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November 9th, 2021 |
It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas in the Christmas City! The Christmas Trees on the light poles have already been hung for several weeks. Trick-or-Treat is over and soon there will be a brief celebration of Thanksgiving and then the unofficial start of Christmas on Black Friday. The time to exchange the Halloween décor for Christmas lights is here-fortunately, that is the duty of my husband at our abode. The whole family will visit the local tree farm and cut down our Christmas tree and decorate it while listening to Christmas songs in early December.
Historic Bethlehem Museums & Sites is getting ready too! 27 Christmas trees throughout the historic locations will be adorned with decorations for this year’s Cinematic Christmas theme. Each tree is inspired by a classic holiday movie including favorites such as It’s a Wonderful Life, The Grinch, and A Christmas Carol. In the office, there are discussions asking if “Trains, Planes, and Automobiles” is a more of a Thanksgiving movie and does “Die Hard” really count as a Christmas movie?
After a cozy, Zoomed Christmas last year, we are ready to go out and celebrate this year! Historic Bethlehem has many opportunities to be a part of your family’s holiday tradition this year. There’s a tour for you – from horse drawn carriages and trolleys to walking tours, to motorcoach rides. Many of our tours this year are available to be coupled with a Sun Inn Combo ticket allowing you to receive a voucher to redeem for refreshments from Christmas City Spirits/Tavern at the Sun Inn.
We are accepting crafting vendors for this year’s Christmas in the Quarter. This new tradition spawned last year and will return for a shortened time of 2 weekends in December. Be sure to stop by and see what children’s activities are available and pick up a few last-minute gifts while enjoying the merriment of the season in a picturesque Colonial Industrial Quarter that is all lit up.
And be sure to stop by the Goundie House every evening in December for the only one of its kind Live Advent Calendar, Hosted by the merchants of the Downtown Bethlehem Association (DBA), a council of the Greater Lehigh Valley Chamber of Commerce, in conjunction with Historic Bethlehem Museums & Sites.
Other opportunities throughout the season in Bethlehem include the The Bethlehem Historic District Association’s Holiday House Tour on December 11th from 10 am-4 pm. Ten unique Historic District homes, as well as other distinctive sites within the Historic District, will be featured. Meanwhile Christmas Huts will be on Main Street in cooperation with the Downtown Bethlehem Association. The vendor huts will be open starting November 11. While you’re out shopping Bethlehem be sure to include the gift shop at the 1810 Goundie House! Resident vendor Marche Maison, who was recently featured in Country Farmhouse Sampler magazine, will be launching the Christmas Reveal on November 13, on the Cocktail Trail from 12-5pm.
There is still much to do before Christmas here in the office, but be sure to join us on November 19 at the Wassail Party, as we kick-off the start of our Christmas season following the moved up City Tree Lighting.
Tara Henninger is the new Marketing Coordinator at Historic Bethlehem Museums & Sites. She is looking forward to experiencing Christmas in the Christmas City!
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