Servant Stage – A Christmas Carol
December 1 – 23 (various locations)
Cost: Free
A faithful rendition of Charles Dickens’ timeless holiday tale of redemption, charity, and the spirit of Christmas, A Christmas Carol is a fantastical journey through Christmas Past, Present, and Future!
December 1 – 22
Cost: Free and Cheap
Enjoy the spirit of the season with a visit to Kitchen Kettle Village this Christmas season. Check out all the free and low cost events and activities that we have planned to make your visit special.
Piercing Word – Christmas Through the Ages
December 1 – 31
Cost: Free
See the story of Christ’s birth passed down through the ages from Luke, to a Medieval Monk, to Victorian Carolers, to a modern day mother and child decorating a Christmas tree. This performance includes Luke 1-2 as well as other passages, and it is interlaced with original scripture music as well as some songs from Handel’s Messiah such as the Hallelujah Chorus! 6 Performers, approx. 45 minutes in length.
Willow Street Mennonite Church Live Nativity
December 22, 23, 24 5:30 – 8:30pm
Cost: Free
Join us as we journey to the stable in Bethlehem (A nearby barn). Dress for the outdoors. Transportation from the church to the barn will be provided. Refreshments served at the church before each 1/2 hour presentation. Donations will be accepted for “Homes of Hope”. Visit loveinclancaster.org for more info.
December 1 – 31
Cost: Free
Visit Santa in his workshop, re-live 1950’s New York City with 8 original anamatronic Bloomingdales Window Displays, view the winter time train display where everything comes alive, and pet miniature horses and donkeys in the petting zoo!
December 14 – 16 and 21 – 23
Cost: Adults $5 Children $3
Stroll through the Barnstormers Stadium’s concourse and discover a winter wonderland! You’ll see Christmas Tree Lane, visit with Santa and the Elves, participate in holiday craft stations, hear lovely choral performances and enjoy delicious holiday food and beverages.
Messicks drive-thru Christmas Light Show
December 1 – 30 from 6pm – 9:30pm
Cost: Free
Messick’s light show features over 70,000 Christmas lights choreographed to Christmas music which is broadcast to FM radio you can enjoy from your car. Dozens of Kubota tractors and excavators are integrated into the show by using the machine’s headlights as part of the display. Throughout the show, volunteers from Messick’s will be collecting donations which benefit five local charities. 100 percent of the proceeds collected go to Mennonite Disaster Service, ECHOS (Elizabethtown Community Housing and Outreach Services), Community Cupboard of Elizabethtown, Paxton Ministries and the Water Street Rescue Mission.
Goat Yoga at the Amish Farm and House
December 22 from 2pm – 4pm
Cost: $5 per person, Children 5 and under FREE
Santa and his fellow sidekicks are coming to the farm! Take a picture with Santa and our furry little goats in front of the Christmas tree on December 22nd from 2:00-4:00 p.m. Pictures with Santa and the goats is free. Candy canes will be given out as supplies last. What to bring: your camera and holiday cheer!
We welcome you to visit the farm before Santa arrives. You can visit all our farm animals, ride on Amish scooters and take pictures in the horse and buggy! We will have a special holiday scavenger hunt and prizes. Admission to the farm: $5 per person (children under 5 are free). The farm is open from 10-4 p.m.
Lancaster Ten Thousand Villages – Storytime on the Carpet
December 20 from 11am – 12pm
Storytime is a FREE activity for Preschool and Elementary school age children. Once a month we put the rugs on the floor to lounge on while listening to a storybook.
We would love to have you and your children join us on our durable rugs. Reading and a craft (with glue and all sorts of fun messy things) is all done in the rug room near (and even on) the rugs.
The reading will be followed by a craft activity.
While you are there, plan to check out the Children’s Holiday Shopping Villages, where they can get fair-trade gifts secretly—read about our experience here!
Lancaster City Holiday Concert and Sing-a-long
December 21 from 6:30pm – 7:30pm
Cost: Free
Celebrate the Season! Join Music for Everyone Community Chorus and Big Boy Brass for a festive Holiday Concert and Sing-a-Long under the stars at the Pop-up Park on Prince Street in downtown Lancaster. The concert will feature creative arrangements, world music, and New Orleans style big brass sound. A traditional Holiday Sing-a-Long will immediately follow. Everyone is welcome to share in this free, lively and joyous community event.
Lancaster Public Library Presents, “The Man Behind the Curtain”
January 3 from 6:30pm – 7:45pm
Cost: Free
On New Year’s Eve, 1908, The Wizard of Oz author L. Frank Baum announces to his audience that his theatrical production has been cancelled. Since the writer can’t give the audience a show, he gives them the story of how he transformed his fears and failures into the great American fairy tale.
Dr. John Newman will perform his solo play The Man Behind the Curtain at the Lancaster Public Library.
Admission is FREE, but seats are limited & registration is required!
Lancaster County Central Park: National Winter Trails Day
January 5, 2019 from 1pm until 2:30pm
Cost: All ages $2 per person
Join Naturalist Lisa J Sanchez at the Muhlenberg Wildflower Meadow in Central Park to celebrate National Winter Trails Day. We will walk the trail, enjoy the views of nature in winter along the Mill Creek, learn about the natural world and explore the woods and meadow. Participants will receive a laminated trail guide of Central Park.
Please dress for the weather. Meet at the Muhlenberg Wildflower Meadow parking area at 548 Golf Road, Lancaster, PA 17602; if snowy, park in the paved lot across the street at 539 Golf Road. Registration required or call (717) 295-2055 by noon on Friday, January 4th. All ages; $2 per person.
Penn Stone – Family Rock Painting
December 27 from 10am – 3pm
Cost: $5 per person
Looking for something fun to do with the family during the holiday break? Come to Penn Stone on December 27 and participate in Rock Painting! We are inviting families to join us for your chance to participate in this latest craze. We provide the rocks and the materials, you bring your creativity! Proceeds from the event will benefit the Lancaster Family YMCA.
Light refreshments for children will be provided.
Space is limited, click here to register.
December 28 from 7pm until 8pm
Cost: Free
Come downtown on the fourth Friday of every month for the most fun you can have on a bicycle! We ride at a very slow pace around Lancaster’s neighborhoods wishing Happy Friday to everyone we meet. Join us and make some new friends along the way. Wear a costume, decorate your bike if you’d like, bring some tunes along. If it’s dark out there, be sure to light up your bike!
Lancaster County Central Park – Animals in Winter
January 4 from 10am – 11:30am
Cost: All Ages $2
Join Naturalist Lisa J Sanchez for an exploration into the activities of wild animals during the winter season. Some of our local wildlife migrate away from this area and many others do interesting things to survive this time of year. This program will begin inside and continue outside. Please dress for the weather. All ages; $2 per person. Registration required; register online or call (717) 295-2055 by noon on the business day preceding the program.
This list was compiled by:
I am a life long learner, I LOVE to learn especially through experience. I also LOVE to bring along others in the many adventures I tend to have. I am so excited and honored to join Frugal Lancaster with the hope of connecting you to fun and educational experiences that will strengthen your family and provide you with wonderful memories for years to come. Let the adventures begin!
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