Celebrate the holidays in the park

BUSHKILL, Pa. — "First Weekend," a series of holiday and winter activities, will be held on Saturday, Dec. 3, and Sunday, Dec. 4, at locations throughout the Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area.
"It’s a great way to get in the spirit of the holiday season and a chance for people to learn about old traditions while making new ones,” said Superintendent John Donahue said of the series, held annually on the first weekend of December.
PennsylvaniaA winter ecology hike will be offered from 1 to 3 p.m. on Saturday at the Pocono Environmental Education Center (PEEC) in Dingmans Ferry, Pa. Learn how different plants and animals survive the cold winter months. All ages are welcome. The cost is $5 per person. Make reservations at peec.org or call 570-838-2319.
The Ecozone Discovery Room at PEEC will be open from 1 to 4 p.m. on Sunday. Crawl through a bat cave, dig in a fossil pit, and climb into an eagle’s nest while learning about sustainability, the environment and natural history. Admission is $2 per person.
Search for eagles with Jack Padalino of the Paul F-Brandwein Institute from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Sunday. Participants will meet at PEEC at 8 a.m., or at the Historic Callahan House on Route 209 in Milford, Pa., at 10 a.m., and will caravan to popular eagle watching locations along the Delaware and Lackawaxen Rivers. There is no charge, but reservations are necessary. Call 570-296-6752 or email Jack@brandwein.org for more information or to register. The eagle search programs will be offered on the first Sunday of each month from December until March.
New JerseyA Victorian Christmas Celebration will be offered at Millbrook Village from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday. Historic homes will be decorated for Christmas in Victorian style while costumed guides prepare holiday meals over woodstoves and open hearths, and craftsmen ply their trades. Hands-on activities, old-fashioned toys, games, and crafts will be offered for children.
A Christmas carol service will be offered in the Millbrook Village Church at 5 p.m. on Sunday. Light refreshments will be served in the Van Campen Farmhouse following the program. Come out and sing along to your favorite Christmas songs alongside costumed guides.
The 1790s Foster Armstrong House in Montague will be decorated for Christmas with several special exhibits. The Montague Association for the Restoration of Community History is hosting several old-fashioned holiday weekends at the house with this year's theme, “Santa on Parade.” The house is open from 1 to 4 p.m. on Dec. 3 and 4 and on Dec. 10 and 11. The gift shop is open during the weekend events.
A Walpack Christmas is happening at the Rosenkrans Museum and the Walpack Methodist Episcopal Church in the historic village of Walpack Center on Dec. 3 and 4 and Dec. 10 and 11 from 1 to 4 p.m. Both buildings will be decorated for the holidays and staffed with volunteers from the Walpack Historical Society.
The Peters Valley Gallery at Peters Valley School of Craft sells handcrafted items. Relax with a cup of hot cider and browse two floors filled with artwork. Knowledgeable sales staff with help customers find the perfect gift. The gallery will hold weekend trunk shows featuring an expanded selection of work by featured artists throughout December, including ceramics by Liz Kinder on Dec. 3 and 4. The gallery is open every day in December from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Visit the online store at petersvalleygallery.org.
For more information about these events, call park headquarters at 570-426-2452 (weekdays), visit the park’s website nps.gov/dewa, or follow the park on Facebook.