The town of Bethlehem, PA is known as “The Christmas City,” and we found it has indeed attracted a great deal of tourism around the holidays.
The town was founded by Moravians (a Christian religious group from the Moravian region of the Czech Republic) in 1741, and that heritage is evident especially on the North side of the Lehigh River. Here the Moravian Historic District comes to life with twinkling white lights, candles and stars, horse and carriage tours, and stalls where local crafts and treats of all kinds are sold during the Christmas season. This Christmas market is free to enter and sprawls along Main Street and out from the Historic Hotel, Moravian Museum, and Visitor’s Center.
We went on Saturday evening, found free parking, and headed from the bridge where we parked along Main St. before dark, admiring the unique boutiques and eateries, exploring the Moravian Book Shop (the oldest continuously operating bookstore in the United States, established by the church in 1745!), and viewing the Moravian “putz” that has been held annually for several decades. What is a putz? It’s basically a handmade nativity scene, and this one is shown with lights, a little music, and readings that tell the story of Christ’s birth. By the time it was over, the sun was setting and everything was beginning to twinkle with those warm, white lights.
We explored the southside of the river the next day, where the well known steel stacks are located. Here you will find an indoor icerink and another Christmas market actually inside the Steelstacks, but there is an entrance fee which is around $15. The decorations are very lovely and the market is very popular.
On our way out of town we also stopped at the Banana Factory – another factory repurposed into an art studio (free to enter and with ample parking). There was a craft show going on there as well, where artists were selling their wares and Christmas trees from the various cultural groups who live in Bethlehem were being displayed. Our kids really enjoyed the sensory room there.
All in all, we were very impressed with this town’s ability to create a thriving city and unique space out of the ruins of the steel industry on which the town grew. The resident’s pride in their history and creativity in the present were evident and made for a very enjoyable visit to the Christmas City.