German Christmas Marketplace

THANKS SO MUCH
to the thousands of people who came
out to support Harmony by attending
this year's German Christmas Market!

Special thanks to our donor/sponsors!
Armstrong - BL Cream Co. - Baldingers - Barbish Contracting, Inc. - Belles Springs Structures
Bilo Foods & Pharmacy - Bottlebrush Gallery & Shop - Boylan Funeral Home - Brittner's Smokehouse - Brittner's Radiator Service - Butler County Tourism & Convention Center - Cranberry Chrysler Jeep - The Exchange at Harmony - F.B. Leopold - Fidelity Bank
Flugher Law Offices - Friends of Rep. Dick Stevenson - Giant Eagle Cranberry
Wesley F. Hamilton, Attorney at Law - Harmony Business Association - J.S. Dill Auctions, Inc. Joan and Dave - Kaufmann House - Kountry Kitchen - Log Cabin Inn - Luster's Saddlery Murray Agency, Inc. - Mussig Florist - Northland Ford - Northland Lincoln - PMF Rentals  Penberthy Photography - Robinson Fans - 7-Eleven - Sign Innovation
Small Parts Machine, Inc. - T&M Hardware & Rental
Tony Dilulio's Exxon - Your Friends form Prospect Area Preservation Society

Saturday, November 14 and
Sunday, November 15, 2009

Main Street and Mercer Street
historic Harmony, Pennsylvania

11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday and noon to 4 p.m. on Sunday

Market hours are 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday and noon to 4 p.m. on Sunday. Admission -- $6 for adults, $5 for seniors, $3 for students and free for children younger than six -- includes all-day access to the market, museum, entertainment and surrey rides.
Proceeds benefit nonprofit Historic Harmony, the local historical society and preservation advocate, and its Harmony Museum operations.

A special rate for large groups is available by advance arrangement.

 All proceeds benefit the nonprofit Historic Harmony and its
nine Harmony Museum properties.

This annual event is growing to be even better!!

Recently chosen "Best in the Burgh"
by the readers of Pittsburgh Magazine!

Rustic Acres Winery will be in the big tent.

Volant Mill Winery will be in the wine cellar.

Plan now to attend. Bring your kids,
your neighbors, your friends
and your families
to Harmony and begin your
Christmas preparation and tradition!

The Harmony Museum's 19th annual WeihnachtMarkt (Christmas Market) on the weekend of Nov. 14-15 offers a festival of shopping, entertainment and eating that's designed for family fun while reflecting the area's German heritage.
 
The market grounds are reminiscent of Christmas markets in cities and villages throughout Germany. Artisans and other vendors display their wares in little buildings, festive tents and the museum's Stewart Hall. Entertainment is presented in a separate venue. Wineries offer tastings and sales in the market "village" and the museum's huge 200-year-old wine cellar. Weavers are found in the museum's log house annex nearby on Mercer Street. Quilters work in the Wagner House that also houses the Yobp-Eckstein log house village and toy railroad as well as the museum shop.
 
Recently chosen "Best of the 'Burg" by readers and editors of Pittsburgh Magazine, the market gathers about three dozen outstanding artisans from the region and beyond, many of whom also demonstrate their crafts. They offer quality goods as diverse as scherenschnitte (cut-paper artwork) and silhouettes, many kinds of jewelry (including some made of human hair in Victorian tradition), art and stained glass, dolls, knitted and sewn accessories, greeting cards and other paper goods, tin ware, iron goods, carved and decorative wood ware, herbs and potpourri, folk Santas and other folk art, jack ware (leather tableware and other accessories), paintings and drawings, stained glass, pottery, Shaker wood boxes, antique and cuckcoo clocks, candles, soaps, ornaments, woven rugs, beeswax accessories, and Christmas cookies and gingerbread.
 
Mini-shops present arrays of imported German items that range from toys, ornaments and chocolates, to nutcrackers, smokers (carved doll-like figures in which incense is burned) and steins. Harmony's specialty shops and art gallery offer more unusual gifts for family and friends.  
 
