LIGONIER, Pa. (Dec. 29, 2025) – Special events, anniversaries and commemorations are expected to draw tourists to Pennsylvania in 2026, and GO Laurel Highlands has released a new destination guide designed to help them explore the popular region.

“The country's semiquincentennial is just the beginning of reasons to visit the Laurel Highlands,” said Ann Nemanic, executive director of GO Laurel Highlands, which is the destination marketing organization for Fayette, Somerset and Westmoreland counties. “Our 2026 destination guide will lead visitors and locals alike through authentic imagery and captivating stories.”

The 84-page, full-color publication is available at locations throughout the region, including the GO Laurel Highlands Visitor Center in Ligonier. A digital version can be found at https://www.golaurelhighlands.com/plan-your-trip/destination-guide/

Frank Lloyd Wright's Fallingwater, the world-famous home that is a UNESCO World Heritage site, is shrouded in bright fall colors on the cover of the publication, which serves as the principal promotional brochure for the Laurel Highlands.

“Celebrating its 90th anniversary, Frank Lloyd Wright's Fallingwater was selected as the cover image, and the Bear Run waterfall seems to come to life,” Nemanic said. “The theme of water carries over to the back cover, where you can almost feel the splashes of water coming off the page. History, nature, recreation, fun and family are all tucked inside our guide. Add in all our incredible partners and you have a passport to perfection.”

Pittsburgh-based Nino Comanici built Diamond View, a beautiful new short-term rental home just outside Ligonier that opened in late 2024. The new guide marks the first time that his property has been featured in the publication.

“I know for a fact that a lot of the people come to the area because of the marketing that GO Laurel Highlands does,” he said. “To be in a piece that is so widely seen is going to be great. I'm eager to see what the year ahead looks like for Diamond View after being in the destination guide.”

Fred Zeigler, a Fayette County entrepreneur who owns overnight lodging properties, restaurants and Timber Rock Amphitheater in the region, said the guide is as valuable to his businesses as it is invaluable to visitors.  

“The destination guide reaches travelers actively planning trips to the area,” Zeigler said. “This demographic is interested in exploring local attractions, lodging, dining and outdoor experiences. Businesses like Timber Rock get year-round exposure to a targeted audience in the destination guide.”

Jennerstown Speedway is one of the oldest short-track auto racing facilities in the United States, but Cyndi Truscott, the speedway's director of marketing, said the ownership group is always looking to expand its fan base.

“Jennerstown Speedway proudly draws visitors from across the region and beyond, introducing them to Somerset County and the many attractions that make it a memorable destination,” she said. “We love being part of the destination guide.”

The 2026 Laurel Highlands Destination Guide's inspirational content shows off some of the region's iconic attractions, from one of the nation's oldest amusement parks to Pennsylvania's newest state park. It includes stories on:

• Laurel Highlands' events and attractions to celebrate America's 250th anniversary
• Family adventures, from the classic amusement park fun of Idlewild & SoakZone to high-octane racing action at Jennerstown Speedway
• Embracing architecture with homes designed by Frank Lloyd Wright at Fallingwater, Kentuck Knob and Polymath Park
• Four seasons of outdoor adventure, from downhill skiing to standup paddleboarding and everything in between
• Where to rock out and groove at the best live music venues in the Laurel Highlands
• How the Flight 93 National Memorial will commemorate the 25th anniversary of 9/11
• Unique ways to explore the Laurel Highlands, from bleisure travel (business and leisure combined) to hurkle-durkling (the Scottish notion of lounging in bed long after the alarm has sounded)
• How sports fans can get in the game in the Laurel Highlands, which is a preferred vacation destination of the Pittsburgh Steelers as well as home to the team's summer training camp
• Where art comes alive through museums, events and festivals
• Unique lodging opportunities, from Diamond View – the new A-frame home perched high above Ligonier – to a Frank Lloyd Wright-designed home at Polymath Park
• A culinary cruise around the region, highlighting everything from farm-to-table to sweet treats and decadent delights
• How to play golf like Arnold Palmer did – or at least where he did
• The best stargazing spots in the Laurel Highlands
• Where to find festival fun throughout the calendar
• Why the Laurel Highlands is about to get Pennsylvania's 125th state park – and its first underground one
• How to celebrate nuptials in the Laurel Highlands
• What it takes to shop like a local
• How to join the popular Laurel Highlands Pour Tour 6.0

Readers will also find traditional favorites including a 2026 calendar of major festivals and events, business listings and a regional map.

About Pennsylvania's Laurel Highlands
A magnificent mountainous region, the Laurel Highlands is an outdoor lover's paradise that spans 3,000 square miles in southwestern Pennsylvania. Located just an hour east of Pittsburgh, the beautiful four-season destination offers spectacular natural scenery, outstanding skiing, hiking, biking and golfing opportunities, historic sites and attractions, family activities and world-class resorts. Notable destinations within the region include four architectural masterpieces by Frank Lloyd Wright – Fallingwater®, Kentuck Knob, Mäntylä and Duncan House – as well as Nemacolin, Seven Springs Mountain Resort, Flight 93 National Memorial, Idlewild and SoakZone, whitewater rafting in Ohiopyle State Park and much more.

Located within 200 miles of the major metropolitan areas of Pittsburgh, Baltimore, Cleveland, and Washington D.C., Pennsylvania's Laurel Highlands can be easily accessed from exits 67, 75, 91 and 110 of the Pennsylvania Turnpike.

Visitors to the Laurel Highlands can find information online at GoLaurelHighlands.com and facebook.com/laurelhighlandsPA or by calling 724.238.5661. Established in 1958, GO Laurel Highlands, formerly known as Laurel Highlands Visitors Bureau, is the official destination marketing organization for Fayette, Somerset and Westmoreland counties in southwestern Pennsylvania.

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Eric Knopsnyder

Director of Public Relations | GO Laurel Highlands

eknopsnyder@GOlaurelhighlands.com

www.golaurelhighlands.com

724.238.5661, ext. 108 (Office)

814-421-2289 (Cell)