{"id":267622,"date":"2026-08-18T17:26:29","date_gmt":"2026-08-18T17:26:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/267622\/"},"modified":"2026-08-18T17:26:29","modified_gmt":"2026-08-18T17:26:29","slug":"woman-fights-to-save-historic-christmas-barn-in-bethlehem-pa-a-real-life-hallmark-christmas-movie-exclusive","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-pa\/267622\/","title":{"rendered":"Woman Fights to Save Historic \u2018Christmas Barn\u2019 in Bethlehem, Pa.: \u2018A Real Life Hallmark Christmas Movie\u2019 (Exclusive)"},"content":{"rendered":"

NEED TO KNOW<\/p>\n

Dana Alyss is raising funds to revive a historic year-round Christmas store in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania<\/p>\n

The Christmas Barn, a beloved local landmark, closed in 2007 and is now listed for sale for $1.9 million<\/p>\n

Alyss has raised nearly $50,000 through GoFundMe to preserve the barn\u2019s charm and add a modern caf\u00e9 to draw new visitors<\/p>\n

What sounds like the plot of a holiday rom-com is the real-life fight of one woman hoping to keep the Christmas spirit alive in Bethlehem, Pa.<\/p>\n

Dana Alyss<\/a> grew up in the Lehigh Valley of Eastern Pennsylvania. The region houses both Bethlehem and Bethlehem Township, which have collectively become known as Christmas City, U.S.A. Growing up, the 38-year-old content creator remembers an immense amount of pride the towns took in their connection to the holidays \u2014 including many local businesses catering to the season.<\/p>\n

One of those businesses was a year-round Christmas store, known among locals as the \u201cChristmas Barn.\u201d Each year, Alyss\u2019 family would visit the store to pick from their \u201cvery unique\u201d selection of ornaments.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a><\/p>\n

The exterior of the now-shuttered \u2018Christmas Barn\u2019 in Bethlehem Township, Pa.Credit: Dana Alyss<\/p>\n

\u201cEverything in the store, every inch of the store was Christmas,\u201d Alyss tells PEOPLE. \u201cIt had just so many carefully crafted things that you don\u2019t really see anymore. It was a really unique experience. I know a lot of people just went in to look around, just to feel the joy of Christmas all year round.\u201d<\/p>\n

As an adult, Alyss moved to Los Angeles to pursue a career in television production. During that time, she says the Christmas Barn sadly closed its doors in 2007. When she returned home around 2022, she noticed the property had been put up for sale. While much of the surrounding land has been scooped up by outside developers, the barn remains untouched.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a><\/p>\n

The interior of the now-shuttered \u2018Christmas Barn\u2019 in Bethlehem Township, Pa.Credit: Dana Alyss<\/p>\n

In 2025, Alyss says she was inspired by a trip to Disneyland during the holiday season to reinvent the Christmas Barn with an added caf\u00e9 component in the hopes of bringing year-round business back to the space.<\/p>\n

\u201cI came up with this whole business plan and figured out how to turn it back into a retail store and to update it for 2026,\u201d Alyss says. Having gone viral in the past for her social media series \u201cThe Dating Hunger Games<\/a>,\u201d the creator figured she would take to the internet to gather support for her project.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/a><\/p>\n

The interior of the now-shuttered \u2018Christmas Barn\u2019 in Bethlehem Township, Pa.Credit: Dana Alyss<\/p>\n

Alyss has amassed nearly $50,000 of her $200,000 goal since she kicked off a GoFundMe<\/a> for the project back in June. She says her followers from all over the world \u2014 including Texas, California, Alaska, even Spain and Portugal \u2014 are contributing to her mission.<\/p>\n

\u201cI think they really love supporting an underdog story,\u201d Alyss says. \u201cWe have had a lot of people, developers specifically, coming into the area and buying up all of our local treasures and tearing them down \u2014 putting up apartments, putting up warehouses, hotels and stuff like that. And so our little Christmas City is losing some of its Christmas charm the bigger the developments get.\u201d<\/p>\n

The property is currently listed for $1.9 million by The James Balliet Property Group<\/a>. While $200,000 might sound small in comparison, Alyss says reaching the goal will be a huge step forward. It\u2019ll allow her to move into an agreement with the seller, where inspections and initial improvements can begin.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt definitely needs some work,\u201d Alyss says. \u201cIt definitely needs a little bit of a facelift and just kind of modernize it to current day. But we also want to make sure that the original character of the barn stays intact.\u201d<\/p>\n

For now, Alyss is compiling a list of future vendors and fielding potential investors who can help make this dream a reality. \u201cIt\u2019s a real life Hallmark Christmas movie,\u201d Alyss says. \u201cSmall town girl, moves to the big city, comes back and tries to save the barn from getting torn down. So it\u2019s very Hallmark-esque.\u201d<\/p>\n

Never miss a story \u2014 sign up for PEOPLE\u2019s free daily newsletter<\/a> to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.<\/p>\n

She adds: \u201cWe\u2019re just doing this one $5 donation at a time and it\u2019s just regular, everyday people trying to save a little piece of history and a little piece of magic.\u201d<\/p>\n

Read the original article on People<\/a><\/p>\n