By Denny Dyroff, Entertainment Editor, The Times
14th Annual Holiday Home Tour
The Christmas holidays have officially arrived.
Thanksgiving was a week ago and the holiday season is now moving full speed ahead with a huge array of special events.
On December 6, the West Chester Public Library (https://www.wcpubliclibrary.org/holidaydoortour) will hold its 14th Annual Holiday Home Tour, featuring eight homes in the Borough decked out for the holidays.
Ranging from petite to grand, the homes blend original details with modern updates and display the homeowners’ art, collectibles, and antiques.
The perennially popular Holiday Home Tour will take place on Saturday from 10 a.m.-3 p.m.
Tickets for the tour, which runs from 10 a.m.-3 p.m., are $40. Tour tickets will also include admission to the Chester County Art Association.
Tour attendees will also be welcomed at Uptown! Knauer Performing Arts Center for some special holiday events and will receive free admission during the Tour at the Chester County History Center.
“Chester County Hospital Lights Up Holiday Weekends in West Chester” (greaterwestchester.com/events/featured-events/holiday-weekends-west-chester) will run through January 2.
Transformed into a winter wonderland, the streets of historic West Chester are bathed in the glow of thousands of holiday lights every evening in December. Each weekend features holiday festivities, shopping and dining.
One of the major events is “Parade Night” which features the “Annual Tree Lighting” and the “Hometown Christmas Parade.”The “Annual Tree Lighting” will take place on December 5 at 6:30 p.m. on the steps of the Historic Courthouse (facing High St.)
The ceremony will have dance and musical performances and the lighting of the 28-foot tree.
The ceremony will be led by returning parade emcees 6ABC meteorologist Adam Joseph and B101’s Kathy Romano, host of The Kathy Romano Show.
The “Hometown Christmas Parade” will follow at 7 p.m. in Downtown West Chester.
Parade goers can expect Chester County’s favorite performers as well as a variety of notable newcomers.
This year, there will be more marching bands by popular demand, as well as award-winning floats, sparkling performances and, obviously, Santa Claus’ eagerly anticipated appearance.
The 2025 West Chester Christmas Parade will also hold a competition for “Best Commercial Parade Float” and “Best Nonprofit Parade Entry.”
Again, the event will be led by returning parade emcees Adam Joseph and Kathy Romano.
On Saturdays from 2-3 p.m., the “Making Spirits Bright Holiday Music Series” will feature local choirs and performances singing favorite holidays songs every Saturday on the steps of the historic courthouse on High Street.
Dressed in Victorian attire, The West Chester Borough Balladeer Carolers will roam around downtown West Chester and perform throughout the holiday season.
On December 6 and 20, it will be time for “Santa on The Fire Truck.” Santa will be escorted through the streets of downtown West Chester by the First West Chester Fire Company.
The Coatesville Christmas Parade
The Coatesville Christmas Parade (www.coatesvillechristmasparade.com), which is Chester County’s largest hometown parade, will move down the historic Lincoln Highway on December 6 starting at 10 a.m. at Strode Avenue and Lincoln Highway.
It will conclude at the performing and judging area at 11th Avenue and Lincoln Highway.
Automobiles, police and emergency vehicles will be judged in their respective pre-parade line-up areas beginning at 9 a.m. Judging for all other competitions will take place between 10th and 11th Avenues during the parade.
Originally a community project in the 1950s, the parade was then taken up by the Jaycees back in the 70s.
In the early 1990’s, missing the spectacle and sense of community spirit the parade inspired, this group of former JAYCEES along with other members of the Coatesville community and with the support of the Stewart Huston Charitable Trust and the City of Coatesville, decided it was time to revise the parade tradition.
This year, more than 150 entries will participate in the parade including dancers, fleets of tow trucks, police cars and fire trucks and a variety of custom-crafted floats.
Bringing up the rear of the parade will be Santa Claus riding on a Coatesville Fire Department truck.
On December 5, Oxford (www.downtownoxfordpa.org will come alive with its “Christmas in Oxford Soup & Sweet Stroll.”
Visitors to the downtown area can sample savory soups and delicious treats from local restaurants and businesses.
This year’s event includes a tantalizing 10 soups, a visit with Santa Claus, strolling carolers, Cindy Lou Who and the Grinch, children’s craft stations, warming stations and performances from the Oxford Community Schools Choirs.
The highlight of the evening is a tree lighting at 8 p.m. in Centennial Park. There may be one or two surprises at the event as well.
The event kicks off at 4:45 p.m. Soup and sweets will be served until they run out or 7:45 p.m., whichever comes first.
Downingtown Good Neighbor Christmas (dtownchristmas.com) takes place in Kerr Park at the Log House field below the Christmas Tree.
