The annual Christmas in Nazareth celebration took place this past weekend. The event, which was coordinated by the Moravian Historical Society and the Nazareth Area Chamber of Commerce, spanned several areas across the borough and featured promotions from many area businesses. The community tradition was started by the Moravian Historical Society many years ago, with the Nazareth Area Chamber of Commerce partnering in recent years to organize the event.
While in past years, Christmas in Nazareth has been a one-day event, this year the holiday celebration was extended, with kickoff events taking place on Friday, December 10, and further events taking place on Saturday, December 11. The Friday night festivities included an opening reception at the Nazareth Center for the Arts, complete with hot chocolate, cookies, and an exhibit of local artwork. Following the reception was the borough’s tree lighting ceremony in the circle. The tree lighting was accompanied by toy giveaways, as well as visits from Santa and holiday characters.
On Saturday, community members were able to enjoy performances from local music groups, including vocal and instrumental ensembles from Nazareth Area schools, the Nazareth community choir, and strolling musicians. The Moravian Historical Society organized walking tours throughout the day, departing from the historic Whitefield House and ending at the Nazareth Moravian Church, where tour groups could view the church’s Christmas Putz display and buy handmade paper Moravian stars. The Memorial Library of Nazareth offered a holiday raffle and children’s crafts, while Vigilance Hose Company #1 offered a tricky tray and pictures by the fire trucks with special holiday guests.
The event was also a showcase of wares from area businesses. Vendors set up booths at the holiday market in the Circle, the vendor alley in the YMCA parking lot, and the holiday market outside the Whitefield house.
The annual “Elf Trail” also took place, where participants could search for hidden elves in participating stores, enjoying sales and seasonal activities along the way. Participants were also given the chance to win prizes by getting an “elf passport” stamped at each store and turning the completed passport in at the Nazareth Area Chamber’s office.
Jessica O’Donnell, Executive Vice President of the Affiliated Chambers for the Lehigh Valley said, “[The Elf Trail] is going to go all week long. Truly, we wanted to be able to support the local businesses and get foot traffic in there.”
