🌹 The Lancaster Ledger

TOGETHER WITH

Good morning, Lancaster.

You know what's underrated? First Friday in April. The weather's finally cooperating, the art's out, the streets are buzzing, and you can walk around downtown without six layers on. We love it here.

In today's Lancaster Ledger:

• Reese's is going back to the classic recipe

• Taylor Chip is closing all remaining stores

• A local robotics team is heading to worlds

Let's do it.

— Collin

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Hershey announced this week that it will return to classic recipes for all Reese's products starting in 2027 — a move that comes after Brad Reese, grandson of Reese's founder H.B. Reese, publicly called the company out for swapping real chocolate for cheaper coatings in some products.

Brad Reese posted a pointed letter on LinkedIn back on Valentine's Day asking how Hershey could position Reese's as a symbol of trust while "quietly replacing the very ingredients that built Reese's trust in the first place." Hershey also announced it's boosting R&D funding by 25% and making Kit Kat creamier. Not bad for a LinkedIn letter.

If you've been meaning to grab one last Taylor Chip cookie, the clock is ticking. Co-founders Doug and Sara Taylor announced that the Lancaster County cookie and ice cream company is shutting down all remaining stores after a failed Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization. The York location at 3013 East Market Street closes tomorrow, April 4. The Lancaster store at 1573 Manheim Pike and the Hershey location at 121 Towne Square Drive will close April 11. The online store is also shutting down.

The Taylors cited scaling too quickly and a hacked Facebook ad account as key factors behind the decline. Taylor Chip had already closed two Philadelphia locations in February before filing for bankruptcy, but declining sales made a comeback impossible. It's a tough one — the company went from Forbes 30 Under 30 to closing its doors in just a few years.

A group of Manheim Township students just put Lancaster County on the robotics map. One Small Step for an Axolotl — yes, that's their actual team name — won the 2026 Pennsylvania State FIRST Tech Challenge Championship, beating out more than 40 teams. The squad is made up of Township high schooler William Lee and middle schoolers Elizabeth Lee, Anam Ahmed, Lizzie Droter, Sophie Duong, and Mahrukh Abdullah. They dress in pink for competitions, because of course they do.

The team will head to Houston in late April for the FIRST Tech Challenge World Championship, where they'll be one of just 336 teams out of over 8,600 that tried out. "We're not using kids to build robots, we're using robots to build kids," says coach Janny Kim, quoting FIRST founder Dean Kamen. The team is seeking donations from the community ahead of the trip.

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First Friday in Downtown Lancaster | Galleries, shops, and restaurants stay open late with art and entertainment throughout downtown | 5:00 PM - 9:00 PM | Downtown Lancaster, 120 North Duke Street | Free

Gallery Grow 1-Year Anniversary Celebration | 20% off plants and pottery plus a Golden Egg Anniversary Hunt with prizes | 10:00 AM - 6:00 PM | Gallery Grow Plant Bar, 320 N Queen Street | Free

First Friday Hours at Lancaster Medical Heritage Museum | Extended evening hours to explore Lancaster's medical history | 4:00 PM - 8:00 PM | Lancaster Medical Heritage Museum, 410 N. Lime Street | $5

PCA&D Spring Art Market | Over 65 student vendors selling art, prints, jewelry, and crafts | 4:00 PM - 8:00 PM | Pennsylvania College of Art & Design, 204 North Prince Street | Free

Lancaster Improv's First Friday Free For All | Two improv shows plus audience participation jam | 7:00 PM - 9:30 PM | Lancaster Improv Players, 16 S Prince Street | Free

Organic Reflections: Palms to Passion Organ Concert | Resident Organist Larry Hershey performs on the Hill Byrne/Christiansen Memorial Organ | 8:00 PM - 8:30 PM | First Reformed Church, 40 E Orange Street | Free

Comedy Night at Columbia Kettle Works | Stand-up comedy show featuring touring comedians | 7:00 PM | Columbia Kettle Works IronSpire Taphouse, 2800 North Reading Road, Reinholds | $15-$20

Spring into Summer Cheesecake Vend-O-Rama | New menu launch and candy samples at the historic downtown shop for First Friday | 10:00 AM - 8:00 PM | Vintage Candy Shop, 38 W King Street | Free