Downingtown Good Neighbor Christmas will feature a 20-foot artificial lighted Giant Everest Christmas Tree with a three-foot lighted star on top.
The tree, which is professionally decorated, sits next to the Log House on Lancaster Avenue and at the entrance to Kerr Park.
The annual Downingtown Christmas Parade will be held on December 13 at 3 p.m. The parade will feature marching bands, floats, walking and marching groups, and the arrival of Santa and Mrs. Claus to end the parade.
From December 5-7, Hibernia Mansion (Hibernia County Park, off route 340, Wagontown, http://dsf.chesco.org/ccparks) will host its 42nd Annual Candlelight Tours.
The tours will be presented from 5:30-8 p.m. on Friday and Saturday and 2-4 p.m. on Sunday.
The event at Hibernia Mansion features costumed tour guides portraying former mansion owners and their families. The 19th-century mansion will be decked out for the holidays.
Live music will be performed in the Ballroom and Santa will entertaining friends each day. Also, the Friends of Hibernia will greet visitors with refreshments.
Admission is $10 for adults and $5 for children.
The fabulous holiday light display “West Chester Griswolds” (304 Dutton Mill Rd, West Chester, www.westchestergriswolds.com) opened on Thanksgiving night and will run through December 28.
This year’s display features more than 135,000 lights and 800 smart pixels.
Lights will be on now through Christmas week — Monday through Thursday from 4:45-9:45 p.m. and Friday through Sunday from 4:45-10:15 p.m.
On December 6, Santa Claus will drop in using a totally different method when he visits the American Helicopter Museum and Education Center (1220 American Blvd., West Chester, 610-436-9600, www.helicoptermuseum.org) for “Santafest.”
Children will be able to stand outside and watch with amazement when Santa arrives in a helicopter.
Activities get underway at 10 a.m. and then Santa and Mrs. Claus land at 11 a.m. accompanied by one of Santa’s very special elves.
Inside the museum, children will also be able to enjoy refreshments and Christmas activities — including visiting Santa and telling him what items are on their holiday wish list.
Refreshments will be provided, along with crafts for the kids, holiday movies and special four-legged visitors from Paws for People.
This year, the museum is introducing its first ever “Family Recycled Gingerbread Contest.”
Families are invited to team up to build cardboard “gingerbread” houses at the museum. The museum will provide supplies. All that guests need to do is to bring their creativity. Judging will take place at 12:30 p.m.
There will also be some awesome holiday crafts and hands-on STEM activities.
Admission is $15 for adults and $14 for children.
On December 6, Historic Sugartown (609 Sugartown Road, Malvern, 610-640-2667, www.historicsugartown.org) will host “Holiday Craft Market and Biergarten.”
The event, which runs from noon- 4 p.m., will feature local crafters and artisans.
Locust Lane Craft Brewery, Chaddsford Winery, Grace Winery, Dixie’s Down Home Cooking, and Cafe Gourmino will offer a festive break where guests can purchase beverages and food to enjoy while shopping or to purchase as gifts.
Guests can stop by food trucks and the site’s hot cocoa bar to warm up.
As an added attraction, Santa will be on-hand to greet shoppers.
The Craft Market will take place in the field behind Historic Sugartown’s c.1805 William Garrett House at 260 Spring Road in Malvern.
Admission is $10 with children (17 and under) admitted free.
During the daylight-deprived month of December, Rose Tree Park (1671 North Providence Road, Media, delconew.azurewebsites.net) sparkles at night with its annual “Festival of Lights” display.
Dozens of illuminated trees and lit displays draw visitors back every year to walk in the winter wonderland and linger in the festive atmosphere.
The annual “Festival of Lights” is running now until January 3 from 5-10 p.m. each night.
Delaware County’s annual “Festival of Lights” began more than four decades ago as part of the nation’s bicentennial celebration and became a popular local tradition for residents of all ages.
Over time, the outdoor displays have grown from 50 decorated trees (one for each municipality and one large one to represent the county) to more than 75 lighted trees and dozens of festive figures, including toy soldiers, a gingerbread family and Santa’s reindeer.
For the second year in a row, Philadelphia is one of the host cities of Astra Lumina.
Astra Lumina Philadelphia, which is the 24th experience in the Lumina Enchanted Night Walk series, will be held now through December 31 at the Abington Art Center (515 Meetinghouse Road, Jenkintown, astralumina.com).
Astra Lumina Philadelphia welcomes visitors to an extraordinary place — a garden right here on earth that shares a special connection with the sky above. Come nightfall, the garden sets the stage for a phenomenal event — a visit from the stars.
Astra Lumina Philadelphia is a one-mile-long enchanted night walk through a wooded sculpture park of varying terrain that guides visitors on a journey to discover the wonder of visiting stars.
