What Exactly Is an Ohiopyle Buckwheat Supper
If you have never heard of a buckwheat supper, you may be wondering what is actually being served—and why people look forward to it all year.
The short answer? Buckwheat cakes, sausage and a generous helping of Ohiopyle tradition.
The annual Ohiopyle Buckwheat and Pancake Festival returns October 9–11 at the Ohiopyle-Stewart Volunteer Fire Department and Ohiopyle Community Center. It is one of those wonderfully old-fashioned community events that gives visitors another reason to spend a fall day in Ohiopyle.
First, What Is a Buckwheat Cake?
A buckwheat cake looks a little like a pancake, but it has a flavor all its own.
Buckwheat flour produces a darker, heartier cake with a slightly earthy taste. Despite its name, buckwheat is not actually a type of wheat. It comes from the seeds of a flowering plant that are ground into flour.
For anyone who isn’t quite ready to commit to buckwheat, regular pancakes are also served. Of course, trying at least one buckwheat cake is part of the experience.
More Than Pancakes
The traditional Ohiopyle meal includes all-you-can-eat buckwheat cakes and regular pancakes, along with whole-hog sausage, home-fried potatoes, applesauce, pickles and a beverage.
It is hearty, filling and distinctly different from the kind of breakfast you grab through a drive-through window. This is food served community-supper style—the kind that invites you to sit down, stay awhile and probably go back for another cake.
The festival also traditionally includes local vendors and live music, giving visitors time to look around, visit with neighbors and enjoy a little hometown atmosphere.
A Tradition That Supports the Community
The Buckwheat and Pancake Festival is also an important fundraiser benefiting the Ohiopyle-Stewart Volunteer Fire Department and the Ohiopyle Community Center.
These organizations are part of the foundation of our small community. The volunteer fire department serves not only local residents, but also the many visitors who come to explore Ohiopyle State Park throughout the year.
I remember getting off the school bus as a kid and heading straight to the fire hall to help. We served guests, filled bowls with applesauce and pickles, kept the syrup and butter moving, and set tables with silverware. You never sat down all night. It was exhausting—and every bit as much fun. That same spirit continues today, as volunteers young and old come from throughout the area to make the Buckwheat Supper happen.
Enjoying a plate of buckwheat cakes is a pretty delicious way to help support them.
Make a Fall Day of It
October is one of the most beautiful times to visit Ohiopyle. Before or after the festival, take a walk through town, stop at Ohiopyle Falls, explore Ferncliff Peninsula or enjoy an easy ride along the Great Allegheny Passage.
The pace is a little slower than it is during the height of summer. The air is cooler, the hills are changing color and Ohiopyle has a completely different feel.
Come hungry, see the fall scenery and experience one of the traditions that makes our little river town special. f you’d like to work up an appetite first, White Water Adventurers has Lower Yough trips available Saturday and Sunday at 11:00 a.m. Want to raft Friday? Give us a call—a minimum of four guests is needed to start a trip.
The Ohiopyle Buckwheat and Pancake Festival will be held October 9–11, 2026, at the Ohiopyle-Stewart Volunteer Fire Department and Ohiopyle Community Center in Ohiopyle, Pennsylvania. Check the event organizers’ latest announcements for serving hours, prices and the entertainment schedule.