) keeps the calendar humming all season.
Strawberry Festival — Saturday & Sunday, May 2–3, 2026
The Strawberry Festival kicks off the summer festival season at Peddler’s Village on the first weekend of May 2026 — Saturday May 2 and Sunday May 3, both days from 11:00 AM to 6:00 PM. The Village fills with strawberry-themed food (shortcake is the flagship, but you’ll find strawberry lemonade, strawberry empanadas, chocolate-dipped strawberries, strawberry beer, and a half-dozen other variations), live music on multiple stages, kids’ activities, and special shop promotions across the campus.
The Strawberry Festival is generally less crowded than its August counterpart (the Peach Festival), which makes it a good entry point for first-time festival visitors. Saturday morning between 11:00 AM and 1:00 PM is the sweet spot — you’ll get full programming with manageable crowds, and the kids’ activities are at peak operation. By 3:00 PM the parking lots are at capacity and the lines for popular food vendors are long.
Bluegrass & Blueberries — July 2026
Bluegrass & Blueberries is the mid-summer festival that splits the difference between the May and August headliners. The 2026 weekend is being announced in late spring (typical pattern is mid-July, Saturday and Sunday). The festival pairs the Village’s blueberry-themed food and drink program (blueberry cobbler, blueberry lemonade, blueberry beer, fresh berries) with live bluegrass music on the main stages — usually a full lineup of regional bluegrass and Americana acts running both days.
This festival has a slightly different vibe than the others. The bluegrass music attracts a noticeably more music-focused crowd, and the festival tends to feel a bit more relaxed and grown-up — though the kids’ activities and the Village’s permanent kid-friendly programming (the carousel, the giant chess set, the gardens) keep it family-friendly throughout. For homeowners who love live music as much as they love festival food, Bluegrass & Blueberries is the underrated pick of the summer.
Peach Festival — Saturday & Sunday, August 1–2, 2026
The Peach Festival is the headliner. Saturday August 1 and Sunday August 2, 2026, 11:00 AM to 6:00 PM both days, and it’s the festival that brings the biggest crowds, the most activities, and the longest pre-order list of any event on the Village calendar. The festival’s core programming is built around peach-themed food (peach pie, peach fritters, peach cobbler, peach ice cream, peach margaritas, and the absolutely-worth-it pre-order whole peach pies available July 30 through August 1), live music on multiple stages, and an impressive slate of kids’ programming.
The 2026 music lineup includes Front Porch Swing, Hot Club Philadelphia, and Vintage Vibe Tribe across the festival’s stages — a strong mix that runs from family-friendly daytime sets through late-afternoon dance numbers. Kids’ programming for the festival includes a kids’ escape room, a gel blaster battlefield, gem mining, a lawn games area, and the Village’s permanent playground and carousel attractions. Admission is free; VIP packages with reserved seating, food and drink vouchers, and parking are available for those who want a more curated experience.
One specific Peach Festival pro tip: pre-order your peach pie. The pre-order pies are noticeably better than the day-of slices (which are great in their own right but cut from large sheets), they’re available for pickup July 30 through August 1, and they sell out every year. The pre-order is open online through the Peddler’s Village site usually starting in mid-July.
Bucks Fever Fridays and the Sand Sculpture Exhibit
Beyond the marquee festivals, two ongoing programs keep Peddler’s Village programmed all summer. Bucks Fever runs every Friday from May 15 through August 28, 2026, with live music, themed activities, and extended hours at restaurants and shops. It’s a less-intense, more low-key Friday-evening alternative to the weekend festival days — a good move when you want some festival energy without committing to a full day.
The Sights in Sand: American Road Trip sand sculpture exhibit runs all summer 2026 across multiple locations within the Village. Built by professional sand sculptors, the exhibit features detailed scenes from the iconic American road trip — and it’s free to view as part of any Village visit. For families with younger kids especially, this is a nice “we’re here for an afternoon, what else can we do?” addition to any other Peddler’s Village trip.