Through the magic of projections, lighting, and music, astral energy transforms the garden into a celestial pathway, connecting visitors to the stars and the vast world around them.
The stars are descending from the night sky. Set off across mysterious grounds to discover a celestial pathway of lustrous light, cosmic visions, and astral song.
Participants can immerse themselves in illuminating encounters of lighting, projection and sound, and connect with the stars before they return to the sky above.
Located on a historic 27-acre campus, just 10 miles from Center City Philadelphia, Abington Art Center is a beautiful setting for the enchanting Astra Lumina. The campus has been transformed to create a magical journey.
Weapons (including off duty officers), flash photography, outside food or alcohol, light-up accessories that distract from the experience, or anything that may disturb other patrons are prohibited.
All guests must pass through handheld metal detector wands and bag check before entering the experience.
Video link for Astra Lumina — https://youtu.be/2mPra01OgCM.
The event will run now through December 31. Ticket prices start at $29.
The Greater Philadelphia Expo Center (100 Station Ave., Oaks, 484-754-3976, http://www.phillyexpocenter.com) is hosting one of its most popular events this weekend — Winter Blast Dog Shows.
Now through December 7, the Expo Center is going to the dogs with an All-breed conformation show.
Other activities include National Owner-Handled Series, 4–6-month Beginner Puppy Competition, Open FSS Show, Junior Showmanship and Obedience Trial (open to All-American dogs).
Also featured will be TWO Rally Trials, Scent Work Trial, and Health Clinics.
Friday’s event will have up to 1,200 dogs of over 150 breeds and plenty of chances to mix and mingle with the competitors.
There will be beginner puppy competitions, all-breed conformation shows, junior showmanship and pee wee competitions for kids 5-18 years old, and obedience trials.
On Friday, admission is free.
The show is open now through December 7 from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. each day.
On Saturday and Sunday, the shows will be hosted by Valley Forge Kennel Club.
The fun-filled family experience will have close to 2,000 canines from a large number of breeds.
Each day, there will be an array of competitions, shows and exhibits.
Admission is $10 for adults and $5 for children.
Another event this weekend at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center is the Oaks Christmas Market.
The Second Annual Oaks Christmas Market will be held on December 6 from 9 a.m.-6 p.m. and December 7 from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. at the Expo Center.
This year’s event will host nearly 300 crafters and vendors in Hall C.
Admission is free thanks to the event’s generous sponsors.
Visitors are requested to bring a non-perishable food item to benefit the Phoenixville Area Community Services in exchange for the chance to win a $10 shopping voucher to use with one of the vendors. Monetary donations at the show will also be entered into the shopping voucher giveaway.
The show will include a Kid’s Korner with activities including Christmas coloring ages, postcards for Santa and a Bring Your Own Camera photo station.
In the photo station, show attendees can visit with featured guests Santa Claus and Anna & Elsa.
Chaddsford Winery (Route 1, Chadds Ford, 610-388-6221, www.chaddsford.com) is presenting “Reserve Tastings — Festive Faves” on Saturdays and Sundays in November and December.
Guests will join the CFW Crew for an intimate and educational 60-minute experience in the Barrel Room. The trained staff will guide them through a pre-selected tasting of five widely diverse and award-winning wines from across its portfolio.
The selections will be paired alongside seasonal local cheeses and other accoutrements to enhance your tasting experience.
The staff will also discuss topics such as grape growing conditions at our partner vineyards and the onsite winemaking process from production to aging and bottling.
Tickets are $35 per person.
The holiday season at Herr’s Snack Food Factory (20 Herr Drive, Nottingham, 610-932-9330, www.herrs.com) has arrived. The area around the factory site will be illuminated with thousands of lights and holiday displays.
Herr’s “Holiday Light Display,” which is free and open to the public, will be open nightly now through January 5.
Visitors to the site will be able to drive along a trail that is illuminated with more than 600,000 lights.
The special light exhibit will be open daily from dusk to dawn.
“Claymont Christmas Parade and Holiday Happenings” (www.claymontchristmasparade.com) are slated for December 6 in nearby Claymont, Delaware from 10 a.m.-2 p.m.
Visitors can see Santa arrive on a fire truck, hear high school bands, see Mounted Police horses, and look at lots of fire trucks, floats and more. And they are invited to help decorate the infamous “Claymont Christmas Weed.”
Video link for Christmas Weed story — https://youtu.be/F4p4Nq3qvCI.
The parade route is along Philadelphia Pike from Maple Lane to Darley Road in Claymont.
Ascension Church (3717 Philadelphia Pike, Claymont) will host “The Blessing of the Christmas Weed Ceremony” after the parade.
