Mascot Manor: Meet the state’s most unusual sidekicks

Costume-clad celebrities aren’t anything new in Pennsylvania. The Philadelphia Flyers’ Gritty and Penn State’s Nittany Lion hold a special place in many people’s hearts, but they only scratch the surface of the incomparable iceberg that is Pennsylvania’s roster of madcap mascots. 

From smaller high schools to sports teams and special events, mascots all over the commonwealth bring personality and playfulness to the people. 

Here are a select few of Pennsylvania’s sleek and silly suits. Which member of the mascot manor is your favorite?

America 250 PA’s Keystone Kid

The country’s biggest celebration wouldn’t be complete without a keystone-themed costume. The Pennsylvania arm of America 250, charged with throwing the nation’s 250th-anniversary party in America’s original capital, unveiled its mascot in May as an embodiment of the commonwealth’s nickname: a wedge-shaped stone in an America 250 shirt, pants and a bow tie. 

Part of us loves the Keystone Kid and the effort to bolster commonwealth pride as 2026 approaches, and another part of us can only see the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man with a little taken off the top.  

Biglerville High School Canners

Manufacturing and industry are synonymous with many of the commonwealth’s suburban and rural communities. Over in Biglerville, a borough in Adams County within the Upper Adams School District, the high school got its mascot from those who worked in the local canned goods industry. The area’s best-known canning company is Musselman’s – and the school mascot resembles a canner version of Purdue University’s Boilermaker. 

Mars School District Fightin’ Planets

There are few mascots you could honestly say are out of this world – this is one of them. On Aug. 18, the Mars School District’s Fightin’ Planet mascot was unveiled for the first time in Butler County. The spherical red ball, fitted with boxing gloves, athletic shorts and tennis shoes, is the district’s first-ever mascot. 

Whitehall High School Zephyrs 

Another new mascot train many have hopped on is the Whitehall Zephyr, known as “Big Z.” Whitehall High School, the Lehigh Valley school known as Philadelphia Eagle Saquon Barkley’s alma mater, unveiled its mascot on Aug. 12 as a tribute to the passenger train that ran through Lehigh County years ago. The newly designed “Big Z” features a locomotive head and checkered overalls.  

Cranberry High School Berries 

Cranberry High School in Venango County has an aptly named mascot: the Berries. Cranberry Township, known for its abundance of wild cranberries in the 1700s and 1800s, has kept its namesake alive even after farming and drought eliminated the fruit from the area before the 20th century. The cranberry mascot – which some have said resembles a red ant with boxing gloves – would surely give the Mars Fightin’ Planet a good match. 

Hampton School District Talbots

Located in the Pittsburgh suburb of Allison Park, Hampton School District has a unique mascot in the Talbots. Named for the English hunting dog that appears in the Hampton family coat of arms, the mascot itself looks like it could be an ancestor of McGruff the Crime Dog.  

Northampton Area School District Konkrete Kids

The last-but-not-least mascot is another ode to industry. In the Lehigh Valley, Northampton Area School District’s schools are named the Konkrete Kids after the cement plants that boomed in the area more than 100 years ago. The alma mater of former Philadelphia Phillies catcher Brian Schneider, Northampton is a conference rival to Big Z and the Zephyrs at Whitehall.