EASTON, Pa. — Congratulations are in order for another area Christmas market.
Easton's Winter Village, a free-admission Christmas market, announced Thursday that it saw 56,457 visitors this year, an increase of over 16,990 — or a whopping 43% — over 2022.
"More and more visitors are discovering the magic in Centre Square each holiday season."Easton marketing consultant Tracey Werner
"More and more visitors are discovering the magic in Centre Square each holiday season," Easton marketing consultant Tracey Werner said in a news release.
The announcement comes after Christkindlmarkt in Bethlehem announced a 9% attendance bump this year.
This year's Winter Village ran five weekends, from Nov. 18 through Dec. 17.
Its best-attended days were Saturday, Dec. 9, with 12,244 visitors, and Saturday, Nov. 25, the day of the annual Peace Candle Lighting Ceremony, with 11,565 visitors, according to the release.
Both those days were warm and sunny, with temperatures in the 50s and 40s, respectively.
People from 28 states attended
This year's village attendees hailed mostly from Pennsylvania and New Jersey, though 28 total states were represented, according to the release.
On average, visitors spent 90 minutes frequenting the Village's 40 vendor huts, three food trucks, its ice-skating rink or snapping a picture with Santa, the release said.
New this year were holiday image projections on the Alpha Building, City Hall and the Santander Bank Building.
"There was a time in our city that our downtown retailers were struggling during the holiday season. Now they are not only seeing the foot traffic that they need to sustain their businesses, they are turning a profit, due in large part to the success of the Winter Village, which brings shoppers downtown."Easton Mayor Sal Panto
The event began in 2020 as an idea of Easton Mayor Sal Panto Jr., who had visited holiday markets in Europe and desired to replicate their charm and cheer in the Lehigh Valley.
The idea coincided with the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, when a majority of small businesses, such as the ones in Easton, were struggling.
"There was a time in our city that our downtown retailers were struggling during the holiday season," Panto said.
"Now they are not only seeing the foot traffic that they need to sustain their businesses, they are turning a profit, due in large part to the success of the Winter Village, which brings shoppers downtown."
