Hometown Christmas Returns to Boalsburg with Daylong Festivities

The village of Boalsburg will host its annual Hometown Christmas celebration on Saturday, Dec. 6, offering a full day of festive events.

Organizers plan a variety of activities throughout the day, starting with breakfast with Santa at the Boalsburg Fire Hall. The event costs $10 per person, and limited tickets will be available at the door for the 11 a.m. seating. The 9:30 a.m. seating is sold out.

After breakfast, visitors can enjoy horse-drawn carriage rides from noon to 3 p.m. for $5 per person. Children 5 and under ride for free.

Live reindeer will be on display from 1 to 4 p.m. next to the Harris Township office at 224 E. Main St. The historic blacksmith shop will be open from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., giving visitors a chance to see what is described as the oldest working, intact and functioning blacksmith shop of its kind on the East Coast.

The second annual Cookie Crawl is also scheduled for the day. Participants can purchase a commemorative cookie tin before or during the event at A Basket Full, 121 E. Main St., then visit participating shops on Saturday, collecting two cookies at each stop.

Festivities will continue in the evening with a Christmas tree-lighting ceremony at 6 p.m. on the village Diamond. Santa and Mrs. Claus will arrive by fire truck, with live entertainment beginning at 4 p.m., including performances by the Bellefonte Community Band and the town crier. 

Food and beverages will be available from various vendors and food trucks, with coffee and hot cocoa provided by the Harris Township Lions Club.

Additional activities throughout the day include a puppet show, story readings in the lower barn of the Boalsburg Heritage Museum, a front-porch performance by Free-Range Band and an organ recital at St. John’s United Church of Christ, featuring the church’s historic 1868 Durner tracker pipe organ.

The celebration is supported in part by a grant from the Happy Valley Adventure Bureau, and temporary road closures have been approved to accommodate the evening events.

Check out full details and an event map by visiting Historic Boalsburg’s website.