The holidays may look a little different this year, but Easton’s not skimping on the holiday spirit. From the Easton Farmers’ Market Holiday Edition to a virtual Peace Candle lighting, Customized Santa Messages, free parking, and more, find new ways to make memories with your family this year.
Peace Candle Lighting
The annual lighting ceremony event for the Peace Candle has been a family tradition for generations. Each year we look forward to welcoming you to Centre Square to kick off the holiday season and to support our small businesses.
Due to limitations on crowd size and group gatherings because of the ongoing pandemic, the City of Easton and the Greater Easton Development Partnership will not be holding a formal event for 2020. The plan is to share a video of the lighting ceremony featuring Mayor Sal Panto, Jr. and this year’s Grand Illuminator on the Easton Main Street Initiative Facebook page. We thank you for your understanding and look forward to resuming our annual tradition in 2021.
Peace Candle Illuminator Auction
Want to be the Grand Illuminator and flip the switch to illuminate the 2020 Peace Candle? The honor goes to the highest bidder. The Peace Candle Illuminator Auction link is live on eBay and will end at 4 p.m. on Nov. 24. The auction can be found at ebay.com/itm/284084800435 or at Facebook.com/EastonMainStreet.
Customized Santa Messages
This year, in lieu of the beloved photos with Santa, families can opt for a Customized Santa Message. A link to purchase a Customized Santa Message will be posted by the end of the week at Facebook.com/EastonMainStreet. Limited spots are available and will cost $15 per family. At purchase, buyers will be asked to fill in names and some details on the recipients; a link will be emailed the first week of December.
Cinderella Carriage Rides
Easton Main Street Initiative will still offer Cinderella Carriage Rides. Rides will be offered from 2-8 p.m. Nov. 28 in Centre Square. Admire the holiday decorations and twinkle lights on the 15-minute ride as the horse-drawn carriage winds its way through Downtown Easton. The carriage rides cost $40 and can fit up to four people in one party. Rides start from Centre Square and ticket holders should check-in at the Carriage Ride tent in front of Crayola prior to their ride. Tickets must be purchased online in advance, and will be available to purchase at Facebook.com/EastonMainStreet by week’s end.
Easton Farmers’ Market Holiday Edition
From fa-la-la-la fresh produce to handmade artisan crafts and gourmet items, the Easton Farmers’ Market Holiday Edition offers a bevy of treats to choose from. This year, the market will be located at Scott Park with free parking at 101 Larry Holmes Drive, thanks to Riverstar Properties. Visit the market from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Saturdays (Dec. 5, 12 & 19) and enjoy wood-fired warming stations as you shop from 20+ vendors, including; Apple Ridge Farm, Breakaway Farms, Cabbage Throw Farm, Fieldstone Coffee Roasters + Tea, Flour Shop Bakery, Haven Farmstead Table, Jersey Pickles, Phillips Farms, Pie+Tart, Primordia Mushrooms, Salvaterra’s Gardens, Scholl Orchards, Stagecoach Apiaries, Teels Hill Soapworks, Tolino Vineyards, AquaSprouts, Brady’s Botanicals, Fraktured Sauce, Heart Beet Studios, Mayamam Weavers, Mediterra and The Bubbly Goat. The Little Brass Band will perform on Dec. 5.
More: eastonfarmersmarket.com
Free Holiday Parking Promotion
The City of Easton will again offer free metered on-street parking and surface lot parking during the holiday season. Free metered parking will start on Black Friday, Nov. 27, and continue on Saturdays and Sundays from Nov. 28 through Dec. 20 in Downtown Easton. The promotion does not apply to city parking garages.
Stuff the Bus
Now more than ever, there are many families that need our help this holiday season. The Greater Easton Development Partnership is partnering with Family Connection of Easton and Easton Area School District for the Stuff the Bus promotion. The goal is to fill a school bus with new toys, winter wear and non-perishable foods that will be distributed to Easton-area children and families in need. Donations are being accepted now through Nov. 29 at the following Easton area locations:
-Access Networks, 225 Ferry St.
-Crayola Experience, 30 Centre Square
-Easton Wine Project, 1247 Simon Blvd.
-Fidelity Bank, 46 Centre Square
-Fidelity Bank, 1250 Braden Blvd., Forks Twp.
