Copyright Reading Eagle
If you’ve stopped by your local home improvement store, garden center or gift shop lately, you’re sure to have noticed holiday items already in stock and on full display. Christmas trees, outdoor lights, wreaths, inflatable snowmen, yard flags, decorated rugs and doormats, Advent calendars, cards, candles and other seasonal items greet shoppers, just waiting to be purchased and taken home. Meanwhile, area restaurants are gearing up for holiday parties and hoping that people will be feeling festive and wanting to celebrate, holiday parades will soon be underway and special events are planned throughout our communities. Whether you’ve already started your holiday shopping or hardly given the upcoming holiday season a thought, we can help you when you’re ready to plan. Keep reading to get some ideas for fun things to do, find great places for holiday family dinners and parties, walk you through some shopping tips and more. What’s happening? There is no shortage of holiday activities scheduled throughout the region this holiday season. It’s worth your time to explore various websites to see what’s happening, but here are some ideas to get you started. Chester County In the Brandywine Valley of Chester County, visitors can marvel at A Longwood Christmas, beginning Nov. 21 and running through Jan. 11 at Longwood Gardens in Kennett Square. The festive event includes opulent indoor displays, including a 12-foot jewel-encrusted tree in the Music Room; thousands of paperwhites, poinsettias, amaryllis and other holiday blooms; and cut trees that appear to float on water. Outdoors, you can watch miniature trains chug through the Garden Railway, listen to strolling carolers, take in fountain shows in the Open Air Theatre and enjoy the magical ambiance created by more than half a million twinkling lights. Longwood Gardens was initiated by Pierre S. du Pont, an industrial heir who purchased the property in the early 1900s and initiated its development into one of the country’s leading botanical gardens. Jack Lodge, digital communication manager for Chester County Tourism, noted that visitors who stay at a participating hotel will receive two untimed tickets to A Longwood Christmas. You can find out more on Chester County Tourism’s website, BrandywineValley.com. More du Pont residences can be viewed on the Cherry Chateaus: du Pont Mansions & Gardens tour, located in various parts of the Brandywine Valley. Meanwhile, West Chester is gearing up for its Hometown Christmas Parade and Tree Lighting on Dec. 5, starting at 6:30 p.m. on the steps of the Historic Courthouse on High Street. And on Dec. 13, the sixth annual Christkindlmarkt returns to Gay Street, presented by the West Chester Downtown Foundation and hosted by the Chester County Art Association and Downtown West Chester. The event begins at 11 a.m. Berks County Reading’s annual holiday parade is set for Nov. 22 with a theme of The Gift of Giving Continues. Starting at 10 a.m. at 11th Street and ending at Second Street, the parade will celebrate the ongoing gift of compassion, unity and community pride, according to a press release. There still is time to sign up to participate in the parade. You can find more details at DowntownReading@ReadingPA.gov. The Kutztown Area Historical Society will present its annual Holiday Festival on Saturday, giving visitors a chance to purchase handmade items, sample home-cooked food and watch the H-O train display. A quilt and other items donated by vendors and community members will be raffled. The festival opens at 9:30 a.m.; there is no admission fee. And on Dec. 6 from 9 to 11 a.m., children and families can have pictures taken with Santa and Mrs. Claus at the Reading Public Museum and stay to view current exhibits. Montgomery County Wild Lights at Elmwood Park Zoo will be held on select evenings starting on Nov. 21 and running through Dec. 30. The family-friendly walk-through light show will be bigger and better than ever, according to zoo officials, who said that in addition to light displays it will include illuminated animals and live entertainment. Holiday parades are scheduled in Landsdale on Nov. 23, Hatboro on Nov. 24 and Ambler on Dec. 7. Landsdale’s parade, in its 73rd year, will have a Mardi Gras theme, while the theme in Hatboro is Home for the Holidays. Ambler’s parade will feature Mummers and Santa Claus. In Pottstown, visitors can experience Colonial winter traditions at Pottsgrove Manor’s Colonial Pottsgrove by Candlelight event. Set for Dec. 7, the event will run from 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. Delaware County Chadds Ford, located in both Delaware and Chester counties, is home to the Brandywine Museum of Art, which offers yearly holiday traditions. The Brandywine Railroad, featuring trains that run on 2,000 feet of track and more than 1,000 miniature pieces, is an annual attraction for both children and adults. An exhibit new to the museum this year showcases a selection of dollhouses, and there also will be an exhibition of holiday cards from museum collections. The museum’s 9:30 am. to 5 p.m. holiday hours begin on Nov. 15 and run through Jan. 4, but the museum is closed on Thanksgiving and Christmas, and will close on Christmas Eve at 1 p.m. A Yuletide