Fun Things to Do This December in Pennsylvania

Kick-off the Christmas season (and check-off items on your shopping list) at Christmas Village in Philadelphia, where you can sample authentic German food as well as find rare crafts, jewelry, and art work. With more than 80 vendors and a visitation by the original Christkind from Germany, this is a German Christmas market worth the trip into Center City Philadelphia. If the lights, old-fashioned wooden booths, and one-of-a-kind Christmas ornaments don’t put you in a Christmas mood, the smell of gingerbread and mulled wine is guaranteed to evoke the richness of tradition and Christmases long ago. Located in LOVE Park (1500 Arch St), Christmas Village is open from Thanksgiving Day through Christmas Eve. Due to its popularity, try to plan to visit on a weekday to make the most of this experience.

In Mifflinburg, the oldest authentic Christkindl Market in the United States offers festive entertainment—from choral concerts to international dancers to the popular Skinny German Juggle Boy—as well as treats and unique gifts celebrating the city’s German heritage. In addition to browsing the displays of the more than 100 huts, you may partake in other long-running German traditions such as the Lantern Parade and the creation of Zwetschgenmännla, or “prune men.” Open just one weekend in December, Mifflinburg’s Christkindl Market is a highly-anticipated, highly-concentrated dose of all-things Christmas, so be sure to plan accordingly. Parking is scarce, and you may want to take advantage of the shuttle service offered during Christkindl Market Hours. 

In Schnecksville, a more modern Christmas experience may be had at the Winter Light Spectacular in the Lehigh Valley Zoo, where visitors will enjoy walking through winter landscapes adorned with themed light-and-musical displays. This tradition allows guests to enjoy the lights at their own pace, sipping hot chocolate and taking photos at their leisure. It is also wheelchair accessible to accommodate all guests. The Winter Light Spectacular opens in November and runs through December. 

For a nostalgic Christmas outing, don’t miss the “Railroad Journey in Miniature” at the Western Pennsylvania Model Railroad Museum, running from mid-November through mid-January in Gibsonia (5507 Lakeside Drive). While the Annual Holiday Train Show is open from Friday to Sunday, as well as the six days after Christmas, try to plan your visit for a Friday night to watch “Steam at Twilight,” a show exhibiting historic steam engines before the dawn of diesel-powered trains. The suggested donation is $10 per visitor. 

The Peoples Gas Holiday Market in Pittsburgh's Market Square runs from November through December 23rd , and it will provide sought-after opportunities for unique Christmas shopping, entertainment, and fare. Among other festivities, you can take that iconic photo with Santa, participate in the Holiday Karaoke contest, or enter a raffle for two tickets to London. 

For an indoor outing, visit Santa’s Christmas Land, a Christmas Display at Kraynak’s main store in Hermitage. Here you can walk through a 300-foot, starlight avenue of themed Christmas trees, replete with scenery and supporting cast of characters.  The store is open from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Mondays through Saturdays, and it is open on Sundays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Note that it is closed on Thanksgiving and Christmas Day.

A taste of a Victorian-era Christmas can be had in the southern Poconos at Jim Thorpe’s  Annual Olde Time Christmas. Visit weekends in December to take in sights and sounds that will reanimate your preferred cinematic rendering of A Christmas Carol as well as your personal experience of the holidays. In addition to the picturesque architecture and mountainous backdrop, photos with Santa, horse-drawn carriage rides, festive community events, and live entertainment will put you in the spirit of Christmas Present.

If during the Holidays you enjoy driving around to admire the Christmas lights, in Hershey the appropriately-named Sweet Lights will allow you to take in a spectacle that far surpasses your neighborhood light displays. At this Hershey favorite, visitors may enjoy the almost 600 lighted displays without leaving the warmth of their own vehicles.