Don’t let the cold keep you shut up inside this winter: There’s lots to do in the Lehigh Valley that’s worth bundling up for. Whether it’s briskly walking from one bar to another or stalking for hours through a snow-laden forest to pop your friends with a paintball, the fresh air and excitement will do you some good!
Frosty 5Ks
Generate some heat and get your body primed for cookie and pie intake with a 5K for a cause on December 8. The largest and longest-running holiday race is the Christmas City Classic 5-Miler and Candy Cane 5K. Starting with 80 participants, 20 years later it’s a parade of more than 1,500 racers sporting red and green. The Bethlehem YMCA’s amenities, Christmas music, cookies and warm soft pretzels give racers welcome support at start and finish.
If you like your 5K with a few more breaks and a little more liquid cheer, the Santa Will Run for Beer 5K-ish sets off from Roosevelt’s 21st on Bethlehem’s north side and makes its way from bar to bar to the after-party on the south side. Mark your calendar for December 8! Last year, more than 300 Santas were a sight to behold as a block of Elizabeth Avenue is closed down for the “shotgun” start.
Skirmish Paintball
Known for its professional, friendly staff and huge maps, Skirmish Paintball in the Poconos is one of the very best. Its Tippmann Castle is promoted as the “world’s largest paintball castle” at 10,000 square feet, and more than 50 other maps are designed with just as much zeal for the game. Whether looking to dodge around natural terrain or constructed forts and villages, this is the place to bring all your first-person-shooter skills to bear in the real world.
In winter, especially under a blanket of snow, a hush descends. Sparse foliage and the trailing footprints of one’s opponents make hiding a unique challenge. The cold isn’t as brutal as it might seem: Popular maps for this time of year are clustered near the bonfire, picnic area and shop, so it’s not hard to take a break and thaw out as needed.
Yearly events reenacting Stalingrad (held in early spring, often with snow on the ground) and the Invasion of Normandy draw massive turnouts, so whether looking for a giant battle or near-silent prowling through winter woods, you’ll find something to shoot at with Skirmish.
Blue Mountain Tubing
Blue Mountain Resort is a destination for athletic winter sports like skiing and snowboarding, but also the activity that might be termed “sledding on steroids,” snow tubing. It’s the rush of the ride down 39 safe, designated lanes, over 1,000 feet long, with three lifts to crank you back up to the top and no need to acclimate yourself to repeatedly falling hard on your butt (a central feature of snowboarding).
For the last decade, Blue Mountain has hosted a special New Year’s Eve event for families and couples to ring in 2019 with midnight snow-tube rides under the stars. What started as a 100-person affair now sells out with 300 guests availing themselves of the buffet dinner and champagne toast at the strike of midnight (soda toast available to the under-21 set).
The New Year’s Eve party is weather dependent, but if it suffers a snowstorm, there’s still the rest of the winter to explore Blue Mountain’s 39 skiing and snowboarding trails for all levels of expertise, home to Pennsylvania’s highest vertical run (eek!) and most varied terrain.
Winter Lights
From the tricked-out front yards of our neighbors to the drive-through thrill of Allentown’s Lights in the Parkway, one of the lifelines getting us through the short days is the glow and sparkle of holiday displays. The strongest dose available is at Lehigh Valley Zoo’s Winter Light Spectacular, running Wednesdays through Sundays until December 31. Not only is the zoo decked out with more than 1.1 million lights, cartoon characters like the Grinch, Frozen’s Olaf and Buzz Lightyear roam the premises just looking for photo ops with their fans. Since last year’s Spectacular, everything has amped: more and bigger and enhanced displays, aerial snow machines generating eco-friendly flurries and the conservation tent with interactive learning experiences and crafting activities. Princess Belle and Queen Elsa alternate nights to entertain with songs on the princess stage, and toasty fire pits are available with s’mores and cocoa to keep the family warm. Proceeds benefit conservation at the zoo and locally, so suit up and set off for this winter wonderland.
