While the holidays may look different in the “Christmas City, USA” this year, it is allowing Historic Bethlehem Museums & Sites to deliver a safe, engaging experience. Historic Bethlehem Museums & Sites (HBMS) is excited to announce Historic Holidays, a Christmas celebration running Nov. 6 through Dec. 30. Historic Holidays includes some old favorite activities, Horse-Drawn Carriage Rides, Christmas City Stroll Walking Tour, and the Live Advent Calendar along with new additions Christmas in the Quarter and the Burnside Greens Sale & Market. The goal is to promote family fun with well-being and health as a focus while still enjoying the most wonderful time of the year.

New additions

A new family fun addition, Christmas in the Quarter, promises to be buzzing with cheer Nov. 6 through Dec. 27. Each weekend will be your one-stop shop to find your perfect gifts, see winter art exhibits, get your family Christmas card photo at the family photo opportunities, enjoy live music, and crafts and activities for the kids. Specialty workshops with Marche Maison and Domaci will be available with limited registration. The historic buildings will be illuminated in Christmas lights for some extra cheer. See the HBMS website for more details. Christmas in the Quarter will be held in the Colonial Industrial Quarterat 459 Old York Road with parking available onsite and in the Spring Street lot. Activities run Thursday through Sunday, 2 p.m. - 8 p.m. Special combination offers and discounts available in the HBMS online store.

Back by popular demand, the Burnside Greens Sale & Market promises rustic winter fun. Visit the historic Burnside Plantation on Saturdays and Sundays Nov. 28 through Dec. 13 to find your perfect Christmas tree, wreaths, swags and other hand-crafted decorations, enjoy historic cooking demonstrations, a number of family photo opportunities, barrel roll races, crafts, and games for the kids, and more. A holiday would not be complete without a Burnside Greens soy candle to commemorate a Christmas celebration on the Burnside Plantation, available for purchase in the online store and at Burnside Plantation. The Burnside Greens Sale & Market is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Burnside Plantation is located at 1461 Schoenersville Road, with parking available onsite. Full schedule of events can be found on the HBMS website.

Sweet treats available for purchase at the Visitor Center and Museum Store and online will include Christmas cookies: the always popular Groman’s Moravian Sugar Cookies, Kiffles, Nut Tossies, and Nut Strudels and brand-new HBMS signature chocolates from Highland Chocolates, Wellsboro, PA.

Old Favorites

Cozy, serene horse-drawn carriage rides take you through Bethlehem’s beautiful downtown are the perfect way to enjoy the lights, sights, and sounds of Christmas city with your family and friends. Each carriage is $75 to reserve for your group of up to 4 adults and 2 children on laps. Meet your carriage on Main Street in Bethlehem in front of the Central Moravian Church to be whisked away on your private carriage ride. Carriage rides run Thursdays through Sundays Nov. 27 to Dec. 27 every 20 minutes between 3 p.m. and 9 p.m. The week of Dec. 28 through Dec. 31, they run every day, every 20 minutes between 3 p.m. and 9 p.m.

Take a walk through beautiful downtown Historic Bethlehem with our certified guide in period dress on the Christmas City Stroll Walking Tour. Discover the story of Bethlehem’s unique beginning in 1741, the tales of a candle-in-every-window, and the renowned Bethlehem Star. Historic highlights include Bethlehem’s exquisite Victorian and colonial architecture, including two National Historic Landmarks. This outdoor walking tour includes a walk-through of the Moravian Museum of Bethlehem. Tours run daily between Nov. 2 and Dec. 30 at 1 p.m. and 3 p.m. including a 7 p.m. tour on Saturdays and Sundays. Tours leave from the Historic Bethlehem Visitor Center at 505 Main Street. Each tour is limited to just 10 people and masks must be worn. Special combination offers and discounts available in the HBMS online store.

The only one of its kind in the country, visitors can gather outside the door of the 1810 Goundie House each evening Dec. 1 through Dec. 23 at 5:30 p.m. for the Live Advent Calendar. Each day, a designated audience member will knock on the door and a different local business will be behind the door to provide a treat to all. In partnership with the Downtown Bethlehem Association. The 1810 Goundie House is located at 501 Main Street.

Visit the Historic Bethlehem Museums & Sites website for more information about Historic Holidays and to purchase tickets.