In celebration of America250, the Lehighton Area Heritage Alliance (LAHA) is hosting a county-wide history fair featuring displays by 22 Carbon County historical societies, local historians, and historical craft demonstrators.
The inaugural Carbon County History Fair will be held at the Carbon Plaza Mall on Saturday, March 14, 2026, from 10:00 AM – 2:00 PM. There is no cost to the public to attend the event.
LAHA History Fair Co-Chair Robert Kulp said the event was inspired by the Schuylkill County History Fair, which has been held in Pottsville for almost 30 years. “This seemed like the perfect way to celebrate America250CarbonCounty in 2026, but we plan to make it an annual early spring event to keep our history alive in Lehighton and all of Carbon County. It just so happens that the anniversary of the founding of Carbon County also falls in the same week (March 13, 1843), so we can also recognize the 183rd birthday of our county this year.”
What began in 1746 as the Moravian mission of Gnadenhutten, “huts of grace,” in the hills that are now Lehighton, Carbon County is most often defined by its rich anthracite coal history, which fueled the American Industrial Revolution via the Lehigh Canal and Lehigh Valley Railroads. While those industries have since waned, they allowed for a variety of other industries and cultural pursuits to flourish in the County over the last century, such as agriculture, garment manufacturing, retail, education, tourism, and the arts. The History Fair aims to highlight and educate the public on this diverse heritage. In celebration of America250, LAHA will also have items and photos from Lehighton’s 1966 Centennial and 1976 Bicentennial celebrations on display.
A variety of photos, postcards, maps, artifacts, and local memorabilia highlighting Carbon County’s rich history will be on display by the following nonprofit historical organizations:
Lehighton Area Heritage Alliance
America250PA – Carbon County
Carbon Model Railroad Society
Jacob’s Weissport Historical Society
Lansford Historical Society
Mauch Chunk Museum and Cultural Center
Nesquehoning Historical Society
No. 9 Coal Mine and Museum
Palmerton Area Historical Society
Summit Hill Historical Society
Weatherly Area Museum
And individual local historians:
Gordon Ripkey (Lehighton)
Bill Harleman (Lehighton)
Debra Biery & Sheila Valdez (Parryville)
Larry Bulanda (SS United States)
Historical craft demonstrations:
• Music & Folk Instrument Demonstration by Dave Matsinko
• Spinning Wheel Demonstration by Mahoning Valley Fiber Guild
• Basket Weaving Demonstration by Sandra Palinchak
• “De Schtaan” PA Dutch Wool Embroidery Demonstration by Kathy Long
• Quilting Demonstration by Terri Sheckler
• “Suffolk Puff” Sewing Demonstration by Jacque Spencer
• Sauerkraut-Making Demonstration by Wayne Sheckler
Learn more and download the PDF of the flyer at https://www.lehightonheritage.org/events/historyfair
For questions, please contact History Fair Co-Chair Robert Kulp at lehightonheritage@gmail.com or call/text 610-213-7054.
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