Explore the festive wonders of Harrisburg with our ultimate holiday guide. Whether you're a Harrisburg native or a seasonal visitor, this guide helps you navigate the festive landscape.
This season, the Christmas Spirit Light Show transforms city parks into a captivating display of twinkling lights set to music, creating a magical atmosphere. Meanwhile, Reading's Christmas On the Mountain offers visitors a chance to enjoy breathtaking views accented by holiday cheer and local crafts. And the Mayor's Tree Lighting is something you definitely don't want to miss, as it marks the official start of the holiday celebrations in Harrisburg. See more details on these and other fun events and activities below!
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Top Holiday Events In and Around Harrisburg
- Reading's Christmas On the Mountain (Reading)
- Christmas Spirit Light Show (Lancaster)
- ChristKindlMarkt (Reading)
- Reading Holiday Parade (Reading)
- Santa Visits (Lancaster)
- Lancaster Shops Late (Lancaster)
- Mayor's Tree Lighting (Lancaster)
- Christmas at Joanna (Geigertown)
- Polar Bear Express (Middletown)
- Christmas Village at Stone Gables Estate (Elizabethtown)
See these and even more events listed below!
Harrisburg Holiday Light Displays
Christmas Spirit Light Show
What to Expect:
Immersive drive-thru light display with animated lights and holiday music.
Description:
The Christmas Spirit Light Show is a drive-thru light display at Clipper Magazine Stadium in Lancaster, PA, featuring hundreds of thousands of color-changing lights synchronized to Christmas classics. The event includes a walking portion, Christmas Tree Lane, with over 100 decorated trees and festive activities.
Where: Lancaster | More Info: Christmas Spirit Light Show
Mayor's Tree Lighting
What to Expect:
Tree lighting ceremony with special evening snacks.
Description:
Join the City of Lancaster and the business community in the Market District for the Mayor's Tree Lighting. Enjoy the festive tree lighting ceremony in the city square, followed by a special evening snack at the Market House featuring a variety of Standholders' offerings. Grab a bite out on William Henry Place and connect with us on social media for the latest event details.
Where: Lancaster | More Info: Mayor's Tree Lighting
Christmas Lights Experience at Refreshing Mountain
What to Expect:
Family-friendly Christmas light walk with access to a wildlife center.
Description:
Stroll through beautifully lit trails in a forest of light, featuring hundreds of thousands of Christmas lights. This family-friendly walking tour includes access to the Wildlife Center and offers a spectacular journey of supernatural mystery and joy.
Where: Lancaster | More Info: Christmas Lights Experience at Refreshing Mountain
Reading's Christmas On the Mountain
What to Expect:
Spectacular holiday light display in a mountainous location.
Description:
Reading's Christmas On the Mountain is a festive event featuring holiday lights, decorations, and activities in a picturesque mountain setting.
Where: Reading | More Info: Reading's Christmas On the Mountain
Wild Illuminations: A Holiday Lantern Experience
What to Expect:
Holiday celebration in a zoo setting with elaborate lanterns.
Description:
Wild Illuminations: A Holiday Lantern Experience features over a million twinkling lights, colossal Christmas-themed lanterns, and a fantastical Secret Forest with unicorns, a griffin, and an ice dragon. Guests can enjoy wintry activities, holiday treats, and a visit by Santa.
Where: Pittsburgh | More Info: Wild Illuminations: A Holiday Lantern Experience
Harrisburg Holiday Markets and Shopping
Lancaster Shops Late
What to Expect:
Extended shopping hours in downtown Lancaster.
Description:
Lancaster Shops Late is an event where local businesses in downtown Lancaster stay open late to offer extended shopping hours, allowing visitors to explore and discover new favorite spots.
Where: Lancaster | More Info: Lancaster Shops Late
Christmas Village at Stone Gables Estate
What to Expect:
Interactive holiday activities with artisan vendors and festive decorations.
Description:
The Christmas Village at Stone Gables Estate offers a variety of activities, including artisan vendors, children's activities, and a Santa Express train ride, set amidst beautiful grounds and historic barns.
Where: Elizabethtown | More Info: Christmas Village at Stone Gables Estate
Village Christmas Market at Garden Spot Village
What to Expect:
Artisan handmade gifts and model train layouts.
Description:
The Village Christmas Market at Garden Spot Village offers a day filled with shopping at the Makers Market and stores, visits to the Train Room and Wood Shop, and family-friendly activities like cookie decorating and live readings of "Charlie Brown Christmas." Enjoy food from various restaurants and cafes, including the Signature Snoopy Sandwich in Village Square.
Where: New Holland | More Info: Village Christmas Market at Garden Spot Village
ChristKindlMarkt
What to Expect:
Traditional German market with handmade crafts and holiday treats.
Description:
Christkindlmarkt at Reading Liederkranz features a variety of vendors selling handmade crafts, traditional German goods, and holiday treats. The event includes a range of artisanal items, delicious food, and festive atmosphere.
Where: Reading | More Info: ChristKindlMarkt
Dickens of a Christmas Celebration
What to Expect:
Victorian-themed holiday market with live performances and local vendors.
Description:
Dickens of a Christmas Celebration transforms Wellsboro's Main Street into an early Victorian marketplace, featuring over 160 artisans, crafters, and food vendors. Strolling musicians, performers, and street corner thespians create a festive atmosphere. Local churches host luncheons and concerts, and Hamilton Gibson Productions presents "A Christmas Carol" at the Coolidge Theater and Warehouse Theater.
Where: Wellsboro | More Info: Dickens of a Christmas Celebration
Mifflinburg Christkindl Market
What to Expect:
Oldest authentic outdoor German Christmas market in the United States.