Geneviève Bérubé Functional Ceramics Pop-Up | First Friday celebration of ceramicist Geneviève Bérubé's work | 5:00 PM - 8:00 PM | Third Story, 44 N. Christian Street | Free

First Friday Artist Reception at Red Raven Art Company | Featuring artists Lynn Davison and Kristen Woodward | 5:00 PM - 8:00 PM | Red Raven Art Company, 138 North Prince Street | Free

Easter Egg Hunt at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church | Egg hunt with refreshments, crafts, and activities for all ages | 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM | Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, 31 South Duke Street | Free

Easter Egg Hunt at East Petersburg Community Park | Hunts split by age group starting at 11 AM, bring baskets or bags, free raffle for adults | 11:00 AM | East Petersburg Community Park, 6080 Pine Street | Free

Easter Egg Hunt at The Barn at Paradise Station | Egg hunt on the lawn with Easter Bunny visits, photo ops, and coloring activities | 11:30 AM, 1:30 PM, 3:30 PM sessions | The Barn at Paradise Station, 312 Paradise Lane, Ronks | Free

Community Easter Egg Hunt at Culliton Park | 5,000+ eggs, campfires, marshmallows, hot chocolate, face painting, food trucks | 11:00 AM | Culliton Park, 701 Fairview Avenue, Lancaster | Free

Robert Fulton Fire Company 25th Annual Mud Sale & Spring Auction | Quilts, carriages, tractors, furniture, crafts, and PA Dutch food | 8:30 AM | Robert Fulton Fire Company, 2271 Robert Fulton Highway, Peach Bottom | Free admission

Sensory Hour at the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania | Sensory-friendly museum experience with reduced stimulation | 9:00 AM | Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania, 300 Gap Road, Strasburg | Free-$7

Nature Journaling: Spring Ephemeral Wildflowers | Connect with nature through creativity at the wildflower preserve | 1:00 PM | Shenks Ferry Wildflower Preserve, 857 Green Hill Road South, Conestoga | ~$13

Backstreet Brothel Historic Walking Tour | Walk through Lancaster's past of brothel keepers, bartenders, and pool hall hustlers | 5:00 PM - 6:30 PM | Lancaster City Welcome Center, 38 Penn Square | $20

Saturday Night Improv: TourCo Home Game | Lancaster Improv Players touring company home performance | 7:00 PM - 8:00 PM | Lancaster Improv Players, 16 S Prince Street | $15

WEATHER

Friday High 75°F, low 42°F.

Saturday High 79°F, low 56°F.

Slick Rick w. Shaw Calhoune | Hip-Hop | 8:00 PM | Phantom Power, 121 West Frederick Street, Millersville | $35 advance

Van Hagar (Van Halen Tribute) | Rock (Tribute) | 8:00 PM | Mickey's Black Box, 101 Rock Lititz Blvd, Lititz | From $39

Corty Byorn & The Light | Americana/Roots Rock | 8:00 PM | Tellus360, 24 E King Street, Lancaster | Free

Tate Lehman | Acoustic | 6:00 PM - 9:00 PM | South County Brewing Co., 26 W King Street, Lancaster | Free

Sweet & Savory (DJ Set) | Downtempo/Lounge | 10:00 PM | Tellus360, 24 E King Street, Lancaster | Free

Unforgettable Fire (U2 Tribute) | Rock (Tribute) | 8:00 PM | Mickey's Black Box, 101 Rock Lititz Blvd, Lititz | From $45

Manticore w. Influenza | Metal/Rock | 8:00 PM | Phantom Power, 121 West Frederick Street, Millersville | Check venue

DJ Trayze with DJ Edge | Dance/Electronic | 10:00 PM | Tellus360, 24 E King Street, Lancaster | Free

The Thompson Triplets | 80s Party/Cover Band | 10:30 PM | Tellus360, 24 E King Street, Lancaster | Free

Bluegrass Jam Session with Jordan Rast | Bluegrass/Folk | 2:00 PM - 5:00 PM | Tellus360, 24 E King Street, Lancaster | Free

The Temptations and The Four Tops | R&B/Soul | 7:30 PM | American Music Theatre, 2425 Lincoln Highway East, Lancaster | From $140

Thanks for reading The Lancaster Ledger today. If you found something useful, please share it with someone who's already planning which Easter egg hunt to take the kids to but will inevitably end up at all four of them.

Cheers!