It’s shaping up to be a pretty big year for tourism in Berks County.
“It’s a really exciting time, there’s a lot happening,” county Commissioner Dante Santoni told a crowd gathered at the Redner’s Event Center in Reading on Wednesday morning.
Santoni was speaking at the annual meeting for Experience Reading and Berks, the county’s tourism bureau, providing an update about what’s on the horizon for the region. Turns out, it’s quite a bit.
One of the biggest upcoming events, one that will surely draw visitors to the county, is the World Cup. Soccer’s biggest stage will be visiting North and Central America in 2026, with Philadelphia selected to by one of the host cities.
And while Reading won’t host any games, it will stay play a big role in the tournament, Santoni said.
The city — along with Pittsburgh and Scranton — has been named by Gov. Josh Shapiro as an official “Fan Zone.” That means Reading will be hosting several World Cup events this summer.
Berks County Commissioner Dante Santoni, during the annual meeting for Experience Reading and Berks County, talks about Reading’s designation as a “Fan Zone” during the World Cup events this summer. (DAVID MEKEEL – READING EAGLE)
Most notably, Santoni said, a series of four watch parties will be held at Santander Arena. They will feature broadcasts of games in both English and Spanish, as well as music, food and other entertainment.
Reading will also host outdoor block parties during the tournament.
“It’s going to be like a big party,” Santoni said.
The watch parties will be held July 3, 4, 18 and 19. They are free to the public, but require tickets.
This summer will also see celebrations of the nation’s 250th birthday coming to Berks, Santoni said.
They include an Armed Forces Day parade, World War II Weekend, the Wyomissing Independence Day parade, a Star Spangled Spectacular on July 4th and other events in towns across Berks. The county will also reenact the first reading of the Declaration of Independence in Berks on July 8.
Along with the U.S., Berks also has a big birthday coming up.
With the county preparing to celebrate its 275th on March 7, a series of celebratory events have already begun, with many more on the way. Santoni urged the community to visit the county website for updates.
“There’s a lot happening in 2026, in 2027, in Reading and Berks County,” Santoni said. “We want you all to benefit from it.”
Another potential bright spot for the future of tourism in Berks, one that’s likely a little further down the road, is an idea to create a physical connection between the Santander Arena and the DoubleTree by Hilton hotel in Reading.
Heather Zimmerman, Experience Reading and Berks County president and CEO, told the crowd that a feasibility study is underway on building a skywalk between the two buildings.
Heather Zimmerman, Experience Reading and Berks County president and CEO, tells those attending the tourism organization’s annual meeting that a feasibility study is underway to build a skywalk between Santander Arena and the DoubleTree by Hilton hotel in Reading. (DAVID MEKEEL – READING EAGLE)
Spanning Penn Street, the walkway would allow easy access between the hotel and arena, she said, and would make Reading a more appetizing location for big events like conventions.
“We want conventions in Berks County,” she said. “We’re trying to be competitive in that convention market space.”
Zimmerman gave an overview of what the tourism bureau has been up to over the last year, a span that included unveiling of new branding and the tourism slogan “Every stop has a story.”
She said the new marketing has tested well, and early returns show tourism in the county moving in the right direction. But more work needs to be done, she added.
Zimmerman harkened back to the days of Reading being an outlet shopping mecca, recalling the lines of buses that would roll into town.
“We can’t just sit there and say, ‘Oh no, the outlets are gone,’” she said. “We have to think of new things.”
One of those new things is marketing the county’s natural resources, she said. That incudes presenting Berks as a great place for birders and hikers.
Zimmerman said the bureau has been sharing those messages through new advertising campaigns in strategic markets, and will also do so through a new website to be unveiled in June.
“It’s a more modern and fresh take on Berks County,” she said.