Hot chocolate and cookies will be served, and craft items will be for sale.
From 11 a.m-12:30 p.m., the 14th annual Gingerbread House Contest will be held at Claymont Stone School (3611 Philadelphia Pike, Claymont).
The Brandywine Zoo (1001 North Park Drive, Wilmington, Delaware, brandywinezoo.org) is hosting “Santa at the Zoo” on December 6 and 7.
Kids can meet and take a photo with Santa and enjoy fun holiday activities at this winter wonderland tradition at the Zoo.
Visitors can enjoy holiday activities, check out fun educational tables and shop at participating vendors.
Special guest Bryan Scar Music will perform at the Wildlife Amphitheater on Sunday from 10:30 a.m.-12:30 p.m.
All guests must be registered for the event. Tickets are available at the door and online. Online purchase is recommended.
There are two churches in the area that are presenting interesting Lucia Fest pageants this weekend. Both have the same name — Gloria Dei Old Swedes’ Church.
At Gloria Dei Old Swedes’ Church (606 Church Street, Wilmington Delaware, 302- 652-5629, www.oldswedes.org), the Sankta Lucia Celebration is scheduled for December 7.
Sankta Lucia is a Swedish festival that features a Lucia procession with traditional songs and dances. Lucia, wearing a white gown and a crown of candles, leads the procession, followed by girls dressed in gowns who act as her attendants. Boys also join the festivities as starboys.
Gloria Dei Old Swedes’ Church in Delaware will present its traditional celebration of the Feast Day of Sankta Lucia on Sunday at 1 p.m.
The Delaware Swedish Colonial Society, which sponsors the annual December celebration, will also have its Hendrickson House Museum open to the public. The museum, which has been decorated for a Swedish Christmas will be open for tours and shopping from noon-3:30 p.m.
Tickets are $10 for adults, $5 for students (ages 6-17) and free for children (5 and under).
At Philadelphia’s Gloria Dei Old Swedes’ Church (916 South Swanson Street, Philadelphia, www.old-swedes.org), the Lucia Fest is scheduled for December 6 and 7.
Visitors will be able to celebrate a beautiful Swedish tradition in its 88th year!
Lucia Fest is a colorful, musical pageant, representative of St. Lucia, the bearer of light during the dark Swedish winters.
This is a unique opportunity to witness this authentic holiday tradition, performed in a 300-year-old church built by Swedish settlers.
A Scandinavian Christmas bazaar — St. Eric’s Fair — will be open before and after each showtime, with imported goods, food & drink available for purchase.
Showtimes are 2, 3:30 and 5 p.m. Tickets are $15 for adults and $10 youths (12 and under).
There is a third Swedish event honoring St. Lucia this weekend.
The American Swedish Historical Museum (1900 Pattison Avenue, Philadelphia, www.americanswedish.org) will present its Lucia Celebration and Julmarknad (Christmas Bazaar) on December 6 and 7 from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. each day.
Light, warmth and Christmas songs have been hallmarks of the Lucia celebration at ASHM since 1939. Each year families pour through the magnificent bronze doors of the museum to be greeted by the aroma of freshly baked pastries, meatball dishes and strong Swedish coffee.
Guests can stroll through the Christmas Market, or Julmarknad, where Swedish delicacies, crafts, decorations, and imported gifts may be purchased, before the musical entertainment begins.
The Swedish Christmas Café will be selling favorite sweet and savory holiday foods and the SWEA bakery tables will be open all day.
At 11:30 a.m. and 2 p.m., the lights will dim, and the doors will close for the duration of a performance of Swedish Christmas songs and dances.
Children from toddlers to teens dressed in costume entertain the crowds, culminating with the procession of Lucia, wearing her crown of candles, surrounded by her white gowned attendants and star boys.
Admission is $10 for adults and $5 for children.
On December 5 and 6, Rockwood Park (4651 Washington Street Extension, Wilmington, Delaware, www.nccde.org/431/Rockwood-Park-Museum) is hosting its annual “Winter Nights at Rockwood.”
The popular family event, which runs from 5-8 p.m. each night includes tours of the holiday display in the museum and a joyous light display in the gardens surrounding the Mansion and Carriage House.
Holiday Open House features exceptional entertainment, fun festive crafts, costumed characters, refreshments, food trucks and free photos with Santa.
The event also includes the Holiday Shoppe selling gifts for the whole family.
This is a free event.
One of the most elaborate model train layouts in the Delaware Valley can be found at the Morris Arboretum (100 Northwestern Avenue, Chestnut Hill, 215-247-5777, http://www.morrisarboretum.org). The popular Garden Railway Display that has become a summer fixture at The Gardens at Morris Arboretum returns again for a special holiday display.
