Lancaster, PA Christmas events and light displays

Events | Light Displays

Events

• Hershey's Chocolate World: During the holiday season, Experience HERSHEY'S Holiday Happiness with their festive decorations, attractions, sweets and baked items. Don't miss the 2012 Hershey's Holiday Chocolate House, photos with Santa, holiday dessert decorating and much more!
  www.hersheys.com
  
  
• Dutch Winter Wonderland: Weekends, November 17 through December 30 at Dutch Wonderland. Rides, games, and holiday entertainment under thousands of twinkling lights! Indoor activities include cookie decorating, voting for your favorite gingerbread house and sharing holiday wishes with Santa. 866-FUNatDW or www.dutchwonderland.com
  
  
• Christmas Candylane: November 16 - December 29 at Hersheypark. A family holiday tradition, Hersheypark Christmas Candylane delights all your senses with more than 2,000,000 twinkling lights, holiday-themed rides, festive entertainment, steaming mugs of signature hot chocolate, and quaint shopping experiences. 800-HERSHEY or www.hersheypark.com
   
• Old Fashioned Christmas: Fridays & Saturdays, November 23 – December 23 at Kitchen Kettle Village. Marshmallow roasting, s’more making, holiday entertaining demonstrations, dinner with Mrs. Claus and Yummie, music, carolers, and village shopping.  800-732-3538 or www.kitchenkettle.com
   
• A Brandywine Christmas: November 23 through January 6 at the Brandywine River Museum. Extensive O-gauge model train layout, elaborate Victorian dollhouse, and thousands of whimsical “critter” ornaments on holiday trees! 610-388-2700 or www.brandywinemuseum.org
   
• Santa’s Paradise Express: Weekends, November 23-December 16 at the Strasburg Rail Road. Enjoy a 45-minute journey with Santa on an authentic steam train, featuring a pot-bellied stove and strolling musicians. 717-687-7522 or www.strasburgrailroad.com
   
• Home for the Holidays & Polar Express Parties: December 1 & December 8 at the Railroad Museum of PA. Holiday rail travel of the past century with costumed characters, music, plus Jack Frost Station and Polar Express Party for kids. 717-687-8628 or www.rrmuseumpa.org
   
• Outdoor Ice Skating in a Ballpark Setting: December – February at Clipper Magazine Stadium. The Barnstormers are trading their spikes for blades! Enjoy ice skating under the open sky at Clipper Magazine Stadium’s Ice Rink. 717-509-4487 or www.lancasterbarnstormers.com/icepark.cfm
   
• Breakfast with Santa: Saturdays & Sundays, November 17 - December 23 at Hershey's Chocolate World. Begins at 8 a.m. Reservations required. 855-502-8400 or www.hersheys.com
   
• National Christmas Center: Open daily (see website for hours & exceptions) Experience the whimsy and fantasy, magic and memories, and history and traditions of Christmas. Walk through 15 main galleries and numerous, ever-changing smaller exhibits. 717-442-7950 or www.nationalchristmascenter.com
   
• Country Christmas Village: December 1-2; 8-9 at Landis Valley Museum. Come warm your spirit and experience Pennsylvania German contributions to the celebration of the season as you tour decorated buildings, see traditional holiday foods prepared in the tavern, and meet "der Belsnickel."  Children can make seasonal crafts to take home.  After touring the village, warm up with a complimentary hot chocolate and gingersnaps at the tavern!  717-569-0401 or www.landisvalleymuseum.org
  
  
• Holidays at Landis Valley: December 14 at Landis Valley Village and Farm Museum. Tour several of our decorated historic buildings, huddle around a large bonfire and sing carols accompanied by the Lititz Moravian Trombone Choir. Afterwards, join friends and family in our Yellow Barn for cookies and hot cider. 717-569-0401 or  www.landisvalleymuseum.org
    
  
• Christkindlesmarkt: Sundays, December 2 – December 16 at Stoudt's. Every Sunday, celebrate the season with a traditional Christmas theme. Seasonal dealers display a lovely variety of antiques, Christmas crafts and toys at the Bier Garten and Antique Mall. An array of music, festive food and holiday cheer provided for the whole family. 717-484-4386 or www.stoudts.com
  
