The first weekend of December will be sure to put the whole family in the Christmas spirit, with holiday performances and plenty of opportunities to shop.
Lackawanna Winter Market
The annual Lackawanna Winter Market will be held in downtown Scranton Friday through Sunday.
The festivities kick off Friday at 5 p.m. with a tree lighting. Several choirs, jazz groups and other musicians will provide entertainment throughout the weekend.
More than 50 vendors will fill Lackawanna County Courthouse Square with food and gift items for sale.
Scranton Fringe will perform “A Christmas Carol: A new radio play” Friday at 7:30 p.m. and Saturday at 6 p.m. The show is free and for all ages.
Lackawanna Winter Market
Lackawanna County Courthouse Square, Scranton
- Friday, Dec. 6, 5 to 9 p.m.
- Saturday, Dec. 7, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
- Sunday, Dec. 8, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Cinderella: An original pantomime fairytale
The third pantomime produced by the Scranton Shakespeare Festival is an adaptation of the classic Cinderella fairytale.
Pantomimes are most popular in England and at Christmas time. They always include jokes only locals would understand.
“It's very self-deprecating, very self-referential,” said Joe McGurl, director of the original play. “We mention Nina's [Wing Bites &] pizza and Colarusso’s [Cafe], and even WVIA — we mention Erika Funke.”
A pantomime play, also referred to as a “panto,” often features actors in drag.
“It really is like fun for the kids, jokes for mom and dad,” said Conor McGuigan, who plays one of Cinderella’s step sisters. “It's becoming a Scranton tradition… we've had to expand it to two weekends.”
The Scranton-inspired fairytale comedy will be performed this weekend and next weekend at the Scranton Shakes Space at the Marketplace at Steamtown in downtown Scranton. Click here for tickets.
"Cinderella: An original pantomime fairytale"
Scranton Shakes Space
The Marketplace at Steamtown
300 Lackawanna Ave., Scranton
- Friday, Dec. 6, at 6 p.m.
- Saturday, Dec. 7, at 6 p.m.
- Sunday, Dec. 8, at 2 p.m.
- Thursday, Dec. 12, at 6 p.m.
- Friday, Dec. 13, at 6 p.m.
- Saturday, Dec. 14, at 6 p.m.
Santa Claus comes to town
Santa will visit several towns in the Lackawanna Valley this Saturday to meet with children to ask what they want for Christmas.
Santa, Mrs. Claus and friends will travel by train, stopping first in Carbondale at 10:30 a.m. and finishing at the Steamtown National Historic Site in Scranton at 3 p.m.
The tradition, now in its 26th year, includes live entertainment and free activities at each stop.
Santa Train stops in Lackawanna County
- Carbondale Train Station, 10:30 a.m.
- Archbald Train Station, 11:35 a.m.
- Jessup Train Station, 12:20 p.m.
- Olyphant Queen City Train Station, 1 p.m.
- Dickson City Train Station, 1 p.m.
- Steamtown National Historic Site, 3 p.m.
Other events:
- La Festa Di Natale Holiday Market will provide Christmas fun in Pittston on Friday and Saturday at the Tomato Festival Lot. There will be a Toy Truck Parade Saturday at 6 p.m., followed by Santa's arrival and a tree lighting scheduled for 6:30 p.m.
- Christmas in Montrose will be celebrated all weekend long, with a Best Dressed Elf contest and more planned along with holiday shopping and horse drawn carriage rides. Click here for a schedule of events.
- Snow Forge will be held in Old Forge Sunday at 2 p.m. A Jingle Bell Jog is planned for noon and there will be a craft fair, a kids' zone, story time with Mrs. Claus and more.
- Lycoming County's inaugural German Christmas Market is scheduled for Friday from noon to 9 p.m. Read more in this story by WVIA's Chase Bottorf.