The display, which is open to the public now through December 30 in the winter garden of the Morris Arboretum, has a quarter-mile of track featuring seven loops and tunnels with 15 different rail lines and two cable cars, nine bridges (including a trestle bridge you can walk under) and bustling model trains.
The buildings and the display are all made of natural materials — bark, leaves, twigs, hollow logs, mosses, acorns, dried flowers, seeds and stones — to form a perfectly proportioned miniature landscape complete with miniature rivers. Philadelphia-area landmarks are all meticulously decorated for the holidays with lights that twinkle.
Admission to the Morris Arboretum is $22 for adults, $20 for seniors (65 and older) and $12 for students and military.
LEGOLAND Discovery Center Philadelphia (500 W Germantown Pike, Plymouth Meeting, Https://philadelphia.legolanddiscoverycenter.com/) is presenting “Holiday Bricktacular!” now through January 4.
Participants can create their own LEGO ornament and display it in on the LEGO tree and check out all the holiday scenes in the Winter Wonderland in Miniland Philadelphia.
As an added attraction, LEGO Santa will be visiting from the LEGO North Pole.
Ticket prices start at $21.99.
One of Philly’s premier annual events, Macy’s Christmas Light Show (1300 Market Street, Philadelphia, www.macys.com) is running now through December 24.
Set in The Grand Court, the show features a 100,000-light show of twinkling snowflakes, dancing snowmen and more, narrated by Julie Andrews and accompanied by the famed Wanamaker Organ.
Images of snowmen, reindeer, snowflakes and more dance across the atrium inside of the historic Wanamaker building (now Macy’s Center City) during the ever-popular Macy’s Christmas Light Show. The show, which has been on view since 1956, runs every two hours during store hours.
Visitors can also tour the second floor’s vintage Dickens Village, where more than 100 intricate animated dolls and sets retell A Christmas Carol. Each free walkthrough ends in a chance to meet and get photos with Santa.
The 2025 Winter in Franklin Square holiday festival (200 North Sixth Street, Philadelphia, http://www.historicphiladelphia.org/franklin-square/holidays-in-franklin-square/) opens its season on November 20 runs until is running now through February 28.
It will be open from 10 a.m.-9 p.m. daily.
The Electrical Spectacle Holiday Light Show will be open from 5-9 p.m. daily and will be closed on Thanksgiving and Christmas Day.
Visitors are invited to experience the magic of the holidays and celebrate traditions — new and old — at the Franklin Square Holiday Festival.
Inspired by Benjamin Franklin’s electrifying genius, the free Electrical Spectacle Holiday Light Show presented by PECO is the key to holiday fun in Franklin Square.
Attendees can marvel at more than 50,000 lights as they shimmer, dance, and illuminate the Square to a soundtrack of holiday classics, some of which are performed by The Philly POPS in two alternating shows every 30 minutes.
A popular annual Philly holiday tradition can be found at the Rothman Orthopaedics Institute Ice Rink at Dilworth Park (1 South 15th Street, Philadelphia, http://ccdparks.org/dilworth-park),
Beginning this November, some of Philadelphia’s favorite winter traditions return to Dilworth Park. Visitors of all ages can enjoy a dramatic seasonal transformation as fountains are replaced by the Rothman Orthopaedic Institute Ice Rink and reindeer topiaries take up winter residence on the Greenfield Lawn.
In addition, a full lineup of free entertainment is planned, including the Deck the Hall Light Show, the Made in Philadelphia Holiday Market and Rothman Orthopaedic Institute Cabin.
Dilworth Park’s winter season is running now through March 14.
The Rothman Institute Ice Rink at Dilworth Park is an unparalleled entertainment experience on Philadelphia’s center stage in a wonderfully urban and unique setting. Open seven days a week, the rink offers wintery fun for all ages, with a full slate of programs.
The Made in Philadelphia Holiday Market runs through January 1 with more than 40 local vendors.
Now through January 1, the Philadelphia Zoo (3400 West Girard Avenue, Philadelphia, www.philadelphiazoo.org) will host LumiNature, a gigantic holiday season light experience that turns the entire Zoo into a magical journey of lights, music, sounds and surprises.
The giant-sized holiday extravaganza will transform the entire Zoo into a nighttime winter wonderland. Guests will experience a magical journey of lights, music, sounds and surprises.
New this year will be the Philly Zoo Pherris Wheel, a new observation wheel ferris wheel with breathtaking scenes of the lights and overlooking the city where the former Zoo balloon was.
LumiNature will expand to feature illuminated experience zones that will feature lively themed displays, newly enhanced installations and thousands of twinkling lights on a breathtaking journey celebrating the wonder of wildlife and the beauty of our planet.
LumiNature will feature more than a million lights and 10+ miles of power cord.
