The first-ever event is being held later this month at the Mahoning Drive-In Theater…
If you’ve spent enough time chasing summer festivals up and down the 570, you know the drill—sunburn, sticky-tasting glasses, same pop-up tents, the endless drone of acoustic guitars over the clink of souvenir wine charms. But this one? This is different.
On Saturday, November 22, 2025, the legendary Mahoning Drive-In Theater in Lehighton is trading reels for rosé and projectors for pinot with the inaugural Mahoning Wine Fest—a brand-new event that’s rewriting what a NEPA wine festival can be.
Tickets for the event are on sale now.
The off-season rebellion…
This isn’t your typical vineyard-in-June affair. It’s November. The air’s cold enough to wake you up. The fields are stripped bare. The tourists have gone home. That’s precisely the point. The Mahoning crew—known for turning a 1940s drive-in into a cult-cinema pilgrimage site—is flipping the script again.
They’re giving wine lovers a place to gather when the rest of the region’s festival scene has gone dormant. Noon to five p.m. for tastings, then, as the sun dips below the hills, a movie under the stars at 5:30 p.m. Because why the hell not? At Mahoning, it’s never just about the drinks—it’s about the experience, the nostalgia, the sense that you’ve stumbled onto something half-forgotten and absolutely worth remembering.
Who’s pouring…
Expect a lineup of local wineries, artisanal vendors, and food trucks slinging hearty fall bites that can stand up to the tannins and spice of a late-season cab. The event also includes an exclusive “Mahoning-branded wine” debut—bottled specifically for this first-ever fest. That’s not something you see at most other wine festivals around these parts, friends. Five bucks gets you in with a tasting glass, and if you’ve drawn the short straw as the designated driver, your admission’s free.
The organizers haven’t released a full vendor roster yet—typical Mahoning style, they like a little mystery—but the chatter among regional vintners points to a spread of Carbon County and Pocono wineries, some of whom rarely pour outside their tasting rooms. Add in a few of the region’s food truck heavyweights and you’ve got a local showcase with teeth.
Why it matters…
NEPA loves its food and drink, but late-November events like this are rare. When the foliage festivals fade and the pumpkin-beer taps shut off, the scene usually goes quiet until spring. The Mahoning Wine Fest aims to fill that void—to prove that local wine, food, and community don’t need perfect weather to thrive.
And it’s happening at a place that already feels like myth: a drive-in that still runs vintage film reels by hand, where “retro” isn’t marketing—it’s religion. Picture it: tasting flights under a dimming gray sky, breath turning to mist, headlights flicking on as the movie starts rolling. Wine festivals don’t usually end with a projection beam slicing through the cold night air. This one does.
Final notes for the curious…
- When: Saturday, November 22 (12 p.m.–5 p.m. tastings, film at 5:30 p.m.)
- Where: Mahoning Drive-In Theater, Lehighton
- Admission: $5 tasting ticket (includes glass), free for designated drivers
Bring a jacket. Bring curiosity. Bring someone who appreciates a bit of weirdness with their wine. This first Mahoning Wine Fest isn’t just another date on the 570 area code calendar—it’s a signal that even when the vines are sleeping, the culture here keeps fermenting.
If you’re looking for a story worth telling—and a drink worth remembering—you’ll find both in Lehighton later this month.
