Stop by Bethlehem, CT, for today’s adventure. Enjoy a Christmas Festival, visit to Christmas Town, and a complimentary ornament!
Itinerary
Day 1 - Home - Bethlehem, CT
Head off to Christmas Town for a magical holiday experience! Bethlehem, CT is where today’s adventure takes place.
Follow the star and attend the town Christmas Festival. For the 40th year, this tradition will get locals and travelers from afar in the holiday spirit. The old-fashioned Christmas celebration will occur all around the town green. This annual event will feature: music performances, tree lighting, photos with Santa, horse-drawn hayrides, a book and cookie sale, crafts and gifts galore (indoors and out), food and refreshments, strolling carolers, holiday characters, a roving train ride, Santa’s workshop, and a bell choir concert. Not only will the town green warm you up for the holidays, but so too will roaming the town to see other holiday events and sights.
Each year, the town’s people create a Christmas ornament. This year, take home a piece of the tradition to hang.
While visiting Christmas Town, perhaps you’ll want to stop by the Bethlehem Post Office to mail out your season’s greetings. Choose from one of the 83 hand-made festive Cachets (since 1938, a new design has been created yearly) to decorate your holiday mail.
Be sure to dress for the weather! Mail sent out and anything purchased at the festival will be covered on your own.
Prior to the festival, we will go to East Side Restaurant for lunch. For over 70 years, East Side has been continuously family owned and operated. The experience will include a warm Bavarian atmosphere in which the staff dons traditional German clothing. All of the senses will be entertained during this unique dining experience. Enjoy the specialized German food and culture all without a passport! Our lunch will consist of: Soup, Cottage Cheese, Cole Slaw served family style, then Choice Upon Arrival of: German Pot Roast, Sauerbraten, Burgermeister, Jager Schnitzel, Bratwurst, Knockwurst, Chicken Schnitzel, Baked Stuffed Sole or Chicken Parmesan. All of the entrees are served with Vegetable, Rye Bread and Butter, and Dessert.
Also today, we will stop at the Hillstead Museum. Here, we will have a guided tour. The house is lavishly decorated for the holidays, and guides will explain how the tree in each room was decorated in accordance with the room. The trees are changed every year, so each year is a new experience.
