Lititz doesn’t ease into the holidays. Between a film festival this week, a gift show at the Church of the Brethren and Santa’s arrival in Lititz Springs Park right after Thanksgiving, the calendar fills up fast. Here’s what’s coming, pulled from the borough’s Venture Lititz events listings.
This week
Red Rose Film Festival, Nov. 12-15. The festival takes over Penn Cinema for four days of independent features, shorts and documentaries. The awards ceremony is Saturday, Nov. 14, in the theater’s IMAX auditorium. Individual screening and pass details are on the festival’s site.
Lititz Art Association Holiday Gift Show, Nov. 13-14. Local artists sell work at Lititz Church of the Brethren from 3 to 7 p.m. Friday and 9 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday. It’s a good place to find paintings, prints, pottery and small handmade gifts from people who live around here.
Mad Lab ARTech Academy grand opening, Nov. 14. The new art and technology space marks its official opening on Saturday.
Later in November
ExtraGive: Lititz Style, Nov. 20. Lancaster County’s big giving day has a Lititz twist. More than 30 downtown merchants are taking part, and organizers have set an $18,000 goal. Shopping on Main and Broad that day helps local nonprofits along with the stores.
Santa arrives, Nov. 27. The day after Thanksgiving, Santa makes his entrance in Lititz Springs Park at 2 p.m. Kids can see him up close, and it’s the unofficial start of the season downtown. Expect crowds, and park early or walk in.
December
Christmas in the Park, Dec. 4. The tree lighting at the band shell in Lititz Springs Park runs 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Dress warm. The park gets cold fast once the sun is down.
Community Carol Sing, Dec. 10. One of the oldest traditions in town. Singers gather on Moravian Church Square at 6:30 p.m., with the Moravian Trombone Choir leading the carols.
Linden Hall Christmas Vespers, Dec. 11. The girls’ school, one of the oldest in the country, holds its vespers service at 6 p.m.
Christmas Candlelight Tours. The Lititz Historical Foundation runs candlelit tours of its historic properties over two evenings in mid-December. Tickets are $12. Check the foundation’s site for the final dates and times, since space is limited and the evenings tend to sell out.
Lights of Lancaster, through Dec. 31. Not in Lititz, but close enough for an easy evening out. The holiday light show runs through New Year’s Eve.
A bigger year than usual
This season carries some extra weight. 2026 is Lititz’s 270th anniversary, counting from the Moravian settlement founded here in 1756, and the Lititz Historical Foundation is marking its 65th year. A lot of what makes the holidays here feel different comes straight from that Moravian history: the trombone choir, the carol sing on the church square, the beeswax candles and putz displays some families still set up at home.
If you’re planning around these, a few practical notes. Downtown parking fills up quickly on Santa day, tree lighting night and Saturdays in December, so give yourself time to find a spot in the public lots or on a side street. Many Main Street shops stretch their hours on event nights. And weather can change outdoor plans, so check Venture Lititz or the organizers’ pages on the day.
Know of a holiday event we missed? Send it to us and we’ll add it to our calendar coverage as the season goes on.