May 2: Celebrate History in the Streets of Lancaster at the Community Block Party for History

On Saturday, May 2, Lancaster history will step out of the museum and into the streets.

The Stevens & Smith Center Grand Opening continues with the Community Block Party for History, a free public celebration, from 12:00 PM to 6:00 PM on East Vine Street between South Queen and Christian Streets in Lancaster City.

For one afternoon, the neighborhood around Queen and Vine will become a lively gathering place filled with music, food, artists, local organizations, family activities, and opportunities to explore one of Lancaster’s most important new cultural landmarks. The block party marks the public’s first chance to tour the new Thaddeus Stevens & Lydia Hamilton Smith Center for History and Democracy, a space dedicated to telling stories of freedom, justice, democracy, and the people who helped shape them.

And yes, Uncharted Lancaster will be there too.

From 12:00 PM to 5:00 PM, I’ll be running the Uncharted Lancaster Downtown History Treasure Hunt, a free, family-friendly adventure through the streets of Lancaster City. The hunt begins at the Uncharted Lancaster booth, where participants can get the join code and begin a 1.6-mile journey through local history, hidden clues, and downtown landmarks.

A Block Party for History and Democracy

The Community Block Party for History is part of the grand opening weekend for the Stevens & Smith Center, located near the corner of Queen and Vine streets.

The new center honors two towering figures in Lancaster’s history: Thaddeus Stevens, the fierce abolitionist, congressman, and champion of equal rights, and Lydia Hamilton Smith, a successful businesswoman, civic leader, and Stevens’ longtime house manager and confidante. Their lives and legacies are deeply tied to Lancaster, the Underground Railroad, the struggle against slavery, and the unfinished work of American democracy.

During the block party, visitors will have the opportunity to enter the Stevens & Smith Center through free timed admission. Timed entry slots at the top of the hour and half hour are available to reserve online in advance, while additional times every quarter hour will be available at the door on a first-come, first-served basis.

Inside the center, staff and volunteers will be available to answer questions and help visitors explore the exhibits.

Food, Music, Vendors, and Family Fun

The block party will feature a full afternoon of entertainment, food, and community activity.

Food and beverages will be available from Decades, Hello Mango Bakery, Mezcla Ice Cream, Nano Burger, Raney Cellars, Scott’s Artisan Pizza, Souvlaki Boys, and Vine Bar. The day’s entertainment lineup begins at noon with the United States Colored Troops, 3rd Regiment, followed by welcome remarks and a spoken-word performance by Evita Colon, Lancaster’s first poet laureate. Other scheduled performers include Thousand Brassy, Jordan Rast and Friends, Solise White, Soul Kharisma, and a grand finale featuring Speak to My Soul, with DJ Edge and MC Hamilton Newton helping keep the celebration moving throughout the day.

Visitors can also explore a wide variety of community vendors and organizations, including the Historic Preservation Trust of Lancaster County, LancasterHistory, Mennonite Life, Historic Rock Ford, Susquehanna National Heritage Area, Thaddeus Stevens College of Technology, the Lancaster Branch of the NAACP, the Underground Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania, Visit Lancaster City, and many more. Uncharted Lancaster will also be among the featured vendors.

Families can expect hands-on activities throughout the day, including kid-friendly experiences connected to local history, trades, and community storytelling.

Join the Uncharted Lancaster Downtown History Treasure Hunt

One of the day’s featured activities will be the Uncharted Lancaster Downtown History Treasure Hunt, running from 12:00 PM to 5:00 PM.

This free adventure begins at the Uncharted Lancaster booth at the Community Block Party for History. Participants will ask for the join code, enter it into the hunt app, and begin a downtown journey that blends local history, puzzles, and exploration.

The hunt covers approximately 1.6 miles and is designed to take about 90 minutes to complete. Players will visit historic locations, solve clues, answer questions, and uncover pieces of Lancaster’s past hiding in plain sight.

Unlike some past Uncharted Lancaster treasure hunts, this one is not a race to be first across the finish line. Instead, all scoring locks at 5:00 PM, allowing teams to start at different times during the afternoon. Winners will be determined by accuracy, speed, and score.

A total of $1,000 in prizes will be awarded to the top five teams:

1st Place: $400
2nd Place: $250
3rd Place: $175
4th Place: $100
5th Place: $75

Teams placing sixth through tenth will receive a signed copy of an Uncharted Lancaster book, with winners choosing between Uncharted Lancaster: Field Guide to the Strange, Storied, and Hidden Places of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania or Uncharted Lancaster’s Ghosts, Monsters, and Tales of Adventure.

All finishers can also receive an Uncharted Lancaster button while supplies last.

The treasure hunt is designed to be approachable, fun, and rooted in real Lancaster history. Whether you are a longtime Uncharted Lancaster adventurer or trying one of our hunts for the first time, this is a great chance to explore downtown in a new way. Full treasure hunt details are available here.

Make a Day of It

The Community Block Party for History is more than a grand opening. It is an invitation to step into Lancaster’s past, celebrate the people and places that shaped it, and experience history as something alive, active, and connected to the present.

Come for the music. Stay for the food. Tour the new Stevens & Smith Center. Visit the vendors. Bring the family. Try the treasure hunt.

Lancaster’s history is not only found in books, archives, and museum cases. On May 2, it will be in the streets, in the stories, in the clues, and in the footsteps of everyone who comes out to celebrate.

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Uncharted Lancaster Field Guide

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Packed with history, local stories, and GPS locations, this book is your ticket to exploring the mysterious corners of Lancaster like never before. Whether you’re a lifelong local, a history buff, or just looking for a unique adventure, this field guide will spark your curiosity and send you exploring. Start your adventure here.