Don’t Get Your Tinsel in a Tangle with this ‘Can’t Miss’ Holiday Season at SteelStacks!

By Bryn E. Keeney, Public Relations Coordinator

The holidays at SteelStacks are filled with jolly fun and cheerful festivities. Between Christkindlmarkt presented by Univest Financial, the outdoor Ice Rink at SteelStacks presented by Lehigh Valley Reilly Children’s Hospital, holiday-inspired movies at the re-introduced Frank Banko Alehouse Cinemas, holiday arts & crafts workshops at the Banana Factory and so much more, there’s some holiday magic to go around for everybody.

Each year, Christkindlmarkt presented by Univest Financial celebrates the magical spirit of the season in the Christmas City. The indoor/tented all-weather event welcomes more than 100,000 guests annually and was recognized as one of the “Best Christmas Markets in the World” by Conde Nast and twice recognized as one of the best holiday markets in the U.S. by Travel + Leisure. This heart-warming holiday event features vendors/artisans featuring handmade works by some of the nation’s finest artisans, Käthe Wohlfahrt offering handmade ornaments, nutcrackers and collectibles from Germany and so much more!

Photograph by: Kim Kanuck

Christkindlmarkt presented by Univest Financial will take place every weekend from November 15-17 to December 19-22. All fees are waived on Fridays from 5 – 8 p.m. Starting December 5, Thursdays are added to the Christkindlmarkt calendar. It’s the perfect place to find unique one-ofa-kind gifts for your loved ones. 

The Hot Glass Experiences are returning to Christkindlmarkt presented by Univest Financial this year! Work one-on-one with a hot glass instructor to create your own piece of art from molten glass. Ages 6+, no experience necessary. 

The Ice Rink at SteelStacks, presented by Lehigh Valley Reilly Children’s Hospital, is returning for its third year, officially opening Friday, November 22 through Sunday, January 5 for 60-minute skating sessions. Enjoy exciting themes nights and you can even rent out the rink for a birthday party or private event! 

Get in the holiday spirit at the reintroduced Frank Banko Alehouse Cinemas, now with 4k projection! Enjoy film series like the Christmas Classic Matinees Series and the Holiday Quote-Along Series. Films include Black Christmas (50th Anniversary), The Muppet Christmas Carol, It’s a Wonderful Life, Miracle on 34th Street, Meet Me in St. Louis (80th Anniversary), Die Hard, Elf, National Lampoon’s Christmas Vacation and more. Visit artsquest.org for dates/times. 

Photograph by: Jeff Auger

At the Banana Factory, there will be hands-on artmaking activities for everyone! Start off the holiday season early with a beginner glass fusing class with Rebecca Shoemaker on October 19. Beginners ages 13+ will learn how to cut glass and make 3-4 stunning holiday ornaments to keep or give as gifts. Artists 18+ will learn how to paint like Bob Ross on December 5 with Chris Severn as he guides you through the wet-on-wet technique to create stunning winter landscape paintings. Continue developing your art-making skills with a needle felting class with Katrina Heebner on December 10. Heebner will guide artists 16+ through every step of the process, providing you with tips for perfecting your felting technique.

Ring in 2025 with the drop of a PEEP! PEEPSFEST presented by Just Born Quality Confections will be held outside with family-friendly activities and fireworks following the annual PEEPS Chick drop. As per tradition, the massive PEEPS Chick, weighing in at 400 pounds and standing 4 feet and 9 inches tall, will descend in front of the SteelStacks for the countdown to the New Year.

Visit artsquest.org for more information on all of our holiday events!