Chocolate Tour Details
Details for the 2023 CHOCOLATE TOUR
Saturday, AUGUST 5, 2023
“Thank you for supporting cancer research by participating in this event”
The 2023 Chocolate Tour is planned to be a BIKING or FUN WALK event that supports cancer research. The 2023 event is scheduled at a central location between three famous chocolate manufacturing towns in central PA. The central host town for the 2022 event is Manheim (15 to 30-minutes from the chocolate manufacturing towns of Hershey, Elizabethtown, and Lititz). A very friendly and happy place ideally located among the chocolate towns, Amish farms, covered-bridges, forests, rivers, lakes, and other features making it a beautiful as well as idyllic area in which to bicycle or walk. The fun walk will be in the newly renovated Chiques Creek Park and include walking through a covered bridge.
LOCATION OF THE REGISTRATION, START SITES and ENTERTAINMENT:
Manheim Farm Show Complex, 502 E Adele Ave, Manheim, PA 17545
Registration Check IN FOR ALL EVENTS OPENS at 6:30 am
Cycling mass starts
7 am for the 100-mile route
8 am for the 75-mile route,
8:15 am for the 50-mile route
8:30 for the 25 or 30 mile routes
8:45 am for the 10-mile ride
Cycling Rest Stops will be OPEN between 8 am and 4 pm
Fun Walk STARTS at 9 am
(Please register 1-hour before the event) Live Musical Entertainment at the start from 10 am to 1pm
Parking for this event is in the town of Manheim PA. Aside from ample street parking, cars can be parked at the following locations.
- Manheim Brethren in Christ Church; 300 parking spaces in south lot; 54 N. Penryn Road; Manheim, PA 17545. 717-665-2133.
- Manheim Central High School; 100 parking spaces; 400 Adele Ave; Manheim, PA 17545. 717664-8400.
- Manheim Veterans Memorial Park; 150 parking spaces; 320-398 Memorial Drive; Manheim, PA 17545. 717-341-2677.
- Baron Elementary School; 50 parking spaces; 123 E Gramby Street; Manheim, PA 17545. 717-665-8900.
2023 Chocolate Tour Cycling Events
The 2023 cycling events are still in the planning stages and will be finalized by July to ensure any roadwork concerns are addressed before the event.
The start and converge at the central location of the Manheim Farm show Complex. Bike routes head-out through a COVERED BRIDGE and past the CANCER WARRIOR WALK from the central location. Routes head in the direction of or go past a particular chocolate town and have a rest stop(s) featuring liquid refreshments and chocolate from that town. The 10-mile route does not have a rest stop. The central Manheim Farm Show Complex rest stop will be stocked with liquid refreshments, PBJ sandwiches, chocolate milk, homemade Amish whoopie-pies (from a local Amish family), muffins, ice-cream, sub-sandwiches (from 10 AM), a wide variety of other snacks and chocolates/candy. Participants can ride from 10 to 100 miles. The Ride-with GPS file for each individual Chocolate Tour Route is listed directly below the description of each.
105.9-Mile Riders: This route consists of riding the Orange Route, Yellow Route and White Route
ROUTE MARKED ORANGE. The 50-mile Orange Route (for Hershey, home of the Hershey Chocolate Factory) meanders through Amish farmlands, forests and past a lake. The ride passes through the picturesque town of Mt. Gretna, which is a major landmark and favorite cycling area. This route traverses’ areas with a lot of rivers, Amish farms and TWO covered bridges. This route is very scenic, and you will pass some of the prettiest farms in Lancaster and Lebanon Counties. You will likely see Amish buggies on the roads. While the ride does not pass through the town of Hershey, there is a free ride at Chocolate World in Hershey, which is worth doing if you are staying overnight.
ROUTE MARKED WHITE. The 25.6-mile White Route (for Lititz, home of the Cargill Wilbur Chocolate Factory). This route passes through THREE covered bridges in Amish farm country. One of the bridges (the Erb’s Mill Covered Bridge) is known as the most picturesque in the Central Pennsylvania so stop and take a picture. You will likely see Amish buggies parked at the farmsteads or on the roads. The ride also passes through side-streets in Lititz (one of the prettiest towns in the area). If you have time, you can bike into the town (visiting the central park area) and stop at the Wilbur Chocolate Factory store. Just ride-down route 501 to the store (on the left) when passing 501 in the town.
ROUTE MARKED YELLOW. The 30.3-mile Yellow Route (for Elizabethtown, home of M&M Mars Candies) is the flattest route and includes THREE covered bridges, one of which is the longest in the world. The route passes through the Kreider Farms farmstead and then past the famous Kreider Farms Tower. Tours of the Kreider Dairy Farm and Tower are available if you have time (cost $15). Amazing views of Lancaster county’s Amish country can be seen from the top of the tower. Kreider Farms are providing ice-cream and chocolate milk for the 2022 event. Amazing Pennsylvania farm country scenery will be seen on this route.
