{"id":239242,"date":"2026-07-09T11:21:56","date_gmt":"2026-07-09T11:21:56","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/239242\/"},"modified":"2026-07-09T11:21:56","modified_gmt":"2026-07-09T11:21:56","slug":"social-media-influencer-rallies-to-save-bethlehems-christmas-barn","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/239242\/","title":{"rendered":"Social media influencer rallies to save Bethlehem’s Christmas Barn"},"content":{"rendered":"

For nearly two decades, the former Christmas Barn<\/a> sat untouched along Easton Avenue in Bethlehem Township, its doors closed, but its memory alive in local families\u2019 nostalgia.<\/p>\n

For Bethlehem native Dana Alyss, the building has never been just another vacant property, but a dream inspired by the Christmas magic it brought to the Lehigh Valley year-round, until it closed in 2007<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Alyss was still a college student at the time and had hope for it, she said.<\/p>\n

\u201cI always thought somebody else would buy it,\u201d Alyss said. \u201cWhen nobody did, I couldn\u2019t stop thinking about it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Now, after building an online audience of more than 300,000 followers through comedy and storytelling videos, Alyss is turning to the internet to help make that years-old dream a reality.<\/p>\n

Her GoFundMe campaign<\/a>, launched after posting a video asking her followers to donate $5 to the cause, as of Wednesday had raised more than $33,000 toward a $35,000 goal, which would go toward the $200,000 down payment needed to buy the property.<\/p>\n

The campaign has drawn thousands of supporters eager to see the beloved Christmas destination return to the area. Just as meaningful to Alyss have been the hundreds of comments from people sharing their own childhood memories of the store, including messages from the grandchildren of its original owners.<\/p>\n

\u201cI woke up the next morning after posting about it and my phone was going crazy,\u201d she said. \u201cIt wasn\u2019t just people donating. They were telling stories about what the Christmas Barn meant to their families.\u201d<\/p>\n

Those stories have helped shape Alyss\u2019s vision for the property\u2019s future.<\/p>\n

Rather than recreating the former store exactly as it once was, she hopes to preserve its nostalgic charm while transforming it into a year-round destination complete with a Christmas retail shop, cafe, outdoor gathering space and events showcasing local businesses, musicians and artisans.<\/p>\n

\u201cI want it to feel like the Christmas Barn people remember,\u201d she said. \u201cBut I also want someone who\u2019s never been there before to walk in and feel like they\u2019re experiencing something special.\u201d<\/p>\n

That balance between nostalgia and reinvention reflects Alyss\u2019s personal journey.<\/p>\n

After graduating from Temple University with a degree in television production, she moved to Los Angeles through the university\u2019s internship program, intending to never leave. She spent the next 12 years working behind the scenes on productions including \u201cThe Ellen DeGeneres Show,\u201d \u201cThe Talk\u201d and NBC\u2019s coverage of the 2012 Olympic Games before transitioning into digital media and content creation.<\/p>\n

During the pandemic, Alyss began sharing funny stories from her own life experiences online. Videos documenting everything from awkward dating experiences to trimming the bushes in her mother\u2019s backyard unexpectedly found large audiences, helping her build a social media community that now spans TikTok<\/a>, Instagram<\/a>, Facebook<\/a> and YouTube<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Instead of using her platform solely for entertainment, Alyss said she wanted to channel it toward something that could benefit her hometown.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve spent years building an online community,\u201d she said. \u201cI wanted to use that platform to do some good.\u201d<\/p>\n

The campaign has become something of a real-life Hallmark movie plot, Alyss joked.<\/p>\n

\u201cYou always see those movies where a town comes together to save a place everyone loves,\u201d she said. \u201cI thought, how do you do that in 2026? You ask the internet.\u201d<\/p>\n

Returning to Bethlehem in 2022 after more than a decade in California also changed the way she viewed the region.<\/p>\n

She watched warehouses, apartment complexes and commercial developments reshape parts of the Lehigh Valley she remembered from her childhood.<\/p>\n

\u201cI started feeling like we were losing some of the things that made this area feel special,\u201d Alyss said. \u201cI want to save a little bit of that magic.\u201d<\/p>\n

Her inspiration also comes from another place she associates with magic: Disney.<\/p>\n

Alyss credits Disney with influencing the type of experience she hopes visitors would have at the Christmas Barn. She\u2019s inspired by its emphasis on hospitality and guest experience<\/a>, saying she wants every customer to feel welcomed from the moment they arrive.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s not just about buying Christmas decorations,\u201d she said. \u201cIt\u2019s about how people feel when they\u2019re there.\u201d<\/p>\n

The project remains in its early stages. Alyss said she has assembled a group of advisers with experience in real estate, construction, architecture and business development to help guide the process of purchasing and restoring the property.<\/p>\n

She said renovations are expected to take at least 12 to 18 months once construction begins.<\/p>\n

She also hopes the project will eventually create jobs while providing opportunities for local vendors and community organizations to participate through markets, concerts and seasonal events.<\/p>\n

For now, Alyss continues to focus on documenting every step online, posting updates and encouraging supporters to donate $5 or share the campaign.<\/p>\n

She knows restoring the Christmas Barn will take patience, a lesson she admits has been an adjustment after years of working in the fast-paced TV industry.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn Hollywood, everything moves fast,\u201d she said. \u201cThis has taught me that some things take time.\u201d<\/p>\n

Still, she believes the community\u2019s response to her idea proves the Christmas Barn is more than a vacant building.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s living through people\u2019s memories,\u201d Alyss said. \u201cIf we can bring it back, it can become part of a whole new generation\u2019s memories too.\u201d<\/p>\n

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