It’s later than you think. Roba Family Farms’ website is ticking down the seconds until campfire site reservations go on sale Thursday. In Hazleton, tickets to “A Charlie Brown Christmas” go on sale this week.
Like it or not, now is the time for smart holiday entertainment planning. Here is a partial guide to dates that have been announced, as well as special offers available.
Halloween season
“At least for our campfires, people typically plan pretty far out,” said Jeff Roba of Roba Family Farms in North Abington Twp.
The venue also offers pumpkin patches, a corn maze and animals. This year’s corn maze has an America 250 theme.
Campfire site reservations and sales of single-day passes to the farm begin Thursday.
Opening day is earlier this year, on Labor Day weekend.
The Roba family also owns Lakeland Orchard & Cidery in Scott Twp., which is still celebrating summer. But Halloween arrives Sept. 18, with the evening train rides through the Halloween Light Show. Reservations are required. The earliest trips of the evening fill up first, with parents of young children who want to be home for bedtime, Roba said.
The Light Show overlaps with the Apple Harvest Festival.
The big development at both properties this year is improved bathrooms. Portable toilets have been replaced with trailers with flush toilets and running water.
“It’s not super sexy, but people really enjoy it,” Roba said.
Lackawanna Historical Society ghost tours sell out so fast that the group doesn’t promote them. Keep an eye on the website, lackawannahistory.org, in early September.
City trick-or-treat celebrations are Sunday, Oct. 25, on Wilkes-Barre’s Public Square and in Hazleton’s City View Park.
Volunteer sign-ups and auditions for Gravestone Manor’s 2026 production are Aug. 24-26 and Sept. 1-3 from 7-8 p.m. at the Trion warehouse in Plains Twp. The production, “Bloodbound,” needs actors, ushers, box office staff and merch salespeople. “Bloodbound” will be open weekends from Sept. 25 through Oct. 30. Tickets cost $12, and proceeds benefit United Way of Wyoming Valley.
Reaper’s Revenge Haunted Hayride and Attractions in Scott Twp. opens Sept. 19. VIP tickets for Friday and Saturday nights are on sale for $15 off through Aug. 21.
“The Rocky Horror Show” is a popular tradition for the Little Theatre of Wilkes-Barre, a community theater troupe. The midnight show on Halloween sometimes sells out, said General Manager David Parmelee. That’s why there is also an earlier show that night. Performances begin Oct. 29. Tickets will go on sale around Sept. 20.
In Pottsville, the third annual Hallow-Fest Market at Historic Yuengling Mansion is Sept. 13.
The holiday tradition returns to the stage when “Nutcracker! Magical Christmas Ballet” comes to the F.M. Kirby Center for the Performing Arts. (COURTESY OF THE F.M. KIRBY CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS)
Winter holidays
Parades:
The Santa Parade and Christmas tree lighting in Wilkes-Barre is Saturday, Nov. 21, the weekend before Thanksgiving. In Hazleton, there are Santa parades and Christmas Villages the first three Sundays of December. Details have not been announced for the Scranton Santa Parade.
Hanukkah
The Jewish holiday of Hanukkah is Dec. 4-12. The Jewish Community Center of Scranton is making plans now for its family celebration on Sunday, Dec. 6.
Holiday markets:
The Arts at Hayfield Homespun Holiday Craft Show is Nov. 1 at Penn State Wilkes-Barre in Dallas.
In Pottsville, the 18th annual Christkindlmarkt at the Historic Yuengling Mansion is Dec. 5-6. Get a first look at the market and the elaborate mansion decorations at the preview cocktail party Dec. 4.
The Lackawanna Winter Market on Scranton’s Courthouse Square is Dec. 4-6.
The performing arts
“Every time you do a holiday show, people just love to come out for it,” said Cathy Strauch of Actors Circle, a Scranton community theater group. “As much as I am ‘Scrooge-ed’ to death, people love to come to them.” Most shows are already selling tickets.
“Nutcracker! Magical Christmas Ballet,” a professional touring production, comes to Wilkes-Barre and Scranton on successive nights. It is at the F.M. Kirby Center for the Performing Arts on Dec. 1 and at the Scranton Cultural Center on Dec. 2.
At the Kirby Center, “A Charlie Brown Christmas Live on Stage” is Thursday, Dec. 3. Then “O Christmas Tea: A British Comedy” is Dec. 5.
The Northeastern Pennsylvania Philharmonic’s big traditional holiday shows that co-star Santa and lots of ballet students are Dec. 10 in Scranton and Dec. 11 in Wilkes-Barre.
The Philharmonic has a new, specialized Christmas offering Dec. 1 at Marywood University in Scranton, for people with memory-loss issues. Its brass quintet will present classic Christmas carols in the Philharmonic’s first free “Memory Friendly” concert, a 45-minute show.
Music Box Dinner Playhouse in Swoyersville isn’t waiting for December. A musical version of “A Christmas Carol” goes on stage weekends from Nov. 28-Dec. 20. A preshow dinner buffet is available, but optional, at all performances.
Actors Circle stages a holiday variety show with an audience sing-along Thursday through Sunday, Dec. 3-6, at the Providence Playhouse in Scranton.
In Hazleton, reservations are due by Dec. 6 for the dinners that precede most of the Dec. 11-13 community theater production of “Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer” by the Pennsylvania Theatre of Performing Arts at the J.J. Ferrara Performing Arts Center.
Tickets for the show only are also available and there is no reservation deadline.
The earlier of two Saturday performances will be sensory-friendly and followed by a meet-and-greet with Santa and other cast members.
Little Theatre of Wilkes-Barre will present a musical adaptation of the classic movie “Miracle on 34th Street” weekends from Dec. 11-20.