Pennsylvania

Here’s what to try at this year’s Pennsylvania Farm Show food court

Published

2 months ago

January 9, 2026

Here’s what to try at this year’s Pennsylvania Farm Show food court

As we were sequestered around the Expo Hall and Main Hall at the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex and Expo Center, guided by Pennsylvania Secretary of Agriculture Russell Redding and a Benjamin Franklin re-enactor Bill Robling, my mind began to wander to food.

Thursday marked my inaugural visit to the annual Pennsylvania Farm Show in Harrisburg, the 110th iteration the expo and one that coincided with the 250^th anniversary of the Untied States’ founding. While I and York Daily Record photographer Paul Kuehnel joined a flock of other reporters for the Farm Show’s preview, we were treated to a taste of many of the foods, both new and returning, that would be offered to visitors in the sprawling food court inside the Expo Hall.

Considering I hadn’t had breakfast that morning, I was willing to oblige.

With such an anniversary on the horizon, the Pennsylvania Dairyman’s Association unveiled a flight of red, white and blue milkshake flavors. Newer additions to the menu including pickle pizza from the Pennsylvania FFA and Lion’s Mane coffee from the Pennsylvania Mushroom Farmers, among others.

Here are some of the items the preview provided, as well as what to try when the food court opens at noon on Jan. 9.

Lion’s Mane Mushroom Coffee

Mushrooms are a major cash crop for Pennsylvania, with nearly 60 percent of U.S. production of the crop running through the commonwealth. Lion’s Mane mushrooms, especially, have been linked to brain health benefits thanks to anti-inflammatory and antioxidant compounds, according to a published paper by the journal Nutrients.

The coffee itself is a dark roast blended with ground Lion’s Mane mushrooms, and the flavor provides a slight, hearty twang to its benefit. Considering I hadn’t had my own coffee that morning, it provided me with an immediate jolt of energy.

Pierogi

Fun fact: pierogi is plural! A classic done right by the PA Cooperative Potato Growers, Inc., the pierogi are soft, chewy and contain a starchy potato filling that satisfies any craving but doesn’t weigh you down. The pierogi also come with grilled onions on top, which adds a savory boost to keep you wanting more.

Blended Mushroom Steakhouse Burger

Piled high with a mix of mushrooms grown right in Pennsylvania and a slathering of Alabama barbecue sauce, the Pennsylvania Mushroom Farmers offer a burger with a twist. The patty itself is 75 percent grass-fed beef, 25 percent mushroom, and it works. The burger retains the flavor of a traditional all-beef patty while keeping in style with the Pennsylvania Mushroom Farmers’ mission to introduce the state’s cash crop to a variety of dishes. And the Alabama barbecue sauce provides a twang to the ensemble.

Stuffed Baby Bella Mushrooms

Returning to the menu provided by the Pennsylvania Mushroom Farmers, you are provided with four bite-sized mushrooms that come in two flavors: artichoke and spinach and bacon and cheese.

The mushrooms are an excellent snack or starter for the Farm Fest, filled with flavor and firm enough to burst with juices after your first bite.

Potato Doughnut

The granddaddy of them all and a Farm Show staple, the potato doughnut makes its return in its three traditional flavors: plain, powdered and cinnamon sugar. It’s not as flaky as a traditional doughnut, and not as heavy either.

Red, White and Blue Milkshakes

With the 250^th anniversary of the United States’ founding, the The Pennsylvania Dairyman’s Association, a vendor with the Farm Show since 1955, saw fit to roll out a milkshake flight of red, white and bBlue milkshakes to ring in the sestercentennial. The white is a normal vanilla flavor, the red is strawberry and the blue is a raspberry flavor.

The Dairyman’s Association has also made an intentional move this year away from artificial dyes in their milkshakes, shifting to natural dyes to provide the color.

Dave Smith, executive director of the Pennsylvania Dairyman’s Association, said the move had been a goal of the Dairyman’s Association ahead of the nation’s 250^th anniversary.

“That was one of my priorities, to figure out how we could do something like that,” Smith said. “What we found is that (the colors) are not as distinct as what they would have been if they were artificial. It’s more subtle.”

This shift doesn’t affect the flavor one bit. All three options are sweet, thick and delicious, as to be expected.

Plan your trip to the Pennsylvania Farm Show

For more information about the Farm Show, check out the full schedule of events here. The food court opens to the public on Jan. 9 from noon until 9 p.m. with the bulk of the expo running from Jan. 10-17.

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Pennsylvania

Funeral arrangements set for Pa. state trooper shot and killed in Chester County

Published

34 minutes ago

March 11, 2026

Press Room

Funeral arrangements set for Pa. state trooper shot and killed in Chester County

The funeral arrangements for Corporal Timothy O’Connor, who was shot and killed in Chester County on Sunday, have been announced.

The viewing for O’Connor will be Tuesday, March 17, from 4:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. at St. Joseph’s Church located at 338 Manor Avenue in Downingtown, Pa., according to the Parkesburg Police Department.

The funeral will be held at the same location on Wednesday, March 18, at 11 a.m., police said.

O’Connor was shot and killed during a traffic stop in Honey Brook on Sunday night. The suspect, Jesse Nathan Elks, took his own life after shooting O’Connor.

O’Connor was a 15-year veteran of the Pennsylvania State Police who leaves behind a wife, Casey, and a 6-year-old daughter, according to police.

Pennsylvania State Police

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Pennsylvania

Fire crews try moving burning barge to shallow water in Delaware Bay

Published

13 hours ago

March 10, 2026

Press Room

Fire crews try moving burning barge to shallow water in Delaware Bay

Delaware, Pennsylvania, and federal agencies have been responding to a barge fire in the Delaware Bay.

The barge, which is carrying salvage metal, is being moved to shallow water so it can be secured, allowing on-scene responders to extinguish the fire and complete salvage operations, according to a March 10 statement from the Delaware Emergency Management Agency.

No injuries have been reported as of 1:15 p.m.

The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control (DNREC) is on scene to perform air monitoring, the statement said.

Responding agencies include the Wilmington Fire Department, Good Will, Leipsic Volunteer, Bowers and South Bowers fire companies. Also there are Delaware State Police, DNREC, New Castle County Office of Emergency Management, Kent County Department of Public Safety, the Delaware Emergency Management Agency and the U.S. Coast Guard Sector Delaware Bay.

The Philadelphia Fire Department was enroute.

This is a developing story. Check back with delawareonline.com for more information.

Send tips or story ideas to Esteban Parra at (302) 324-2299 or eparra@delawareonline.com.

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