Thanksgiving weekend most often signals the unofficial start of the Christmas season. However, with the holiday falling later than usual this year on Nov. 28, many Christmas traditions are getting underway this weekend.
Santa Claus comes to town
At the Viewmont Mall in Dickson City, Santa is on his throne every day of the week through Dec. 24. On Mondays through Dec. 16, the public is welcome to bring pets for photos.
“Walk-ins are welcome,” said Robert Brinsfield, general manager at Viewmont. “But reservations help avoid long wait times.”
The Viewmont Mall is fully occupied, with JCPenney and Macy’s in the building for decades, and new and seasonal tenants.
“We have a recently revamped Dick’s House of Sport… and HomeGoods,” Brinsfield said. “We also have a lot of small businesses here that operate within the mall.”
In Scranton, Santa will make an entrance with the Santa Parade this Saturday from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. From there, he will be at the Marketplace at Steamtown every Saturday from noon to 5 p.m. The public is welcome to take their own photos, free of charge.
Santa also will arrive at the Laurel Mall in Hazle Twp. Saturday at 1 p.m. Santa’s hours can be found here.
The City of Wilkes-Barre’s Annual Christmas Parade and Tree Lighting Ceremony is planned for Saturday afternoon. The parade will begin at 3 p.m.
The big man will make his way to the Wyoming Valley Mall Saturday. Santa’s schedule is here.
Endless Mountains Christmas
The Endless Mountains region, which includes Bradford, Wyoming, Sullivan and Susquehanna counties, is full of Christmas spirit and things to do.
The Endless Mountains Visitors Bureau started printing the annual Endless Mountains Christmas brochure five years ago to share the dozens of events, deals and other holiday activities happening in the six weeks before the new year.
Jean Ruhf, executive director of the Endless Mountains Visitors Bureau, said they print 10,000 copies every year. People can call the office to get one mailed to them for free, or go to the website to see all the different events.
Many of the small towns like Dushore, Tunkhannock, Eagles Mere, Montrose and Laceyville have their own small town celebrations and are bustling on Small Business Saturday.
“The nice thing about the area and the Endless Mountains is you're shopping local and small, so you get that customized experience,” Ruhf said. “Most of the places will help and even wrap your presents for you, so you don't have to do that. They're more than happy to help you with your selections or give you ideas of different things to purchase. And a lot of the different things are actually made in the endless mountains.”
The Festival of Lights at Stone Hedge Golf Course is a popular attraction in Wyoming County, with millions of lights guiding a drive-thru experience. Starting November 27, the lights are on every night through December 31 except Christmas Eve. There will be a Night in Lights Fun Run & Walk to benefit first responders. The walk is less than 5K and it is not timed, and will take place on Monday, Nov. 25 at 5 p.m.
The Dietrich Theatre will host a 12 movies of Christmas Film Festival. From December 6 through 19, holiday favorites will play on the big screen and admission is free.
There also is a Christmas Light Show at the Sullivan County Fairgrounds, starting November 30, presented by the Sullivan County Agricultural Society. Through December 7, the Christmas Village Shops will be open in the 4H building from 3 to 7 p.m. Admission is free but donations are appreciated.
Williamsport Victorian Christmas Festival
This Friday through Sunday, people dressed in Victorian-era clothing will wander through Williamsport’s historic district. A 20-person committee of all-women volunteers oversee the Williamsport Victorian Christmas Festival.
A fashion show, “From Petticoats to Pillboxes,” will kickstart the festival Friday at 7 p.m. at the Community Theatre League, 100 W. Third St. There will be a trolley tour on Saturday.
The festival will conclude with a performance from the Williamsport Civic Chorus.
“Williamsport is known for its little league all over the world. And yet now, Victorian Christmas has grown that people are very aware of Williamsport because of that. We have people coming in and staying at the hotels and booking rooms for the weekends,” said Margaret “Nan” Young, a festival co-founder.
Read more about the tradition in this story by WVIA’s Chase Bottorf.
