It will be seven years since we began! What have we learned?

What started small has exploded into a valley-wide adventure – fifteen businesses teaming up to create a coffee journey that gets over 2,000 people buzzing with excitement (and caffeine) before everything sells out!

And wow, do we have stories to share – old classmates reconnecting, mothers and sons bonding, a Java mug that went on a tropical vacation, girlfriends and running clubs making it a tradition, even a Java Journey marriage proposal! How cool is that? For many, it’s also just the perfect thing to look forward to after the holidays.

So, what goes into the creation of the Java Journey?

First, we must pick the right mug. Will it be a travel mug? Or maybe a ceramic mug? Is the quality good, but still at a decent price? Then we create the passport, stickers, and mug design. Technically that’s Marshall and Becky at Level Eleven – they always bring the element of cool. Maybe that’s why everyone wants one!

Next, we determine which shops will be participating. Will there be someone new this year? Selection isn’t just about delicious coffee. It’s about friendliness, creativity, a positive social media presence, great customer service, and – most importantly – a spirit of collaboration. (Run out of mugs? Send customers to another participating shop!) It sounds simple, but not everyone can do it. Luckily, our coffee shop owners are some of the nicest people you’ll ever meet. And if they don’t play by the rules? Simple, they won’t be invited back next year. So far, that’s never happened, because, like I said, we’ve got wonderful shop owners on our Java Journey.

This is the creed that all participating shops are required to abide by:

All locations are expected to uphold the standards of quality of service, a welcoming atmosphere and mutual respect for the fellow Java Journey locations. We expect you to positively support each other as a Java Journey location to your staff, clientele, and on your social media platforms.

Secret drinks? One of the best parts of the adventure – if you’ve never joined before – is discovering each shop’s exclusive secret drink. And trust us, they get seriously creative! But here’s the catch: you can only get the drink if you’re on the Java Journey. That’s the rule. Sorry, Charlie!

The holidays made easy. This year on Small Business Saturday, November 29, participating coffee shops will offer a limited batch of gift bags – each with two Java Journey mugs, two passports, and two $5 gift cards from the shop of purchase – all for just $30. The catch? You can’t use the mugs until January 15, 2026, when the Java Journey begins. But that makes it the perfect holiday gift: a chance to share the Java Journey experience with a friend, support local coffee shops, and keep the fun going. Hurry though – bags are limited, and last year they sold out the very first weekend! Of course, more mugs will be available on January 15, 2026, when the regular Journey begins.

What’s new for this year? We meet with the coffee shop owners twice a year to keep the trail fun and fresh – once at the start of the journey to review the guidelines, and again at the end to brainstorm ways to improve. While Visit Lebanon Valley runs the program, we pay close attention to the owners’ input since they hear customers’ requests more than we do. And we listen! This year, we’ve added an extra two weeks to the Journey so you can visit all your favorite coffee shops at a more relaxed pace. Plus, we’ve added two days of extended hours for all coffee shops to make it even easier to fit the trail into your schedule!

How does the Java Journey help our community? Let’s get into the math (you might want to drink some coffee first!) Last year there were 1,062 passports completed by those participants who visited all fourteen locations. If we estimate that they spent only $10 at each stop, that is a minimum of $148,680 spent at these local businesses in only eight weeks! And that doesn’t factor in those who didn’t finish their passport or those who likely spent more than $10 per location. The Java Journey has been running for over six years; that translates to a decent amount of cash spent in Lebanon County in January and February.

Not a Coffee Lover? Guess what – I’m not either! Even though I don’t drink coffee, I couldn’t be more pleased with the success of the Java Journey. And don’t worry, non-coffee drinkers can still have a blast sampling all the fun along the way – from cocoa and tea to baked goods and egg sandwiches. No matter how you like to start your day, there’s something to delight everyone on the Java Journey!

We love celebrating the bright spots in your hometown – a cheerful smile, a cozy family business, or a friendly welcome on a crisp winter morning.