POTTSTOWN PA – Christmas is only 11 days away. At many households in Montgomery, Berks, and Chester counties the weekend rush is on to complete shopping, wrap gifts, prepare foods, or pack luggage enabling visits to friend and relatives.
There may be no better time to stop, relax, and smell the roses … or in this case, the pine needles and cranberry sauce. Pick any one of the roughly 40 events listed in “Weekend Stuff to Do,” and have some fun and downtime with the family.
Some weekend events are free. Some have fees (labeled as “ticketed”). Some have limitations, registrations, or other conditions. Some may be affected by weather conditions (hint: if unsure, call before you go). Each weekend listing includes a link for more information.
Thursday, Dec. 14
- WSFS Bank Food Drive, collections accepted through Dec. 31 (2023) during bank business days and hours at its branches in Phoenixville, Oaks and Audubon, benefits area food banks and pantries, 124 Main St., Phoenixville PA
- Weekly “Scrabble” Game, 10-11:30 a.m., free and open to the public, held every Thursday beginning at 10 a.m. at Boyertown Community Library, 24 N. Reading Ave., Boyertown PA
- Twelfth Night Tours, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., donation suggested, Pottsgrove Manor transforms for the yuletide season and reveal the traditions of an 18th-century Twelfth Night party; the event marked the end of the Christmastide season, celebrated on Epiphany, includes guided tours of the manor to explore all aspects of the festivities, at the manor, 100 W. King St., Pottstown PA
- Christmas at Colonial 2023, 5-8:30 p.m., ticketed, a self-guided, walk-through tour of a show with lights that dance to music, illuminate your favorite holiday characters, and wind their ways around trees; take photos, enjoy a cup of hot chocolate or a candy cane, visit with Santa and tell him your Christmas wishes, or meet and greet characters Elsa and Anna, held at Colonial Gardens, 745 Schuylkill Rd., Phoenixville PA
- Wild Women Wellness Day, starts at 6 p.m., free but attendance limited and registration required, this month: flex some creative muscle and celebrate the season with some natural holiday garland and tree ornament making, at the Perkiomen Watershed Conservancy, 1 Skippack Pk., Schwenksville PA
- Free Admission Fridays at Christkindlmarkt, 5-8 p.m. only (usually ticketed), a German-themed holiday market with hundreds of vendors, operating annually for more than 30 years, held in heated tents on the SteelStacks campus (about an hour’s drive from Pottstown), 101 Founders Way, Bethlehem PA
- Drive-Thru Holiday Light Show, 5:30-10 p.m., ticketed, see a display of tens of thousands of lights and animated displays from the comfort of your own vehicle over a 60-acre, 1.1 mile route through a Christmas tree farm, lit and synchronized with holiday songs, runs Thursdays through Sundays (until Dec. 23) at Yeager’s Farm & Market, 1015 Pikesprings Rd., Phoenixville PA
- Pottstown Music Trivia, 7:30-9 p.m., free to attend, in a “a name-that-tune-and-artist” format, at Manatawny Still Works, 320 Circle of Progress Dr. Ste. 104, Pottstown PA
- Concert: The Mahavishnu Project, 8-11 p.m., ticketed, music from a jazz fusion band that arose from the former Mahavishnu Orchestra of the 1970s and 1980s, at the Sellersville Theater, 24 W. Temple Ave., Sellersville PA
Friday, Dec. 15
- Twelfth Night Tours, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., donation suggested, Pottsgrove Manor transforms for the yuletide season and reveal the traditions of an 18th-century Twelfth Night party; the event marked the end of the Christmastide season, celebrated on Epiphany, includes guided tours of the manor to explore all aspects of the festivities, at the manor, 100 W. King St., Pottstown PA
- Helping Hands Bingo, 10:15-11 a.m., free (no registration required); senior citizens, adults, and children ages 3 and older invited to help each other play picture BINGO, intended to create meaningful connections between community members, at Boone Area Library, 129 N. Mill St., Birdsboro PA
- Lap-Sit Story Time, 10:30-11:30 a.m., free, join Miss Sorcha to learn new songs, read fun stories, play, and socialize, for ages from infancy to 2, at Boyertown Community Library, 24 N. Reading Ave., Boyertown PA
