5 Fun Things To Do In Bucks County This Weekend

BUCKS COUNTY, PA — The holiday season kicks into high gear this weekend with a day devoted to small businesses, a European Holiday Market, and more community tree lightings and parades.

Saturday is devoted to Bucks County's small businesses as attention turns from the big retailers featured on Black Friday to the mom and pop shops that are literally the lifeblood of the nation's economy.

As an incentive to shop local, Bucks County communities are lifting parking restrictions and offering free parking to encourage customers to come into town.

In Doylestown Borough, free parking will be available at both Bucks County parking garages (Broad and Union and Broad and Court) on Small Business Saturday thanks to the Bucks County Commissioners. And in Newtown Borough, the town council has suspended the two hour parking limit at its municipal parking lots and in the State Street business district on Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday through Dec. 31.

Holiday markets and community celebrations will also fill the days this weekend with fun things to do. At Hortulus Farm and Nursery in Wrightstown, shoppers are invited to browse through a European Holiday Market while treating their kids to a Santa's Village Experience.

Bristol Borough will celebrate the season with its annual Christmas Parade on Saturday. And New Hope will kick off the holidays on Sunday with a community tree lighting and Santa's official arrival.

These are some of the events in Bucks County this weekend:

Christmas At Hortulus Features European Holiday Market

A European Holiday Market and the debut of Santa’s Village Experience will highlight "Christmas at Hortulus" beginning this weekend, Nov. 25 and 26 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and continuing every weekend through Dec. 16 and 17. The holiday market at Hortulus Farm and Nursery in Wrightstown will bring more than 30 vendors to the nursery's heated greenhouses each weekend, with more than 80 vendors participating throughout the month-long holiday shopping experience. The special weekends will feature imported European furniture by Liza Miller inside the garden center, a Christmas tree sale, food trucks, and seasonal beverages at an on site cafe. Also making its debut will be "Santa's Village Experience," a ticketed event featuring a visit to Santa's North Pole home. The market is free, but tickets are required for Santa's Village Experience. The cost is $25 per ticket, which must be purchased in advance. For more information and updates on Christmas at Hortulus and other upcoming events, visit www.HortulusFarm.com and follow @Hortulus.Farm on Instagram.

Christmas at Hortulus Farm. (Contributed)

Celebrate Bucks County's Small Businesses

Small businesses throughout Bucks County, from Busy Bee Toys in Doylestown to Commonplace Reader in Yardley Borough and the Newtown Hardware House in Newtown, will celebrate Small Business Saturday in store sales and special events. This year's event, which focuses attention on the nation's small businesses, takes place on Saturday, Nov. 25. Founded by American Express in 2010 and officially cosponsored by the Small Business Association since 2011, Small Business Saturday has become an important part of the holiday shopping season for small businesses. Historically, reported projected spending among U.S. consumers who shopped at independent retailers and restaurants on Small Business Saturday reached an estimated $17.9 billion according to the 2022 Small Business Saturday Consumer Insights Survey commissioned by American Express.

Farley's Bookshop in downtown New Hope Borough. (Photo by Jeff Werner)

Holiday Craft Show Tradition At Pearl Buck House

The Holiday Craft Show at the Pearl S. Buck House, 520 Dublin Road, Perkasie, is always a great place to find unique gifts for that special someone. The show takes place through Sunday, Dec. 3 from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day. Admission is $5. The high-end craft show offers jury-selected gifts, decorations, food, jewelry, apparel, and more from professional crafters, artists, and chefs. The Holiday Craft Show is the perfect place to find an array of amazing holiday gifts for your family and friends. Proceeds benefit the work and mission of Pearl S. Buck International. For more information, click here.

The high-end craft show at Pearl Buck offers jury-selected gifts.

Bristol Borough Holds Christmas Parade on Saturday

This year's Bristol Borough Christmas Parade will step off at 1 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 25 from Simon and Schuster on Farragut Avenue. The parade will march down Farragut Avenue and Pond Street before making a turn onto Mill Street. The parade ends at Mill and Radcliffe. The parade features the community's first responders, local organizations and schools, bands, floats and lots more. And it's all to welcome Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus to town. The rain date for the parade is Sunday, Nov. 25 at 1 p.m.

All is merry and bright at the Bristol Christmas Parade. (Photo by Jeff Werner)

New Hope Welcomes The Season With Tree Lighting, Parade

The Greater New Hope Chamber of Commerce will usher in the holiday season with the town's annual tree lighting on Sunday, Nov. 26, followed by a holiday parade on Sunday, Dec. 3. Presented by the chamber and the Logan Inn, the tree lighting ceremony begins at 5 p.m. at the Logan, 10 West Ferry Street. Live music will be followed by Santa's arrival aboard a New Hope Eagle fire truck. After Santa officially lights the tree, everyone's invited inside the Logan to to enjoy cookies, hot chocolate, and visits with Santa. The holiday fun continues on Sunday, Dec. 3 with the New Hope Holiday Parade, also sponsored by the Greater New Hope Chamber of Commerce. The parade is scheduled to step off at 4 p.m. from the New Hope-Solebury High School on Bridge Street and then march south on Main Street bringing with it plenty of holiday cheer. The parade will include bands, community groups and organizations, Scouting organizations, first responders, and, of course, Santa's arrival.

New Hope will light its tree on Sunday evening at the Logan Inn. (Greater New Hope Chamber of Commerce)