Living In New Cumberland: Take a drive in the country to Koziar's Christmas Village.

As much as I love New Cumberland, sometimes I need to leave town to do other things. Last weekend, my family and I headed towards Reading for a family event. Specifically, we headed to a little town called Bernville, just off of route 78. I wanted to make the trip a little more interesting for the kids, so I did some searching on the internet for some other things to do in the area. I found this little gem of a place called "Koziar's Christmas Village."

Koziar's is the place to go for Christmas. If you have grown tired of the commercial message of Hershey's Christmas Candy Lane, I suggest you drive a little further to this 'Blast from the past' attraction. Koziar's is about 55 miles from New Cumberland, but worth every minute of the drive. The trip is a lot like a drive to your country relative's house. It seems like you are in the middle of nowhere. There's no sign of a McDonald's or Walmart for miles around and that's refreshing. You travel along these dark and curvy country roads, and when you are just about to say "Are we lost?," you crest that last hill. At that point, the colorful lights just burst from the valley below. When you see those lights from that hill, you know you are in for a treat.

This light display all began in 1948 when one man, William Koziar, started decorating his farm with lights to delight his wife and children at Christmastime. As the years went by, Mr. Koziar added more and more displays to his farm. Eventually, the bright lights and displays attracted people from outside his family who wanted to enjoy them, too. Today, Koziar's Christmas Village boasts of over a million lights adorning several buildings and displays throughout the property.

When you arrive in the parking lot, the view of the light show is obscured by the barn and the other buildings. However, once you pass through the entry gate, the splendor of the holidays just surrounds you. Snowman and Bear characters greet children. Clever holiday cut-outs are provided for cute photo opportunities. A pathway guides you through the maze of lights and displays. There are the typical Christmas scenes, such as trains, Santa and reindeer. However, Koziar's throws in a few offbeat themed ones as well, like "Jungle Christmas," and "The Wizard of Oz Christmas." Like all good Christmas exhibits, they provide a chance to meet Santa and have a picture taken. Stores throughout the village provide ample opportunities to purchase Christmas items. If you get hungry, there's plenty of snack bars located all over the village. Take a look at the photo's provided below. They show only a small portion of what you will see at Koziar's.

If you are not one who appreciates waiting in line, I would suggest arriving a few minutes before they open. Once open, there's a steady stream of cars waiting on the road to get into the parking lot. If you don't mind waiting, it's not so bad, you are treated to a spectacular view of the light display from the road.

So, if you feel like getting out of town and taking a nice drive in the country, head on over to Koziar's Christmas Village where you are sure to get in the Christmas spirit. Admission is $12 for adults, $11 for Seniors and $10 for children 4-10, children 5 and under are free. Parking is free. Hours vary, so go to their website for that information as well as directions.

http://www.koziarschristmasvillage.com/

Prices have been updated as of November 29, 2019.

Additional Notes 11/29/2019: Koziar's continues to amaze their spectators by adding in newer lights and displays, and even a building housing historic artifacts from the farm and light display.

Back to New Cumberland stuff next week, I just had to share my experience at Koziar's with you!

What gets you into the Christmas spirit? Is there a certain place you go or a tradition that does it for you? Please leave comments.