When Santa steps off the fire truck at 5 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 14, how many of the storefronts around Town Square were open for last year's tree lighting?
Fewer than you might guess. Promenade Saucon Valley opened as The Promenade Shops at Saucon Valley on Oct. 27, 2006, according to The Morning Call, so this is its first holiday season after turning 20. The holiday events follow the usual pattern: Santa photos at the gazebo, horse-drawn carriages and a 40-foot tree. What's new are the places you can stop in between them. A brewery taproom, five businesses that opened in 2026 and a restaurant space now being filled have changed the walk from the carriages to the tree since last December.
Saturday, Nov. 14, hour by hour
The Holiday Tree Lighting runs from 5 to 8 p.m., and the activities are spread across the whole property.
- 2 p.m. Horse-drawn carriage rides begin and run until 8 p.m.
- 5 p.m. Santa arrives on a fire truck. Walk-in Santa photos start and run until 8 p.m., with no appointments.
- 5 to 7 p.m. Live entertainment spreads out across the property. Face painting is in front of Altar'd State. Live reindeer are on the street between Red Robin and Batch Microcreamery. The Swing Time Dolls perform in Town Square, After 5 Live plays on The Patio, and Orbital Drums play between Kay Jewelers and Pandora.
- All evening. Elsa, Anna, Olaf, Mickey and Minnie make character visits. Barley Creek Brewery serves holiday drinks, the Red Robin Food Truck serves food, and eight local vendors set up at Snowflake Square.
- 7 p.m. The 40-foot tree is lit in Town Square.
- After the lighting. A Holiday Dance Party around the tree, with visits from the Grinch.
The Promenade lists more than 72 shops and restaurants for the night. One name in the drinks lineup wasn't part of the center a year ago.
The taproom that arrived as last season began
Barley Creek Taproom Saucon opened the Friday after Thanksgiving 2025, The Morning Call reported, when last year's holiday season was already underway. The Poconos-based brewery described the Promenade location as having "a rotating lineup of Barley Creek's freshly brewed beers, handcrafted cocktails, and a menu of fan favorites and new bites." The menu listed wings, burgers, pretzels, pizza, sandwiches, shrimp tacos and macaroni and cheese.
Twelve months later, Barley Creek is pouring the official drinks at the tree lighting. Five more businesses opened at the center during 2026.
A year of openings, mapped to where you'll be standing
A summer roundup from WFMZ tracked a string of openings through the first half of 2026, and the fall added more.
| Business | Opened | Where to find it | What it adds to a holiday visit |
|---|---|---|---|
| Barley Creek Taproom Saucon | Nov. 28, 2025 | Promenade Saucon Valley | Pennsylvania-made beer and cocktails |
| Norman's Hallmark | March 2026 | Next to Bath & Body Works | Hallmark cards, Keepsake Ornaments, gifts, books and gourmet items |
| Mental Strength Ritual | March 2026 | Suite 610, next to Altar'd State | Wellness studio |
| Sephora | April 2026 | Next to Athleta | Makeup, skincare, hair and fragrance |
| Wonder | June 2026 | Suite 802, next to Elite Salons & Suites | Orders from more than 20 chef-driven brands, dine-in or pickup |
| Every DOG! | Oct. 17, 2026 | Suite 420, between American Eagle and Claire's | Dog and cat food, treats, toys and accessories |
Several of these line up with the season. Norman's Hallmark is the center's first ornament counter on a December visit to the Promenade, since it opened in March. Wonder lets a group split up orders from different restaurant brands in one stop, which helps on a night when the dinner plan depends on the Santa line. One familiar business is still nearby. Color Me Mine came back to the Promenade in August 2025, The Morning Call reported. It sits next to Batch Microcreamery, and it had operated at the center from 2009 to 2015 before spending a decade on East Third Street in South Bethlehem, WFMZ reported. That puts the pottery studio on the same block as the reindeer on Nov. 14.
The pet store and the Santa nights for pets
Suite 420 shows how quickly the center's storefronts have turned over this year. The Hive, a crafts and vendor market, held that space until February. That month it ended retail operations at its Promenade and Nazareth locations, The Morning Call reported. Every DOG! opened there on Oct. 17, during the center's fourth annual Barktoberfest. Owner Alex Harris told The Morning Call that "as a locally owned business, creating a welcoming place for pet owners and providing products they can feel good about choosing for their dogs is very important to us." The store sells supplies only. No live pets or grooming services are offered, according to WFMZ.
The Promenade's Photos with Santa schedule includes three pet-photo nights at the Town Square gazebo: Thursdays, Dec. 3, Dec. 10 and Dec. 17. This is the first holiday season with a pet-supply store a short walk from the gazebo, so a new collar or a treat to keep a dog still for the camera is now an easy stop on the way.
The guessing game at Suite 700
The biggest change still in progress is at 2960 Center Valley Parkway, Suite 700. Bar Louie opened there in 2015 and closed last year. WFMZ dates the closing to August 2025 and notes that Shula's Steak House used the space before that. A new restaurant is headed for the space, and a Pennsylvania Liquor Control Board notice posted in the entrance window in July listed a liquor-license transfer to Saucon Valley TRS LLC, WFMZ reported.
The Promenade is turning the reveal into a contest. According to The Morning Call, anyone who correctly guesses the restaurant in the comments of the center's Facebook or Instagram post is entered to win a $500 gift card to it. The contest is open to Pennsylvania residents 14 and older. Entries close at 11:59 p.m. Friday, Nov. 13, the night before the tree lighting. The winner will be announced Nov. 16 and must pick up the prize at the Promenade.
Another storefront is already set for next year. Warby Parker plans a 1,559-square-foot store next to Athleta in 2027. General manager Patrick Turner called the brand "a great addition" to the center's mix in Lehigh Valley Business. That puts both Sephora and Warby Parker near Athleta, so that corner will look different by next December.
The rest of the season, including a second tree
After Nov. 14, the holiday schedule continues through Christmas Eve, and a second tree lighting happens a few miles away in December.
- Snowflake Square. The Promenade's outdoor holiday market, presented by Green Acres Outdoor Living, is in its fourth year. Local businesses and artisans sell from festive sheds around the tree and the Santa area. Hours are Fridays 4 to 8 p.m., Saturdays noon to 8 p.m. and Sundays noon to 5 p.m. The market and Santa photos run from Nov. 14 through Dec. 24.
- Horse-drawn carriage rides. Rides continue through Dec. 21. Character sessions are scheduled for Friday, Nov. 27, Friday, Dec. 11, Sunday, Dec. 13, Friday, Dec. 18 and Sunday, Dec. 20.
- Santa's pet nights. Thursdays, Dec. 3, 10 and 17, at the Town Square gazebo.
- Holidays at Hopewell Park. Upper Saucon Township holds its own celebration on Saturday, Dec. 12, from 5 to 8 p.m., with holiday entertainment, local vendors, seasonal food and family activities. It ends with the township's Holiday Tree Lighting Ceremony.
That gives Center Valley two tree lightings four weeks apart: the Promenade's 40-foot tree on Nov. 14 and the township's tree at Hopewell Park on Dec. 12. Between those two evenings, the Promenade will host its first holiday season with Norman's Hallmark, Sephora, Wonder and Every DOG!, and Barley Creek will have its first full one.
If you're thinking about what a changing Promenade means for your own home this season, Creighton Faust is glad to talk it through. Request a complimentary market valuation and Call Creighton today.