New for this year are Santa’s Lodge, a cozy indoor space with the chance to say hello to the big man himself, and Jambi’s Solstice Saloon, the perfect spot to chill along the beaming river.
Favorite returning illuminated displays include the high-energy Penguin Prismatic show with a 40 ft. tall penguin shining with 40,000 lights and the famous 25 ft. tall pink flamingo tree, made entirely out of 1,500 lawn ornament flamingos.
Additionally, seasonal fare, strolling performers, hot chocolate and ever-warming adult beverages promise to additionally spark the holiday spirit.
Tickets start at $22 for adults and $18 for children.
Elmwood Park Zoo (Elmwood Park Zoo, 1661 Harding Boulevard, Norristown, www.elmwoodparkzoo.org) is in holiday mode.
Elmwood Park Zoo’s favorite family tradition, “Wild Lights,” is back with more lights and decorative attractions than ever before. During this walk-through experience, guests will be surrounded by dazzling light displays, illuminated animals and live entertainment.
“Wild Lights” operates on select days from 5-9 p.m. now through December 30. “Wild Lights” tickets are valid beginning at 5 p.m. The Zoo and “Wild Lights” will be closed on Christmas Eve, and Christmas Day. “Wild Lights” will be held rain or shine.
Winter Light Spectacular will be held at the Lehigh Valley Zoo (5150 Game Preserve Road, Schnecksville, www.lvzoo.org) now through January 3.
The Lehigh Valley Zoo celebrates the most magical time of the year during the annual Winter Light Spectacular.
Guests can bundle up and enjoy the beauty of nature as they stroll through tree-lined paths lit up by more than 1.2 million twinkling lights and themed animated displays.
They will be able to warm up next to the cozy outdoor fire pits, while enjoying hot cocoa and Stuffed Puffs® Classic Milk Chocolate Filled Marshmallow s’mores.
And there are plenty of photo opportunities to capture the children’s delight when they encounter Santa, Anna, Elsa, Belle, and Cinderella.
General admission is $11.
“Christmas Candylane,” which is the annual holiday event at Hersheypark (100 West Hersheypark Drive, Hershey, 800-HERSHEY, www.hersheypark.com), is running now through January 4.
Visitors to Hershey can also experience the winter wonderland called “Hershey Sweet Lights, A Holiday Drive-Thru Spectacular.” The attraction is a two-mile drive through wooded trails featuring approximately 600 illuminated, animated displays.
Admission prices for “Christmas Candylane” start at $46.99.
“A Very Furry Christmas at Sesame Place” (100 Sesame Road, Langhorne, www.sesameplace.com) is a festive, family-friendly celebration with everyone’s favorite Sesame Street friends live and in-person at the amusement park in Langhorne.
The annual event, which runs through January 4, offers a wide array of family holiday activities.
Visitors to the park can sing along at three special Christmas shows and a spectacular music and light show at the giant 1-2-3 Christmas Tree, take a train ride tour through the Twiddlebugs’ Gingerbread Cookie Factory on the Sesame Place Furry Express, take part in the Neighborhood Street Party Christmas Parade, and have the opportunity to meet Lightning, the adorable reindeer from the movie “Elmo Saves Christmas.”
As an added attraction this year, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer is spending the holiday season at Sesame Place. The lovable reindeer along with his friends Clarice and Bumble, will be available for photos with guests.
Tickets for “A Very Furry Christmas” start at $29.99.
Dutch Wonderland Family Amusement Park (2249 Route 30 East, Lancaster, 866-386-2389, www.dutchwonderland.com) is hosting its “Dutch Winter Wonderland” now through December 31 on Saturdays, Sundays and select weekdays.
Visitors are invited to celebrate the magic of the season at Dutch Winter Wonderland with rides, entertainment, and the Royal Light Show, a spectacular display of thousands of twinkling lights dancing to music.
Ticket prices start at $24.99 at the gate. Children ages two and under are admitted free.
Christmas Underwater at Adventure Aquarium (1 Riverside Drive, Camden, New Jersey, www.adventureaquarium.com) is open through December 31.
At Christmas Underwater visitors can discover an incredible world of seasonal under-the-sea fun.
Scuba Santa is back in Ocean Realm, sharing Christmas cheer with kids (and animals) of all ages. The event features more holiday decor than ever before, including underwater light displays, and festive new shows.
The World’s Tallest Underwater Christmas Tree returns — stretching 18 feet tall and decorated with colorful, custom-sculpted corals.
More than 15,000 incredible animals are getting in on the festive fun with eight underwater light displays spread throughout the exhibits.
Admission fees start at $30.99 for adults.
