It's Beginning to Look A Lot Like...

PHMC/Landis Valley Village & Farm Museum, photo by Cindy Reedy

If you’re somewhere in the vicinity of Landis Valley Village & Farm Museum between 6:00 and 8:30 tonight, you might want to stop by for the annual Holidays at Landis Valley event. Traditional Pennsylvania German decorations, plus hot cider and cookies, music from the Lititz Moravian Trombone Choir, and a festive bonfire—what more can you ask for (stop…it’s a rhetorical question)? Admission is free, but if you attend please bring one or more nonperishable food items for the Lancaster Food Bank. 

PHMC/Railroad Museum of PA

 Gov. Tom Corbett and First Lady Susan Corbett announced earlier this month that the theme for this year’s decorations at their official residence would be “A Pennsylvania Christmas.” Two Trails of History sites are represented. The Erie Room features a Flagship Niagara Christmas tree, complete with “Don’t Give Up the Ship” flags. Staff from the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania, as they have done for a number of years now, supplied and set up a model train layout around the Children’s Tree in the State Reception Room (pictured above). To see the Niagara tree and more photos of the Governor’s Residence decorations, visit the First Lady’s Facebook page here.

Still working on that shopping list and hoping that Santa’s elves would give you a hand already? Check out the goodies available from the Anthracite Heritage Museum. The Scranton Times-Leader ran an article as part of its Go Lackawanna feature (which often includes input from museum staff and volunteers) describing the great museum store and its offerings of heritage-themed gifts. 

Photo by Ashley Yob via Pennsbury Manor's Facebook page


Pennsbury Manor hosted another successful year of its Holly Nights program (a longstanding Bucks County favorite). More than 2,000 people attended the two-night event, enjoying traditional music, food, decorations, and food. Some visitors enjoyed it so much that they posted their own photos to Pennsbury’s Facebook page (see above).

Although the Delaware River was pretty high last Sunday and it was not safe to row the durham boats over to New Jersey, all other aspects of the dress rehearsal for the annual Christmas crossing went ahead as planned. As you probably know, the event at Washington Crossing Historic Park commemorates the brave venture of Gen. George Washington and his troops on Christmas night 1776 that led to the first Battle of Trenton. The main (modern) event takes place at 1 p.m. on Dec. 25; even if the river doesn’t cooperate, there will be plenty to see.