Historic Bethlehem Museums & Sites is excited to launch the Christmas season Nov. 19, 2021. Christmas offerings will be available through Jan. 9.

Visitors to Christmas City USA will be able to experience Moravian traditions and partake in new additions, including horse-drawn trolley rides, Christmas City Stroll Walking Tour, Bethlehem by Night Motorcoach Tour, and the Live Advent Calendar. Added to the line-up in 2020, Christmas in the Quarter will also be returning in December for two weekends.

The weeks-long celebration begins Friday, Nov. 19, with the Wassail Party at the Kemerer Museum of Decorative Arts, located at 427 N. New St. Immediately following the City of Bethlehem’s tree lighting, follow the jingling bells rung by Historic Bethlehem Museums & Sites’ Docents on Main up New Street to the Kemerer Museum and join in the wassailing merriment. Lend an ear to festive holiday tunes to get in the holiday spirit. Light refreshments will be offered at this family-friendly event. For safety reasons, please register ahead of time for this event.

Admire the dazzlingly decorated trees of Historic Bethlehem, each ornament carefully chosen by the Bethlehem Garden Club to personify this year’s chosen decoration theme – A Cinematic Christmas. On Nov. 19 at 5:30 p.m., see the lighting of the Trees of Historic Bethlehem, officially kicking off the exhibit. Trees of Historic Bethlehem, a time-honored tradition, features over 26 trees on display across five historic sites. The exhibit runs Thursdays through Sundays Nov. 19,through Jan. 9, 2022, from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Trees are located at the Kemerer Museum of Decorative Arts, Moravian Museum of Bethlehem, Single Sisters House, Luckenbach Mill, and 1810 Goundie House. Special combination offers and discounts available in the HBMS online store.

Also beginning the weekend of Nov. 19 will be several of tours of the Christmas City. Select tours allow for a purchase of the Sun Inn Combo pass which allows for the purchaser to redeem a voucher for refreshments from the Sun Inn during their tour. Cozy, serene horse-drawn carriage rides which take you through Bethlehem’s beautiful downtown are extremely popular. The carriages depart on Main Street in front of the Central Moravian Church. Carriage rides run Fridays through Sundays, Nov. 19 to Dec. 1; Thursdays through Sundays, Dec. 2 through Dec. 19; Wednesday and Thursday, Dec. 22 and 23; Sunday through Friday, Dec. 26 through 31 every 20 minutes between 3 and 9 p.m. Reserve your private group of up to four adults and two children on laps online.

New for 2021, horse-drawn trolley rides have been added to the activity lineup. Running Dec. 11, 18 and 19, visitors can journey through Bethlehem’s beautiful downtown and enjoy the lights, sights and sounds of Church Street, Main Street and Market Street on a cozy horse-drawn trolley. Trolleys run between 5 and 9 p.m. on the half-hour and leave from Payrow Plaza at 10 E. Church Street. Tickets can be reserved online.

Take a walk through beautiful downtown Historic Bethlehem with the certified guide in period dress on the Christmas City Stroll Walking Tour. Tours run Fridays through Sundays, Nov. 19 through Dec. 1; Thursdays through Sundays, Dec. 2 through 19; Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday, Dec. 22, 23 and 26 at 1 p.m., 3 p.m. and 6 p.m. Tours leave from the Historic Bethlehem Visitor Center at 505 Main Street.

The Bethlehem by Night Motorcoach Tour explores the history and traditions of Bethlehem. Sit back and experience the Christmas City on a trip back in time with certified costumed guide. Tours run Fridays through Sundays, Nov. 19 through Nov. 30; Thursdays through Sundays in December; Monday through Thursday, Dec. 20-23; Sunday Dec. 26; Friday Dec. 31 at 5 p.m., 6 p.m., and 7 p.m. Tours leave from the Historic Bethlehem Visitor Center at 505 Main Street. Tickets can be reserved online.

The Holiday Putz Trail returns to.the Moravian Museum of Bethlehem,the Single Sisters’ House, and Central Moravian Church. A Putz is a traditional Moravian miniature replica depicting various settings of the Nativity story using ornate, hand-crafted figurines. Multi-site and single-site passes can be purchased. Putz displays are included in the Trees of Historic Bethlehem pass. Special combination offers and discounts available in the HBMS online store.

Each evening in December, visitors can gather outside the door of the 1810 Goundie House, Dec. 1 through 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 St.

Christmas in the Quarter, at the Industrial Quarter located at 459 Old York Road, promises to be buzzing with cheer Dec. 11-12 and 18-19. Enjoy that classic Christmas feel with lights lining the historic buildings and fun for the whole family. Activities include pop-up shopping, Walking Tours, Christmas kids’ zone, a preview of Trees of Historic Bethlehem, a winter art exhibition from the Lehigh Art Alliance, Colonial Blacksmith demonstrations, and live music. with parking available onsite and in the Spring Street lot. Activities run 3 - 9 p.m. Special combination offers and discounts are available in the online store.

Contributed article