Don’t stress about online shipping delays when you can find the gifts they really want in Downtown Easton. With the Easton Winter Village open, and an events calendar full of family fun, Downtown Easton is the place to be this holiday season.
Festive Family Fun
Farm Photos with Santa. Easton Farmers’ Market will have an old-fashioned horse and carriage on site (on loan from the National Canal Museum), as well as festive little goats from The Bubbly Goat, ready for a photo op. Easton Farmers’ Market continues Saturdays through Dec. 18 at Scott Park. In January, the Winter Market will move to Centre Square (10 a.m. to noon every Saturday, Jan. 8-April 30, 2022, eastonfarmersmarket.com).
Photos with Santa. Santa will have a number of helpers at the Easton Winter Village this year. Families can meet Santa and have a photo taken with him at Sigal Museum, 342 Northampton St., on the following dates: Dec. 12, 18, 19. High-resolution digital photos will be taken by Marie McLean Photography. ($29, cash or credit, times and details available at eastonwintervillage.com) Photos with Santa is just one feature of the 2021 Easton Winter Village. Each weekend, you’ll find live music, entertainment, strolling characters and more. Check out the full schedule online.
Holiday StoryWalk. Looking for a way to keep the kiddos entertained while you shop? Easton Main Street Initiative, in partnership with Easton Area Public Library, has installed a new StoryWalk just in time for the holidays. Families can read their way through Ezra Jack Keats’ “The Snowy Day” with pages placed in nine shop windows throughout Downtown Easton. Check out the route here: shopdowntowneaston.com/storywalk.
West Ward Decorating Contest. Residents of the West Ward can sign up to be part of the West Ward House Decorating Contest. Houses from Sixth to 15th streets and Elm to Jackson streets can participate. Visitors will be invited to view the houses in the contest and vote for the People’s Choice Award from Dec. 13-19. Judges will also be around to award prizes in different categories. (Register: [email protected]; See a list of participants and vote at westwardeaston.org/housedecorating)
Gift Ideas
Easton Gift Guides. Stuck on what to get your nephews or Aunt Sally? Staff from the nonprofit Greater Easton Development Partnership (GEDP) have put together a series of gift guides for those on your list. Find guides for kids, foodies, outdoor lovers, and great gifts to have on hand at shopdowntowneaston.com/gift-guides. Cards with a QR code directing shoppers back to the Easton Gift Guide page can also be found in local stores.
Share the Joy Shopping Campaign. Easton Main Street Initiative is bringing back its Share the Joy shopping promotion again this year. Shop small and win big this season. When someone shows receipts from three or more brick-and-mortar stores in Downtown Easton, they can enter to win a $50 Downtown Easton gift card. A final winner will be drawn on Dec. 19 to take home a grand prize – a $200 Downtown Easton gift card and set of eight historic Easton ornaments. (Purchases from restaurants or Winter Village vendors are not eligible. Receipts must be dated from Nov. 19. Contest ends Dec. 19. Print and electronic receipts will be accepted. Winners will be notified by phone.)
Gift Cards. Easton Public Market and Downtown Easton gift cards are a perfect present for teachers, hosts/hostesses, and those hard-to-gift folks on your list. Downtown Easton cards are accepted at 45-plus shops and restaurants, and the Easton Public Market card is accepted at all their favorite vendors. Pick up gift cards at the kiosk near Mister Lee’s Noodles inside Easton Public Market, 325 Northampton St. Or order online and ship to your house or theirs (store.shopdowntowneaston.com).
Add this year’s new ornament to your tree. Easton Main Street Initiative’s (EMSI) 2021 historic ornament features the former William Laubach & Sons Department Store. It is the eighth in the bronze replica series, joining some of Easton’s beloved scenes and landmarks, including; Easton Peace Candle (2014), The “Free” Bridge (2015), Easton Bugler (2016), Easton Farmers’ Market (2017), The State Theatre (2018), Cottingham Stadium (2019) and The Carmelcorn Shop (2020). Supplies are limited. In order to guarantee holiday delivery, orders must be placed by noon on Dec. 13, 2021. ($20 cash, available at Carmelcorn Shop, Connexions Gallery, Mercantile Outpost, Info Tent at Easton Farmers’ Market on Saturdays; also available online at store.shopdowntowneaston.com)
Fresh greens & holiday scenes. While you’re in town, take note of the fresh evergreens and decorations throughout town. Volunteers with Easton Main Street Initiative, a program of GEDP, spent the days leading up to Thanksgiving tying red ribbons around fresh wreaths and delivering fresh pine garland from Bloomie’s to participating merchants. In 2021, 221 wreaths with 244 hand-crafted red bows, and 2,300 feet of pine garland were hung at businesses throughout the downtown and West Ward. It’s the third year for the coordinated holiday decorating program run by EMSI. The greens go hand in hand with EMSI’s second annual Most Festive Storefront contest. Judges from EMSI’s Design Committee will be around in early December to select the best dressed storefront to win the trophy for 2021. The winner will be announced on Facebook.com/EastonMainStreet.
Events and festivities complement Easton’s holiday season, which also features free, on-street, metered parking on Saturdays and Sundays through Dec. 19, and a full lineup of live entertainment, ice skating, special guests from the North Pole and outdoor shopping at the Easton Winter Village.
Ice skating on the city’s synthetic rink is free for City of Easton residents (proof of residency required), and $5 for non-residents. Skate rentals are $5 or participants can bring their own skates. The skating rink is sponsored by Lehigh Valley Health Network. (https://bit.ly/EWViceskating)
Easton Main Street Initiative (EMSI) is a program of Greater Easton Development Partnership, a registered 501c3. EMSI’s mission is to promote/encourage/enhance the economic strength and vitality of Easton’s central business district through volunteer and community driven efforts. To learn more about EMSI, visit Eastonmainstreet.org. GEDP is a volunteer-driven, nonprofit organization focused on Easton’s economic well-being, historical integrity, programmatic development, vibrant culture and hospitality. For more information, contact Executive Director Jared Mast at 610-250-2078 or [email protected]. Visit us online at EastonPartnership.org.