🌹 The Lancaster Ledger

Good morning, Lancaster. This is basically our first edition. If you’re here reading this somehow — wow. I’m impressed by you.

In today's Lancaster Ledger:

Let's get to it.

— Collin

Lititz Fire & Ice 2026 Festival

Lititz Fire & Ice is here! It’s running Feb 13-22! 27 huge ice sculptures and 85 single-block pieces carved throughout the 10 days—some ready for opening weekend, others carved fresh for week two. Last year brought in 50,000 visitors, with new executive director Sam Thrush expecting similar crowds. Free admission with food trucks, family scavenger hunts, a restaurant crawl, and live entertainment from Big Boy Brass on opening Friday. Park downtown or hit Warwick High School if you need overflow parking.

Beyond the ice sculptures, there are timed events all weekend long: the Lititz Ice Cream Festival Feb 14 ($20, eight local ice cream shops), fire performer Molly Dazzle doing three shows Feb 20, a full day of free live entertainment Feb 21 with dance schools and young musicians, plus a Chili Cook-Off and makers market Feb 21-22.

Jonathan Groff Shouts Out Lancaster

The Tony Award winner and Hollywood fixture just gave Lancaster County a little shout-out on Amy Poehler's podcast, crediting our community institutions for launching his whole theater career. Groff talked about discovering musical theater through a high school production of "Annie Get Your Gun" at Conestoga Valley, then racing to the Lancaster Public Library to check out the original Broadway cast album on vinyl—which he played over and over. The guy was obsessed! He also performed at the Fulton Theatre and EPAC as a teenager.

Beyond theater, Groff shared stories about growing up on his family's horse farm in Ronks, shoveling manure while blasting Britney Spears and Stephen Sondheim (an interesting combo), and learning life lessons from fainting goats. He even mentioned WGAL during a discussion about blooper compilations with Poehler. The whole episode is a love letter to Lancaster County that shows how much our hometown shaped a guy now crushing it on Broadway, TV, and film.

Paradise Energy, Upward Broadband Break Ground On $15M Shared Headquarters Near Mount Joy

Two local companies founded by the Beiler brothers are building a new HQ. Paradise Energy Solutions (solar installers) and sister company Upward Broadband (wireless internet) are breaking ground on a $15 million, five-story building near Mount Joy at 1320 Strickler Road. The facility brings together 111 employees—96 from Paradise Energy and 15 from Upward Broadband—under one roof, with room to grow. The building includes a 39,000-square-foot contractor shop, 35,000 square feet of office space, and the top two floors leased out temporarily while they expand.

The project includese rooftop solar arrays (861 kilowatts), two solar carports, and 14 EV charging stations. Paradise Energy was founded in 2009 and now employs 147 people across eight states. Upward Broadband launched in 2019 to address rural broadband gaps. Construction finishes June 2027.

Taylor Chip files for bankruptcy

Taylor Chip, the Lancaster County cookie company that became a regional success story (but not without some polarization along the way), filed for bankruptcy and is closing its Philadelphia locations. The company launched seven years ago as a self-funded operation with no outside investors. But expansion is risky, and Philly was the bet that didn't pay off. They signed leases in late 2022 expecting a three-month buildout like their other locations. Instead, permit delays stretched to six months per permit, turning a six-month process into nearly two years of carrying ongoing expenses without operational revenue.

The Philadelphia stores ultimately didn't generate enough profit to cover the debt from those delays. But co-founder Doug Taylor is keeping the perspective that matters: "If you're in the middle of a hard chapter, keep going, it doesn't define you." They're refocusing on rural locations (York, Hershey, Intercourse, Manheim Township), their e-commerce business, and a new Taylor Chip Nutrition line launching nationwide.

And Then There Were None - Fulton Theatre, Feb 12-Mar 8, 2026. The Fulton Theatre, 12 N. Prince St., Lancaster, PA • Agatha Christie's classic whodunit where 8 characters arrive on an island and die one by one

Winter ReSort Book Sale, Feb 13-15, 2026. Book ReSort, 225 N. Marshall St., Lancaster, PA • Three-day book sale with books, DVDs, vinyl records. Proceeds benefit Lancaster Public Library

Lititz Fire & Ice Festival, Feb 13-22, 2026 (Daily). Downtown Lititz, PA • 10-day community festival with 112+ ice sculptures, food trucks, live entertainment, and family activities

Penn Square Opera: Opera - The Ex Files, Friday, Feb 13, 2026 @ 7:00 PM. The Trust Performing Arts Center, 37 N. Market St., Lancaster, PA • Valentine's Day opera program featuring arias and duets about love, betrayal, and heartbreak

The Jane Austen Playlist, Friday, Feb 13, 2026 @ 7:30 PM. The Ware Center, 42 N. Prince St., Lancaster, PA • Pairs Jane Austen's writing with songs from the Austen Family Music Books collection

Broadway Rave, Saturday, Feb 14, 2026 @ 7:00 PM (21+). Tellus360, 24 E. King St., Lancaster, PA • High-energy musical theater sing-along featuring Broadway hits

Valentine's Day Dueling Pianos, Saturday, Feb 14, 2026 @ 8:00 PM. West Art, 800 Buchanan Ave., Lancaster, PA • High-energy, interactive Valentine's Day show with two pianos and sing-alongs

Lititz Ice Cream Festival, Saturday, Feb 14, 2026 @ Noon - 4:00 PM. Lincoln Shoe Co., 101 W. Lincoln Ave., Lititz, PA • Ice cream festival sampling 8+ local Lancaster County ice cream businesses

Art & Coffee Crawl, Saturday, Feb 14, 2026 @ 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM. Downtown Lancaster galleries • Self-guided tour of Lancaster's galleries with free, locally-made coffee

Seth Ebersole Quartet - Fresh Takes on Jazz, Sunday, Feb 15, 2026 @ 3:00 PM. Mickey's Black Box, 101 Rock Lititz Blvd., Lititz, PA • Jazz saxophonist from U.S. Air Force performs works from album Dear Emily

Friday, Feb 13: High 33°F, low 20°F.

Thanks for reading the Lancaster Ledger. If you found something useful here, pass it on to someone who can never walk past Oola Bowls without grabbing one to go.

Cheers!