Holiday Happenings

With the holiday season upon us there are so many local festivities for the entire family to enjoy in the Lehigh Valley!! Check out what I've found and feel free to comment with any others that you're aware of or any reviews of places you've visited!

ArtsQuest's popular holiday marketplace returns for another season! Christkindlmarkt Bethlehem showcases aisles of exquisite handmade works by the nations finest artisans, the heart-warming sounds of live Christmas music, delicious food and more. Click here for a $1 off admission.

Location:  1700 Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard Allentown PA (see directions page for more info.)

Dates:  November 23 - 25, 2012 and November 30, 2012 through January 6, 2013 (closed Christmas Day)

Time:  5:30 to 10 PM

Cost:  $6 per vehicle in advance - $10 per vehicle at the gate

The Crayola Experience or as I'll always call it - The Crayola Factory
The following is from their website: 

Q: How much is admission?

A: Admission is $12.00 per person. Any children 23 months and under are free.

Q: What forms of payment do you accept?

A: We accept cash, Visa, MasterCard, or Discover. No personal checks can be accepted as payment.

Q: What is your address?

A: 30 Centre Square Easton, PA 18042. To ensure your arrival via GPS, please make sure Centre is spelled correctly.

Q: Where can I park?

A: There is a municipal parking garage located behind our facility between Pine and Ferry streets for a fee of $2 per hour. There is also metered parking available on the side streets. We do not validate tickets for parking.

The Ice Cream Lab presents Sundaes with Santa!  Holiday music, games, crafts, stories and make-your-own-sundaes. Reservations required. Taking place at 1 and then again at 4 p.m. on Dec. 22. Tickets: $12, child; $10, additional child; $5, adult. Ice Cream Lab, 350 S. Best Ave., Walnutport, 610-767-3551. 

The State Theater in Easton brings a holiday classic to life with a production of the Moscow Ballet's Great Russian Nutcracker. 

Unfortunately I'm unable to get into their website at the moment for ticket information/availability but here's their contact info:

Address:
     State Theatre Center for the Arts 
     453 Northampton Street 
     Easton, PA 18042-3562 


Phone Directory: 
     Administration Office: 610-258-7766 
     Fax: 610-258-2570 
     Box Office: 610-252-3132 
     Toll Free: 1-800-999-STATE (7828) 

Koziar's Christmas Villiage  

Exhibits featuring thousands of twinkling lights, outdoor train depot, visit with Santa, more. 6-9 p.m. Mon.-Fri., 5-9:30 p.m. Sat., 5-9 p.m. Sun. Through Jan. 1. Tickets: $9; $8, seniors; $7, children, 6-12; free, children 5 and younger. 

Located at: 782 Christmas Village Road, Bernville, PA.

The Christmas City has much to offer over the holidays including my personal favorite - the horse drawn carriage rides.

A CHRISTMAS CITY STROLL, A CANDLELIT TOUR RISE & FALL OF BETHLEHEM STEEL: HOLIDAY VERSION SCENIC HORSE DRAWN CARRIAGE RIDE BETHLEHEM BY NIGHT BUS TOUR MORAVIAN MUSEUM OF BETHLEHEM, A 1700'S CHRISTMAS 1750 SMITHY WITH COLONIAL GIFT SHOP

Happy Holidays! 

Paint up some Holiday Fun and Gifts at Paintsome Pottery

Paintsome Pottery located at 4610 Broadway in the Tilghman Square Shopping Center in Allentown has a calendar full of fun for December.

Make a lighted Christmas Tree for $55 on Thursday, December 2nd. Pet day is the 5th from 12:00pm - 5:00pm. On Friday the 10th you get 20% if you paint in your jammies! 

Santa's stopping by on Sunday the 12th to get crafty, and bring the family and friends along on Monday the 13th for 20% off with parties of 4 or more after 3:00pm. 

Are you a competitive crafter? There is a cookie plate contest on Saturday the 18th. And if you're a last minute shopper their ornaments are 20% off on Sunday the 19th and the 22nd is the last day to paint for Christmas Eve pick up when they are open from 12:00pm - 3:00pm. 

Get crafty this holiday and make some one-of-a-kind gifts for family and friends this year at Paintsome Pottery.

For more information check out their website - http://www.paintsomepottery.com. 

Breakfast with Santa at The Crayola Factory

Tired of the same old breakfast? If so, head to The Crayola Factory next month for their special weekend event - Breakfast with Santa.

Saturday the 4th, 11th and 18th the breakfast will take place from 9:00am - 10:00am. Sunday the 12th and 19th breakfast will be from 11:30am - 12:30pm. There will be no breakfast on the 5th. 

Children can visit with the big guy himself while enjoying a hot breakfast of pancakes, scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, home fries and pastries as well as juice. Coffee and tea will also be provided.

There will be holiday music and each child will receive a Crayola gift valued at $20.00.

The fee for the breakfast is $20 per person and half price admission tickets to The Crayola Factory will be available to those attending the breakfast.

For more information check out The Crayola Factory's website. 

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas. . .

Growing up I always thought that each holiday has its own month. I knew February would be full of hearts and March full of shamrocks and then October full of pumpkins and ghosts but now November isn't just scarecrows and turkeys - Santa arrives as well.

I've nothing against the holiday season and love Christmas but when you read that Santa's arriving at the local mall the first week of November you (or at least I) can't help but have a puzzled look on my face. I love Santa and taking my son to see him and up until a few years back I had nothing against visiting the guy and telling him my Christmas wishes but the first week of November? Really?

As with everything else this holiday is more and more commercialized every year though I'm debating whether or not it's completely bad. Did you know that you can print out VIP Passes to see Santa at The Lehigh Valley Mall? Indeed you may. No more waiting in the long line; instead preorder your photo package and bring your pass and go straight to the front of the line...or at least the VIP line. Let us pray that your little one even WANTS their photo taken that day otherwise who knows if they offer refunds or rainchecks. Even a simple trip to Santa now requires you to hop on the computer because you know when you get there and the line's a mile long you'll wish you had a pass. Is all that extra hoopla a good thing or does it take away from the magic of the season. Kids waiting in line in anticipation while they rehearse their speeches and clutch their letters for the big guy. Now you have mom and dad and the pass heading to the line so you can get in and out. It does help when you have a little one who may not be in the same frame of mind after waiting but eventually everyone will have the passes and they'll need another idea to help speed things along. Personally I just go to obscure malls where typically there are 4 or 5 people in line. Where is that you may ask? I'm not telling. ;)

So when DOES the big guy arrive? Santa's Photo Shop officially opens at The Lehigh Valley Mall on Friday, November 12th at 6:30pm. If you plan to go, don't forget to look into that "Fast Pass".

As for other local malls you'll find good 'ol Saint Nick at:

The South Mall on Saturday, November 13th at 11:00am  in the Center court and he'll have free Webkinz® pets for Santa's first 200 young visitors!

The Promenade Shops at Saucon Valley will have their annual Holiday Tree Lighting Event in Town Square (near Starbucks) on Saturday, November 27. Holiday music starts at 5:30pm and Santa & Mrs. Claus arrive
by Fire Truck at 6:00pm courtesy of the Upper Saucon Township Fire Department. FREE Jingle Bell courtesy of QNB while supplies last.

The Palmer Park Mall welcomes Santa on Saturday, November 13th at 11:00am. It will be a flurry of fun when Santa arrives aboard a flashing Palmer Township fire truck with Holiday music by the Bill Hawk Brass! Children visiting Santa will receive a FREE Lil'Kinz® pet, while supplies last.

The holidays have arrived...whether you're ready or not!  Ho! Ho! Ho!