This Christmas Market in Pennsylvania Rivals Anything in Europe

December 17th, 2024 | In The News

Written by Kemi Ibeh

The holiday season often means carols, ringing bells, warm, spiced beverages, and—the less accessible, but equally iconic—Christmas markets that twinkle across Germany and the rest of Europe each year. For those not planning a trek to another continent this year, your seasonal itinerary can still include a visit to a excellent Christmas market in the Lehigh Valley.

The three-decade-old, German-inspired Christkindlmarkt Bethlehem takes place each year in a town with its own Germanic roots and an identity built around Christmas that stretches back across three centuries. On Christmas Eve 1741, German Moravian bishop Nicolaus Zinzendorf christened the city Bethlehem. In 1747, it became the first US city to sport a decorated Christmas tree. It’s no surprise then that the popular Christmas destination adopted the nickname Christmas City USA in December 1937.

Revelers flock to Christkindlmarkt Bethlehem each year for festive holiday shopping including handmade arts, crafts, gifts, and authentic Bavarian decorations from lauded German ornament manufacturer Käthe Wohlfahrt. For 22 years, Käthe Wohlfahrt has set up shop at the market with handmade schwibbogens, nutcrackers, and glass ornaments.

While it’s easy to spend a fortnight’s wages on unique ornaments, you can save some time and cash by opting for special performances (and an appearance by St. Nicholas), or lacing up for ice skating at The Ice Rink at SteelStacks. After working up an appetite, take a break with strudel, bratwurst, Christmas cookies, and more from local food vendors.

Drive time:

1 hour, 50 minutes from NYC

1 hour, 20 minutes from Philadelphia

4 hours, 50 minutes from Boston

Christkindlmarkt Bethlehem takes place at the PNC Plaza at the 10-acre SteelStacks campus and runs weekends from November 15 through December 22.

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One more thing to do: Recently designated a National Historic Landmark District (and one of only eight such districts in Pennsylvania), the Moravian Bethlehem Historic District is home to over 20 of the oldest surviving buildings in Bethlehem. At the district’s core lies the Moravian Museum of Bethlehem, where visitors can take a self-guided tour and explore how the Moravian settlers in the 18th century established a community with German architecture. Historic sites include the Colonial Industrial Quarter (the first industrial park in the United States) and the 1752 Apothecary, which was the oldest pharmacy in continuous operation in the United States until it shuttered in the 1950s.

One thing to eat: Even if you aren’t staying at the Historic Hotel Bethlehem, stop by the hotel’s all-day restaurant 1741 at the Terrace for a menu with globe-trotting dishes like Crispy Chicken Lemongrass Potstickers and Jumbo Lump Crab Cakes with harissa aioli, cozy options like Ricotta Gnocchi and Maine Lobster Macaroni and Cheese, plus an extensive wine list and a full bar served in a picture-lined dining room overlooking historic Main Street. Don’t miss the weekly Musical Sunday Brunch or Thursday Night Jazz.

One things to drink: Close out the evening with a beer from Tally Ho Tavern. In operation since 1933, this restaurant and bar has regular live music, DJ sets, and karaoke.

Where to stay: Bethlehem offers plenty of accommodations steeped in the town’s rich history, but the Moravian District’s Historic Hotel Bethlehem stands out from the rest with the original, restored interior from 1922 featuring details like murals, palladium windows, and beautiful balconies. For the thrill-seekers, the hotel says friendly ghosts linger in the boiler room, lobby, exercise room, and restaurant. Book the highly requested Room 932, which reportedly has so much paranormal activity that the hotel invited a paranormal investigator to spend the night there in April 2007. He reported that he recorded several disembodied voices during his visit.

Read the article on MSN.

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