Historic Bethlehem Museums & Sites Announces September 2024 Events

August 29th, 2024

Events include Apple Days, walking tours and free family programming.

Historic Bethlehem Museums & Sites (HBMS) released its slate of events and activities for September, including its latest exhibition, Checking In? Bethlehem’s Alluring Accommodations, Saturdays at Burnside, Apple Days, early registration for the Historic Turkey Trot 5K & Fun Walk, Free Sundays at the Museums and six historical tours.  

“As HBMS transitions into fall and the cooler months, there is no shortage of family-friendly historical programming,” said LoriAnn Wukitsch, HBMS’s president and CEO. “ Thanks to the support of our members, HBMS is now offering experiences seven days a week. We are honored to have several of the newest UNESCO World Heritage sites on our walking tours and have extended the hours at the Moravian Museum of Bethlehem – the oldest remaining building in the city and a key part of the Moravian Church Settlements – Bethlehem, which is now open Thursday through Monday. We invite the community to visit us soon.”

The annual Apple Days festival is back on Saturday, Sept. 14 and Sunday, Sept. 15, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Guests can pre-order apple-inspired sweet treats to pick up at the festival’s Market To Go on Friday, Sept. 13, from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. This year’s festival features the Banko Beverages Apples Days Tavern, donut eating contests, apple dessert baking contests, and a new “Historic Area” featuring living history demonstrations. Children can engage in various hands-on activities, including pony rides and a hay bale maze. Additionally, visitors can shop local vendors, including SLR Stained Glass Studio, Soaps on Linden, Rebel Hive Meadery and Mother Nature Minerals. Vendors interested in participating are encouraged to contact HBMS’s special events manager, Beth Beatty, or apply directly on the Apple Days webpage: https://www.historicbethlehem.org/visit-us/experience/apple-days/. 

Checking In? Bethlehem’s Alluring Accommodations, which runs through January 2025, unveils the city’s long hospitality legacy. Guests will explore iconic establishments like the Crown Inn, the 1758 Sun Inn, and Golden Eagle Hotel and learn about some of Bethlehem’s most famous visitors! The presenting sponsor for the exhibition is Historic Hotel Bethlehem. For the most immersive experience, purchase a combo ticket to enjoy access to the Moravian Museum of Bethlehem, Kemerer Museum of Decorative Arts, and Sun Inn (the ticket includes a sampling experience and complimentary tasting glass). Begin your journey at the Moravian Museum and learn why the Moravians were widely renowned for their hospitality. Follow the footsteps of famous historical figures who visited local establishments, such as John Adams, George Washington, and the Marquise de Lafayette! Travel to Victorian-era Bethlehem at the Kemerer Museum and experience the luxury and glamour of the golden age of travel. Finally, finish with a stop at the Sun Inn. Enjoy the historical ambiance and relax with a sampling courtesy of Christmas City Spirits.

This month’s free Saturdays at Burnside experience, “Make Your Own Corn Husk Doll,” is on Sep. 7 from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. Attendees will learn about the multiple uses of corn and its vital role in colonial agriculture. They will also have the opportunity to make their own husk doll, one of the most popular toys of the 19th century, to celebrate the harvest. The public is invited to visit the farm on the first Saturday of each month at no cost. Additionally, guests can participate in “You Point, We Pick at Burnside,” where they select which plants they would like to take home, and a volunteer gardener will pick them up in exchange for a donation. Stop by Burnside Colonial Farm (1461 Schoenersville Road, Bethlehem) on Saturday, Sept. 2, from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. for the program’s return.

Free Sundays at the Museums offers visitors complimentary admission to the Kemerer Museum and the Moravian Museum from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. on the first Sunday of each month through November. This month’s activity is on Sunday, Sept. 1, at the Kemerer, and attendees can create lanterns using recycled plastic bottles and tissue paper. At the Moravian Museum, September offers visitors a chance to design a personalized deck of playing cards. HBMS also provides a free family activity guide.

The Historic Turkey Trot 5K & Fun Walk’s early registration is now open! Until Sept. 15, early registrants can enjoy a discounted cost of $35. From Sept. 16 to Nov. 30, registration will cost $40. The event will take place on Saturday, Nov. 30, at 9 a.m.

In September, HBMS offers multiple tours for everyone visiting Bethlehem. All tours this month, except the Rise & Fall of Bethlehem Steel Walking Tour, provide guests the opportunity to experience sites and buildings that are part of the newest inscribed UNESCO site in the U.S., Moravian Church Settlements — Bethlehem.

• Old Bethlehem Walking Tour shares the 275-year history of Bethlehem’s unique beginnings since 1741 and explores how residents lived and flourished. 
• HBMS offers a child-friendly tour for kids 2 years old and up, Playful Pathways: A Family-friendly Tour of Bethlehem, which shares Bethlehem’s history in a way that keeps guests of all ages entertained and learning. 
• Mystery & History Walking Tour takes guests through Bethlehem’s Colonial Industrial Quarters while stories are told about the various spirits that roam the historic buildings of Bethlehem. 
• Cemetery Tour: Death & Dying tells tales of the early Moravians’ views about death and dying while strolling through the Moravian’s first final resting place, God’s Acre. 
• Colonial Industrial Quarter Walking Tour explores the Colonial Industrial Quarter with a costumed guide to learn how America’s first industrial park has morphed from a business center to a junkyard to a treasured museum site. 
• Rise & Fall of Bethlehem Steel Walking Tour features up-close views of the former steel plant, as well as an in-depth look at the steel-making process and the workers’ roles in our country’s history. 

This month’s tours are scheduled for the following dates and times:

• Fridays
• 1 p.m.: Old Bethlehem Walking Tour
• 1 p.m.: The Rise and Fall of Bethlehem Steel Tour
• 3 p.m.: Mystery and History Tour
• Saturdays
• 11 a.m.: Playful Pathways: A Family-friendly Tour of Bethlehem
• 1 p.m.: Old Bethlehem Walking Tour
• 1 p.m.: The Rise and Fall of Bethlehem Steel Tour
• 3 p.m.: Cemetery Tour: Death & Dying
• Sundays
• 1 p.m.: Rise & Fall of Bethlehem Steel
• 1 p.m.: Old Bethlehem Walking Tour
• 3 p.m.: Colonial Industrial Quarter Tour

Interested visitors can book custom or group tours on dates not on the calendar through HBMS’s website at www.historicbethlehem.org/visit-us/group-tours.

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