​Hickory Bridge Farm, just outside Gettysburg, stands as a cherished haven for family values and heartfelt hospitality. The dining experience here is a warm embrace of tradition, with family-style meals crafted from scratch using local ingredients and recipes handed down through generations. Their approach isn’t just about food—it’s about bringing people together at the table to connect, share stories, and enjoy wholesome fare that feels like home.

Meals at Hickory Bridge Farm begin with a special ritual: appetizers served from an antique sleigh, followed by warm, fresh-baked bread and homemade apple butter. Guests enjoy the house salad dressed in their signature warm bacon dressing, garnished with homemade spiced peaches—a nod to the region’s heritage. The centerpiece of dinner is a trio of rotating entrees, often featuring their legendary Crab Imperial, alongside other beloved dishes reflecting south-central Pennsylvania’s German-influenced cuisine. Every meal is completed with farm-fresh vegetables, classic stewed apples, and their outstanding corn fritters, all served generously for guests to share.

Dessert is always homemade, with favorites like warm apple crisp crowned with vanilla ice cream, celebrating the seasons and local harvest. The menus change throughout the year, honoring the rhythms of the farm’s gardens and nearby growers, ensuring every visit offers something special, freshly prepared, and connected to the land.
What makes Hickory Bridge Farm truly stand out isn’t just the abundance of good food, but the spirit of compassion that infuses everything. Family stewardship has guided the farm since 1977, with every guest welcomed and every need thoughtfully met—including special diets, with advance notice. This devotion to nurturing guests, supporting local agriculture, and fostering community roots has made the farm a beloved gathering place, reflecting a heartfelt commitment to both culinary and human excellence.

Hickory Bridge Farm’s family-style dinners foster connection and tradition:

• Shared Abundance: Meals are served in large platters and bowls, encouraging guests at each table to pass, serve, and share dishes in the spirit of togetherness. This communal dining style is rooted in Pennsylvania German tradition, emphasizing abundance and hospitality rather than individual plates.
• Homemade Recipes Passed Down: Dishes are crafted from generational recipes, such as the signature Crab Imperial, house salad with warm bacon dressing, and classic corn fritters. By serving time-honored favorites and adapting the menu to seasonal local ingredients, the farm maintains a living connection to regional food heritage.
• Heritage Setting: Dining takes place in a restored 19th-century barn filled with antique farm tools and artifacts. This historic venue not only connects guests to the area’s agricultural roots but also creates a warm, nostalgic atmosphere—like joining a family reunion from an earlier era.
• Traditions of Welcome: Meals begin with house-made bread and apple butter, often served from an antique sleigh, setting a tone of generosity and celebration. Every aspect, from the table setting to the attentive, personalized service, reinforces the farm’s legacy of gracious hosting—a tradition the Martin family has cherished since 1977.
• Time to Connect: The leisurely, multi-course meal format encourages relaxed conversation and deepens relationships among family and friends, making dinners memorable events where stories and laughter are shared alongside each course.
• Personal Touch: Owners and staff make a point of greeting guests and accommodating special needs when notified in advance, exemplifying the value of compassion and personal attention that defines true family hospitality.

Altogether, Hickory Bridge Farm’s approach revives the art of gathering, making dinner not just a meal but a celebration of connection, heritage, and the enduring bonds of community.

Hickory Bridge Farm embodies family values in both its meals and atmosphere by blending authentic tradition, communal dining, and heartfelt hospitality:

• Family-Style Service: Meals are served in generous platters, designed for sharing and passing around the table. This encourages guests to interact, serve one another, and enjoy a sense of togetherness that is central to family values.
• Generational Recipes: The dishes reflect family recipes passed down through the Martin family and echo the culinary traditions of the area’s German settlers. Classic favorites like Crab Imperial, homemade apple butter, corn fritters, and seasonal produce highlight a legacy of nurturing, home-cooked food.
• Historical Ambiance: The setting—a restored barn filled with antiques and heritage décor—brings families into a space that celebrates the continuity of American agricultural tradition and the importance of connecting across generations.
• Personalized Hospitality: The Martin family and staff greet guests personally and prioritize making everyone feel welcome, accommodating special needs upon request. This level of genuine care mirrors the warmth and compassion found in close-knit families.
• Locally Sourced Ingredients: Many fruits and vegetables come from the farm’s own gardens or neighboring local farms, supporting the wider community and emphasizing sustainability rooted in a sense of stewardship for both people and land.
• Creating Memories: Whether for weekend dinners, holidays, or special occasions, the farm’s commitment to abundance, quality, and joyful rituals—like appetizers served from an antique sleigh—turn meals into cherished family traditions.