-Forks Township Parks & Rec., 500 Zucksville Rd., Easton
-Fulton Bank, 280 Line St., Easton (Lobby Closed M-W, if dropping off on these days just ring bell)
-Giant, 801 S., 25th St., Easton
-Grocery Outlet, 2451 Nazareth Rd., Easton
-Kudu Creative, 703 Wood Ave., Easton
-Piscitello Home Center, 2300 Wood Ave., Easton
-St. Luke’s Hospital-Easton Campus, 250 S. 21st St., Easton
-W Graphics Digital Services, 18 N. 4th St., Easton
-Working Dog Press, 1928 Union Blvd., Allentown
The bus will be in the community for those who wish to donate in person:
-Noon to 8 p.m. Nov. 28, Centre Square by Crayola Experience
-10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Nov. 29 Easton Area High School by the baseball fields
More: familyconnectionofeaston.org/stuff-the-bus
Extended Hours at Easton Public Market
Whether you’re after the centerpiece for your holiday meal, the perfect dessert or a local libation to share at the table, Easton Public Market has your holidays covered. Find local produce for all the sides, plus prepared fixings at Saylors & Co., fresh seafood at Silvershell Counter + Kitchen, and delicious bread and desserts from The Modern Crumb. Chocodiem has the chocolate that’s on everyone’s list, and Mercantile Outpost has flowers and gifts for those you can’t be with to celebrate. Easton Public Market offers online ordering and curbside pick-up to make your holiday shopping a snap. Or shop in person and enjoy a meal after you shop in the market’s outdoor, heated tent. The market is open 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Wednesday-Saturday and 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Sunday. The market will also be open 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Nov. 24-25 (closed Thanksgiving Day), and open 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. every Tuesday in December. Visit the market 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Christmas Eve or New Year’s Eve. The market will be closed on Christmas Day and New Year’s Day. Individual vendor hours may vary - check vendor schedules on eastonpublicmarket.com.
Collectible Easton Ornament
Add a sweet memory to your tree this year. The 2020 collectible ornament features the Carmelcorn Shop, an Easton staple since 1931. Ornaments cost $20 (cash only) and are handcrafted in the U.S.A. Other ornaments that were featured in previous years, including the Easton Peace Candle, Easton Bugler, Easton Farmers’ Market, Cottingham Stadium and The State Theatre, can also be purchased for $20. The ornaments will be sold online at store.shopdowntowneaston.com and at the following locations within Downtown Easton:
●The Info Tent at Easton Farmers’ Market (10 a.m. - 1 p.m. Saturdays, Scott Park, Larry Holmes Dr.).
●Info Hut at the Winter Village (Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays - Nov. 27-Dec. 20, Downtown Easton)
●Carmelcorn Shop, 62 Centre Square (carmelcornshop.com)
●Connexions Gallery, 213 Northampton St. (connexionsgallery.com)
●Mercantile Outpost (inside Easton Public Market, 325 Northampton St.)
Proceeds from sales go to support the events and initiatives of the nonprofit Greater Easton Development Partnership.
More: store.shopdowntowneaston.com
Gift Cards
Gift cards give the receiver the gift of choice -- all while supporting local shops and restaurants in Downtown Easton. Gift cards for the Easton Public Market or Downtown Easton are available at the gift card kiosk inside Easton Public Market, 325 Northampton St. The kiosk takes credit or debit card payments. Both cards can be purchased in select denominations online at store.shopdowntowneaston.com. Cards can be shipped to the buyer or gift recipient.
The Easton Public Market gift card can be used at any of the market’s 14 vendors; the Downtown Easton card can be used at more than 40 locations in Downtown Easton.
ABOUT: PA Bacon Fest is a fundraiser for Greater Easton Development Partnership. GEDP is a volunteer-driven, 501(c)3 nonprofit organization focused on nurturing Easton's economic well-being and cultural vibrancy. It encompasses Easton Farmers’ Market, Easton Main Street Initiative, Easton Public Market, Easton Ambassadors and PA Bacon Fest. For more information, contact Executive Director Jared Mast at 610-250-2078 or jared@eastonpartnership.org. Visit us online at eastonpartnership.org.
