There’s no place quite like Gettysburg, especially during the holiday season. There’s just so much to see and do here in the weeks leading up to Christmas, especially with what can rightfully be declared one of the borough’s newest, annual community-wide traditions. I am, of course, referring to A Gettysburg Christmas Festival.
A Gettysburg Christmas Festival is a weekend-long town-wide event featuring all the happy holiday works. From live entertainment occurring at various venues to corny and creative contests, fun games and activities, and so much more, it’s the ultimate small-town family-friendly Christmas celebration. Many of your favorite area locations will even be offering up specials in tandem with the Festival. And then, of course, there are all those other additional extras not normally showcased in Gettysburg regularly.
Opening Day Celebrations
Throughout its three-day run, A Gettysburg Christmas Festival will be presenting a host of opportunities. Setting things off on Day One, December 1, guests can enjoy both the Homespun Christmas Market at G.A.R. Hall and the Gingerbread Celebration and Holiday Market at Adams County Arts Council. Another fun consideration, in addition to so many others, is a special Christmas-themed scavenger hunt through the Civil War Trails Diorama Museum. You’ll also find various opening day happy hour celebrations, live music, pop-up shops and demos, author book signings, and so much more. And that’s just to start things off!
As the weekend progresses, you can take in various other fun happenings, including carriage rides, tour opportunities (including a free Dobbin House Tour), craft fairs, gift sales, and so much more. And don’t forget about the 8th Annual Cookie Walk!
Family-Friendly Games and Activities
As a family-oriented event, you can expect a vast array of offerings in the way of games and activities for all ages all along Steinwehr Avenue and Baltimore Street. Join in and be a part of Human Foosball—a life-size setup of the popular game you know and love so well. Do you like making things? Then bring the whole family over to Santa’s Toy Shop outside the Children of Gettysburg 1863 Museum where folks of all ages may construct wooden toys and/or decorate wooden ornaments to take home. Or perhaps stopping by the Gettysburg Heritage Center to take part in a kid-friendly pinecone feeder craft is more your thing.
Maybe you’d rather be the living recipient of someone else’s artistry via free face painting, offered at select times throughout the weekend at various locations. There’s festive holiday Face Painting with Kayla Bucher at Gettysburg Polish Pottery between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. on Saturday and Face Painting by Elizabeth in the Civil War Diorama (lobby) on Saturday from noon to 4 p.m.
Do you have a high-energy child who likes to bounce? Well, take note of all the different bounce houses all throughout town. There’s the Frozen Bounce House in Gettysburg Recreation Park, the Christmas Bounce House on Steinwehr, and the Circus Train Bounce House on Baltimore Street.
Novelty Experiences
While there are a lot of good old conventional fun times to take in all weekend long, A Gettysburg Christmas Festival also offers plenty of unique and novelty experiences you don’t regularly find in other town-wide holiday festival celebrations. For instance, have you ever actually had the honor of witnessing chestnuts roasting on an open fire? Head on over to the sidewalk right outside of the Shriver House Museum on Baltimore Street and you’ll finally get your chance!
Want to go snowboarding without the gear, or the snow? Then perhaps consider taking a ride on the mechanical snowboard on Baltimore Street. There’s also a mechanical reindeer on location at the Gettysburg Heritage Center on Steinwehr.
However, nothing beats getting to visit with an actual, live reindeer in person. And you’re in luck because, in addition to the mechanical one, an actual real-life reindeer from Spruce Ridge can also be found at the Gettysburg Heritage Center. It will be visiting with guests on Saturday and Sunday between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. No, you cannot ride the real reindeer, but you’re certainly welcome to strike a couple of poses for memorable photo ops.
Photo Ops Galore
The real-life reindeer won’t be the only sight you’ll want to photograph this weekend. There will be plenty of others, I promise you. In fact, you’ll even find various selfie stations set up all throughout the town, helping visitors custom-craft the best photo options with optimal backdrops, scenery, and included sights. There’s also an awesome Holiday Photo Booth to check out at the Dobbin House, complete with props and other finishing touches.
Interesting Characters
There will also be plenty of interesting characters out and about. No doubt you’ll want to photograph them as well, in addition to sharing in banter via meet and greets and other scheduled activities. From costumed reindeer and elves to other colorful personalities, you can even meet Disney’s own Frozen Princesses live and in person at Gettysburg Recreation Park on Saturday.
As for Santa, he’ll be around too, and in more ways than one. You will, of course, find him at his resident Santa’s Shanty setup on Lincoln Square. But he’ll also be onsite at St. Lutheran Church on York Street throughout the morning on Saturday, Dec. 2. for a special breakfast buffet along with photos, games, and crafting. Also, as is only appropriate in a community famous for Civil War history, you can see an actual Civil War-era Santa strolling about Baltimore Street throughout the weekend.
This is just a brief sampling of the many fun things you can enjoy at this weekend’s installment of A Gettysburg Festival. I assure you there’s plenty more!
A Gettysburg Festival officially runs December 1, 2, and 3, with various participating vendors and offerings operating at specific in-town locations and at varying times. For a full listing of everything slated to take place, visit the official event website at www.agettysburgchristmasfestival.com.