Complete Guide to December 2025 Holiday Events in Carlisle, PA and Nearby

Find Your Festive Fun: Holiday Events Organized by Town

The holiday season is almost here, and our Cumberland Valley communities are bursting with plans for December 2025! This year, whether you plan to stay right here in Carlisle, head to Shippensburg for lights and culture, or enjoy the charming traditions of our smaller towns like Boiling Springs and Newville, we have a packed schedule waiting for us. To help you plan your celebrations, we have organized our complete guide to the best parades, light shows, performances, and community gatherings by location. We are truly lucky to live in a region that offers such diverse ways to celebrate the holidays!

Here is a quick look at the major events happening in and around our town, grouped by location:

Carlisle & Carlisle Barracks Events List

• Carlisle’s Nutcracker Stroll & Online Auction: A month-long downtown retail experience (Dec. 1–31).
• Carlisle Barracks Holiday Tree Lighting Ceremony: A family event featuring Santa (Dec. 3).
• Making Spirits Bright Holiday Parade: Our main civic parade through downtown (Dec. 4).
• Holly Jolly Jubilee and Tree Lighting: Free activities for kids, including Santa and a real reindeer (Dec. 6).
• Holiday Open House at Kings Gap Environmental Education Center: A free tour of the beautifully decorated Cameron-Masland Mansion (Dec. 7 & 14).
• Carlisle Barracks Spouse’s Club Tour of Homes: A ticketed tour of five private, decorated homes within the Barracks (Dec. 14).
• Veterans Memorial Courtyard Bells Across PA Unveiling: A free civic event held downtown (Dec. 19).
• Carlisle Theatre Holiday Film Series and Concerts: Featuring classic movies and the “Let It Swing!” Big Band Concert (Multiple Dates).
• Hotchee New Year: Our unique New Year’s Eve celebration centering on the “Hotchee Drop” (Dec. 31).

Shippensburg Events List

• Volvo Holiday Lights: A massive, free drive-through light show at the Volvo North American Headquarters (Dec. 5–8).
• The Nutcracker Ballet: High-demand cultural performances at the Luhrs Performing Arts Center (Dec. 6 & 7).
• Shippensburg Christmas Parade (Nutcracker Theme) & Tree Lighting: A major civic parade followed by a tree lighting ceremony (Dec. 6).
• Luhrs Center Concerts: Including THE ROCK ORCHESTRA (Dec. 8) and the Glenn Miller Orchestra (Dec. 10).

Boiling Springs Events List

• Holiday Tree Lighting and Luminaries Kick-off: The start of the beautiful display at Children’s Lake (Dec. 7).
• Children’s Lake Luminary Display: The sustained viewing of over 350 lights around Children’s Lake (Dec. 7, 12-14, and continuous Dec. 19–Jan. 1, 2026).

Mount Holly Springs Events List

• Christmas Play: Performances at the MHS Church of God (Dec. 5–7).
• Amelia Givin Library Cookie Sale: A local fundraising bake sale (Dec. 10 & 11).
• Breakfast with Santa: A morning meal with Santa at the MHS Church of God (Dec. 13).
• Santa House Visits: Times for children to visit Santa (Dec. 13, 19, 20, 22).

Newville Events List

Tiny World at Benchfield Farms: A traditional farm experience featuring horse-drawn wagon rides and a live Nativity (Dec. 5–21, F/S/Su).

Regional/County Event List

CCHS 3rd Annual Holiday House Tour: A ticketed, guided bus tour of historic county homes (Dec. 6).

Carlisle, PA: Parades, Performances, and Retail

Carlisle serves as our area’s busy center for both shopping and large-scale civic events throughout December.

Month-Long Shopping: The Nutcracker Stroll

Our retail highlight is the Nutcracker Stroll & Online Auction, which keeps the holiday spirit going from December 1st through the 31st. We can stroll through Downtown Carlisle to see numerous four-foot-tall, flat nutcrackers decorated by local businesses. You can bid on your favorites using the online auction system accessed by QR codes placed at the displays, making it easy to support local retailers all month long.

Civic Celebrations and Parades

The main festive spectacles happen early in the month. The Carlisle Barracks Holiday Tree Lighting Ceremony takes place on Wednesday, December 3rd, from 5:00 PM to 7:00 PM, beginning with Santa’s Sleigh Ride at 4:15 PM. The next evening, Thursday, December 4th, we gather downtown for the free Making Spirits Bright Holiday Parade from 7:00 PM to 8:00 PM. The parade starts at Biddle Mission Park and travels west on E. North Street to Hanover Street before heading south to Willow Street. Later that weekend, the Holly Jolly Jubilee and Tree Lighting offers free fun for children, including visits with Santa and a real reindeer, in the Veterans Courtyard on the Town Square on Saturday, December 6th, from 3:00 PM to 6:00 PM.

Historical Tours and Local Culture

For those interested in history and the arts, Carlisle offers unique experiences. The free Holiday Open House at the Kings Gap Environmental Education Center allows us to tour the 1908 Cameron-Masland Mansion, which will be decorated in a traditional holiday style inspired by America’s 250th birthday. This event runs from 12:00 PM to 4:00 PM on Sunday, December 7th, and again on December 14th. The Carlisle Barracks Spouse’s Club Tour of Homes is a ticketed event on Sunday, December 14th (5:00 PM to 8:30 PM), offering a look inside five private, decorated homes within the Barracks, which includes a refreshment break at Delaney Field House.

