10 Great December Events in Pennsylvania

10 Great December Events in Pennsylvania

With the holiday season in full swing, here are 10 of the best December events in Pennsylvania!

Dance Performance at the Pennsylvania Christmas Show.
Christmas-themed dance performances at the Pennsylvania Christmas and Gift Show.

1. The Pennsylvania Christmas and Gift Show – Nov. 29 – Dec. 3

The Pennsylvania Christmas and Gift Show is one of the largest Christmas shows in the United States – check out the event’s OFFICIAL WEBSITE here.

Enjoying the Pennsylvania Christmas and Gift Show in Harrisburg.
The Pennsylvania Christmas and Gift Show is one of the best December events in Pennsylvania.

2. Dickens of a Christmas Celebration in Wellsboro – December 2

Wellsboro’s Main Street and the surrounding side streets will be closed to traffic and will become an early Victorian marketplace – check out the event’s OFFICIAL WEBSITE for details.

Wellsboro Dickens of a Christmas Celebration.
Wellsboro Dickens of a Christmas Celebration (photo credit: Visit Potter-Tioga/Facebook).

3. Valley Forge Beer and Cider Festival in Oaks- December 2

Ugly sweater contests, a meet and greet with Santa, food trucks, and lots of beer/wine/cider – check out the event’s OFFICIAL WEBSITE for tickets and details.

Valley Forge Beer and Cider Festival.
Image credit: Valley Forge Beer and Cider Festival/Facebook.

4. Mifflinburg Christkindl Market – December 14-16

The Mifflinburg Christkindl Market is one of the most authentic German Christmas markets in Pennsylvania – check out the event’s OFFICIAL WEBSITE for details.

Exploring the Mifflinburg Christkindl Market in Union County Pennsylvania.
Christkindl Market in Mifflinburg is a great December event in Pennsylvania.

5. Bellefonte Victorian Christmas – December 8-10

Victorian Bellefonte in Centre County hosts a variety of Christmas-themed events including concerts, carriage rides, and Victorian tea parties – check out the event’s OFFICIAL WEBSITE for details.

Bellefonte Victorian Christmas carriage rides.
Bellefonte Victorian Christmas carriage rides (photo credit: Bellefonte Victorian Christmas/Facebook).

6. Steel City Con in Monroeville – December 8-10

Steel City Con is one of the largest comic cons in the country – check out the event’s OFFICIAL WEBSITE of details.

Steel City Con 2023 attendees.
Image credit: Steel City Con/Facebook.

7. Firebird Festival in Phoenixville – December 9

The highlight of this annual festival in Chester County is the burning of a giant wooden phoenix, the namesake of the town – check out the ebent’s OFFICIAL WEBSITE for details.

The Phoenixville Firebird Festival.
The Phoenixville Firebird Festival (photo credit: The Phoenixville Firebird Festival/Facebook).

8. Western Pennsylvania Model Railroad Museum Holiday Show – Weekends through January 14th

This massive model train display recreates the railroad journey from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, to Cumberland, Maryland during the 1950s – check out THIS LINK for all the details.

Exploring the Western Pennsylvania Model Railroad Museum in Gibsonia PA.
Western Pennsylvania Model Railroad Museum Holiday Train Display.

9. Holiday Lights on the Lake in AltoonaNightly through December

The drive-through display features over 1 million lights illuminating more than 50 acres of Lakemont Park – check out THIS LINK for details.

Holiday Lights on the Lake in Altoona open in mid-November.
Holiday Lights on the Lake in Altoona.

10. Washington Crossing the Delaware Reenactment – December 25

Each year on Christmas, Washington Crossing Historic Park hosts a reenactment of this legendary Revolutionary War event – check out the event’s OFFICIAL WEBSITE for details.

Washington Crossing the Delaware on Christmas Day in 1776.
The Washington Crossing the Delaware reenactment on Christmas Day is one of the most beloved December events in Pennsylvania (public domain image).

The 9 Most-Christmassy Places in PA Road Trip visits nine PA destinations where the Christmas spirit runs strong, year after year.

The 9 Most Christmassy Places in Pennsylvania Road Trip.
The 9 Most Christmassy Places in PA Road Trip.

19 of the Best Drive-Thru Christmas Light Displays in PA shows you the best places to be festive AND warm at the same time!

The Best Drive Thru Christmas Light Displays in Pennsylvania.
15 of the Best Drive-Thru Christmas Light Displays in PA.

12 of the Best Walk-Thru Christmas Light Displays in PA is a list of 12 exceptional walk-through Christmas light displays from across PA, complete with links to each attraction’s official website.

The best walk-through Christmas light displays in PA.
12 of the best walk-thru Christmas light displays in Pennsylvania.

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Rusty Glessner
Rusty Glessner is a professional photographer, lifelong Pennsylvanian, and a frequently-cited authority on PA's best travel destinations.