Now that Christmas activities have begun, Peddler’s Village (Routes 202 and 263, Lahaska, http://peddlersvillage.com) is starting its celebration and that means there will be a lot of activity at the site over the next few weeks.
Visitors to the Village can join special guest Mrs. Claus for festive fun and mini-lightings in a different Village neighborhood each night leading up to the Village-wide Grand Illumination Celebration. Village shops will be open until 9 p.m. with a distinctive assortment of merchandise, special promotions and refreshments.
The 25th Annual Grand Illumination celebration will showcase thousands of tiny white lights outlining the Village’s buildings, colorful lights with less-than-common colors (teal, peach, and fuschia) adorning the trees and shrubs and a landscaped backdrop featuring a group of reindeer glowing in white light.
Slated to run through January 5, the “Gingerbread House Competition” features over $2,000 in cash prizes in such categories as Traditional and Authentic Reproduction of a Significant Building.
The holiday lights will be on display every evening through January 18. Shops will be open until 10 p.m. There will be free admission and free parking.
If you take a trip to the Lehigh Valley, you can check out three very impressive holiday lights displays.
Bethlehem, which is known as the “Christmas City,” presents Christkindlmarkt Bethlehem (PNC Plaza at SteelStacks, 645 East First Street, Bethlehem, 610-332-1300, http://www.christmascity.org) every Friday, Saturday and Sunday now through December 22.
Christkindlmarkt Bethlehem showcases aisles of exquisite handmade works by the nation’s finest artisans. The market also features live performances of Christmas music and vendors with an amazing variety of tasty food items.
Other special attractions include ice carving, glassblowing demonstrations, “Breakfast with St. Nicholas,” outdoor artisan huts, fire pits and igloos in the Outdoor Village, and Käthe Wohlfarht with handmade ornaments, nutcrackers and collectibles from Germany.
Admission fee is $14.50.
The “Illumination at Coca-Cola Park” opens on November 14 at the Lehigh Valley IronPigs Baseball Stadium – Coca-Cola Park (1050 IronPigs Way, Allentown, illuminationlv.com ).
“Illumination at Coca-Cola Park” will take place nightly from 6-9 p.m. and feature more than one million holiday lights. Every 15-20 minutes, a dazzling synchronized music, and light show will take place featuring a breathtaking display where the stadium lights come alive in harmony with the holiday music.
Building on a wildly successful debut, “Illumination” has added various new entertainment options in addition to the spectacular lights show to help create the greatest holiday experience in the Lehigh Valley.
Guests will now be able to take part in a traditional carousel ride or even take a hayride with Mrs. Claus during their visit. For those with a competitive side, or even those looking for a truly unique experience, curling lanes have been added and are available for rent.
Joining Mrs. Claus as nightly new characters will be the Grinch and Cousin Eddie. Guests will have even more opportunities to snap the perfect flick for their holiday cards with additional sELFie stations.
Building on a successful debut, the food menu at Illumination will also feature new additions with even more holiday treats. Plus, a new large heated dining tent will be available for guests to relax and enjoy their food.
Admission prices start at $11.
Koziar’s Christmas Village (782 Christmas Village Road, Bernville, 610-488-1110, www.koziarschristmasvillage.com) began its 77th season on last week.
Koziar’s Christmas Village is truly a holiday wonderland — a wintertime spectacle that delights young and old alike with a huge amount of holiday displays and special attractions. It will remain open every night through January 3 — including Christmas Eve, Christmas Night, New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Night.
The tours of “Christmas Village” feature visits to a variety of displays and exhibits, including “Santa’s Post Office,” “Christmas in the Jungle,” “Manger Scene,” “Christmas Beneath the Sea,” “’Twas the Night Before Christmas,” “Olde Fashioned Bakery Shop,” “Toy Maker and his Toy Shop,” “Christmas in Other Lands” and “The Olde Church”.
Other attractions at Koziar’s Christmas Village include a huge model train display, a toy shop, a country kitchen, indoor and outdoor Christmas displays and a place to visit with Santa and even get pictures taken with the old guy in the red suit. Admission to Christmas Village is $13 for adults, $12 for seniors (65 and older) and $11 for children (ages 4-10).
A popular Bucks County attraction is the “Holiday Light Show” at Shady Brook Farm (931 Stony Hill Road, Yardley, www.shadybrookfarm.com)
The farm features a three–million-light Holiday Light Show with “Dashin’ Through the … Lights,” a family-friendly two-mile drive-through on Thursday and Friday nights.
The main display allows visitors to drive or (if weather permits) ride in wagons past post-sundown displays including illuminated tunnels.
The “Holiday Light Show” is open now through January 27.
Timed tickets, which start at $40, are required.