The Carlisle Theatre hosts numerous holiday screenings, including a $5 special screening of The Polar Express (Dec 6), and other films like The Grinch (Dec 7), Home Alone (Dec 15), Elf (Dec 16), and Love Actually (Dec 23). The theatre also presents the “Let It Swing!” Unforgettable Big Band Holiday Concert on Sunday, December 21st, at 3:00 PM, featuring a 20-piece ensemble performing swinging holiday favorites.

End-of-Year Festivities

We wrap up the month with a unique local flair at the Hotchee New Year celebration on Wednesday, December 31st (6:00 PM to 10:00 PM), held around the Carlisle Theatre on West High Street. This event centers around the “Hotchee Drop” and includes live music and food, celebrating our locally recognized Hotchee Dog.

Shippensburg, PA: Lights, Ballet, and Big Bands

Shippensburg offers a powerful combination of massive free community light displays and premium cultural performances, many hosted by Shippensburg University.

Industrial Light Spectacle

The major highlight is the annual Volvo Holiday Lights drive-through event, which is completely free to the public. From Friday, December 5th, through Monday, December 8th, from 6:00 PM to 8:00 PM nightly, visitors can drive through the Volvo Construction Equipment North American Headquarters campus. The show features decorated construction machines, inflatable holiday characters, and music provided by the Shippensburg Area High School band.

Arts and Culture at Luhrs Center

The Luhrs Performing Arts Center is Shippensburg’s cultural anchor, hosting three high-demand performances of The Nutcracker Ballet over the opening weekend. Performances are scheduled for Saturday, December 6th (1:00 PM and 5:00 PM), and Sunday, December 7th (2:00 PM). Adult tickets range from $44 to $64, with youth tickets costing $34 to $44 (plus a $6 online service fee). Other major concerts include THE ROCK ORCHESTRA on Monday, December 8th (8:00 PM), with tickets up to $114, and the Glenn Miller Orchestra on Wednesday, December 10th (7:00 PM), with tickets ranging from $85 to $109.

Community Parade

The civic schedule is centered on the evening of Saturday, December 6th, with the Shippensburg Christmas Parade, which features a “Nutcracker Theme” for 2025. The parade is followed by a Tree Lighting ceremony at the corner of King and Prince Streets, and free holiday wagon rides are offered from 7:00 PM to 8:00 PM.

Boiling Springs, PA: The Charm of Children’s Lake

Boiling Springs offers a beautiful, low-key experience centered on its picturesque lakefront.

The town’s main attraction is the Holiday Tree Lighting and Luminaries display, which kicks off on Sunday, December 7th. This ceremony starts the tradition of lighting over 350 luminaries around Children’s Lake. This display is a sustained event, continuing for 18 nights. The luminaries will be lit intermittently from December 12th through 14th, and then continuously from December 19th through January 1, 2026, creating a peaceful, sustained visual attraction.

Mount Holly Springs, PA: Neighborhood Celebrations

Mount Holly Springs hosts classic, local community gatherings focused on family and local spirit.

Community events in December include a Christmas Play hosted at the MHS Church of God, with performances scheduled from Friday, December 5th, through Sunday, December 7th. The Amelia Givin Library Cookie Sale takes place on Wednesday, December 10th (4:00 PM to 7:00 PM), and Thursday, December 11th (10:00 AM to 7:00 PM). Children can enjoy Breakfast with Santa on Saturday, December 13th, at the MHS Church of God. Additionally, the community’s Santa House will be open for visits on several dates, including December 13th (1:00 PM to 3:00 PM), December 19th (6:00 PM to 8:00 PM), and December 20th (1:00 PM to 3:00 PM).

Newville, PA: Traditional Farm Fun

Newville provides a focused, traditional experience rooted in agritourism, perfect for families.

The star event is Tiny World at Benchfield Farms, running every Friday, Saturday, and Sunday from December 5th through December 21st, 2025 (6:00 PM to 8:00 PM). This ticketed attraction offers horse-drawn wagon rides through dazzling lights, a live animal Nativity scene, visits with Santa, and cookies and hot chocolate. Admission is $12.00 for those 13 and older, and $8.00 for children aged 4 to 12.

Regional Event: Historical House Tour

A key regional event organized by the Cumberland County Historical Society (CCHS) is the 3rd Annual Holiday House Tour on Saturday, December 6th (10:30 AM to 4:00 PM). This is a ticketed, guided bus tour that visits various historic homes across the county.

Our Community’s Holiday Cheer

The Cumberland Valley is the perfect place for us to celebrate the holiday season in 2025, offering everything from large public displays to quiet, historical moments. We can shop locally during Carlisle’s Nutcracker Stroll, cheer on the floats in our Making Spirits Bright Holiday Parade, or be dazzled by the free Volvo Holiday Lights in Shippensburg. Whether we seek the high-end culture of The Nutcracker or the quiet beauty of the Boiling Springs Luminaries, our region has coordinated a spectacular schedule designed to welcome everyone this December.

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