Families looking for a fun and affordable day out can mark their calendars for Historic Bethlehem’s Community Heritage Day on Saturday, April 18, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Colonial Industrial Quarter in Bethlehem. Admission is free, and the event brings 18th-century Bethlehem to life with hands-on activities, artisan demonstrations, food, music, and open houses throughout the historic site.
Historic Bethlehem’s 1750/1761 Smithy will take center stage in the 2025 holiday season with expanded dates, longer hours and new activities aimed at drawing visitors to Main Street and enhancing the charm of the Christmas City.
For 2025, the Smithy will feature a festive makeover with flame-flicker-style lighting, holiday greens, illuminated trees and a vintage carriage photo backdrop for family photos and selfies. Outside, gas fire pits and solar lighting will create a welcoming atmosphere, while weekend children’s activities such as weaving and tin punching add hands-on fun.
Historic Bethlehem Museums & Sites will open “Working Hands: Supplying a Revolution” on Oct. 3 at the 1869 Luckenbach Mill, 459 Old York Road in Bethlehem, Pa. The exhibition examines how the Moravian community balanced pacifist beliefs with mounting pressure to support patriot forces during the American Revolution.
The restored 1782/1834 Grist Miller’s House in Bethlehem’s Colonial Industrial Quarter has been honored with a Preservation Pennsylvania 2025 Historic Preservation Award. The Construction Award for Rehabilitation Projects will be presented to Historic Bethlehem Museums & Sites (HBMS) and its construction partners on October 16 at the Carrie Blast Furnaces in Pittsburgh.