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/40088268
75.6-Mile Riders: This route consists of riding the Orange Route and White Route
ROUTE MARKED ORANGE. The 50-mile Orange Route (for Hershey, home of the Hershey Chocolate Factory) meanders through Amish farmlands, forests and past a lake. The ride passes through the picturesque town of Mt. Gretna, which is a major landmark and favorite cycling area. This route traverses’ areas with a lot of rivers, Amish farms and TWO covered bridges. This route is very scenic, and you will pass some of the prettiest farms in Lancaster and Lebanon Counties. You will likely see Amish buggies on the roads. While the ride does not pass through the town of Hershey, there is a free ride at Chocolate World in Hershey, which is worth doing if you are staying overnight.
ROUTE MARKED WHITE. The 25.6-mile White Route (for Lititz, home of the Cargill Wilbur Chocolate Factory). This route passes through THREE covered bridges in Amish farm country. One of the bridges (the Erb’s Mill Covered Bridge) is known as the most picturesque in the Central Pennsylvania so stop and take a picture. You will likely see Amish buggies parked at the farmsteads or on the roads. The ride also passes through side-streets in Lititz (one of the prettiest towns in the area). If you have time, you can bike into the town (visiting the central park area) and stop at the Wilbur Chocolate Factory store. Just ride-down route 501 to the store (on the left) when passing 501 in the town.
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/43797710
50-Mile Riders: This route consists of riding the Orange Route
ROUTE MARKED ORANGE. The 50-mile Orange Route (for Hershey, home of the Hershey Chocolate Factory) meanders through Amish farmlands, forests and past a lake. The ride passes through the picturesque town of Mt. Gretna, which is a major landmark and favorite cycling area. This route traverses’ areas with a lot of rivers, Amish farms and TWO covered bridges. This route is very scenic, and you will pass some of the prettiest farms in Lancaster and Lebanon Counties. You will likely see Amish buggies on the roads. While the ride does not pass through the town of Hershey, there is a free ride at Chocolate World in Hershey, which is worth doing if you are staying overnight.
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/43796726
31-Mile Riders This route consists of riding the Yellow(30) Route
ROUTE MARKED YELLOW. The 30.3-mile Yellow Route (for Elizabethtown, home of M&M Mars Candies) is the flattest route and includes THREE covered bridges, one of which is the longest in the world. The route passes through the Kreider Farms farmstead and then past the famous Kreider Farms Tower. Tours of the Kreider Dairy Farm and Tower are available if you have time (cost $15). Amazing views of Lancaster county’s Amish country can be seen from the top of the tower. Kreider Farms are providing ice-cream and chocolate milk for the 2022 event. Amazing Pennsylvania farm country scenery will be seen on this route.
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/43797145
25.6-Mile Riders: This route consists of riding the White(25) Route
ROUTE MARKED WHITE. The 25.6-mile White Route (for Lititz, home of the Cargill Wilbur Chocolate Factory). This route passes through THREE covered bridges in Amish farm country. One of the bridges (the Erb’s Mill Covered Bridge) is known as the most picturesque in the Central Pennsylvania so stop and take a picture. You will likely see Amish buggies parked at the farmsteads or on the roads. The ride also passes through side-streets in Lititz (one of the prettiest towns in the area). If you have time, you can bike into the town (visiting the central park area) and stop at the Wilbur Chocolate Factory store. Just ride-down route 501 to the store (on the left) when passing 501 in the town.
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/43797475
10.2-Mile Riders: This route consists of riding the Green Route
ROUTE MARKED GREEN. The 10.2-mile Green Route is a flat picturesque route in Central Pennsylvania’s Amish farm country. The route passes through the Kreider Farms farmstead and then past the famous Kreider Farms Tower. Tours of the Kreider Dairy Farm and Tower are available if you have time (cost $15). Amazing views of Lancaster county’s Amish country can be seen from the top of the tower. Kreider Farms are providing ice-cream and chocolate milk for the 2022 event. There is ONE covered bridge on this route.
https://ridewithgps.com/routes/43797025
Mechanical Support: If you experience mechanical issues with your bike, please proceed to the MANHEIM REST STOP at the Manheim Farm Show Complex, 502 E Adele Ave, Manheim, PA 17545. Leeds Cyclery will be on site from 7 to 10 am to provide mechanical assistance.
SAG Support: Vehicle SAG support will be available on the day by calling Gavin at 717-307-8296. He will then dispatch the nearest SAG vehicle to provide you with assistance.
2023 Chocolate Tour FUN WALK Event
The FUN WALK event for the 2023 Chocolate Tour is around the Chiques Creek Park in Manheim.
Map information provided below shows Walk through the Shearer’s Mill Covered Bridge and along the Chiques Creek
Returning this year – Recognition for Teams raising the most donations and for Team Spirit
Support cancer research by joining us for this year’s Chocolate Tour Friends and Family Fun Walk at the Manheim Farm Show Complex August 5th beginning at 9 am. Consider forming a team this year! Register your team on the Chocolate Tour website to track donations. This year’s course is about 2 miles and includes the Farm Show loop and the adjacent scenic (and paved) Chiques Trail. The event is dog-friendly* and will include chocolate treats along the way for our human friends and “pup-cups” for our four-legged pals. A photo booth is planned for all participants. Gather your family and friends for this fun morning to support cancer research.
*Please be prepared to clean up after your pup and no flexi-lead leashes. The event will be MC'd by our very own Cheryl Gamber. The events will be followed by a meal included with registration.
