Happy First Tuesday in December Loopers!

I hope you still have a little turkey for one last 🤌 sandwich if we get snowed in today.

I’ve sourced the best things to catch in the last month of 2025. As always, I’m building community and aiming to keep you…in the Loop!

This week’s mix is going to keep you active out and about in Lancaster. Stay tuned, we’re cooking up a fun giveaway for anyone who joins in December - please share the newsletter with a friend or two.

If you have details on something that should be shared with other Loopers, please send it my way. Send us your takes on food, music, events, and community. Submit your event here.

In today’s Loop…

— Ed

In case you missed last week’s edition, there are still some great Christmas Tree lightings that’ll happen this weekend on the 4th, 5th, and 6th. find ‘em here

Buddy the Elf once said there are 4 main food groups. Candy, Candy canes, Candy corns, and Syrup.

I’d like to add one he forgot…Coffee.

This newsletter brings you the best of Lancaster and it’s fueled by Denim Coffee. They are out to ‘Make Better Coffee’ and they consistently do it.

Running a newsletter takes lots of energy. I’m having a blast creating this community for you all and coffee plays a key role. Check out Denim and one of their 6 cafe locations - & say hi next time you see me working at their Lancaster shop!

Before calling Lancaster home just two years ago, I thought Lancaster was a day trip Dutch Wonderland, maybe a few outlets, and then time to head home. Sheesh, was I wrong. (tho DW remains a great time)

Turns out, Lancaster has one of the best theater scenes around. And with December here, out roll all the feels for the Christmas themed shows.

Here’s how to catch as much as your holiday heart can handle…maybe it’ll grow three sizes this month.

Elf, A Christmas Musical (mainstage) - Fulton thru Dec 28 - help buddy find his dad

It’s a Wonderful Life (studio series) - Fulton thru Dec 28 - live radio play get tix here

The Nutcracker the Musical (family series) - Fulton thru Dec 27 - saturdays only

Irving Berlin’s Holiday Inn (broadway musical) - Dutch Apple thru Dec 28 - food & a show here

Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer Jr (kids showtime) - Dutch Apple thru Dec 27 - here 🦌

Deck the Halls - American Music Theatre thru Dec 30 - christmas show here

The Christmas Candy Caper - Bird-in-Hand Stage thru Dec 27 - candy christmas

Noah - Sight & Sound thru Dec 31 - live animals are cool

Hunchback of Notre Dame - Ephrata Performing Arts thru Dec 21 - support young performers

Christmas in Perfect Harmony - The Barn at Paradise Station thru Dec 21 - beautiful barn music

Illumination - Prima Theatre thru Dec 23 - candlelit holiday concert

Winter Wonderland - Magic & Wonder Dinner Theater thru Jan 3 - christmas magic show

Holly Jolly Jukebox - Magic & Wonder Dinner Theater thru Dec 20 - kids & adult dinner show

A Dickens Tale - Bright Star Theatre @ Trust Perf. Arts Center Dec 12 only - show from nc

Christmas Train Rides - Strausburg Rail Road various dates - ride here

Hark! An Irish Christmas with RUNA - Ware Center Dec 3 only - great craic

Grab an Awkward Christmas Portrait - Zoetropolis Dec 4 only - jc penney cringe on purpose

Holiday Art Market - Lancaster Art Vault Dec 5 - holiday art

Handel’s Messiah - First Presb. Church of Lanc Dec 4, 5, & 6 only - lanc’s orchestra plays

Improvised Christmas Carol - Lancaster Improv Players Dec 5, 7, 11, 20 - various locations

A Christmas Carol - Servant Stage Dec 3, 9, 15 various locations - grab tix here

Ryan & Friends: A Comic Christmas - Bird-in-Hand Stage Dec 4, 12, 20, 27, 30 - puppet laughs

Big Bad Voodoo Daddy’s Wild & Swingin’ Holiday - Ware Center Dec 6 only - swing xmas

Screaming Orphans Christmas Show - Mickey’s Black Box Dec 7 only - ireland sister folk & pop