Children will encounter a jolly Father Christmas on the market grounds and about town, and are invited to try fun crafts themselves at the museum's Ziegler log house. Entertainment includes German dance performances by Alpen Schuhplattlers and Kinderchor of Pittsburgh's Teutonia Mannerchor, and a number of musical groups. A large horse-drawn surrey provides relaxing rides through the historic district. Early Saturday evening, families are invited to join in singing Christmas carols when a live Christmas tree is lighted in the museum garden. This also begins the museum's annual Christmas season Giving Tree fundraiser in which donors decorate the tree with ornaments bearing their names.
 
Traditional German foods and refreshments available include soup, bratwurst and sauerbraten sandwiches, potato pancakes, German potato salad, pie, mulled cider and the museum's signature Harmony Society ginger cookies.
 
Exhibit rooms in the 200-year-old main museum building, decorated for the holiday season, are open for self-guided tours. In addition, a general store building, constructed in 1807 on the diamond by the communal Harmony Society that founded the town and now being restored, will host market activity for the first time since 2003.
 
Museum exhibits interpret the area's remarkable history, which began with a Delaware Indian village visited by a young Maj. George Washington and includes Harmony's 1804 founding by freedom-seeking Germans, Mennonites who succeeded them as Harmony's "second founders," crafting of fine black powder Pennsylvania rifles by Charles Flowers during the second half of the 19th century, oil and gas booms, and physicians serving the area during the past 200 years.   

Market hours are 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday and noon to 4 p.m. on Sunday. Admission -- $6 for adults, $5 for seniors, $3 for students and free for children younger than six -- includes all-day access to the market, museum, entertainment and surrey rides. Proceeds benefit nonprofit Historic Harmony, the local historical society and preservation advocate, and its Harmony Museum operations.
 

Here are a few photos of past markets.

Folks lined up to come into the Christmas Market main area.

Photo taken from upper floor of Museum Shop building, looking at food tents.

Again, photo taken from upper floor of Museum Shop, looking back toward Christmas
Market. The vendors were in wonderful shed buildings and in the rear lot was a large
tent with more crafters, and the entertainment stage.

The lines were steady for the horse drawn buggy rides!! They're always great fun!!

Folks really enjoyed watching the puppet shows put on by
Puppen Meister Marionette Circus from South Williamsport

And of course, all day the Market goers could take a break from the food, fun and entertainment,
to explore the rest of Harmony! Folks enjoyed checking out and shopping not only in the Market
itself, but also the Museum Shop, The Exchange at Harmony, Frannie's Mercantile, Otto & Gerts
(where they could also grab a bite to eat) and dining at The Harmony Inn.

Weihnachtsmarkt - in Historic Harmony
A German Christmas Market.

Local Artisans

German Food

Live Music

Candle Lights

Father Christmas

Rustic Acres Winery will be in the big tent in the main vendor/entertainment area.

Volant Mill Winery will be in the 1809 Wine Cellar
beneath the Harmony Museum.

Visit Harmony's unique specialty shops.
We're loaded with lots of great antiques,
uniques, books, educational or just
plain fun, we've got something for everyone
on your list!!

Harmony Museum
218 Mercer St.
Harmony, Pa 16057
724-452-7341

 

Images of America - Harmony Coming in May 2009. Story of Harmony told by Shelby Ruch. Full of images! Part of Arcadia's classic series of books showcasing the history of America. PREORDER YOURS NOW! Be one of the first to receive this book! Preorder now and we'll ship as soon as they arrive from the printers!

Window on the Past - A Look Back at 19th Century Life in Harmony & Zelienople, Pennsylvania. by Shelby Miller Ruch

Harmony 2009 Calendar. Full of great old photos. All events are included so you'll never miss another of those great dinners or special events we have! Includes Harmony, Zelienople Historical Society, Zelienople - Harmony Chamber, Harmony Business Association events. Limited printing. Get yours now!