If your holiday to-do list is longer than Santa’s beard, here’s some good news: Whitaker Center has packed November and December with holiday magic, kid-approved activities, and a whole lot of reasons to leave the house in something other than pajamas (unless it’s a pajama party, which, let’s be honest, they’re totally ready for). Get ready to laugh, snack, and snag some festive photos while Whitaker Center handles the holiday magic.
Here’s your guide to making the most of the Whitaker Center’s holiday lineup. Trust us, it’s worth putting down the gift wrap for an evening or two!
Light Up the Night – November 26 | 5-7 PM
Start the season with a bang (or at least a fizz and a pop) at this free indoor extravaganza presented by M&T Bank! “Light Up the Night” includes science experiments (where mess = fun), crafts for all the little holiday crafters, cookies that someone else made, and free access to the UPMC Science Center and the Animation Academy exhibit.
Here’s the kicker: there’s a free holiday movie in the Select Medical Digital Cinema, which means you can officially call it family movie night without having to step over piles of laundry to find the remote. Sign up fast—Whitaker is literally giving away holiday magic here.
 |
The Grinch PJ Party – December 6 | 6 PM
Get ready to cuddle up in your coziest PJs, because this is the movie night dreams are made of! Whitaker Center is hosting a Grinch PJ Party, where you can grab cookies and cocoa before settling in to watch How the Grinch Stole Christmas. There will be cookies, cocoa, and plenty of Grinchy fun, so all you need to bring is your holiday spirit (and, of course, your favorite pajamas).
This event is guaranteed to grow your heart at least three sizes, or at the very least, make you a cocoa-loving hero to your kids. So reserve your spots and prepare for an evening that’s as warm and fuzzy as it sounds!
 |
Breakfast with Santa – December 7 | 8 AM - 12:30 PM
Forget the quick Santa mall meet-and-greet; Whitaker Center is serving up a whole Breakfast with Santa experience that’ll put the “jolly” in your holiday. Kick off your morning with a buffet breakfast (because nobody wants to cook before 9 a.m. during the holidays) and let the kids decorate cookies alongside Santa’s elves. Santa and Mrs. Claus will make the rounds for table visits and photos—you know, the kind where everyone is actually smiling because they’re mid-waffle.
Once you’ve had your fill, head over to the Science Center for a morning of exploration, then settle in for Olaf’s Frozen Adventure in the Digital Cinema with a treat from Santa. Grab your tickets soon—this is the kind of morning you don’t want to miss.
 |
Polar Express 3D PJ Party – December 13 | 6 PM
All aboard the ultimate family holiday experience! Whitaker Center’s Polar Express 3D PJ Party is your golden ticket to holiday wonderland. Put on your PJs, grab your kids, and get ready for a cozy evening filled with treats, hot chocolate, and The Polar Express in 3D. Watching the North Pole in 3D brings Christmas magic to a whole new level (we’re talking “reach out and grab the cocoa” level).
This is one of those events that goes straight to the holiday memory bank, so grab your tickets fast, make sure your PJs are ready, and prepare for a night that’s all the magic of Christmas, minus the sugar rush at home.
 |
Holiday Movie Classics – Playing after Thanksgiving
Whitaker Center is giving us the holiday gift of big-screen classics, and we are HERE for it! From Elf to White Christmas, How the Grinch Stole Christmas to The Polar Express in 3D, it’s all your family’s holiday favorites rolled into one epic movie lineup. Forget fighting over the remote—this is the big-screen movie experience that’ll get everyone in the holiday spirit!
So grab your family, your holiday sweaters, and some popcorn, and enjoy these seasonal classics like they were meant to be seen: on a gigantic screen with a cup of hot cocoa in hand.
 |
This holiday season, let Whitaker Center be the secret weapon in your holiday game plan. Between science experiments, movie marathons, and even cookie decorating, they’ve got every ounce of holiday cheer you could need—all in one festive place. Whether it’s Santa or the Grinch, pajamas or popcorn, Whitaker Center has something to help make your family’s season bright.
🎄 Love family-friendly events and sanity-saving parenting hacks? Don’t miss out on the holiday cheer and more—subscribe to our newsletter for the best local happenings in Harrisburg & West Shore, Hershey to Elizabethtown, or Carlisle through Shippensburg! 🎉
We’ve got everything from holiday festivals to parenting tips (because let's face it, we could all use a few tips for surviving the season). And don’t forget to follow us on social media for daily updates, laughs, and maybe a meme or two to make you feel better about sneaking those stocking-stuffers early. 🍫🎅🙈
Harrisburg & West Shore,
Hershey to Elizabethtown, or
Lancaster Area
Speaking of survival tips, join our Facebook Group, Macaroni Village of South Central PA, a collaboration across all three regions where we swap stories, share holiday hacks, and collectively try to figure out how to make bedtime happen before Santa’s sleigh rolls in. It’s a Christmas miracle waiting to happen! 🎄💬
Disclaimer: While the ideas and the bulk of the brilliance are all mine, I confess that I enlisted the help of ChatGPT for minor edits and revisions. Why? Because AI is the friendliest grammarian I know—no red pen, no judgment, just pure, unadulterated love for a well-placed comma. So if you find any rogue semicolons or unnaturally perfect phrasing, you can thank my digital editor for that.