Through these practices, Hickory Bridge Farm not only feeds its guests but also nurtures ties—with each meal, guests become part of a living tradition that celebrates connection, gratitude, and the spirit of family.

The historical ambiance at Hickory Bridge Farm significantly enhances the dining experience for families in several meaningful ways:

• Immersive Setting: Families dine inside a 160-year-old barn decorated with authentic antiques, farm implements, and period furnishings. This unique environment turns an ordinary meal into a living history experience, sparking conversation and curiosity among children and adults alike.
• Sense of Tradition: The colonial-era architecture and vintage décor connect families to a simpler time, reminding them of the origins of many American customs and the value of heritage. The setting reinforces the importance of passing down traditions and sharing stories across generations.
• Meaningful Rituals: Signature touches like appetizers served from an antique sleigh and bread with homemade apple butter help create memorable rituals. These details invite families to slow down, enjoy the present, and appreciate the continuity of shared meals, just as earlier generations might have done.
• Atmosphere of Togetherness: Surrounded by history, families are encouraged to disconnect from modern distractions and fully engage with each other. The setting cultivates a sense of unity and nostalgia, making it easier to bond over good food and conversation in a warm, welcoming environment.
• Educational Value: Dining among historical artifacts and architecture provides a natural opportunity for children and adults to learn about local and national history, as well as the story of American agriculture and ingenuity.

Hickory Bridge Farm’s historical ambiance transforms family dinners into more than just a meal—it becomes a cherished experience that blends culture, education, and genuine connection within an unforgettable setting.

In each meal served, Hickory Bridge Farm honors the joy of togetherness and the legacy of sharing goodness with others—making a visit not just a dinner, but a warm memory in the making.

1.      https://www.hickorybridgefarm.com/menus.html
2.     https://www.hickorybridgefarm.com/individual-diningmenu-weekends-only.html
3.     https://destinationgettysburg.com/members/hickory-bridge-farm-restaurant/
4.     https://www.hickorybridgefarm.com/blog/the-timeless-charm-of-hickory-bridge-farm-a-culinary-heritage-destination-unlike-any-other  
5.     https://www.hickorybridgefarm.com/blog  

Few experiences capture the gentle magic of summer quite like the annual Butterfly Tea at Hickory Bridge Farm, nestled in the scenic countryside of Orrtanna, Pennsylvania. More than just a charming luncheon, the Butterfly Tea is a celebration of nature, family, and community, set amid the lovingly preserved grounds of a historic farm known for heartfelt hospitality and a touch of whimsy. Let’s step into this cherished tradition and discover why it captures the hearts of children and adults alike year after year.

What Is the Butterfly Tea at Hickory Bridge Farm?
The Butterfly Tea is a themed, child-centric summer event now in its 15th year, hosted each July at Hickory Bridge Farm (since 2011). Decorated throughout with graceful butterfly motifs, this luncheon is specially designed for children and families seeking an afternoon of wonder, good food, and togetherness. The event typically raises funds a for local charitable cause, Adams County Special Olympics, further adding to its spirit of giving[1][2].

The Experience: From Decor to Dress-Up
Upon arrival, guests are greeted by tables adorned with delicate lace, bright fresh flowers, and hand-crafted tea cozies, transforming the barn’s rustic space into a fluttering butterfly haven. One of the highlights is the special dress-up area: children don wide-brimmed hats and whimsical accessories, adding to the lighthearted atmosphere and giving them a sense of occasion[3].

