December Happenings in Bucks County

Though the weather outside is becoming frightful, the events happening in Bucks County this month are more than delightful! From beautiful candlelight tours of historic homes to plays and musicals that will fill your heart with cheer, there are plenty of reasons to spend December in the countryside.

HOLIDAY EVENTS

• December 4-28 - The Bucks County Playhouse’s production of “Plaid Tidings” will have the whole family singing holiday favorites after the curtain comes down! This year, New Hope is turning the theater’s front courtyard into Santa’s Workshop for two weekends. Jolly Old St. Nick will arrive in a horse and carriage December 5 to help light the Playhouse Christmas tree. Enjoy photos, cider and holiday treats December 6,7,13 and 14.

• December 5-6 - If you’re having trouble finding the perfect gift for your loved ones, stop by the Noel Barrett Toy Auction at the Event Center by Cornerstone. The sale will feature a wide variety of toys, trains, carousel animals, dolls’ houses, miniatures and more!

• December 6 - Make your very own festive holiday wreath this year at Bowman’s Hill Wildflower Preserve. Use natural materials and plants during the Wreath Workshop. Not sure how to make a wreath? The Preserve’s Executive Director, Miles Arnott, will lead you through the process step-by-step to make sure you’re proud of the work of art you create.

• December 6-7 - Get ready for the holidays with everyone’s favorite fourth-grader as Bristol Riverside Theatre puts on “Junie B. In Jingle Bells, Batman Smells.” Junie B. is lacking her holiday cheer when she draws the name of her arch nemesis, Tattletale May, from the Secret Santa hat. So, she hatches a plan to give Tattletale May what she really deserves this Christmas.

• December 6-7 - Toast to the holidays at Crossing Vineyards and Winery during their Holiday Wine Festival this season. Stock up your wine cellar in preparation for your holiday parties or find the perfect stocking stuffer for your friends and family in the gift shop, all while tasting delicious holiday-themed wines!

• December 6-7 - Come to Peddler’s Village for the Christmas Festival and take part in the annual Christmas Parade featuring Santa and his wife, Mrs. Claus! Take in live entertainment and a free marshmallow toasting, browse the Gingerbread Competition Display and be dazzled by the holiday lights throughout the weekend.

• December 7 - Get ready for the season with holiday music selections performed by the Trenton Brass Quintet Plus One, hosted by the Bucks County Performing Arts Centre at the Yardley Community Centre. Feel the holiday spirit as you listen to seasonal tunes with origins from across the globe.

• December 7 - Fonthill Castle, the palatial former home of Bucks County collector Henry Mercer, is offering free admission this season for theirHoliday Festivities for the Family event. Take a tour of the castle decorated for the holidays, sip on hot cider and get the chance to make your very own handmade ornament. Then head over to Moravian Pottery & Tile Works to hang your special new ornament on the tree! Admission to the Tile Works is also free for the event.

• December 7 - Step back in history and watch a full dress rehearsal of the Annual Washington Crossing Historic Park Christmas Crossing. Two hundred reenactors in period dress will kick off the event by rowing across the river in a full-size replica Durham boat after an inspiring speech from George Washington. Come back on December 25 for the official Christmas Day Crossing and stay afterward to additional activities and colonial demonstrations throughout the park.

• December 11 - Join the cast of Irish Christmas in America at Sellersville Theater for their 10th season of production. This popular show features top Irish music and engaging dance performances full of humor and energy.

• Through December 24 - Kick start your holiday shopping at the Christmas Capital of the county, Byers’ Choice®! Their German Christmas Market offers the savvy shopper everything from international foods to unique gift ideas to get your loved ones in the holiday spirit. Make sure you stop by their boutique for fun fashion tips to get your through all your holiday parties.

• Through January 1 - Stop by one of Bucks County’s historic castles for a holiday event unlike any other during the “Under the Tree” A Century of Holiday Trees and Toys” exhibit at the Mercer Museum. This annual tradition captures the excitement of Christmas from a child’s perspective. Take a tour through the trees decorated to represent bygone eras and discover a variety of toys and games that were once the most popular items under the Christmas tree.

• Through January 3 - Some of Bucks County’s most creative are competing in this year’s Gingerbread Competition and Display at Peddler’s Village. Walk through the Village Gazebo to see each whimsical creation in categories such as Traditional, Authentic Reproduction of a Significant Building, Unusual 3-Dimensional Creation and more.

• Through January 4 - Millions of lights illuminate acres of Bucks County farmland during the annual Holiday Light Show at Shady Brook Farm. Keep cozy inside the comfort of your own vehicle as you ride through displays featuring your favorite holiday characters.

• Through January 6 - The Bucks County Visitor Center in Bensalem is transformed into a winter wonderland during the 9th Annual Bucks County Holiday TreeFest. This free event features 25 uniquely-themed trees decorated by local businesses and organizations. Mark your calendars! Santa Claus himself will be in town on select dates.

HOLIDAY TOURS

• December 4-5 - Experience the enchantment of Pennsbury Manor by candlelight at their annual event, Holly Nights. Step back in time on William Penn’s 17th-century plantation as it is lit up with hundreds of luminaries and colonial demonstrations.

• December 6 - Take part in a community holiday tradition during the 52nd Annual Holiday Open House Tour with the Historic Newtown Association. Journey through Newtown on foot and enjoy a unique glimpse inside beautifully decorated private homes and public buildings. After the tour, listen to colonial music and enjoy hearthside cooking demonstrations while noshing on mulled cider and cheese.

• December 7 - Embark on a tour of six decorated homes and historic landmarks in the Quakertown area during the Christmas House Tours sponsored by Quakertown Alive! Afterward, gather at McCoole’s Arts & Events Place for a holiday reception, silent auction and art show featuring Bucks County artist Jim Lukens.

• December 9 - Spend the holidays getting immersed in local arts and history! The Mercer Museum, a six-story concrete castle filled with early American artifacts, and the neighboring James A. Michener Art Museum offer free admission to both institutions during a special Holiday Open House.

• December 27 - Bring your friends and family along for a special Candlelight Holiday Tour of Fonthill Castle. Experience the history of the concrete castle while it is decorated for the holidays amidst the glow of candlelight.

• Through December 30 - Take a holiday tour of the farmhouse where Nobel and Pulitzer Prize winning author Pearl S. Buck once called home. The historic site is offering special Holiday House Tours while it is beautifully decorated for the season. Learn about Buck’s fight for cross-cultural understanding during one of the most wonderful times of the year.

MORE FUN

• December 5-6 - Watch as Watty Piper’s cherished tale of perseverance and motivation comes to life at McCoole’s Arts & Events Place as a talented cast puts on the show, “The Little Engine That Could.” Join in on singing, dancing toys and trains and plenty of fun while the Little Engine carries his heavy load all the way over the mountain.

• December 7 - Travel back to your childhood during a special 30-minute version of the classic opera, “Hansel & Gretel,” during the Bucks County Symphony Orchestra Family Concert. Siblings Hansel and Gretel, the Sandman and a not-too-scary Witch will sing and dance to this beloved score on the stage of Central Bucks West High School.

• December 12-14 - Welcome back Raul Malo to New Hope Winery during his three-night series performance this month. Come on Saturday, December 13 for a Wine and Food pairing before the show or stop by on Sunday, December 14 to enjoy Sandra’s homemade Chicken Pot Pie while listening to Raul perform.

For more happenings this month, check out our Calendar of Events.

Photo of Fonthill Castle, courtesy of Reflections by Ruth Photography
Photo of Holly Nights, courtesy of Anthony Sinagoga Photography