Inside Hershey

More Holiday Shopping Fun | Hotel Hershey Boutiques

The Shops At The Hotel Hershey, a collection of seven new boutiques and part of the Hotel's $70 million Grand Expansion, are celebrating their grand opening on December 12 and 13 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Enjoy complimentary cupcakes, assorted desserts, and hot cocoa as you check out the new shops at the Hotel Hershey this weekend. Santa and a Hershey's Character or two may also make an appearance, we hear.

Grand Opening guests will also have a chance to win a John Pomp hand-blown glass vase (valued at $300). Plus, The Shops are offering a special deal as part of the weekend's festivities: shoppers who spend $75 or more in any shop will receive a FREE 10.5 oz Claus Porto candle (valued at $38).

Greens from the Gardens

This weekend, December 4 through 6, Hershey Gardens has a holiday greens sale on tap. From 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. each day, visitors may visit the gift shop at the Gardens to purchase beautiful fresh greens and decorative pieces make from the wide variety of conifers found in the Gardens.

Guests of Hershey Gardens during the holiday greens sale will be eligible to enter to win a four-pack of tickets to The Radio City Christmas Spectacular featuring the world-famous Rockettes, coming to the Giant Center on December 21-22.

N.O.E.L. | Hersheypark's Nights of Extraordinary Lights

New at Hersheypark's Christmas Candylane this year is an entertaining light show: N.O.E.L., or Nights Of Extraordinary Lights.

More than 12 miles of LED lights are strung along trees near Spring Creek in Comet Hollow, and those lights dance, twinkle and flash to holiday music every half hour after 5:00 p.m. Between the light/music shows, the lights reflect beautifully off Spring Creek.

There are three different shows, and plenty of excellent viewing locations. For a good overview, catch the show from the bridge connecting the bumper car pavilion with the Aquatheatre (you can also sit in a quiet Cold Stone Creamery patio and enjoy a hot chocolate while you view the show). For a total sensory experience, position yourself on the bridge nearest the Amphitheatre—you're standing near the tall "Kissmas Tree," right in the middle of all the lights and squarely surrounded by the booming music. Finally, the bridge nearest the Superdooperlooper provides an excellent vantage point as well. 

N.O.E.L. is a wonderful addition to Christmas Candylane, and well worth the price of admission. For more information about Christmas Candylane hours and ticket prices, check out the official web site.

The Holiday Chocolate House | Hershey's Chocolate World

Most of Hershey is already decked out for the holidays, and Hershey's Chocolate World is no exception. There's a giant tree in the lobby, garland and lights strung all through the building, a set-up for photos with Santa and of course, all the special holiday versions of Hershey confections.

But there's an impressive undertaking in the food court area of Chocolate World, a new holiday feature that's sure to appeal to all ages: the Hershey's Holiday Chocolate House is under construction and scheduled to be completed on November 20.

In the meantime, it's fun to watch the builders apply sweets of every variety to the frame.

The finished chocolate house will:

• stand 17 feet high and occupy 100 square feet of floor space;
• feature a detailed roof tiled with Hershey's oversized milk chocolate and dark chocolate;
• have a façade of Hershey's Cookies & Cream bars with Kit Kat bars serving as corner moulding;
• sparkle with "stained glass" windows made of melted Jolly Rancher candies;
• look festive thanks to green Twizzler garland with Bubble Yum bows;
• feature Reese's Peanut Butter Cup and giant Hershey Kiss trim.

It's worth a visit to Chocolate World just to see this new attraction!

 

Christmas in Hershey

Although it may seem a little early to see Christmas lights and decorations, Hershey is beginning to show its holiday colors this week.

Festive displays are in place at Hersheypark and ZooAmerica, the Kissing Tower tree is up and Sweet Lights is lighting up the night (and the day, occasionally) as every bulb in this multi-million-light display is checked. Yes, it's almost time for Christmas in Hershey—in fact, the season officially begins here this Friday!

Hersheypark's Christmas Candylane opens on Friday, November 13 at 5:00 p.m. Many rides will be operating (no coasters and no water rides, obviously) and Santa will be there with his reindeer. New this year—N.O.E.L., a light show in Comet Hollow featuring more than 125,000 dancing lights synchronized to Christmas music. Christmas Candylane hours are typically limited to weekends until mid-December; be sure to check the schedule before you make plans.

Sweet Lights also makes its debut this Friday. It's become a holiday tradition for our family, worth at least one $20-per-car visit. And don't be fooled—the lights you can see from the road are only a small part of the Sweet Lights experience, which winds up and down the forested hill behind the Hotel Hershey as well.

The National Christmas Tree Walk at Hershey Gardens opens this Friday as well. Now in its third year, this display of Christmas trees decorated with ornaments of the 50 states is growing in popularity. It's open from 10-4 each day from November 13 through December 27.

Holiday decorations at Hershey's Chocolate World this year include a new attraction: a 13-foot-tall Candy Chalet, slated to open on November 20.

For more indoor holiday entertainment, check out "Christmas in Chocolate Town," a dinner show at the Hershey Lodge with performances running from November 20 through December 28. The GIANT Center has a full schedule of Hershey Bears games and public skating, as well as the Radio City Christmas Spectacular and the Trans-Siberian Orchestra. The Hershey Theatre has several holiday events and concerts (Wynonna Judd, Chris Botti) on tap as well.

There are more holiday offerings around town, many of which are included on the Christmas in Hershey weekly schedule of events.

Snow!

There's snow on the ground this morning in Hershey, and it's time to start thinking about where you'll get the perfect Christmas tree!

If you're in the Hershey area, there's no better place to find a tree than the PNC Bank parking lot across from the Med Center — your purchase of a tree there will benefit the Children's Miracle Network. Now there's a buy you can feel good about!

Christmastime is Here!

The last of the leaves are still clinging to the branches and Thanksgiving is still more than two weeks away, but the Christmas decorations are already up all around Hershey. Yes, it may seem early — but this Friday, Christmas in Hershey officially begins!

Hersheypark has been transformed into a winter wonderland, and Sweetlights are up and being tested. Both attractions will be ready to welcome guests on Friday, November 14. On the same day, Hershey Gardens debuts its National Christmas Tree Walk, featuring trees decorated with ornaments from each of 50 states and the District of Columbia. And at Hershey's Chocolate World, guests are invited to sample Christmas sweets at the Hershey's Holiday Dessert Journey and the Chocolate Tasting with Mrs. Claus.

One week later (on Friday, November 21), Christmas in Chocolatetown, A Holiday Dinner Musical begins its run at the Hershey Lodge. And all through the season, you'll find a variety of special events at the Hotel Hershey and the Hershey Lodge (not to mention holiday overnight packages!)

Even though all this holiday spirit is early by most standards, seeing those twinkling lights and smelling hot chocolate provides a perfect antidote to a grey November day!