Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Discover Lancaster. As always, opinions are my own. Post may contain affiliate links.
When we visited Lancaster in the summer, we knew we wanted to come back around the holidays. The city comes alive this time of year with endless family activities to celebrate the holiday season. My first stop in planning was Discoverlancaster.com to make sure we didn’t miss any winter events. We were able to cram a lot into just a weekend, but I wish we had more time! If you are able to visit from mid Nov – Dec, here are some activities I would add to your “must- do” list!
Christmas Festivities
The Christmas Spirit Light Show
Located at Clipper Stadium, this drive thru light show may have been our favorite outing of the weekend. As you pull up you are handed a menu of delicious treats and festive souvenirs to enhance the experience. You can order popcorn, hot chocolate, and even a light up snowflake wand, all brought right to your car (and not mention very fairly priced!) We had just come from dinner, so we chose 2 snowflake wands and headed on our way.
The entire experience lasted about 30 minutes, which was perfect; and I mostly loved that we could enjoy it from the warmth of our car. Most winter holiday shows we have had to walk through so this was a welcomed change. As you drove through the stadium, lights twinkled perfectly in sync the music. The girls were mesmerized and so were we.
Dutch Winter Wonderland
We knew Dutch Wonderland would be on our itinerary because Aria hasn’t stopped talking about it since we left in July! There is so much to do for kids her age and even Gianna was able to get on some rides. They had the park lit up for Christmas and we even snagged a photo with Santa. Although it was freezing, you have to do the sky train over the park to see all of the beautiful lights from above, it was magical.
Just be prepared that a handful of rides are closed. But don’t let that deter you as there were still plenty of rides open.
Click here for more information about Dutch Winter Wonderland or to purchase tickets
Strasburg Railroad Santa Express Train
This attraction alone will bring me back every holiday season. We arrived in what felt like its own little Christmas Town. We hopped into the cafe first to grab some hot chocolate then made our way down the sidewalk. We timed it perfectly because the absolutely AMAZING performers were just going on stage. The ladies were decked out in gorgeous red sequin dresses and all of the singers were so talented. They performed countless Christmas songs as the kids danced in the front and we sipped hot chocolate. Then we watched the cutest little train ride tote passengers through the town.
The inside of the train was decorated for Christmas and the girls stared out the windows as started to move. We passed through 2 locations from our last visit that they remembered, Cherry Crest Adventure Farm and Casey Jones Restaurant. The train really got us in the Christmas spirit with the carolers and musicians; the girls were dancing in their seats. We were even lucky enough to visit with Santa and snap some photos. I highly recommend this if you have little ones!
Note: Arrive early. we tried to pull up 5 minutes prior to our train and we missed it because parking was packed and you have a short walk to check in. There is also a lot of cute stuff to see!
Wish List
Breakfast with Santa – If we were able to schedule our visit earlier in the season, I would have loved to do the Breakfast with Santa at Barnyard Kingdom. They only do this event for a few weekends so check the schedule!
Home for the Holidays – The Christmas show at the American Music Theatre looked so cute. The theatre was across the street from our hotel, and it was so beautifully decorated, I bet this show is a hit!
Other “Must Do’s”
Outlet Shopping
We LOVE the outlets in Lancaster! We find so many amazing deals, it was the perfect place to finish our Christmas shopping. We stopped into the Rockvale Outlets to shop the Eagles Pro Shop and the Disney Store and scored so awesome finds. Evan was able to escape at nap time to browse the Banana Republic outlet and a few others at the Tanger Outlets as well.
Wyndham Lancaster Resort & Convention Center
This was our second stay at the Wyndham and we will keep going back. Not only is it central to all of the top attractions but the rooms and amenities can’t be beat. We stayed in the 1-bedroom suite, and it was incredibly spacious for the 4 of us. There were 2 queen beds, 1 for us and 1 for Aria, and we brought a pack n play for Gi. The bedroom was huge and came complete with a full bathroom (with bath which was great as a mom of little ones.) Then we had a separate living room (with door in between) with another full bath. This is great for parents so we can have time to decompress after putting the babes to bed.
The amenities at this hotel should be required everywhere. They have a soft playroom which my kids consistently begged to go to. It was great for the morning so we could sip some Starbucks from the lobby and let them get some energy out running around. They also have an arcade that Aria and Ev visited while I packed us up to head home. Additionally, they have a restaurant on site, a heated pool, and awesome water features for summertime.
To Wrap it Up
There is so much to do in this beautiful city at any time of year and I love that it is just an hour away! Visit www.discoverlancaster.com to find information on where to stay, dine, and all the special events happening during your visit!