Description:
Mifflinburg Christkindl Market is a 3-day celebration of German heritage featuring traditional crafts, authentic German food, and live performances in festive outdoor huts.
Where: Mifflinburg | More Info: Mifflinburg Christkindl Market
Harrisburg Holiday Shows and Entertainment
Perfect Harmony at The Barn at Paradise Station
What to Expect:
Unique blend of musical theater and church worship.
Description:
Perfect Harmony at The Barn at Paradise Station features professional vocalists, a live band, and stunning original arrangements of holiday classics in a unique blend of musical theater nostalgia and church worship concert.
Where: Paradise | More Info: Perfect Harmony at The Barn at Paradise Station
Christmas Trivia at Grandview Vineyard
What to Expect:
Interactive trivia night with wine and holiday spirit.
Description:
Gather your fellow movie lovers and test your knowledge of classic and modern Christmas films at Grandview Vineyard. Enjoy a fun and nostalgic evening filled with holiday cheer, all while sipping on a glass of wine.
Where: Mount Joy | More Info: Christmas Trivia at Grandview Vineyard
Illumination at Prima Theatre
What to Expect:
Candlelit holiday concert with a grand piano at the center stage.
Description:
Illumination at Prima Theatre features an immersive holiday concert with captivating renditions of beloved holiday classics, performed by skilled musicians and vocalists in a candlelit ambiance.
Where: Lancaster | More Info: Illumination at Prima Theatre
Christmas at Joanna
What to Expect:
Historical reenactments and live music performances.
Description:
Christmas at Joanna features reenactors, Victorian dancing, and performances by the Hay Creek Valley Gold Band and Hay Creek Dancers in a large, heated tent.
Where: Geigertown | More Info: Christmas at Joanna
A Very Electric Christmas
What to Expect:
Interactive holiday show with moving light characters.
Description:
A Very Electric Christmas features a captivating tale of family and friendship, set to timeless holiday hits like Nat King Cole and Mariah Carey. The story follows a young bird named Max as he embarks on an adventure after getting blown off course to the North Pole. Dancing toy soldiers, caroling worms, and performing poinsettias light up the stage.
Where: Reading | More Info: A Very Electric Christmas
Bellefonte Victorian Christmas
What to Expect:
Unique blend of Victorian-era traditions and modern holiday activities.
Description:
Bellefonte Victorian Christmas is a festive holiday event featuring arts and crafts shows, children's Victorian teas, horse-drawn carriage rides, and live music performances.
Where: Bellefonte | More Info: Bellefonte Victorian Christmas
Western Pennsylvania Model Railroad Museum Holiday Show
What to Expect:
Large-scale model railroad display capturing western Pennsylvania's railroad history.
Description:
The Western Pennsylvania Model Railroad Museum's Holiday Show features a 40' x 100' scale representation of railroad tracks between Pittsburgh and Cumberland, set in 1952, along with historical model train sets and authentic railroad items. The event showcases the region's railroad history through intricate model railroading.
Where: Gibsonia | More Info: Western Pennsylvania Model Railroad Museum Holiday Show
Harrisburg Other Holiday Activities
Santa Visits
What to Expect:
Interactive gingerbread house decorating and waffle feasts with Santa.
Description:
At Santa Visits Gingerbread Village, families can decorate their own gingerbread houses, enjoy waffle feasts, and explore a beautifully decorated Gingerbread Village with 12 gingerbread houses. Each child will receive a keepsake craft and a surprise gift from Santa Claus. Unlimited photo opportunities with Santa Greg are also available.
Where: Lancaster | More Info: Santa Visits
Yuletide at Wheatland
What to Expect:
Historical holiday tour of President James Buchanan's home.
Description:
Explore Christmas traditions as they were experienced in the late 1800s at President James Buchanan's historic home, Wheatland. Discover how Buchanan's niece and nephew celebrated the holiday season during the early years of the Second Industrial Revolution.
Where: Lancaster | More Info: Yuletide at Wheatland
Polar Bear Express
What to Expect:
Santa visits with gifts for children on a festive train ride.
Description:
Join the Polar Bear Express at the Middletown and Hummelstown Railroad for a 75-minute ride through Swatara Creek Valley. Enjoy live narration and festive atmosphere as Santa visits with gifts for children aged infant through 11 years. Snack concessions are available on board.
Where: Middletown | More Info: Polar Bear Express
Christmas at Barnyard Kingdom Farm
What to Expect:
Interactive holiday activities with real train rides and cut-your-own Christmas trees.
Description:
Celebrate Christmas at Barnyard Kingdom Farm with giant slides, fire pits, barnyard animals, trikes, a straw pyramid, an elf scavenger hunt, and a hedge maze. Enjoy train rides to the Christmas tree fields and participate in various crafts and activities.
Where: Lancaster | More Info: Christmas at Barnyard Kingdom Farm
Reading Holiday Parade
What to Expect:
Community-driven celebration with creative floats and performances.
Description:
The Reading Holiday Parade is an annual community event celebrating the holiday season with creative floats, performances, and decorations. It features community groups, local organizations, schools, and businesses showcasing the spirit of generosity and kindness.
Where: Reading | More Info: Reading Holiday Parade
Holly Jolly Jubilee
What to Expect:
Free visits with Santa and annual tree-lighting ceremony.
Description:
Join us in Veterans Courtyard for free activities including free visits with Santa and the annual tree-lighting ceremony.
Where: Carlisle | More Info: Holly Jolly Jubilee
Santa & Friends on the Farm
What to Expect:
Santa and friends visit a farm setting.
Description:
Santa, Mrs. Claus, and various Christmas critters will be at Paulus FarmPark, creating a lively atmosphere for the holiday season.