If you are looking for a fun day trip idea during the holiday season, you must visit Peddler’s Village in Pennsylvania. Peddler’s Village is a hidden gem in the heart of beautiful Bucks County. It is a historic village filled with colonial style buildings, gardens, and unique shops and restaurants. It is just a two hour drive from New York City and one hour drive from Philadelphia. This town is great to visit all year round, but it’s so much fun to visit during the holidays! Peddler’s Village really transforms into a winter wonderland. In this travel guide, I will be sharing all the details on the best things to do at Peddler’s Village during the holidays!
Things to do at Peddler’s Village
Shopping
One of the best things to do at Peddler’s Village during the holidays is go shopping! There are so many shops to explore. The village has over 60 specialty shops where you will find everything from clothing, home goods, books, toys, art, and more! I love that the majority of shops are locally owned businesses.
During the holidays, Peddler’s Village also has Christmas-themed boutiques filled with beautiful holiday decorations and items.
We loved walking through the winding brick paths and exploring all the different shops. There is something for everyone!
Giggleberry Fair
For families with children, you have to visit Giggleberry Fair. This is an indoor family fun center. It includes an antique carousel, arcade, and the Giggleberry Mountain – an incredible indoor obstacle course. It’s a great place to visit and you can even plan your child’s birthday party here!
New Hope
New Hope is a picturesque and historic town that is about a ten minute drive from Peddler’s Village. This is a great town to visit on your day trip to Peddler’s Village. You can take a stroll through the cobblestone streets filled with cute boutiques, antique shops, art galleries, home decor, and flea markets. Hop aboard the New Hope Railroad where you will get to see amazing views of streams, farmland, and iconic landmarks. You can even go wine tasting on the Bucks County Wine and Art Trail and watch a musical at Bucks County Playhouse.
Check out my blog post on the best things to do in New Hope!
Holiday Events at Peddler’s Village
There are always so many fun events happening at Peddler’s Village, especially during the holiday season.
Here are some of the fun holiday events you can attend:
Gingerbread Competition Display
Peddler’s Village does a gingerbread competition every year with more than 100 creative and whimsical entries. You can check out the winners of the 39th Annual Gingerbread Competition and take a look at all of them in an exhibit located in the Visitor and Event Center. Admission is free and they will be on display from November 17 through January 13.
Grand Illumination Celebration
On the first day of the Peddler’s Village Holiday Kickoff Weekend, they have a Grand Illumination Celebration. At 6:15pm, the entire village comes alive with millions of twinkling lights. All the trees and storefronts are covered with sparkling lights and creative displays. It really is magical and it looks like a scene straight out of a fairytale!
Leading up to the light display, there is live entertainment like dance and singing performances. People start gathering and picking their spot about an hour before so I recommend getting a good spot to see the lights. If you don’t mind being far away from the performances, getting a spot on top of the hill is a great spot to see all the lights. Keep in mind that it does get pretty crowded during the Grand Illumination. If you want to skip the crowds and still see the lights, I recommend visiting during the week after the Holiday Kickoff Weekend. Every day after the Grand Illumination, all the lights turn on at 4:30pm.
Photos with Santa
At Peddler’s Village, you can take a photo with Santa! You can find him at Giggleberry Fair on Saturdays and Sundays (and select Fridays) from November 17 through December 17.
Check out the Santa schedule here!
Holiday Hustle
A fun activity to do at Peddler’s Village during the holidays is the Holiday Hustle! This is a one and two mile run that will take place on Thursday, November 30th from 7-10pm. This is an event that is fun for the whole family where you are free to run, jog, or walk! You can wear a Santa hat, ugly Christmas sweater, or even an elf costume! As you cross the finish line, you will be rewarded with holiday music and snow falling. Santa will even present everyone with a medal.
Find out more Holiday Hustle information and registration details here!
Holly Jolly Weekend
On the weekend of December 2nd and 3rd, celebrate the holidays at Peddler’s Village at their Holly Jolly Weekend. They will have live music, Santa parades, family activities, and holiday food and drink specials. I recommend staying until 4:30pm to see all the lights turn on throughout the village. It truly looks like a winter wonderland!
Find out more information on their Holly Jolly Weekend here!
Overnight Stay
If you wanted to plan an overnight stay instead of a day trip, I recommend staying at Golden Plough Inn. This is an elegant country inn right in Peddler’s Village. They offer easy access to the picturesque village and year-round festivals and events.
Best Places to Eat at Peddler’s Village
Whether you are in the mood for a three-course meal or want to order take out for a casual meal, there are a bunch of specialty food options and unique restaurants at Peddler’s Village, including dessert and a local brewery!
Here are some recommendations for the best food at Peddler’s Village:
- Cock ‘n Bull Restaurant: They are known for their traditional American fare and classic dishes like pot roast, chicken pot pie, and burgers
- Earl’s New American: Contemporary cuisine that offers a diverse selection of seafood, steaks, and fun appetizers
- Buttonwood Grill: Family-friendly restaurant that serves sandwiches, salads, and hearty entrees
- Hart’s Tavern: Colonial style menu that includes dishes like shepherd’s pie, fish and chips, and other British-American favorites
- Giggleberry Fair’s Painted Pony Cafe: This snack bar has kid-friendly options like pizza, hot dogs, chicken tenders and ice cream
- Skip’s Candy Corner: Check out this candy shop for their chocolates, candies, and fudge
- Nina’s Waffles: For a fun tasty treat, check out their authentic Belgian Liege waffles where you can add toppings and ice cream on top!
- The Lucky Cupcake Company: They have delicious desserts like cakes, donuts, cookies, pies, pastries, and their famous cupcakes
- Old Village Roastery: A great place to grab coffee and see how they created a new and cool coffee experience with forge roasted coffee in their wood fired oven.
- Hewn Spirits: This is a micro-distillery that produces small-batch handcrafted spirits, including whiskey and rum. They have tasting rooms where you can learn about the distillation process and try samples.
- Free Will Brewing Taproom: This brewery offers a rotating selection of draft beers and has a deck that overlooks the Village green. You can grab a drink in their taproom or grab a drink to-go so you can sip while you shop!
Here is a full list of all the dining options at Peddler’s Village
In addition to their restaurants, you can also enjoy food trucks every Friday through Sunday (here is the food truck schedule). Local food trucks will be parked near the Visitor and Event Center.
Hope you enjoyed my post on spending a day at Peddler’s Village during the holidays!
Looking for more holiday day trips? Check out my guides on visiting:
Anne Ellen Christmas Tree Farm in Manalapan, NJ and Bethlehem Christmas Market in Pennsylvania
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