Good morning, Lancaster County. It's Thursday, it's going to hit an ugly 103 today — with 104 on tap for Friday — and the Fourth of July is two days out. If you've already got the fireworks squared away from our last couple of issues, here's what's fresh: an Old-West train robbery, a tomato festival, and a shelter benefit worth the drive.

In today's Lancaster Local:

Before most of us were awake, the auctioneer was already going.

On Saturday, June 20, the Plain community filled the Leola Produce Auction before dawn for the 35th annual benefit auction for the Clinic for Special Children. The breakfast buffet opened at 6:30 a.m., the bidding got rolling at 8:30, and the handmade quilts — the heart of the day — went under the gavel at noon.

Every dollar goes to the Strasburg clinic, which cares for local children born with rare genetic disorders — specialized medicine most families could never shoulder on their own. So the neighbors hold an auction instead, and a sick child's family never has to face the bill alone.

It's Lancaster County at its most itself: no gala, no black tie — just an auction house full of people who show up at dawn, year after year, for kids they may never meet.

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The Fourth is nearly here, but the week keeps going — a train heist, a tomato festival, and a Sunday concert from Colombia.

🚂 The Wild Bunch — Strasburg Rail Road — 301 Gap Rd (Rt 741), Ronks. Saturday, July 4 (and select Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays through the summer, including July 10 and 11). Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid bring an Old-West train robbery to life aboard the steam train, with outlaws, Pinkerton agents, and a shootout through Amish farmland. Tied to specific departures — check the day's train schedule. Tickets $47.40 adults, $37.10 kids 2–11. (Heads up: loud effects, pyrotechnics, and realistic prop firearms.)
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🦕 Dino Tales, with a County Park Naturalist — Manheim Community Library — 547 N Penryn Rd, Manheim. Monday, July 6, 10–11 a.m. A Lancaster County Parks naturalist brings the world of dinosaurs to the library for a story-and-discovery hour aimed at young explorers. Free; registration recommended.
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📚 Book Fair for Grown-Ups, with author Lindsay Hameroff — Columbia Public Library — 24 S 6th St, Columbia. Friday, July 10, 6–8 p.m. An after-hours book fair for adults, with a curated selection from Seymour's Little Shop of Books and a visit from novelist Lindsay Hameroff ("Rewrite the Stars"). Twenty percent of sales goes back to the library.
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🍅 Washington Boro Tomato Festival — Washington Boro Community Park — 16 Park St, Washington Boro. Saturday, July 11; live music from local band Borderline runs 5–9 p.m. The riverside village celebrates the crop that put it on the map, with food, games, and music along the Susquehanna.
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🐾 The Modern Day Pharaohs — Columbia Animal Shelter Benefit — 265 S 10th St, Columbia. Saturday, July 11, 7–10 p.m. The all-volunteer shelter turns its stage over to a night of live music for a good cause — come for the songs, stay to support at-risk animals.
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🎪 Second Saturday in Lititz — Broad & Main Streets, downtown Lititz. Saturday, July 11, 11 a.m.–2 p.m. Historic downtown Lititz leans into its monthly Second Saturday with live music and local talent spilling out among the shops and cafés. Free, stroll at your own pace.
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🍦 Ice Cream for Breakfast at Hinkle's — 261 Locust St, Columbia. Saturday, July 11, 7–11 a.m. It's National Ice Cream Month, and the beloved Columbia landmark celebrates the only way that makes sense — scooping ice cream with breakfast. Show up early for a sweet start to the weekend.
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🚶 Manheim Historic Walking Tours — Fasig & Keath House Museums, 30–32 E High St, Manheim. Sunday, July 12, 1:30 p.m. (arrive by 1:15). The Manheim Historical Society leads a free, roughly 45-minute guided walk through the borough's history, stepping off from the museum lawn (weather permitting).
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🎶 Las Guaracheras — Long's Park Summer Music Series — Long's Park Amphitheater, 1441 Harrisburg Ave, Lancaster. Sunday, July 12, 7:30 p.m. The free Sunday-evening series brings Las Guaracheras, a Latin band out of Cali, Colombia, to the amphitheater. Pack a blanket and a picnic. Free and open to all.
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Weather

Thursday, July 2 — Dangerously hot. Sunny and 103 degrees, and Friday looks worse at 104. Treat this like the real thing: drink water before you're thirsty, stay out of the midday sun, never leave kids or pets in a parked car, and check on older neighbors. If you're headed anywhere outdoors this weekend, plan around shade and hydration.

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