“…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.