“Christmas Spirit Light Show” is running now through December 31 (except December 25) at Clipper Magazine Stadium (650 North Prince Street, Lancaster, christmasspiritlightshows.com).
“Christmas Spirit Light Show” is an exciting, one-of-a-kind Christmas light display that families can enjoy from the comfort of their vehicles.
As participants make the journey through the mile-long track, they get immersed and surrounded by hundreds of thousands of color-changing lights that are animated and dancing in harmony with favorite Christmas classics.
The drive-through event is billed as a “breathtaking holiday experience that you and your loved ones will never forget.”
Ticket prices start at $25 per car.
On December 7, Laurel Hill Cemetery (3822 Ridge Avenue, Philadelphia, laurelhillphl.com) will present “Laurel Hill Goes to the Movies.”
Visitors can take a close-up look at the many ways Laurel Hill East is connected to the celluloid arts.
They can thrill to the story of the stunt man who adopted Roy Rogers’ horse and be amazed by the founding fathers who sang and danced their way through Independence Hall in living technicolor.
Guests can celebrate the industrial film pioneer who broke down gender barriers and discover some of the great tales of the movie age. And they can learn about and visit the locations of contemporary movies filmed at Laurel Hill East!
The Tour Guide is Steve Chawaga.
Ticket prices are $17/General Admission (Ages 13 and up), $15/Seniors (Ages 65+) and Students with ID and $8.50/Youth (Ages 6-12).
Grim Philly’s “Dark Philly History Tour” (www.grimphilly.com) will be held every evening throughout the summer.
Participants can walk with tour guides from the grounds of America’s first White House, Congress, and Liberty Bell to homes and sites of Hamilton, Washington, Franklin, Adams, Jefferson, Madison, Monroe, and more than 10 other Founding-Fathers. The surprising dirt of espionage, murder, sexual license and blackmail highlight the secrets of 1776 with a ghost story or two along the way. This tour is highly researched. And your guide is a historian.
Tickets are $35.
Ghost Tour of Philadelphia (215-413-1997, www.ghosttour.com), Ghost Tour of Lancaster (717-687-6687, www.ghosttour.com) and Ghost Tour of Strasburg (717-687-6687, www.ghosttour.com) operate throughout the winter and offer an eerily entertaining evening of true ghost stories and real haunted houses.
The Ghost Tour of Philadelphia, which is based on the book, “Ghost Stories of Philadelphia, PA.,” is a candlelight walking tour along the back streets and secret gardens of Independence Park, Society Hill, and Old City, where ghostly spirits, haunted houses, and eerie graveyards abound.
Participants can discover the ghost lore of America’s most historic and most haunted city with stories from the founding of William Penn’s colony to present-day hauntings.
The activity is open year-round – weekends, December-February; every night, March-November. Tickets are $24.
The Ghost Tour of Lancaster and the Ghost Tour of Strasburg are based on the book, “Ghost Stories of Lancaster, PA.”
Participants in the Ghost Tour of Lancaster explore the long-forgotten mysteries of one of America’s oldest cities, with haunting tales of otherworldly vigils, fatal curses, and star-crossed lovers. The tour provides the opportunity to experience 300 years of haunted history from Red Rose City’s thorny past. Tickets are $20.
The Ghost Tour of Strasburg is a candlelight walking tour of the quaint and historic town of Strasburg in the heart of Pennsylvania Dutch Country. Visitors will experience an entertaining evening with a costumed tour guide spinning tales of haunted mansions, eerie graveyards, and spirits that roam the night … in a town lost in time. Tickets are $20.
A good location for a nature walk is Tyler Arboretum (515 Painter Road, Media, 610-566-9134, www.tylerarboretum.org).
The arboretum’s schedule for this weekend features a “Saturday Wildflower Walk: Winter Edition” on December 6.
With 650 protected acres of beautiful woodland, seasonally charming meadows, and a lively program of seasonal events and activities, Tyler Arboretum is a delight for nature lovers, birders, botanists, and those who want rediscover the natural world.
Dating to 1681, making it one of the oldest public gardens in the United States, and home to eight generations of three families, Tyler Arboretum connects visitors to the region’s rich culture and history while preserving, developing, sharing, and celebrating Pennsylvania’s priceless horticultural heritage.
“Saturday Wildflower Walk,” which runs from 1-3 p.m., features wildflower expert Dick Cloud on an informative two-hour hike that will take guests through meadows, woods, and occasionally streamside. These walks are for those who have a love of plants, their role in ecology, or for those who want to learn more.
Although the focus is on plants, Cloud will also talk about whatever else is seen on the tour. Walkers should wear comfortable hiking shoes and bring a camera and/or a wildflower guide, for this botanical-filled walk.
Admission to Tyler Arboretum is $18 for adults and $10 for children (ages 12-17).