But the attention to detail doesn’t stop at the décor. Everything—from the luncheon’s presentation to its flavors—contributes to a carefully curated memory-making afternoon.

A Menu Designed for Delight
Food at the Butterfly Tea is an event unto itself. The meal begins with a delicious Chicken Pasta soup, notable for its butterfly-shaped noodles that capture the theme and delight young diners. Accompanying this warm welcome are freshly baked blueberry muffins and chocolate chip scones served with a dollop of creamy mock Devonshire cream, inviting guests to slow down and savor every bite[3].

The centerpiece of the meal is served on a dainty cake stand: a playful assortment of butterfly-shaped sandwiches, pigs in a blanket, miniature apple fritters, and a medley of fresh fruit. Every element is thoughtfully chosen to appeal to both children’s palates and their sense of wonder. To finish, guests indulge in charming desserts, such as edible butterflies that are perched on top of rainbow sherbet with a whipped cream garnish and a melt-in-your-mouth sugar cookie—rounding out the magical experience[1][3].

Community Spirit and Giving Back
One of the Butterfly Tea’s lasting impacts is its charitable mission. In recent years, a portion of proceeds from live butterfly sales and ticket prices help benefit the Adams County Special Olympics. Hickory Bridge Farm frequently matches butterfly sales with additional donations, intertwining community generosity with the festive proceedings[1][2].

The release of live butterflies, available for advance purchase, has become another memorable feature. Children delight in the chance to hold and release their butterflies, participating in a gentle ceremony that echoes the event’s themes of joy, transformation, and connection to nature[2].

Beyond Tea: The Full Hickory Bridge Farm Experience
The Butterfly Tea is only one facet of what makes Hickory Bridge Farm a local gem. After the luncheon, families often wander to the on-site Country Store, itself a living museum of early Americana. Brimming with penny candy, molasses from antique pumps, and shelves lined with authentic artifacts from Pennsylvania’s past, the store rounds out the nostalgic, sensory-rich visit[4].

For those staying longer, Hickory Bridge Farm offers bed-and-breakfast accommodations and access to the broader grounds—inviting families to enjoy seasonal dinners, and impromptu strolls among the rolling hills[4]. Whether attending a wedding, a spring or summer Tea Luncheon, or simply passing through for the afternoon, guests are welcomed not as strangers, but as part of the farm’s extended family.

Planning a Visit
The Butterfly Tea, typically held in mid to late July, is a popular event that tends to fill up quickly. Reservations are required[5], and children’s tickets are priced to be affordable for families (recent listings cite $25 per guest, with high chair guests at no cost.)[1][3][6]. Live butterfly releases can be reserved in advance for a small additional fee, with the knowledge that a portion benefits a good cause[2].

Attendees are encouraged to call ahead to secure a spot and to arrive ready for a leisurely, memory-filled afternoon in a unique rural setting. It’s not unusual for families to return year after year, making the Butterfly Tea a beloved summer tradition.

Why It Matters
At its core, Hickory Bridge Farm’s Butterfly Tea is about crafting moments of simple joy: a shared laugh over butterfly-shaped sandwiches, the thrill of donning a fancy hat, the wonder of a butterfly fluttering away into blue summer skies. Rooted in local history and community care, it’s an event that reminds us how celebration, beauty, and giving can come together—creating memories that last long after the final cup of tea is savored.

If your summer travels bring you near the foothills of Pennsylvania’s Appalachian Mountains, be sure to look up Hickory Bridge Farm’s Butterfly Tea—a whimsical window into rural hospitality, childhood delight, and the enduring magic of life’s little celebrations.
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1. http://www.hickorybridgefarm.com/uploads/1/7/7/3/17734165/newsletter_may-aug17.pdf   
2. https://www.hickorybridgefarm.com/uploads/1/7/7/3/17734165/286763-julydec.pdf   
3. https://www.hickorybridgefarm.com/childrens-tea.html   
4. https://www.hickorybridgefarm.com/blog 
5. https://www.hickorybridgefarm.com/events.html
6. https://web.gettysburg-chamber.org/cwt/external/wcpages/wcevents/eventregistration.aspx?eventID=21143D8K9Z