Our 2026 WashCo Summer Bucket List

Who could ever say no to cuddling a cow for the day? Hickory Hearth Highlands in Hickory has been going viral for over a year now, and for good reason. This family-owned farm is home to a friendly host of Scottish Highland cows (and even a few miniature donkeys) that are all too eager for visitors to spend the day brushing, petting and taking photos with them. It's the perfect way to kick off this Washington County summer bucket list. 

If you didn't know we have a polo club right here in Washington County, well, now you do. Located on a picturesque property in Burgettstown, the Pittsburgh Polo Club is the real deal. The club hosts one match a month with horses, players and one of the most well-renowned polo coaches in the game all straight from Argentina. Spectators are invited to bring chairs, tents, or pull their car up with a picnic or drinks tailgate before the fast-paced match starts. Tickets are just $10 and each game is different from the last - in the past, the club has done men's vs. women's matches and even kids vs. parents.

Click here to learn more and to buy tickets to the next match. 

Santello’s Scratch Kitchen has been quietly (or loudly, depending on how close you are to their stage) changing the nightlife game in Washington County for a little over 2 years now. Not only is this bar and grille serving up some seriously amazing food, it’s also the place to go for a night to remember with your friends. Visitors especially love watching the game or enjoying a cold beer out on Santello’s back patio before heading inside to enjoy the live music act of the night. Between DJs, bands, and a series of seriously creative pop-up bars or themed brunches, Santello’s Scratch Kitchen is the place to be in Washington County on a hot summer day or night. 

3 hours of entertainment that just so happens to be interrupted by 9 innings of baseball. That's the unofficial motto of the Washington Wild Things, and we can attest that games really are that fun. Take the whole family down or gather all your friends for a night out at EQT Park to watch root, root, root for the home team as the Wild Things take on one of their rivals in the Frontier League. Tickets to a game are rarely more than $20, and the team also happens to be running a $2.50 Tuesdays promotion in honor of the nation's 250th anniversary, so unlike going downtown, a trip to the ballpark is never going to break the bank.

Most games are themed, with fan-favorite nights being Star Wars Night, Bluey Night, Mascot Night, Disney Princess Night, and more, and Friday night games always feature fireworks after the action on the field concludes. There's quite literally nothing more summer than a baseball game, so don't sleep on a Wild Things game this summer. 

You can check the 2026 Wild Things schedule and buy tickets here. 

If you thought Washington County isn’t wine country, you’re wrong. We have so many wineries and vineyards in the county that we think you should get all your friends together and take a tour of all of them. Between Instagram-worthy views and an expansive vineyard at Ripepi Winery, to live music and good times to be had at Dead Head Winery, to dancing the night away at Red Fox Winery & Lounge and finding your new favorite bottle on J&D Cellars’ vineyard, there’s very few reasons to “wine” about a lack of wine in Washington County.

We actually recently wrote a blog about all these wineries and more – click here to read the full thing and to learn about even more wineries in the county!

No matter what part of the county you may be visiting, trust that you’re probably never very far from a local farmer’s market. The following farmers markets offer everything from freshly baked good, to locally-grown produce, handmade crafts and household goods, coffees and teas, honey, spices and dip blends, and even a few unexpected items that make visiting as many farmers markets as you can worth the time.

• Canonsburg Farmers Market at St. Patrick Catholic Church, 317 W. Pike St., Canonsburg, PA 15317: 3-7 PM, every other Tuesday from June 9 through September 2, 2026.
• Claysville Farmers Market at 212 Main St., Claysville, PA 15232: 8 AM – 12 PM, 3^rd Saturday of every month, June 1 through October 31, 2026.
• Main St. Farmers Market at Community Pavilion, 139 S. Main St., Washington, PA 15301: 3–6 PM, Every Thursday, May 21 through October 29, 2026.
• McDonald Farmers Market at McDonald Trail Station, 161 S. McDonald St., McDonald, PA 15057: 9 AM – Noon, June 27 through September 12, 2026.
• Monongahela Farmers Market at Chess Park, 142 W. Main St., Monongahela, PA 15063: 3 – 6 PM, Every Friday from June through September 5, 2026.
• Peters Township Market in the Park at Peterswood Park, 700 Meredith Dr., Venetia, PA 15367. 4-7 PM, Every Wednesday through August 2026.

A pillar of summer for so many in Washington County is a trip out to the Pavilion at Star Lake in Burgettstown for the show of the summer. This year's lineup includes artists like Riley Green, Kesha, Tim McGraw, Parker McCollum, Bryson Tiller, Chris Stapleton, Jack Johnson, and more you're not going to want to miss. Grab your friends, tailgate before the show begins, then head into the venue either to grab your seats or to spread a blanket out on the venue's lawn for a concert night you'll never forget. 

There's still time to grab tickets for some of the shows still on the lineup - click here to learn more. 

Once a railroad line, the converted Montour Trail now spans a whopping 63 miles, with much of the trail running through Washington County. The trail is one of the most popular in western Pennsylvania for runners, bikers, walkers and nature appreciators, as the trail is as beautiful as it is historical. We highly suggest taking advantage of a summer morning or evening to explore the trail as it takes you over several bridges, through tunnels and over creeks and hills, but wherever the trail takes you, we suggest any route that takes you past Tandem Connection in Georgetown for an ice-cream stop.

There are so many spots to fish in Washington County, we’d need to write a full guide. Here’s the basic rundown of a few local favorites and even a few "hidden" spots:

• Cross Creek County Park – Avella: At 250+ acres, Cross Creek County Park is the largest lake in Washington County and one of the most popular spots for fishing. The lake is stocked with largemouth bass, channel catfish, black crappie, white crappie, bluegill, redear sunfish, yellow perch and saugeye. Cross Creek is also beloved by kayakers, walkers, photographers and birdwatchers.
• Canonsburg Lake – Canonsburg: Located just off Rt. 19, Canonsburg Lake is large and features quite literally hundreds of great fishing spots. This lake is stocked 5 times a year with bluegill, brown trout, channel catfish, largemouth bass, muskie, rainbow trout, tiger muskie, white crappie and pumpkinseed, and while none of us are fishermen, we hear its attached dam makes for great fishing.
• Peters Lake Park – McMurray: Located less than 10 minutes from Canonsburg Lake is Peters Lake Park, a picturesque reservoir-turned-park popular for walking, kayaking and fishing. The lake has a trail that goes all the way around the lake, so there’s plenty of spots to catch the yellow perch, channel catfish, shad, carp, largemouth bass, crappies and bluegill that call the lake home.
• A few “secret” spots: You didn’t hear this from us, but we hear the Boone Reservoir in Canonsburg, Chartiers Creek in North Strabane, and Ten Mile Creek in Clarksville are also popular spots for rainbow trout, smallmouth bass, sauger and more.

What better way to end a bucket list than with dynamite? Dynamite is just one of the many things you can rent (well, you can’t really rent dynamite, but you can pay to light and throw it,) at Washington County Machine Guns in West Alexander. This range has everything from the aforementioned dynamite and grenades to every kind of handgun, rifle, semi-automatic and fully automatic machine gun you can imagine available to test out on their range.

It’s worth noting that Washington County Machine Guns is only open on Saturdays and by reservation only, so be sure to make your summer reservations as soon as possible.