Why You Should Visit Lebanon, Pennsylvania: A Dynamic Place to Be

What comes to mind when you think of Tourism in Pennsylvania?

Lancaster? Philadelphia? Pittsburgh?

All of these have their advantages. Philadelphia has Independence Hall, the LIberty bell, and an enduring place in the hearts of all interested in Revolutionary-war era history. Pittsburgh is known for it's Steel-works. Lancaster city (and the surrouding county of the same name) has made the Amish into a vital part of its tourist appeal. Yes, all of these places have their own charms, but there is one location which is usually not considered as a tourist destination, but probably should be: Lebanon.

Lebanon, Pennsylvania is a moderate-sized city (population 24,161 as of the 2000 census), located 26 miles east of Harrisburg, the State capital. It is the county seat of Lebanon county.

When people think of "Pennsylvania Dutch country", they usually think of Lancaster county (due primarily to the aggressive marketing of the Amish undertaken by Lancaster County tourist organizations), but those who really want an authentic "Pennsylvania Dutch" experience will probably come away dissapointed. (The portrayal of the Amish put forward by Lancaster County tourist organizations is actually rather superficial, for one thing.) For a real dose of "Pennsylvania Dutch Country" as it really is, you can't beat Lebanon County.

Lebanon (City and county) is a study in contrasts. Palmyra (the easternmost town in the county) is for all intents and purposes a suburb of Hershey; many of it's inhabitants work in Hershey, and their overall outlook is more like Hershey than it resembles other areas of the county.

This county, like many other counties, has a "main road" upon which many of it's towns and cities are located. In this case, the primary road is PA route 422, which (from the point of view of Lebanon County) runs from Harrisburg on the West, to Reading on the East -- at least, that's a convenient way to visualize the relationships of vairous towns and cities in the area.

The next town (heading East along 422) after Palmyra is Annville (originally named Millerstown, but changed to "Annville" in honor of the original founder's wife.) Technically, Annville isn't considered a "town", but rather, is designated as a CDP (Census Designated Place) since it lacks a city council or other seperate governing body.
Annville is actually quite "laid-back", and due to the presence of Lebanon Valley College, exhibits most of the characteristics of other small, primarily rural "college towns". One of the primary "hangouts" is AJ's Cofeehouse on Main Street (right next to the Allen theatre.) AJ's hosts an "open mic" night on Monday evenings, where people gather to play music, read poetry, and generally indulge in other such activities common to the "Coffeehouse" scene.

The nextmost Eastern community is Cleona, whose primary claim to fame is that Cleona Square mall contains a Big Lots AND Giant foods grocery store. (Just kidding!)

Lebanon City is where things begin to get interesting.

Primarily, the biggest change in the last few decades has been a steady increase in the number of "Hispanic" persons -- primarily, but not exclusively, persons of Puerto Rican ancestry relocated from various locations in New York. Settling primarily in the "North Side", they have become an interesting new element in what was previously a much more uniformly "Pennsylvania Dutch" locality.
New restaurants ("Puerto Rican paradise", and "The Inca", among others) have exposed many of the local population to different new foods, and "Radio Omega", a local Low-power FM station, serves to aquaint folks with new types of music which were previously not heard in this area. There has been suprisingly little "Racial" tensions in Lebanon County during this rather major demographic shift; in fact,

Former mayor Jackie Parker instituted what has become a major local tradition, originally as a corrective against racist activity.

in the late 1990s, the KKK (Ku Klux Klan) wanted to stage a rally in Lebanon, Pennsylvania. Former mayor Parker, like any good American, was more than willing to permit a peaceful demonstration, in accordance with the principles of free speech. However, to demonstrate that many Lebanon County residents were NOT in agreement with the Klan, she organized an event called "Unity Day", which was to be a sort of "Multicultural festival". People from many different backgrounds were encouraged to get together and enjoy food, music, and friendship with one another. They were encouraged to bring various ethnic foods (there's nowhere else that I ever saw "Pork and Saurkraut" and Egg-rolls selling right next to one another!), and, basically, just show that Lebanon was a friendly place to live.

It worked. the KKK had their demonstration, and the Unity Day participants had something else to do. "Unity Day" has outlived Mayor Parker's administration, and continues to be a fun and exciting time for the residents of Lebanon, Pennsylvania.

For those desiring a more "Pennsylvania Dutch" experience, there's nowhere better than Myerstown or Frystown, to the east of Lebanon -- also on Route 422. The Myerstown area is rural, and has the area's largest numbers of Mennonites, Amish, and "Church of the Brethren" adherents.

"Horse-and-buggies" are not an uncommon sight even in Lebanon city, and you are almost guaranteed to spot at least one Mennonite woman wearing a home-made dress, and the distinctive "head covering". They are not seen as "Quaint relics" or "curiousities" as in much of the Lancaster County tourist literature, but are rather a lively and vital part of our community life.

Yes, Lebanon County is truly an overlooked nexus of multi-cultural interchange. Come on over, and check us out; I think you'll be impressed.