August 21, 2025
Content sponsored by
BEN PREPELKA/Columbia-Montour Visitors Bureau
Synder Covered Bridge.
Timeless & picturesque, the covered bridges of Columbia & Montour Counties in Central Pennsylvania harken back to simpler times. Home to an incredible twenty-five covered bridges, the heart of Central Pennsylvania is just a two and a half hour drive from the Philadelphia metro area. A few days in the quiet countryside are the perfect way to get away from the toils of daily life, and the historic bridges will serve as a reminder that sometimes, it’s the simple things in life that can make you happiest. Could there be a better time to visit these historic treasures than in the onset of autumn’s vibrant brilliance!?
Montour County looking north.
Visitors to the area during the first weekend in October will have the added bonus of being able to check out one of the East Coast’s largest craft festivals – the 43rd Annual Covered Bridge & Arts Festival. The festival celebrates the area’s iconic covered bridges while showcasing over 350 crafters and food vendors featuring a wide range of handmade and artisan crafts. This immensely popular four-day fall festival will be held at the Bloomsburg Fairgrounds in Bloomsburg, PA from Thursday, October 2 through Sunday, October 5. Hours for the event are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday, and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday. The event is produced and coordinated by the Columbia-Montour Visitors Bureau. Parking and admission to the festival are free and tour buses are always welcome.
In addition to the crafters and food vendors, attendees will find wine, beer & spirit tastings, fall activities, live fine artist crafting demonstrations, a weekend petting zoo, strolling saxophonist and much more. The Covered Bridge & Arts Festival has been awarded the tag of one of the 200 Best Arts & Craft Shows in the country ten times by Sunshine Artist Magazine.
East & West Paden Twin Bridges.
Throughout the weekend, attendees will be able to see some of the crafters working on their craft in real-time, right in front of them. From painting to photography, woodcrafts, textiles, pottery, blown glass, jewelry, handmade fudge, hot sauces, and so much more, the event will have something for everyone to find for even the pickiest of family members on the Christmas gift list. And with 30+ food vendors, there will be no shortage of delicious fall treats to enjoy as you shop.
Rohrbach's Fall Pumpkins.
While you can venture out on your own to visit the covered bridges (and it’s a lot of fun to explore the back country roads on your own personal covered bridge scavenger hunt), a guided bus tour option will also be available with limited seats available. This special guided covered bridge bus tour will leave directly from the festival on Saturday, October 4th. Tickets for the bus tour are $30 per person. Bridges being visited on the tour will include: Rupert, Wanich, Kramer, Patterson, East & West Paden Twins, Josiah Hess, and Stillwater. The bus tour will last from approximately 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. The bus will leave from and return to the Fairgrounds. To learn more or purchase tickets, please contact the Visitors Bureau office at 570-784-8279. Again, tickets are extremely limited for this special tour and will sell out.
The Phoenix at Knoebels Amusement Resort.
If the tour is sold out, or you’d like to explore at your leisure, you can request or download a FREE Covered Bridge driving tour map from the Visitors Bureau. And covered bridges aren’t the only reason to make a weekend getaway to Central Pennsylvania; you can experience the thrills of Knoebels Amusement Resort in the fall, find the perfect hiking trail for your energy level, explore Bill’s Old Bike Barn, visit a family farm like Rohrbach’s to do the corn maze or collect fresh fall goodies, fruits, and veggies, hunt for fossils at the Montour Preserve, learn about the history of coal mining at the Pioneer Tunnel, and so much more. There’s even a mobile fishing passport program this year for angling enthusiasts looking to receive the title of Master Angler for the region!
For more information about the Covered Bridge & Arts Festival or to plan your trip to the region, please visit: itourcolumbiamontour.com.
