This article has been updated to clarify the Lancaster County Community Foundation's role in the upcoming "Summer for Lancaster" programming.
The City of Lancaster Office of Promotion released its plans for events this summer, and later this year, including the return of the popular Red Rose Drop on New Year's Eve.
Plans aren't yet solidified for the New Year's Eve celebration, but city spokesperson Amber Strazzo Righter confirmed the "return of the iconic Red Rose Drop in some fashion" in a press release Friday.
The Red Rose Drop was canceled in 2023 for "the foreseeable future," Strazzo Righter said in a previous email with LNP | LancasterOnline. The event was canceled in 2020 and 2021 because of the COVID-19 pandemic, and returned to Binns Park in 2022 with low attendance.
In addition to the return of the Red Rose Drop, the city announced several other new and returning events.
Celebrate Lancaster, which was held previously around July as a Fourth of July celebration, will move this year to Aug. 16.
Last year, Celebrate Lancaster was slated for June 16, billed as a collaborative celebration for Juneteenth, a holiday that commemorates the end of slavery in the United States. It was postponed due to forecasted severe weather and returned Aug. 18.
"By moving the event to August, the city is making space for other significant celebrations in June, like Pride Month and Juneteenth," Strazzo Righter said in a press release.
The city will host a dedicated Juneteenth celebration June 21.
In addition, the city will support a new summer programming initiative by the Lancaster County Community Foundation called "Summer for Lancaster." Full details have not yet been announced, but the event is slated to have activities like "temporary art installations, interactive spaces and community engagement opportunities."
"We are eagerly anticipating the lineup of events for the upcoming year, which highlights the very essence of our community – unity, diversity, and vibrancy," said Danene Sorace, Lancaster city mayor, in a press release.
Here are the slated events for this summer and beyond.
— First Friday, from May through October.
— Music Friday, on the third Friday of the month, from May through September.
— Red Rose Run, June 1.
— Juneteenth Celebration, June 21.
— Celebrate Lancaster, Aug. 16.
— Hispanic Heritage Month Celebration, Oct. 5.
— Mayor's Tree Lighting, Nov. 29.
— New Year's Eve Celebration, Dec. 31
For more information, visit visitlancastercity.com.