Parking, Timing, and How to Actually Enjoy These Festivals
Parking is the single biggest challenge at Peddler’s Village festivals. The main lot fills up by 11:30 AM on big festival days. Overflow parking is set up in adjacent fields with shuttle service running on the busiest days, but the wait can stretch to 30 minutes by mid-afternoon. The two practical fixes: arrive at 10:30 AM (before opening but in time for parking) or arrive after 4:00 PM (when day-trippers start leaving and parking opens up).
Strollers and wagons are welcome and encouraged. The Village’s brick walkways are stroller-friendly but bumpy in spots — soft tires or a wagon are easier than hard plastic stroller wheels. Bring water (the Village sells beverages, but lines can be long), sunscreen for the kids, and a light layer for older relatives if you’ll be there into the evening. Most importantly: pace yourself. A festival day at Peddler’s Village is genuinely 4 to 6 hours of activity if you do it right. Don’t try to hit every food booth in the first hour.
Pairing Festivals With Surrounding Lahaska and New Hope
One of the underrated benefits of the Peddler’s Village location is what’s around it. Lahaska’s antique shops and gift stores are right outside the Village. New Hope is a 10-minute drive south. Doylestown is a 20-minute drive north. For visitors making the trip from anywhere in Central Bucks, building a half-day at the Village into a fuller day exploring the surrounding towns is the most rewarding play. New Hope’s riverfront is especially good for an after-festival walk and dinner — the Bucks County Playhouse runs evening shows that pair perfectly with an early-afternoon Peddler’s Village visit.
For out-of-town visitors, the Golden Plough Inn at Peddler’s Village offers on-site lodging that turns a festival weekend into an actual vacation. For locals, the festivals work better as half-day trips than as full-day commitments — the Village is close enough that you can come back the next weekend and catch what you missed.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Peddler’s Village free to attend?
Yes — admission to Peddler’s Village and all of its summer festivals (Strawberry, Bluegrass & Blueberries, Peach Festival, and Bucks Fever Fridays) is free. Some specific activities (gem mining, the kids’ escape room, gel blaster battlefield, etc.) have individual fees, and VIP packages for the larger festivals are available for purchase. Food, drinks, and shopping are all individually priced.
When should I arrive at the Peach Festival to find parking?
For the Peach Festival specifically, plan to arrive by 10:30 AM (the festival opens at 11:00 AM) to get a spot in the main lot. By 11:30 AM the main lot is typically full and overflow parking with shuttle service is in operation. After 4:00 PM, parking opens back up as morning visitors leave.
Are dogs allowed at Peddler’s Village festivals?
Leashed, well-behaved dogs are generally welcome on the outdoor walkways of Peddler’s Village, but festival-day crowds are dense and many shops do not allow pets inside. Pet policies for individual restaurants vary. On the busiest festival days (Strawberry, Peach), the crowd density makes it less than ideal for many dogs.
How do I pre-order a peach pie for the Peach Festival?
Peddler’s Village’s peach pie pre-order opens online in mid-July through the Village’s website. Pies are available for pickup July 30 through August 1. Pies sell out, often well in advance, so order as soon as the pre-order opens if a whole pie is on your festival-day list.
Are the festivals stroller-friendly?
Yes. The Village’s brick walkways, mature shade trees, dedicated playground area, and accessible restrooms make it one of the more stroller-friendly festival venues in Bucks County. Wagons are also welcome and often easier than strollers on the brick paths. For wheelchair access, the Village has a complete accessibility map available at the main visitor center.
A Summer Tradition Worth Building Around
If you live in Bucks County and you don’t already build your summer around the Peddler’s Village festivals, 2026 is the year to start. Strawberry on May 2–3, Bluegrass & Blueberries in July, Peach Festival August 1–2 — three weekends, three reasons to slow down and spend a Saturday with your family in one of the most reliably well-run festival venues in the region. At Homeowners in the Know, we think these are the kinds of seasonal rituals that turn a place you live into a place you actually love living.
For more on what makes Bucks County such a great summer destination, explore our Bucks County living guides — and you can confirm 2026 dates and times directly on the Peddler’s Village festivals page and through Visit Bucks County’s festival listings.