DECEMBER 1

INDOOR WALK: Is the weather interfering with your morning walk? Starting December 1st, join the group at United Methodist Community Church on Tuesdays, Fridays and Saturdays at 8:00am and Wednesdays at 6:00pm as we walk 3-5 miles. Usually with Leslie Sansone on dvd. Contact the church office at 570.879.4506 for more information.

ANNUAL SOUP SUPPER: Christ Episcople Church, located at the corner of Delaware and Dundaff streets in Forest City, PA is holding it's annual soup supper on Friday, December 1st from 5pm-7pm. It is an all-you can eat sit down buffet, or take out orders can be made by the pint, available starting at 4pm. For tickets to the event or call ahead take out orders, call 570-785-3425.

DECEMBER 2

CHRISTMAS BAZAAR: Holy Name of Mary Church Annual Christmas Bazaar in the church hall at 278 South Main St., Montrose from 9 AM-3 PM. White elephant room, baked goods, hand crafted items, religious articles, Christmas decorations, homemade fresh wreaths, children's craft and gift booth and more. Breakfast and lunch available including takeout, with homemade soups and ethnic foods such as haluski, pierogies, arancini (rice balls) and other good food. Many theme baskets and a raffle for some great merchandise.

CHICKEN AND BISCUIT SUPPER: The annual Chicken and Biscuit supper will be taking place at Hop Bottom United Methodist Church on December 2nd. The event will begin at 4 pm for takeouts and 5 pm for serving. Tickets are available for both adults and children.

BREAKFAST WITH SANTA: Enjoy a delicious Breakfast created by the talented chefs of the St. John’s Men’s Club while meeting Santa! This annual, free event will be held on Saturday, December 2nd and starts at 8:30 AM, continuing until 10:30 AM. Prizes and pictures with Santa will also be highlights of this exciting day for the young and the young at heart.

"CHRISTMAS IS A SMALL TOWN": Many events are scheduled in the town of Forest City including events at the Historical Society, Saturday, December 2nd in the Borough of Forest City. The museum will open at Noon on Saturday, December 2nd to visit the historical exhibits.  Local  craft vendors and  homemade food of wimpies, cabbage and noodles and soups will be available for purchase beginning at 2 PM.  A Scavenger Hunt will be conducted with prizes awarded to those completing the Scavenger Hunt.  At 3 PM a 45 minute one man show of a Christmas Carol will be presented.  After the Tree Lighting at 5::15 on Main Street everyone is invited back to the Historical Society for a concert.

DECEMBER 3

CHRISTMAS CASH BINGO: Sunday Dec. 3rd at Thompson Hose Co. Doors & kitchen will open at 12:30pm, early bird at 1:15pm, and regular bingo at 2:00pm. Payouts will increase with more than 35 players and again with more than 45 players. For more information visit: thompsonhoseco.com.

DECEMBER 7

WMH GRAND REOPENING: Bring a non-perishable food item to Wayne Memorial Rehabilitation Services’ grand reopening at 190 Delaware Street on Thursday, December 7th from 4-7pm and Wayne Memorial will match it. The food will go to the Wayne County Food Bank for the holidays. There will also be demonstrations in physical, occupational and speech therapy, such as LSVT Big & Loud for Parkinson’s patients and balance exercises for all ages.

CHICKEN AND BISCUIT DINNER: VFW Auxiliary will be holding a chicken and biscuit dinner on Thursday, December 7, 2017. The event will run from 5PM until all food is gone at 386 Main St., Great Bend, Pa 18821. This is an all you can eat event with take out available. If school is closed due to snow on Wednesday, the dinner will be canceled on Thursday. For more information, please call Mary Ann at 570 465 3095.

DECEMBER 9

SPAGHETTI DINNER: The Knights of Columbus Council 356 will be holding a spaghetti dinner on Saturday, December 9th  from 4pm-7pm. The event will take place at KOC Hall, 65 Kilrow St., Great Bend, PA. The dinner includes: spaghetti, homemade meatballs, salad, bread, homemade dessert and beverages. Take out is also available. There will also be music preformed by Carl Tanner & Friends.

CHRISTMAS TEA: Guests can enjoy High Tea (or hot chocolate) with delicious sweets and more on Saturday, December 9 at the Old Mill Village Church on the Green, 49 Park Place, in New Milford from 11am to 4pm. For more information, call 570-434-2303.

DECEMBER 14

ROAST BEEF DINNER: Come one, come all! Help benefit the Veteran’s Service Board by attending a roast beef dinner on December 14, 2017 at the American Legion Post 86, located at 1234  Main Street, Susquehanna, PA. The dinner will run from 4:30 p.m. to 7:00 p.m. with take out & delivery available. For more information, call 570-853-3542.

DECEMBER 16

FREE CHRISTMAS DINNER: Come and join in the Good News Lunch for a FREE Christmas Dinner on Saturday, Dec 16, at the St Marks Church in New Milford. The event will take place at noon. All are welcome, so bring your family, friends and neighbors for a wonderful free Christmas meal.

CHRISTMAS COOKIE WALK: Clifford Vacation Bible School will be holding a Christmas Cookie Walk on Saturday, December 16th from 9am until noon, or until all of the cookies are gone. Located at Clifford United Methodist Church on Main Street, Clifford, PA.

DECEMBER 20

ADVENT ORGAN MEDITATION: Featuring Evelyn and Richard Van Auken at the First Presbyterian Church of Montrose at noon, followed by a soup luncheon.