  
• Downtown Lancaster for the Holidays: Beginning November 23, don’t miss out on Caroling Bells, the arrival of Santa Claus, the lighting of the Christmas Tree, horse drawn carriage rides, strolling musical entertainment, a model train display, and SO much more in Downtown Lancaster! 717-291-4758 or www.lancastercityevents.com/holidays.html
  
  
• Reindeer Round-Up: December 11-13, 16, 18-20 and 22 at the Hands-on House. Meet Rudolph and his reindeer buddies! Young visitors, 2-10, are invited to visit and learn about reindeer and enjoy some holiday fun. Children will pretend that they are one of the team that takes care of Santa’s pretend reindeer! 717-569-KIDS or www.handsonhouse.org
  
  
• Christmas at Lancaster Central Market: 2012 dates TBD at Lancaster Central Market in Downtown Lancaster. America’s oldest farmers market – continuously operated since the 1730s – adds holiday spirit to its unique ambience with live Christmas music.
   
  
• Christmas at Cornwall House Tour: December 1. Now in its 17th year, will once again offer you the opportunity to see some historic homes.
  www.cornwallironfurnace.org
  
  
• Holiday Guided Farmland Tours: Tour runs daily in November and weekends in December, as well as every day the week of December 26-31. The 90-minute tour on backroads includes an overview of the Amish, Christmas customs, and the quiet beauty of winter. 
  www.amishexperience.com
  
• Choo Choo Barn Holiday Display: November 23 - December 31 at the Choo Choo Barn. Celebrate the season as the Choo Choo Barn trasnforms Traintown USA® to bring the magic of Christmas to its gigantic model train display. For only the second time in history, the homes and businesses along the tracks have decked their halls to share with the public.
  www.choochoobarn.com/holiday
  
  
• The Night Before Christmas Train: November 30 at the Strasburg Rail Road. Aboard the Night Before Christmas Train, passengers will hear the poem, Night Before Christmas, and enjoy cookies and milk. $5 from every ticke will support Water Street Rescue Ministries.
  www.strasburgrailroad.com
   
• Christmas Candlelight Tours: December 6-8 at Hans Herr House and Museum. Add a dash of old-world charm to your holiday season.  Learn the origins of beloved Christmas traditions. House tours end with hot cider and caroling around a bonfire.
  www.hansherr.org
  
  
• A Dickens of a Christmas: December 1-23. Victorian Mount Hope Mansion and the Dickensian characters will lift your Holiday spirits with joyous caroling, parlor games and intimate theater shows. Celebrate the Yuletide season with timeless classics that still pull on our heartstrings.  
  www.parenfaire.com
  
  
• Ice Cream with Santa Claus: December 1-2, 8-9, 15-16 and 22-23 at the Turkey Hill Experience. Chat with Santa, and receive a special gift bag, ice cream sundae, special crafts and a personal photo!
  www.turkeyhillexperience.com
  
  
• Ephrata Cloister's Christmas at the Cloister: Decemeber 10-11.Spend a few moments in quiet reflection with seasonal readings and holiday music in our historic meetinghouse. 
  www.ephratacloister.org
  
  
• Holiday Open House Weekend: December 4-5 at Twin Brook Winery. Tis the season to Spice things up. Mulled Spice Wine, holiday treats and all your other favorite Twin Brook wines will be yours to sample. Complimentary wine tasting this weekend, our treat. 
  www.twinbrookwinery.com
  
  
• Winterfest: December 1 in Downtown Mount Joy. Winterfest is Mount Joy’s official Holiday Kickoff with live music, family-fun activities, & over 25 local community groups, civic organizations, churches and businesses lining Main Street.
  www.mainstreetmountjoy.com
  
  
• Spectacular of Lights: November 23 in Downtown Ephrata. Santa comes to town, the town Christmas Tree gets lit, and there is singing and cookies and hot cider and all kinds of fun. Come out and join the fun.
  www.downtownephrata.org
   
