Christmas City USA

Now that the holiday season is quickly approaching, it’s time to start planning a holiday vacation! What better place to spend the season than in Christmas City USA? Here you will find a tree on every light post, wreaths on every door, and of course, the Star of Bethlehem – an 81 foot LED star at the top of South Mountain.

If you’re staying in Bethlehem, it is an absolute must that you stay at the historic Hotel Bethlehem. It was originally built in 1741 by missioning Moravians and still stands in the middle of main street in Bethlehem [1].  This hotel has housed many famous guests including Henry Ford, Amelia Earhart, Barack Obama and John F. Kennedy. Don’t forget to check out their stunning holiday display featuring over 35,000 Christmas lights, trees, toy soldiers and gingerbread houses [2].

Open from November 18th to December 18th, head down to the ArtsQuest Center and check out Christkindlmarkt, a German-style holiday marketplace that brings in upwards of 1 million visitors [2]. You can also check out the Christmas City Village right on main street which features seasonally decorated huts full of goodies. For those of you who are 21 or older, be sure to stop by the Bethlehem Brew Works to try out their very own legendary Christmas beer, called Rude Elf Reserve.

The South Bethlehem Historical Society organizes an ethnic Christmas tree display that can be found at the Comfort Suites in Bethlehem. This display plays homage to the many cultures that have settled in Bethlehem, thus the trees are decorated in a variety of styles [2]. Some of the cultures represented are Lithuanian, Polish, Portuguese, and Slovenian, and each tree includes information on the many different traditions each group has [2].

If you’re visiting between December 1st through December 23rd, make sure to check the nation’s only live advent calendar. Crowds come and receive goodies or treats from local shops, restaurants and organizations throughout the month at 1810 Goodie House [2]. Guests can also enjoy a 10-15 minute program, all thanks to the Downtown Bethlehem Association and the Historic Bethlehem Museums and Sites for sponsoring these events.

An activity worth the drive is heading down to the Lehigh Valley Zoo to see their lovely Christmas display. Their Winter Light Spectacular features more than a million lights and multiple holiday-themed scenes, all while getting to see some animals like reindeer and sheep! Tickets are $11 for adults and $6 for children [3].

 

[1] “Historic Hotel Bethlehem PA | Our Story.” Historic Hotel Bethlehem, http://www.hotelbethlehem.com/history/.

[2] Satullo, Sara K. “15 Reasons Bethlehem Truly Is the Christmas City.” Lehighvalleylive.com, Lehighvalleylive.com, 1 Dec. 2016, http://www.lehighvalleylive.com/bethlehem/index.ssf/2016/12/11_reasons_bethlehem_truly_is.html.

[3] Uncoveringpa. “Strolling Through the Festive Winter Light Spectacular at the Lehigh Valley Zoo.” UncoveringPA, 8 Oct. 2018, uncoveringpa.com/winter-light-spectacular-lehigh-valley-zoo.

Photo: Gerard, Philip. “‘Christmas in Bethlehem.’” WHQR, http://www.whqr.org/post/christmas-bethlehem#stream/0.