JANUARY 20

BREAKFAST FOR LIFE: Melissa Ohden speaking at this year’s Breakfast for Life, an event honoring the memory of Cindi Conaty and benefiting her memorial scholarship fund, which provides a $1,000 scholarship to a graduating high school senior in Susquehanna County each year. The event takes place on January 20th at 9 am at the Montrose Bible Conference in Montrose, Pa. Breakfast is free, but donations are accepted. Please register by email at cindiconatybreakfast@gmail.com or by calling 607-765-0484.

Monday: Thyme Roasted Turkey, Brussel Sprouts, Sweet Potatoes, Whole Wheat Roll, Cinnamon-Baked Apples.

Tuesday: Pulled Pork Sandwich on Whole Wheat Roll, Coleslaw, Vegetable Barley Soup, Cherry Gelatin.

Wednesday: Meatloaf, Mashed Potatoes, Herbed Green Beans, Whole Wheat Roll, Chocolate Pudding Parfait.

Thursday: Rotisserie Chicken, Stewed Tomatoes, Peas & Carrots, Mac and Cheese, Fruit Gelatin with topping.

Friday: Chef Salad with Grilled Chicken, French Onion Soup, Carrot Raisin Salad.

On Saturday, December 2, Santa Claus will leave his sleigh at the North Pole and come to town early on a train. Six local communities will celebrate Christmas in a Small Town when Santa arrives aboard a special train provided by Steamtown National Historic Site.

A holiday tradition, the Santa Train will arrive in six communities in the Lackawanna Heritage Valley on Saturday, December 2. This photo from a past celebration shows Santa and Mrs. Claus waving to the crowd.

Now in its 21st year, the Christmas in a Small Town celebration, also known as the Santa Train, is a project of the Lackawanna Heritage Valley National and State Heritage Area. The event draws large crowds of families to restored train stations throughout the Lackawanna Heritage Valley. It’s a tradition and a day to celebrate the heritage of Northeastern Pennsylvania. The Santa Train will arrive at local train stations at the following times:

10:30 a.m. – Carbondale Train Station, River Street, Carbondale

11:35 a.m. – Archbald Train Station, Pike Street, Archbald

12:20 p.m. –  Jessup Train Station, Church Street, Jessup

1 p.m. – Queen City Train Station, Lackawanna Avenue, Olyphant

1:45 p.m. – Dickson City Train Station, Boulevard Avenue, Dickson City

3 p.m. – Steamtown National Historic Site, Scranton

Families are encouraged to assemble at the train station in each community to welcome Santa as the train pulls into town. At each stop, Santa and his friends will greet all of the children, hearing their lists for special Christmas wishes. After visiting with Santa, families can enjoy refreshments, live entertainment and special activities. The Valley View Marching Band will perform at the Archbald and Jessup train stations, greeting Santa with holiday music and entertaining the crowd. The Santa Train and its crew will be available for photo opportunities at each station. All activities are free. Train rides for the public are not available at this event.

Christmas in a Small Town is sponsored by the Lackawanna Heritage Valley National and State Heritage Area in partnership with Steamtown National Historic Site, the Delaware Lackawanna Railroad, Pennsylvania Northeast Regional Railroad Authority, with special thanks to the City of Carbondale, the Carbondale Business Association, Archbald Borough, Jessup Borough, Jessup 21st Century, Olyphant Borough, Dickson City Borough, the City of Scranton, the Lackawanna Historical Society, the Anthracite Heritage Museum, the Lackawanna County Council on Arts and Culture, Propst Transportation, Community Bank NA, and Peoples Security Bank and Trust.

The Forest City Area Historical Society will be participating in the "Christmas is a Small Town" on Saturday, December 2nd in the Borough of Forest City.  Many events are scheduled in the town of Forest City including events at the Historical Society.  The museum will open at Noon on Saturday, December 2nd to visit the historical exhibits.  Local  craft vendors and  homemade food of wimpies, cabbage and noodles and soups will be available for purchase beginning at 2 PM.  A Scavenger Hunt will be conducted with prizes awarded to those completing the Scavenger Hunt.  At 3 PM a 45 minute one man show of a Christmas Carol will be presented.  After the Tree Lighting at 5::15 on Main Street everyone is invited back to the Historical Society for a concert.  Food and vendors will still be available.

With that all-to-familiar nip in the air, we know Old Man Winter and Santa Claus can’t be too far away. It doesn’t matter if you have been naughty or nice, you can still have a heart-to-heart chat with the beloved bearded gent while enjoying a delicious Breakfast created by the talented chefs of the St. John’s Men’s Club.

This annual, free event will be held on Saturday, December 2nd and starts at 8:30 AM, continuing until 10:30 AM. Prizes and pictures with Santa will also be highlights of this exciting day for the young and the young at heart.

“Breakfast with Santa” is sponsored by the Susquehanna Community Development Association and includes the help of many “Elves”. Bring your wish list and your appetite and join us for a special time of this Holiday Season.

Old Mill Village will once again be hosting its annual Victorian Christmas Tea on Saturday, December 9.

The Christmas tradition will take place at the Old Mill Village Church on the Green, 49 Park Place, in New Milford from 11am to 4pm. This is the perfect opportunity to enjoy an elegant interlude during the pre-Christmas rush.

Guests can enjoy High Tea (or hot chocolate) which will be served all day along with delicious sweets and more. Servers will be dressed in period clothing, adding extra charm to the old-fashioned spirit of Christmas theme.

The Susquehanna Dairy Princess and members of her court will be on hand serving a special treat promoting milk, cheese, and other dairy products. There will also be a silent auction for gift baskets that have generously been donated by local businesses, members, and friends of Old Mill Village.

Although there is no admission, donations will be greatly appreciated. For more information, call 570-434-2303.