“…I don’t know if there’ll be snow but have a cup of cheer …”
~ “A Holly, Jolly Christmas”
~ Christmas song written by
Johnny Marks in 1962 & most famously performed by Burl Ives in the 1964
Rankin-Bass Christmas special “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” in which Ives
voiced the narrator, Sam the Snowman.
Patrons
raise a glass of Christmas cheer at Porters’ Pub wooden hut at the festive
Winter Village in Centre Square November 28, 2020 in historic Easton,
Pennsylvania.
The Easton Peace Candle, not seen in this shot, towers over Centre Square as
wooden huts festooned for Christmas beckon shoppers to stop by. The crayon
hanging over the hut is a nod to the nearby Crayola Experience, a roomy, crayon-centric warehouse with colorful kid-friendly
activities, events, a cafe & a store.
The Winter Village welcomed everyone to
shop at cozy wooden huts featuring city retailers and restaurants, stroll around
the circle enjoying treats and take a spin around the ice skating rink. Filled
with the Christmas spirit, people could shop at Easton’s more than 30 downtown
retailers in search of treasurers to place under the Christmas tree. The event
welcomed visitors November 27 through December 31.
As part of Easton’s coronavirus
economic recovery plan, the Winter Village features a synthetic ice rink and
socially distant vendor huts for Christmas shopping.
Easton
was established in 1752.
According
to its website http://www.porterspubeaston.com/,
Porters’ Pub & Restaurant – Easton’s Publick House Since 1990 – is a
relaxed, casual and intimate space with stone walls circa 1830 and local
artwork. The Porter brothers purchased a dilapidated building on the corner of
7th & Northampton Streets in 1988, and after extreme renovations
opened the pub May 16, 1990. Dating back to 1843, the building has at various
times housed a stagecoach stop, clothing store, hardware store and several restaurants.
Crayola LLC, formerly Binney &
Smith (1885-2007), is an American handicraft company, specializing in artists’
supplies. It is known for its brand Crayola and best known for its crayons. The
company is based in Forks Township, adjacent to Easton.
The
Easton Peace Candle is a tower-like structure erected every Christmas season in
Easton. The approximately 106-foot tall structure, which resembles a giant
candle, is assembled every year over the Soldier’s & Sailor’s Monument, a
Civil War memorial in Centre Square. It is typically assembled in mid-November
and lighted over Thanksgiving weekend and disassembled in early February each
year.
The
Peace Candle was first erected in 1951, and has been erected almost every year
since then, having been replaced a few times due to damage or disrepair. It is
dedicated to the Easton area men and women who have served or are serving in
the United States armed forces.
It
has been said to be the largest non-wax Christmas candle in the country.
Although conceived with the hopes of restoring Easton’s pre-20th
century reputation for elaborate Christmas decorations, city officials also
believed a candle would serve as a symbol of peace for all religions and
denominations.
