Bushkill, PA- Superintendent John J. Donahue announced today that Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area and its partners will be hosting a series of holiday events and winter activities on the first weekend of December. “First Weekend offers a unique opportunity for people to take a drive through the park and visit several of our partner-operated sites, participate in holiday events and outdoor programs, and shop for unique gifts while enjoying the scenic beauty and history of the park,” said Donahue. “It’s a great way to get in the spirit of the holiday season and a chance for people to learn about old traditions while making new ones.”
Programs and events in NJ include:
Millbrook Village will host a Victorian Christmas Celebration from 11am to 4pm on Saturday, December 3. Historic homes will be decorated for Christmas in the Victorian style while costumed guides prepare holiday meals over woodstoves and open hearths and craftsmen ply their trades. Hands-on activities, old fashioned toys, games, and crafts will be offered for children.
A Christmas Carol Service will be offered in the Millbrook Village Church at 5 pm on Sunday, December 4. Light refreshments will be served in the Van Campen Farmhouse following the program. Come out and sing along to your favorite Christmas songs alongside costumed guides.
Montague Association for the Restoration of Community History (MARCH) is hosting several Old Fashioned Holiday Weekends at the Foster Armstrong House in Montague, NJ. The 1790’s house will be decorated for Christmas with several special exhibits. This year’s theme is “Santa on Parade.” The Foster-Armstrong House is open from 1 to 4 pm on November 26 and 27, December 3 and 4, and December 10 and 11. The gift shop is open during the weekend events.
Enjoy a Walpack Christmas at the Rosenkrans Museum and the Walpack Methodist Episcopal Church in the historic village of Walpack Center on December 3 and 4 and December 10 and 11 from 1pm to 4 pm. Both buildings will be decorated for the holidays and staffed with volunteers from the Walpack Historical Society.
Visit the Peters Valley Gallery at Peters Valley School of Craft this holiday season for wonderful handcrafted items sure to please everyone on your gift list. Come relax with a cup of hot cider as you browse two floors and fabulous work. Friendly, knowledgeable sales staff with help you find the perfect gift. The gallery will hold weekend Trunk Shows featuring an expanded selection of work by featured artists throughout December, including ceramics by Liz Kinder December 3-4. The gallery is open every day in December from 10am-6pm. Visit the online store at www.PetersValleyGallery.org.
Programs and events in PA include:
Pocono Environmental Education Center (PEEC) is offering a Winter Ecology Hike on Saturday, December 3 from 1-3 pm. Learn how different plants and animals survive the cold winter months. All ages are welcome. The cost is $5 per person. Make reservations at www.peec.org or call (570) 838-2319.
On Sunday, December 4, PEEC’s indoor Ecozone Discovery Room will be open from 1-4 pm. Stop in and crawl through a bat cave, dig in a fossil pit, and climb into an eagle’s nest while learning about sustainability, the environment and natural history. Admission to the Ecozone is $2 per person.
Search for Eagles with Jack Padalino of the Paul F-Brandwein Institute on Sunday, December 4 from 8 am to 4 pm. Participants will meet at Pocono Environmental Education Center in Dingmans Ferry, PA at 8 am, or at the Historic Callahan House on Route 209 in Milford, PA at 10 am, and will caravan to popular eagle watching locations along the Delaware and Lackawaxen Rivers. There is no charge, but reservations are necessary. Call (570) 296-6752 or email Jack@brandwein.org for more information or to register. Search for Eagle programs will be offered on the first Sunday of each month from December until March.
For directions and information about Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area and all of its programs, services and facilities, call park headquarters at 570-426-2452 (weekdays), visit the park’s website, www.nps.gov/dewa, or follow the park on www.facebook.com/DelWaterGapNPS and www.twitter.com/DelWaterGapNPS.