8 Fire Hall Traditions Pennsylvanians Grew Up With

That Friday fish dinner at the fire hall may have helped keep the trucks running.

If you grew up near a volunteer fire company, you know the hall was about more than emergencies. It was where neighbors showed up all year.

Here’s a look back at the fire hall traditions Pennsylvanians grew up with.

1. Lenten Fish Fries

Rainbow Volunteer Fire Company’s Lenten fish fry in White Oak, Allegheny County, made up 40 to 50% of the company’s annual income, Pittsburgh Magazine reported in March 2022.

By then, Rainbow had held a fish fry every year for about four decades.

The price of the fish Rainbow buys had gone up about 30% that year, and the price of the frying oil had almost doubled.

Frying isn’t cheap.

Your Friday options in Fayette and Greene counties included fish dinners at fire departments through Lent in 2026, the Observer-Reporter reported.

Where does your plate money go?

Rices Landing’s fire department says it needs the money to fuel its trucks, maintain them and equip its firefighters.

2. Summer Carnivals

The Cresson Community Fireman’s Carnival in Cambria County was Keystone Regional Fire & Rescue Department’s largest fundraiser of the year, the Altoona Mirror reported in 2025.

The 2025 carnival was set to be another summer in a run of more than 50 years.

It was set to run from 7 to 11 p.m. each night through Saturday, Aug. 2.

That planned schedule came to four hours a night.

Your ride options included a Ferris wheel and the Merry Mixer.

If you’re picturing a big staff, about 15 to 20 people planned to volunteer that year.

3. Chicken Barbecues

Hand-in-Hand Fire Company of Bird-in-Hand, in Lancaster County, says it holds its chicken barbecue every year on Memorial Day and Labor Day weekends.

Both 2026 dates, May 23 and Sept. 5, were listed as take-out only.

Chicken takes a crew.

If you’re wondering how big, one barbecue takes about 75 to 80 volunteers.

A Lancaster Online roundup of fire company fundraisers also listed chicken barbecues at Rawlinsville Volunteer Fire Company in Holtwood, Ephrata Pioneer Fire Company and Columbia Borough Fire Department.

The Ephrata Pioneer sale was listed as running until the food sold out.

4. Pancake Breakfasts

Doylestown Fire Company No. 1 in Bucks County scheduled its 60th annual pancake breakfast for Saturday, March 16, 2024, Patch reported.

The breakfast was expected to serve more than 2,000 people.

Plans called for between 4,000 and 4,500 pancakes, along with a corresponding number of sausage links.

You’d have been one of the more than 2,000 people the company expected.

The company’s auxiliary organizes the breakfast at the fire hall, but pulling it off takes the entire company.

5. Halloween Parades

The Connoquenessing Volunteer Fire Company’s Halloween parade in Butler County took place on Sunday, Oct. 26, 2025, the Butler Eagle reported.

There were five costume age groups, from 3 and younger to 13 and up.

Each group had three winners.

Some of you first wore a costume to a fire company’s parade.

2025 was the sixth year the parade ran at the borough park rather than at the fire station.

WHYY, a Philadelphia public media outlet, listed Halloween parades among the events many fire company social halls host.

Your neighborhood fire company may host a Halloween parade too.

6. Easter Egg Hunts

Your options on Saturday, April 4, 2026, in Carbon and Lehigh counties included three fire company egg hunts, according to a Times News listing.

All three hunts were listed with a 1 p.m. start.

Diligent Fire Company No. 3 in Jim Thorpe listed its annual hunt for children through age 10, with chocolate bunny prizes.

In Slatington, Star Hose Fire Company No. 1 listed a hunt with the Emerald Playground Association for kids up to age 10.

It was a free event.

Slatedale Fire Department listed an Easter Bunny breakfast from 7 to 11 a.m., then a hunt split into age groups.

There were also pictures with the Easter Bunny at Slatedale, if you wanted a photo.

7. Santa Runs

Alpha Fire Company’s Santa Run took Santa through its service area in and around State College, in Centre County, on Christmas Eve in 2024, StateCollege.com reported.

The run lasted several hours.

Santa had a long night.

Many of you waved at Santa from the curb as a kid.

Even if you never saw one, Alpha’s run is a decades-long tradition of serving as Santa’s sleigh through neighborhoods.

The company ran east and west routes to cover as much of the region as possible.

Dozens of volunteers decorated the trucks and carried out the run.

Amateur radio volunteers provided locations for live maps on Alpha’s website.

StateCollege.com reported in December 2024 that fire companies in Boalsburg and Bellefonte had operated Santa Runs of their own in recent days.

8. Fire Prevention Week Open Houses

Abington Township in Montgomery County says its firefighters host open houses at all five township fire companies during October's Fire Prevention Week each year.

How many people show up?

Over 1,000 people attend each year, and many crowd around outdoor demonstrations of firefighting skills and at-home hazards such as kitchen fires.

Should you live in the township, the five fire companies are Abington, McKinley, Weldon, Edge Hill and Roslyn.

Other Montgomery County fire companies were hosting family-friendly community events for Fire Prevention Week 2025, according to Wiss Now.

Centre Square Fire Company in Blue Bell had its event on Friday, Oct. 3, from 6 to 8:30 p.m., with live demonstrations of vehicle rescue and scuba dives.

Fire truck rides, food and refreshments were on the schedule the following Monday at Wissahickon Fire Company in Ambler.