Movie: The Holiday (2006) - Zoetropolis Dec 8 only - crafts & a movie here

Bocelli & Beyond at Christmas - Ware Center Dec 11 only - anthony nunziata sings

Disciple and Honor & Glory Christmas Tour - The Junction Center Dec 12 only - jam out

Christmas Burns Red - Freedom Hall Dec 12 & 13 only - lancaster local august burns red jams

Jingle Bell Swing - Ware Center Dec 13 only - bria skonberg sings

Lancaster Santa Stumble - The Village Nightclub Dec 13 only - bar crawl & costume contest

Jess Zimmerman Band Xmas Party - Mickey’s Black Box Dec 13 only - country rock christmas

A Very Jazzy Christmas - Mickey’s Black Box Dec 14 only - erica lyn everest & zach nyce

In the Holiday Mood - Ware Center Dec 17 only - glenn miller orchestra

The Reagan Years Holiday Show - Mickey’s Black Box Dec 20 only - 80s tribute xmas

The Pettets Christmas - Trust Perf. Arts Center Dec 20 only - sing along style

Holiday Comedy Jam - The Village Nightclub Dec 26 only - comedy show

Christmas with Absolute Adele - Mickey’s Black Box Dec 27 only - featuring jennifer cella

Special Looper Insider Request: hit reply and let me know what I missed…I’m increasing my sources weekly

Time to find two matching gloves, snag a scarf, and bundle up.

If the holiday hustle is already spiking your ‘get me outta here mister’ nerves, it’s time for some shinrin yoku. That’d be the Japanese art of ‘forest bathing’ aka go walk in the woods and forget your screens. It’s up there with an apple-a-day for keeping you healthy. Here are three spots to get your nature on:

Best for: Silence and ancient vibes If you want to feel small (in a good way), head to Narvon. This park is named after the massive rocky spine of boulders where farmers in the Pequea Valley allegedly hid their cash. The "forest bath" here is heavy on the rock…moss-covered, ancient boulders that make the modern world feel very quiet. Take the trail to the "Cockscomb" overlook; in winter, without the leaves, you get a stark, beautiful view of the farmland below (only a few months till the green is back). It’s quiet enough to hear your own breath, which is the whole point. stomp your boots here

Best for: A history-infused walk skip the south side (that’s for sports) and head to the north side for the rustic trails. This feels like a step back in time. You can hike past the eerie, sealed entrance of an 18th-century silver mine and a restored lime kiln. The "Geology Trail" is short but rugged, perfect for a quick mental reset. In December, the cold air settles in the valley near the stream, making everything crisp and still. It’s a slightly spooky, totally serene way to forget about your to-do list for an hour. catch the views here

Best for: "Sky bathing" and river views Okay, this is less of a "forest" bath and more of a "sky" bath. If you haven’t walked the Safe Harbor Trestle Bridge yet, you are missing Lancaster’s best view. The trail is flat (crushed stone), so you don't need to be Nick Kurtz to enjoy it. Walking 150 feet above the Conestoga River with the wind in your face is an instant reset button. Park at the Turkey Hill Nature Preserve trailheads and walk out onto the bridge. It’s vast, open, and stops you from being a cotton-headed ninny muggins immediately. walk the train trail

Stop the family arguments. Die Hard is absolutely a Christmas movie.

Own or manage a commercial property and want to reduce your HVAC headaches? Track filters, save time, breathe easy.

If only Nakatomi Plaza had used FilterTracker.com, John McClane could’ve spend less time crawling in those ducts and more time saving Christmas.

Yippee-ki-yay, clean air.

PS FilterTracker is Lancaster-founded and Lancaster-owned.

The Loop will always be free. It’s a one-person show and we run lean, but one fun way to offset costs is with merch. Think: hats, stickers, hoodies, t-shirts, keychains, coasters, I’d only create what you love. Everything would be made Lanc Local.

Cast your vote, and drop any additional ideas in the comments on the page after you click to vote.

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