Raising kids is an extreme sport. One minute, you’re a peaceful parent sipping coffee at Paulus Farm Market, watching your little cherubs feed the goats, and the next, someone is attempting to ride one like a pony. (Sorry, Amy, that was a learning moment.)
But if parenting is a rollercoaster, then Central PA is the ultimate theme park—and not just because of the actual theme parks within driving distance (looking at you, Hersheypark). It’s because this place shows up for families in a way that makes me swoon harder than a Hallmark movie.
The Early Days: Finding My People
I remember the early, lonely days of motherhood—staring at a tiny human who had more demands than a CEO, wondering if I’d ever have a conversation that didn’t involve discussing bodily fluids. Then I found my people. It started at Wildwood Park, where I met other sleep-deprived parents pushing strollers like zombies, and at Mechanicsburg’s Joseph T. Simpson Library storytime, where we bonded over toddlers who refused to sit still but could somehow recite every word of Brown Bear, Brown Bear by heart.
And let’s talk about the heroes of my parenting journey—places like My Gym Mechanicsburg, where the kids burn energy and I get to drink coffee in relative peace, and Paulus Farm Park, where they experience hands-on farm fun that makes them think chores are fun (until they realize they have to do them at home, too). Speaking of learning moments, let’s not forget the time we left the changes of clothes at home before creek play at Trails and Trees Environmental Center, and the kids had to ride home commando. Lesson learned.
The Traditions That Make This Place Home
This area isn’t just a backdrop—it’s part of our family’s story.
- We cut down our Christmas tree at Ocker’s Christmas Tree Farm, where my kids argue over which tree is the one for an unnecessarily long time.
- We bundle up in January for the Pennsylvania Farm Show, where they claim to be interested in agriculture but really just want milkshakes and a giant butter sculpture selfie. Oh, and the time I lost Ridley at the Farm Show? He knew to go to security, but thought he’d get in trouble, so he told them his name was Paxton and that I was not his mother. Good times.
- We celebrate the season at Lower Paxton’s Christkindlmarkt, where we sip cocoa, soak in twinkling lights, and pretend we have the willpower to resist buying another handmade ornament.
- Summer? That’s for fireworks at a Senators game, devouring ice cream from The Meadows, and getting lost in the chaos of Mechanicsburg Jubilee Day—where my kids will 100% beg for funnel cake before noon.
A Community That Feels Like Family
From playgrounds that double as parent survival zones (Friendship Park, Adventure Park, Adams Ricci Park) to festivals that celebrate the rich diversity of our community (Kipona Festival), this region knows how to create moments that matter.
Need to escape for the day? We’ve got fantastic day trips within reach:
- Philadelphia – Because nothing says educational fun like getting lost in the Franklin Institute and pretending it's a physics lesson.
- Baltimore – Port Discovery Children's Museum and the Maryland Science Center = a day of hands-on fun and the perfect excuse to eat crab cakes by the harbor.
- Washington, D.C. – Free museums? Say no more.
Of course, not every moment is a Hallmark card. Like the epic Tropical Smoothie disaster, where I let my kids have smoothies in the car, assuming (incorrectly) that they would drink them like civilized people instead of reenacting a fruit-flavored explosion. But honestly? Even those moments make up the crazy, wonderful memories of raising kids here.
Harrisburg, You Have My Heart 💕
Raising kids here means never running out of things to do, people to connect with, and memories to make. It means watching my children chase fireflies at City Island, cheer for local teams, and grow up in a place that feels both exciting and safe. It’s community, culture, adventure, and home—wrapped up in one perfect, sometimes chaotic, always wonderful package.
So, Harrisburg and West Shore, consider this my Valentine’s Day confession: I’m completely, utterly, ridiculously in love with you.
And to my fellow parents? We’ve got it good. Let’s cherish every library storytime, every messy festival snack, and every playground meltdown—because someday, we’ll miss it all. (Maybe.)
When visiting events and local businesses, be sure to tell them Macaroni KID sent you... and don't forget to tell all your friends!
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