special event is set for Nov. 29 at Colonial Pennsylvania Farmstead in Newtown Square, featuring historic crafts and activities and a birthday party for Rust, the farm’s pet ox. The ticketed event begins at 11 a.m. and runs until 3 p.m., with the last admission at 2 p.m. Also in Delaware County, the 50th annual Rose Tree Festival of Lights opens Dec. 4 and runs through Jan. 3 in Rose Tree County Park. Admission and parking are free, and Dec. 4, 6, 7, 13 and 14 are Delco Fare and Flair nights, featuring food trucks, vendors and live entertainment. Festive choices for holiday parties and family dinners Forecasters are predicting mixed prospects for area restaurants this holiday season, as reports reveal that while affluent customers continue to spend on fine dining experiences, those with lower incomes are cutting back on dining out. With more people back to working in office settings, job-related holiday parties at area restaurants may be on the increase, although the National Restaurant Association reported earlier this year that about 75% of all restaurant traffic comes from off-premise dining, including takeout, delivery and drive-through. Whether you plan to celebrate in a restaurant, order in or cook for family and friends at home, experts advise there are deals available for those looking to control their budgets if you’re willing to take time to look for them. Michael Liefer, president and chief executive officer of the 100-year-old Peanut Bar Restaurant in Reading, has his fingers crossed for a busy holiday season. “We’re cautiously optimistic,” Liefer said. “It’s not an easy time for restaurants, but we’ve got a loyal customer base and we’re offering some exciting events and specials that people are already excited about.” The Peanut Bar will host the Reading Blues Fest on Nov. 21 and 22 and holds a yearly Christmas Eve show and jam session. Popular restaurants in other parts of the region include Autana in Ardmore and Lark in Bala Cynwyd, Montgomery County, both of which were named to Philadelphia Magazine’s 2024 list of the 50 Best Restaurants in Philadelphia. There’s the Mendenhall Inn Restaurant, located just outside of Kennett Square, and the Birchrunville Store Cafe in rural Chester County, along with Clam Tavern in Clifton Heights and Fellini Cafe in Media, both in Delaware County. Wherever you decide to dine, it’s best to make holiday reservations early. Holiday shopping in an uncertain economy How much consumers plan to shop this holiday season varies on which survey you consult, but it’s clear that shoppers are nervous and may be pulling back on spending. Citing uncertainty about tariffs, the job market and inflation, respondents to a holiday outlook survey by the professional services network PwC indicated they planned to cut their holiday budgets by an average of 5%. Deloitte, a company that has studied holiday shopping habits among consumers for 40 years, announced that its holiday retail survey for 2025 showed an expected 10% decrease in spending. Most shoppers said they plan to seek value both when shopping in person and online. In response, retailers are looking for innovative ways to attract shoppers, such as Target’s initiative to release thousands of items for less than $20 and roll out a series of collaborations with brands such as Taylor Swift, Wicked and Woolridge. If you’d prefer to pass on big box stores and shop small and local, there’s no shortage of options. Shops, restaurants and cafes line the main streets of many communities throughout the region, including the following. • Media, Lansdowne, Swarthmore and Gradyville in Delaware County • Ambler, Ardmore, Jenkintown, Skippack, Hatboro and Conshohocken in Montgomery County • West Reading, Kutztown, Hamburg and Boyertown in Berks County • West Chester, Phoenixville, Kennett Square and Oxford in Chester County Or you could sign up to make your own holiday gifts at the GoggleWorks in Reading, which is offering workshops throughout the holiday season at which you can handcraft your own wrapping paper, make a wooden snowman or holiday ornament, turn out a blown glass ornament or bell or create an embroidered ornament. Jesse Futter, marketing director at the GoggleWorks, said the value of a handcrafted gift cannot be underestimated. “The time, effort and dedication poured into creating something by hand reflect the giver’s heart and intention, making the gift a most genuine expressions of appreciation and caring,” Futter said. Other arts centers throughout the region also offer classes and workshops. Check out the Main Line Art Center in Haverford, the Centered Clay Studio in Kennett Square or Glasslight in Elverson. Another shopping option is to head to your local Boscov’s department store for an in-person experience. Jim Boscov is chairman and CEO of Boscov’s Inc., which just opened its 51st store in Rochester, N.Y. Boscov makes the case for in-store holiday shopping, saying it boosts local economies while bringing friends and family together for a social experience. The department store chain will be holding sales throughout the holiday season and recently held its 29th annual in-store-only Friends Helping Friends event, which last year helped 3,400 nonprofits rais $3.4 million in donations, according to Boscov.
