A guide to December holiday markets, Santa visits and more in Centre County

The holiday season is upon us in Centre County, and some of the area’s favorite traditional events such as Bellefonte Victorian Christmas are back.

Other events, like the Alternative Christmas Fair, have adapted again to the COVID-19 pandemic and will be held in a virtual setting.

But throughout December, there are a plethora of markets, Santa visits and holiday performances to take in throughout the county.

If there’s something we missed from this list, please email us at cdtnewstips@centredaily.com to have it added.

Festivals

Dec. 4: Boalsburg Hometown Christmas from 4-6 p.m. at the Boalsburg Diamond.

Dec. 4: Frost Fest from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. at Schlow Centre Region Library, 211 S. Allen St., State College. Registration required for some events.

Dec. 10-11: Bellefonte Victorian Christmas from 2-9 p.m. Dec. 10 and 9 a.m.-9 p.m. Dec. 11 in downtown Bellefonte.

Dec. 10-12: Merry Millheim in downtown Millheim.

Dec. 31: First Night State College in downtown State College.

Film

Dec. 3: “The Grinch” at 7 p.m. at The State Theatre, 130 W. College Ave., State College.

Dec. 17: “Elf” at 7 p.m. at The State Theatre, 130 W. College Ave., State College.

Dec. 20-23: “It’s A Wonderful Life” at 7 p.m. at The State Theatre, 130 W. College Ave., State College.

Fundraisers

Dec. 4: YMCA of Centre County’s Polar Bear Plunge at 11 a.m. at Black Moshannon State Park beach area, 4216 Beaver Road, Philipsburg and Penns Creek at Grace United Church of Christ, 118 Two Steeples Lane, Spring Mills.

Dec. 5-19: virtual Alternative Christmas Fair. A Special Edition Adult Forum will kick off the event from 11 a.m.-noon Dec. 5.

Dec. 10: Centre County Festival of Trees from 4-7 p.m. at Central Pennsylvania Institute of Science and Technology, 80 S. Harrison Road, Pleasant Gap.

Dec. 11: Raider Reindeer 4K from 9-11 a.m. at Talleyrand Park.

Dec. 12: “Christmas at the Curtin” from 1-4 p.m. at the Curtin Mansion, 251 Curtin Village Road, Howard. Pop-up photo fundraiser will allow people to take a family photo in the mansion’s fireplace and a Christmas tree — decorated as it would have been during the Victorian era. Proceeds benefit the Roland Curtin Foundation.

Holiday lights

Ongoing: Light Up Downtown from dusk-10 p.m. through Jan. 2, 2022 at the Martin Luther King Jr. Plaza in downtown State College. There will be free trolley rides on Dec. 3-4 and Dec. 10-11.

Dec. 3: Community Christmas Tree Lighting at 7 p.m. at St. Luke’s Lutheran Church, 301 N. Pennsylvania Ave., Spring Mills.

Dec. 4: Harris Township’s tree lighting from 4-5:30 p.m. at the Diamond in Boalsburg.

Markets & shopping

Dec. 3-5: 19th annual Stocking Stuffer from 9 a.m.-4 -p.m. Dec. 3-4 and noon-4 p.m. Dec. 5 at the Centre Furnace Mansion, 1001 E. College Ave., State College.

Dec. 4: Christmas Bazaar from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. at Park Forest Village United Methodist Church, 1833 Park Forest Ave., State College.

Dec. 4: Annual Holiday Pottery Sale from 10 a.m.-5 p.m. at the Art Alliance of Central Pennsylvania, 818 Pike St., Lemont.

Dec. 4: Old Gregg School Winter Craft Fair from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. at the Old Gregg School Community Center, 106 School St., Spring Mills.

Dec. 5: Hometown Holiday Market from noon-4 p.m. at Pine Grove Hall, 101 E. Pine Grove Road, Pine Grove Mills.

Dec. 10-11: Christmas at Titan from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. at Titan Market, 2042 Axemann Road, Bellefonte.

Dec. 10-11: Artist’s Winter Market from noon-6 p.m. Dec. 10 and 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Dec. 11 at the Gallery Shop and the Art Alliance Building, Pike Street, Lemont.

Dec. 11: Bellefonte Under the Lights: Winter Market from 4-8 p.m. at Talleyrand Park, 320 W. High St., Bellefonte.

Santa visits

Dec. 4: Pet Pictures with Santa from noon-4 p.m. at Pets Come First, 2451 General Potter Highway, Centre Hall.

Dec. 10: Cocoa with Santa from 6-7:15 p.m. at The Painting Broad, North Front Street, Philipsburg.

Dec. 18: Breakfast with Santa from 8 a.m.-12:30 p.m. at Centre Hall Fire Hall, 134 N. Witmer Ave.

Dec. 18: Breakfast with Santa from 8:30-11 a.m. at Gregg Township Fire Company, 106 Water St., Spring Mills.

Dec. 18: Port Matilda Fire Company’s Santa Run for the Halfmoon area starting at 10:45 a.m.

Dec. 19: Port Matilda Fire Company’s Santa Run for the Bald Eagle Valley starting at 10:45 a.m.

Dec. 19: Santa visits at the pavilion from 1-2:30 p.m. at 851 Clarence Road, Clarence.

Dec. 21: Boalsburg Fire Company’s Santa Run starting at 5:30 p.m.

Performances

Dec. 4: Charles Dickens’s “A Christmas Carol Puppet Show” from 1-2 p.m. at Millbrook Marsh Nature Center, 548 Puddintown Road, State College. Register in advance.

Dec. 5: The Nittany Valley Figure Skating Club’s “Happy Holidays” Ice Show at 1 p.m. at Pegula Ice Area, University Park.

Dec. 5: Annual Christmas show featuring Altoona Brass Collective at 2 p.m. at the Rowland Theatre, 127 N. Front St., Philipsburg.

Dec. 10: Tempest Productions’ “Holiday Tales” live virtual event from 7-10 p.m. Free online access Dec. 10-Jan. 6, 2022.

Dec. 11: State College Choral Society’s online Christmas singalong starting at 3 p.m. Dec. 11 and available for viewing for 30 days on the choral society’s YouTube channel. Donations to the accompanying food drive can be made at http://donate.centralpafoodbank.org/goto/state-college-choral-society2021.

Dec. 12: Central Pennsylvania Dance Workshop’s “A Celebration of Dance” at 7 p.m. at The State Theatre, 130 W. College Ave., State College.

Dec. 20: “A Christmas Carol” presented by Adam Swartz Puppets at 5 p.m. at The State Theatre, 130 W. College Ave., State College.

Other events

Dec. 2-30: Mifflin County Model Railroad Club’s Open House at various times through December at 3 W. Monument Square, Lewistown.

Dec. 3: Candlelight Tours of the Mansion from 5:30-7:30 p.m. at Columbus Chapel & Boal Mansion Museum, 163 Boal Estate Drive, Boalsburg.

Dec. 11: December to Remember from 6-8 p.m. at Penns Valley Community Church, 106 School St., Spring Mills.

Dec. 11: Holiday open house at the Boalsburg Heritage Museum from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. at the Boalsburg Heritage Museum, 304 E. Main St., Boalsburg.

Dec. 18-19: Drive-through nativity event from 5-8 p.m. at the Bible Baptist Church of Warriors Mark, 2520 Pennington Road, Tyrone.

This story was originally published November 26, 2021 at 5:00 AM.