Seems there are more and more holiday-related activities every year. Music! Shows! Shopping! Food! How do you decide which to do and when? The Nutcracker is everywhere, of course. The American Music Theatre in Lancaster has a Rockefeller Center-style Christmas show. Hershey is a great one-stop experience. Koziar's Christmas Village in Bernville comes highly recommended.
But what if you'd rather have a smaller experience?I discovered it's hard to find what's going on if you don't know how to look for it. I searched "Pennsylvania Christmas events" to come up with some of the items below (and most turned out to be in central PA even though I didn't specify that). If you know what town you want to visit, I suggest checking that town's website for any special holiday events--although they're not always mentioned. And let me know if you have something you want listed--I'll be happy to mention it!
November 30-December 1
Ridgway: Holiday Cheer Tour (11/30) and Christmas Toy Exhibit and Open House, Center House Museum (11/30-12/1). Displays, goodies, Christmas movies! (free)
November 30-December 2
Lucinda: Clarion County Festival of Trees. Crafts, food, entertainment, bake sale, and raffles. ($1.00)
November 30-December 8
Lancaster County: Twelve Shops of Christmas Best-Kept Secrets Tour, “A Shopping/Food and Fun Adventure.” Buy the ticket book and follow the map to 12 shops in the Mount Joy, Elizabethtown, Maytown, Columbia, Rohrerstown and East Petersburg area. (Ticket book $7.00)
December 1
Mount Joy: Winterfest. Live music and activities on Main Street.
Terre Hill: 16th Annual Open House and Christmas Party, Artist's Inn & Gallery. Food, drink, and discounts on purchases.
Tionesta: Tionesta Farmers Market Association Holiday Gift Bazaar, “a marketplace for holiday gifts.”
December 1-2
Adamstown: Christmas in the Grove (tree lighting, Santa, petting zoo, free hot chocolate, coffee, and cookies)
Boiling Springs: Christmas Tree Lighting at Children’s Lake (Santa rows his boat across the lake to greet the children)December 1-2, 8-9
Lebanon: Christmas in the Park light display, visit with Santa, buy a Christmas tree
December 1-2, 8-9, 15-16
Brandywine Valley: Holiday Open House at Brandywine Valley Wine Trail. “Our wineries will be decorated in their holiday finery and offering special holiday pricing.” One for the grownups!
Thanks for this. I have the Christmas spirit thriving inside of me, and I have been wanting to indulge it. These are perfect. All I need is hot chocolate. Oh, and snow! I just had some heating system maintenance, so I'm prepared for it. Hopefully, my husband won't be Mr. Grinch, and I can convince him to go out with me.
Posted by: Joan Price | November 29, 2012 at 03:58 PM