• Annual Carol Sing: December 13 at Moravian Church Square. Spend an old-fashioned evening on Lititz Moravian Church Square as you and your friends, family and neighbors ring in the Christmas season by singing traditional Christmas Carols!
  www.lititzhistoricalfoundation.com
   
• Christmas Candlelight Tour: December 14 at Historic 1792 Johannes Mueller House. Join us as you take a free tour of the Historic 1792 Johannes Mueller House. Costumed tour guides will be on-hand to answer any questions you might have!
  www.lititzhistoricalfoundation.com
   
• Holiday Open House: December 1-2, 8-9 and 15-16 at Brandywine Valley Wine Trail. Come out and enjoy holiday shopping in a festive and stress-free atmosphere. Our wineries will be decorated in their holiday finery and offering special holiday pricing. No matter what you're shopping for, you can find it all at our Holiday Open House!
  www.bvwinetrail.com
   
• 12 Days of Christmas: December 10-22 at Herr's Snack Factory Tour. Join us for our 12 Days of Christmas as we celebrate the season with everything from hayrides to toy drives!
  http://www.herrs.com/whatsnew/SpecialEvents.html
   
• The Night Before Christmas Train: November 30, as well as December 7 & 14 at Strasburg Rail Road. This very unique and special train recreates the excitement and anticipation of Christmas Eve. A reader dressed in a Victorian nightshirt and cap will read, The Night Before Christmas, as passengers enjoy cookies and milk and the train rolls along.
  www.strasburgrailroad.com
  
  
• 16th Annual Open House and Christmas Party: December 1 at the Artist's Inn & Gallery. Come celebrate the season with us! Enjoy food, drinks, and laughs and save 20% on everything in the gallery from noon - 5pm.
  www.artistinn.com
   
• Holiday Open House: November 23-25 at Mount Hope Estate & Winery. Join us as we open our doors to celebrate this holiday season with a fantastic mixture of beer and wine samplings, an exclusive sneak peak of Dickens of a Christmas show and more! Open House runs each day from 11am to 5 pm.
  

  www.parenfaire.com
  
  

• Yuletide at Wheatland - 2012: Thursdays from 12-4pm and Fridays & Saturdays from 12-8pm. December 26-29, Wheatland will be open from noon until 4pm each day with no evening hours.
  www.lancasterhistory.org

Celebrate with Lights

• Gift of Lights at Elizabeth Farms
  Lancaster County's new Christmas light experience. Elizabeth Farms has been the area’s largest Christmas tree farm since 1758, and this holiday season, hundreds of thousands of lights will set the farm aglow. This drive-thru experience will become a beloved tradition for family and friends to enjoy together. 
  
  Come out this holiday season to drive through approximately 1 mile of LED lights.The light park opens November 18. 
  www.elizabethfarms.com/gift-of-lights
  
  
• Mayor’s Tree Lighting and Tuba Christmas: November 23. See the arrival of Santa Claus, carolers, and the famous “Tuba Christmas.”  www.lancastercityevents.com
  
  
• Hershey Sweet Lights: 
  A winter wonderland awaits at Hershey Sweet Lights, a Holiday Drive-Thru Spectacular. Enjoy nearly 600 illuminated animated displays from the comfort of your car as you drive through 2 miles of wooded trails. Families return year after year for this holiday tradition. 800-HERSHEY or www.hersheypark.com
  
  
• Rocky Ridge Christmas Magic, a Festival of Lights: 2012 dates December 23-31 (closed December 24 and 25) A half-mile walking trail (accessible to anyone) that meanders through 400,000 lights, holiday scenes, and five enclosed, heated pavilions. Enjoy crafts, food and a G-gauge train display! http://yorkcountypa.gov/parks-recreation/events/christmas-magic.html?id=311

A Lancaster County Christmas

• Holiday Events
• Holiday Shows
• Small Town Festivities, History & Heritage
• Holiday Itineraries
• Seasonal Shopping, Discounts, & Packages
• Ringing in the New Year

Related Blog Posts

• The National Christmas Center
  
• Elizabeth Farms & the Gift of Lights
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• Wilbur Chocolate Factory Store
• Julius Sturgis Pretzel Bakery
  
• Gift Certificate Ideas
  

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