CARLISLE, PA (August 14, 2009) - Over the Susquehanna River and through the Valley to Cumberland, Gettysburg, Reading, York, Lancaster and Harrisburg we go.
Mix it up and travel to each destination for the perfect holiday experience. You'll find authentic Christmas cheer, cozy accommodations, eclectic shopping, parades galore, awe-inspiring light displays and New Year's celebrations. So make your list and check it twice for Dutch Country Roads.
Holiday traditions we all know and love trace some of their earliest beginnings to Lancaster County, including the first public documentation of a decorated Christmas tree and the engaging character of Der Belschnickle - the Pennsylvania Dutch version of Santa Claus who introduced the concept of dropping a lump of coal in the stockings of kids who've been naughty rather than nice.
The Dutch Country Roads region offers a quaint family-friendly Christmas setting with all the spirit the holiday has to offer. Take a step back in time to a gracefully decorated town square and historic storefront windows in Gettysburg. Join the town for holiday house tours, candlelight Christmas tours or the annual Tuba Carol Fest celebration. For that old-fashioned feeling you could also take a charming Bed & Breakfast tour in Cumberland County and see how those beautiful homes decorate for the holidays.
This December, you can enjoy the walk-through attractions of the National Christmas Center, lace on some skates at Clipper Magazine Stadium's Ice Park, or explore the Country Christmas Village at Landis Valley Museum in Lancaster. Whether your pleasure is iced coffee or ice hockey, you're sure to find something to warm you up this holiday season in Greater Reading! After a thrilling day on the slopes, heat up your romance at one of our B&B's or take a Girlfriends Getaway to shake away those winter blues.
Shopping bags fill up fast the in Dutch Country Roads. Bundle up great savings at our many outlet stores in Hershey, Gettysburg, Reading and Lancaster. Do some last minute downtown shopping for that unique gift at the Pomfret Street Shops in Carlisle. The Red Lion Bed & Breakfast in York welcomes you to Grandma's Holiday Craft Show featuring local craft artists from Nov. 12- Dec. 6. This unique holiday event has a wide selection of items for everyone on your gift-giving list.
Entertainment is abounding in this region during the Christmas season. The Hershey Harrisburg region hosts Trains, Trees and Tradition at Whitaker Center including Breakfast with Santa Nov. 5 and Holiday Trains and Trees Nov. 21 - Jan. 3. Fort Hunter Park & Mansion, in Harrisburg, hosts seasonal events including "Festival of Trees", Toy Train Exhibit, and "The Carolers" performing 18th & 19th century Christmas songs.
The Dutch Country Roads lights up during the holiday season. Be dazzled by the lights of Koziar's Christmas Village in Reading or celebrate with Christmas Magic's ‘A Festival of Lights' at Rocky Ridge County Park in York! From Nov. 27-Dec. 31, you'll enjoy over 400,000 lights and displays, bringing this scenic half-mile walking trail to life as you ring in the season. Enjoy festive live music, stops in heated pavilions and refreshments along the trail. Christmas in Hershey features over 3 million lights; Hersheypark Christmas Candylane; and Hershey Sweet Lights, A Holiday Drive-Thru Spectacular Nov. 13- Dec. 31; dates and times vary. You can also sip hot chocolate and enjoy cookies while watching the lighting of the floating Christmas tree on Children's Lake in Boiling Springs.
The fun doesn't stop with Christmas. Ring in the New Year with a quirky celebration in Cumberland County. Join the locals in Mechanicsburg for the wrench drop, Shippensburg's anchor drop or Carlisle's Mini Indy car drop or cap off the holiday season with a New Year's Eve celebration on the town square in Gettysburg.
About Pennsylvania's Dutch Country Roads Region
Welcome to Pennsylvania's No. 1 tourist region, Dutch Country Roads! The nine counties comprising the DCR region - Adams, Berks, Cumberland, Dauphin, Franklin, Lancaster, Lebanon, Perry, and York - offer visitors an inviting mix of urban chic and rural beauty, as well as a convenient central location for your Pennsylvania getaway. For more information, visit www.dutchcountryroads.com.
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