Forget Halloween and Thanksgiving: Bethlehem’s Christmas decorations already going up

BETHLEHEM, Pa. — It’s not called the Christmas City for nothing.

And with a name like Bethlehem, it’s got to look the part — even with Halloween less than two weeks out and Thanksgiving more than a month away.

Before long, the city will be adorned with 600-800 trees, up to 500 stars, around 600 pole wraps and more lining the streets.

A four-man crew has been making haste since Oct. 1 in putting up the decorations, with most of the wreaths, ribbons, light wraps, trees and stars currently hanging on light poles above streets in South Bethlehem and along the city’s bridges.

The Main Street Downtown area north of the Lehigh River now has its trees wrapped with lights, and the big, red candles are waiting to shimmer at the southern end of nearby Payrow Plaza.

But there’s still a ways to go, since prepping the entire city to shine takes time, city Electrical Bureau Chief Greg Cryder said.

“We’re right on schedule of where we need to be to be completed by the day before Thanksgiving,” he said.

“I’ve been working, running crews forever, but I’ve never had a group of four guys that have been such a pleasure to work with.”

Tree time

Folks can expect a new nativity scene outside City Hall this year to complement a massive, nearly 50-foot tree planned to don about 30,000 lights.

Cryder said decorating that beast can take up to six days.

Both that tree and its little-but-still-pretty-big brother — which will sit at the 2nd Avenue ramp, just off the Hill-to-Hill Bridge — will be in place by Nov. 8, he said.

Every tree except for the two larger ones mentioned are artificial, Cryder said. This makes for less testy installation and maintenance compared to live trees, while still looking authentic.

The city’s annual Christmas tree-lighting ceremony at Payrow Plaza, 10 E. Church St., is set for 4:30 p.m. Nov. 29.

It’s been known to draw quite a crowd in years past.