Showing posts with label Amish Village. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Amish Village. Show all posts

Wednesday, October 14, 2015

Visiting Amish Village and Rainbow's Comedy Playhouse in Lancaster County


Visiting the Amish Village was a little “touristy” I suppose, but because it was open on Sunday and something new to explore, we signed up.

 

The tours are conducted every 15 minutes, so we took some time to browse the gift shop filled with standard Amish goods like homemade soaps, jams, jellies and gifts. When the guide called us, we were led to the front room where we relaxed on benches and listened to a short history on the Amish. 

 

After a question-and-answer session, we were led through the authentic 1840s Amish farmhouse to the spacious kitchen, with the propane lamp/heater and old-fashioned appliances. What caught my eye as a reporter, was the newspaper placed on the kitchen table called “The Budget,” where the Amish learn the news of the week from around the country. The paper is longer in width than our standard newspaper and Amish from around the country pen details on family life from the weather, to plantings, marriages, births and deaths.

 

Amish Kitchen


After viewing the kitchen, we followed our guide upstairs to get a glimpse of the bedrooms and learn more the various modes of dress.  The last stop of the tour took us outside to the back stairs and down to the “summer” kitchen situated beneath the farmhouse. There we viewed a wooden butter churn and canning equipment for “putting up" the summer’s harvest. I thought about how great it would be to have such a place to go to prepare my blue-ribbon bread-and-butter pickles at the end of the summer.

 

After the tour, we walked the grounds and petted the goats, horses and cows and gawked at the peacocks—yep, there were a few of those there too. If you enjoy feeding animals, remember to bring along plenty of quarters to operate the dispensing machines along the way. The baby goats were my favorite and I successfully managed to keep the adults from getting almost all the food.

Other stops along the way included a barn full of various farm tools and an Amish school house where students of all ages learned together. Another shop marked the end of the tour, where I purchased a copy of The Budget. 

Amish Classroom

 

A young writer from the New York Times paid a visit to the offices of The Budget back in 2009. To learn more about what she thought of the enterprise, visit:  

Exploring News by the Amish Online

 

For those who want the full experience, an additional 90-minute bus tour is also available. Busses depart on the hour and traverse the back roads, stopping at Amish businesses along the way.   

 

Visiting the Rainbow's Comedy Playhouse 

 

Just a few minutes’ drive from the Creekside Inn B&B is Rainbow’s Comedy Playhouse. Operating since 1984, the Rainbow’s Comedy Playhouse was founded by David and Cindy DiSavino, two working actors who lived in New York City and decided to relocate to the area.

 

The playhouse first operated from the banquet room of the Strasburg Inn before that business was sold and the couple was forced to move. They found a new home at the historic Revere Tavern before relocating once again to support their growing popularity—this time to a brand new facility at 3065 Lincoln Highway East, not far from the historic tavern.

 

Rainbow's Comedy Theatre

We enjoyed a Sunday matinee, along with a buffet dinner, which included roast beef, stuffed shells and various side dishes, like mashed potatoes, corn and green beans. We ordered wine at our table and although standard desserts were free, we opted for a delicious crème brulee, which cost just a little extra.

Creme Brulee

 

Waiter and waitresses, who provide drinks, appetizers, salads and desserts tableside, can often be seen acting onstage after the lights dim. 

You can keep up to date with Rainbow's latest offerings by visiting their website here.