- Exhibition: “Vivid,” 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., free, the annual holiday art exhibition of the Studio B Fine Art Gallery, 39A E. Philadelphia Ave., Boyertown PA
- Preschool Story Time, 11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., free (advance registration encouraged), intended for children ages 3-5, involves a book and fun craft for parents or guardians to do with their children, at Boyertown Community Library, 24 N. Reading Ave., Boyertown PA
- Christmas at Colonial 2023, 5-8:30 p.m., ticketed, a self-guided, walk-through tour of a show with lights that dance to music, illuminate your favorite holiday characters, and wind their ways around trees; take photos, enjoy a cup of hot chocolate or a candy cane, visit with Santa and tell him your Christmas wishes, or meet and greet characters Elsa and Anna, held at Colonial Gardens, 745 Schuylkill Rd., Phoenixville PA
- Wild Lights, 5-9 p.m., ticketed, enjoy light displays, carousel rides, live entertainment, meet zoo animals, snap photos with Santa, warm up at indoor exhibits including the Trail of the Jaguar and Habitat HQ, at Elmwood Park Zoo, 1661 Harding Blvd., Norristown PA
- Drive-Thru Holiday Light Show, 5:30-10 p.m., ticketed, see a display of tens of thousands of lights and animated displays from the comfort of your own vehicle over a 60-acre, 1.1 mile route through a Christmas tree farm, lit and synchronized with holiday songs, runs Thursdays through Sundays (until Dec. 23) at Yeager’s Farm & Market, 1015 Pikesprings Rd., Phoenixville PA
- Live Nativity Scene, 6-9 p.m., free, drive your car or take a shuttle to follow a path and see scenes populated by volunteers and animals, at Berean Bible Church, 2675 E. High St., Pottstown PA
- The Swinging Jazz Nutcracker Suite, starts at 7:30 p.m. (doors open at 6:30 p.m.), ticketed, with music arranged and imagined by Milton “Shorty” Rogers and legendary composer Duke Ellington, performed by maestro Marko Marcinko and the All-Star Montco Big Band, in the Sunnybrook Ballroom at SoulJoel’s at SunnyBrook, 50 Sunnybrook Rd., Pottstown PA
- Play: “Elf,” starts at 7 p.m., ticketed (limited seating available), based upon the New Line Cinema film, “a young orphan mistakenly crawls into Santa’s bag of gifts and is transported to the North Pole” and when grown attempts to find his birth father, runs about 2 hours 30 minutes with one intermission, at Steel River Playhouse, 245 E. High St., Pottstown PA
- Concert: “A Vintage Vegas Christmas with Tommy Ward,” 7-9:30 p.m., ticketed, featuring music from Frank Sinatra, Big Bands, the holidays, and others, at Colonial Theatre, 227 Bridge St., Phoenixville PA
Saturday, Dec. 16
- Friends’ of BCL Book Sale and Donation Acceptance, 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. (monthly on the third Saturday), free to attend, books to buy for all ages, or donate gently used books, proceeds benefit Boyertown Community Library, held in the lower level of the library, Boyertown Community Library, 24 N. Reading Ave., Boyertown PA
- Tail-Waggin’ Tales with pet therapy dogs, 10 a.m. to noon, Perkiomen Valley Library, 290 2nd St., Schwenksville PA
- Twelfth Night Tours, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m., donation suggested, Pottsgrove Manor transforms for the yuletide season and reveal the traditions of an 18th-century Twelfth Night party; the event marked the end of the Christmastide season, celebrated on Epiphany, includes guided tours of the manor to explore all aspects of the festivities, at the manor, 100 W. King St., Pottstown PA
- Exhibition: “Vivid,” 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., free, the annual holiday art exhibition of the Studio B Fine Art Gallery, 39A E. Philadelphia Ave., Boyertown PA
- Play: “Elf,” starts at 2 p.m., ticketed (limited seating available), based upon the New Line Cinema film, “a young orphan mistakenly crawls into Santa’s bag of gifts and is transported to the North Pole” and when grown attempts to find his birth father, runs about 2 hours 30 minutes with one intermission, at Steel River Playhouse, 245 E. High St., Pottstown PA
- 2nd Annual Brass Band & Cookie Walk, starts at 2 p.m., ticketed, fund-raiser to benefit Pottstown Regional Public Library programming; walk through the cookie tables to fill a tin with a variety of cookies, listen to holiday music performed by the 7-piece Mount Laurel Brass band, shop for gifts, and make a pine cone ornament at an activity table, at the library, 500 E. High St., Pottstown PA
- Christmas at Colonial 2023, 5-8:30 p.m., ticketed, a self-guided, walk-through tour of a show with lights that dance to music, illuminate your favorite holiday characters, and wind their ways around trees; take photos, enjoy a cup of hot chocolate or a candy cane, visit with Santa and tell him your Christmas wishes, or meet and greet characters Elsa and Anna, held at Colonial Gardens, 745 Schuylkill Rd., Phoenixville PA
- Wild Lights, 5-9 p.m., ticketed, enjoy light displays, carousel rides, live entertainment, meet zoo animals, snap photos with Santa, warm up at indoor exhibits including the Trail of the Jaguar and Habitat HQ, at Elmwood Park Zoo, 1661 Harding Blvd., Norristown PA
- Drive-Thru Holiday Light Show, 5:30-10 p.m., ticketed, see a display of tens of thousands of lights and animated displays from the comfort of your own vehicle over a 60-acre, 1.1 mile route through a Christmas tree farm, lit and synchronized with holiday songs, runs Thursdays through Sundays (until Dec. 23) at Yeager’s Farm & Market, 1015 Pikesprings Rd., Phoenixville PA
- Concert: Holiday Choral and Handbell Music, starts at 6 p.m., free, featuring young performers, children’s choirs, adult vocal ensembles, and a handbell choir; childcare will be offered for those from infancy through age 3, light refreshments served, at Limerick Chapel, 378 W. Ridge Pike, Limerick PA
- Live Nativity Scene, 6-9 p.m., free, drive your car or take a shuttle to follow a path and see scenes populated by volunteers and animals, at Berean Bible Church, 2675 E. High St., Pottstown PA
Sunday, Dec. 17
- “Paws On The Path” monthly dog walk, starts at 9:15 a.m., free, walk by yourself or with your pet across the trails at the Daniel Boone Homestead, 400 Daniel Boone Rd., Birdsboro PA
- Exhibition: “Vivid,” 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., free, the annual holiday art exhibition of the Studio B Fine Art Gallery, 39A E. Philadelphia Ave., Boyertown PA
- Twelfth Night Tours, 1-4 p.m., donation suggested, Pottsgrove Manor transforms for the yuletide season and reveal the traditions of an 18th-century Twelfth Night party; the event marked the end of the Christmastide season, celebrated on Epiphany, includes guided tours of the manor to explore all aspects of the festivities, at the manor, 100 W. King St., Pottstown PA
- Play: “Elf,” starts at 2 p.m., ticketed (limited seating available), based upon the New Line Cinema film, “a young orphan mistakenly crawls into Santa’s bag of gifts and is transported to the North Pole” and when grown attempts to find his birth father, runs about 2 hours 30 minutes with one intermission, at Steel River Playhouse, 245 E. High St., Pottstown PA
- Christmas at Colonial 2023, 5-8:30 p.m., ticketed, a self-guided, walk-through tour of a show with lights that dance to music, illuminate your favorite holiday characters, and wind their ways around trees; take photos, enjoy a cup of hot chocolate or a candy cane, visit with Santa and tell him your Christmas wishes, or meet and greet characters Elsa and Anna, held at Colonial Gardens, 745 Schuylkill Rd., Phoenixville PA
- Wild Lights, 5-9 p.m., ticketed, enjoy light displays, carousel rides, live entertainment, meet zoo animals, snap photos with Santa, warm up at indoor exhibits including the Trail of the Jaguar and Habitat HQ, at Elmwood Park Zoo, 1661 Harding Blvd., Norristown PA
- Drive-Thru Holiday Light Show, 5:30-10 p.m., ticketed, see a display of tens of thousands of lights and animated displays from the comfort of your own vehicle over a 60-acre, 1.1 mile route through a Christmas tree farm, lit and synchronized with holiday songs, runs Thursdays through Sundays (until Dec. 23) at Yeager’s Farm & Market, 1015 Pikesprings Rd., Phoenixville PA
- Live Nativity Scene, 6-9 p.m., free, drive your car or take a shuttle to follow a path and see scenes populated by volunteers and animals, at Berean Bible Church, 2675 E. High St., Pottstown PA
Weekend events are curated from a variety of sources, including public submissions. Got a weekend (Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays, Sundays, and federal holiday Mondays) event you’d like us to add? Send it to travelswiththepost@gmail.com.
Photo by Anshu A on Unsplash, used by Travels With The Post under license