Nestled in the crooks and bends of Lehigh Valley sits a tiny piece of Americana. Touted as the "Best Outdoor Christmas Display in the World," (Display World magazine, Koziar’s Christmas Village is a haven for those in lust with the Christmas spirit.

A short journey up I-81 N to 78 E, Koziar’s Christmas Village hides in the small town of Bernville, PA (minutes from Reading) where its bright holiday exhibit glows for children of all ages.

Created in 1948 by William M. Koziar, the Christmas Village began when Mr. Koziar’s knack for holiday decorating earned his property the neighborhood nickname, "the Christmas House." Each year, Koziar added new and unusual items and light displays, eventually spanning his creations over his entire property from the house and barn to the lake, walkways, trees, and fences. As Mr. Koziar’s spectacle grew, so did the number of people requesting to view the property in all of its radiant delight.

Today, Koziar’s Christmas Village opens every November, on Fridays from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., and Saturdays and Sundays from 5:30 p.m. until 9:30 p.m. Thanksgiving Day through January 1, the village is open every day: Monday through Friday from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m., and Saturday and Sunday from 5 p.m. to 9:30 p.m.

As you breach the top of the hill where Koziar’s becomes visible, you’ll gasp in awe and delight. The first impression is "wow." The sheer quantity of illumination is amazing. Drive around toward the large white barn (where ample parking is available) and wave to the life-size furry "animals" that greet you at the beginning of your Christmas Village journey.

After paying the admission (a reasonable $6 for adults), the cashier informs you to just "follow the arrows," and comforts you with knowledge that there are several buildings to stop in along the way to warm up. As you take your first steps into this holiday wonderland, the second impression of Koziar’s Christmas Village is that it’s fantastically tacky. So many, many colored lights and cartoon wooden cutouts adorn the courtyards between the aptly named holiday-themed paved roads. First, you’ll see the Flintstones and Sesame Street characters planted along the way. Window displays featuring Christmas in the arctic, the jungle, and Hawaii are cute, but disappointing. As you follow such paths as "Santa Claus Lane" and "Snow Drift Drive," and pass the manger scene and cutouts of the Grinch, Peanuts characters, Calvin and Hobbes, Sleeping Beauty, Garfield, the Christmas Story, and the Nutcracker it becomes apparent that this explosion of color and lights isn’t so much tacky as it is wonderful. It brings you back to your childhood and memories of a much more innocent time — when Santa existed, and watching prime-time Christmas specials involved permission to stay up late.

Stop into Santa’s Headquarters where photos with Santa are a bargain $5.95, or sneak into the Village Store and Snack Shoppe for a warm-up of hot cocoa and chocolate chip cookies. Pop into the Bearie Special Toy Shoppe, full of quality stuffed animals for sale — from bears and puppies to the more unusual warthog or coyote — as well as trinkets, or the more practical Koziar’s Christmas Village gloves (in case you forgot) and free tissues (to end your sniffling).

Window displays like Santa’s Post Office and The Night Before Christmas are intricate and beautiful. While all but few represent the holiday season in some respect (Christmas in the Forest; The Toymaker and His Shoppe; Christmas Beneath the Sea), some pay tribute to the area itself, for instance, Farm Life in Berks County and the Reading Co. Outer Station.

It’s cold outside, and possibly snowing, so your nose won’t let you bypass the sweet scent of popcorn cooking inside Das Ist Wanderbar, another snack/gift shop with treats for everyone, adorned with a gentle German motif, and specializing in Christmas tree ornaments.

It’s winding to the end of the tour, and the paths lead back to Koziar’s Christmas Village barn. Here you’ll find the restrooms and a very large gift shop, specializing in unique Christmas ornaments. Another gift/snack shop features Train Village, a miniature train display. Free, appropriately placed tissues are abundant.

The tour takes about an hour (longer if children are in tow). There are many details to notice at Koziar’s, which is why many people have made trips to the Christmas Village a regular part of their family holiday tradition. Every year, there is something new to admire or discover. And it certainly is "just for the kids," though by no means should that discourage anyone from witnessing this spectacle of holiday spirit charged with multihued glow. No, Koziar’s Christmas Village is for the kid inside — the kid who remembers Charlie Brown’s wilting Christmas tree and who left cookies and milk out for Santa (and carrots for the reindeer). For the child who helped Mom bake cookies, and for the child who could clearly hear the sound of reindeer hooves pitter-pattering on the roof on Christmas Eve — those are the "kids" who will appreciate this interpretation of the magic of the holiday season. Koziar’s Christmas Village promises a trip through Christmas Land, and for many, a trek down "Memory Lane."

Koziar's
Christmas Village
Off Route 183, Bernville, PA
610-488-1110
koziarschristmasvillage.com

Admission
• $6 for adults 13 and over; $5 for seniors; $4 for ages 4-12; and children 4 and under are free.

Getting There
• 81-N to 78-E. Take exit 19 toward Strausstown/Reading. At the ramp, turn right onto 183-S. Follow for several miles. At the "T," you’ll see a sign for Christmas Village, and an arrow pointing left. Turn left, continuing on 183-S. Follow for about 3 miles. Turn right onto New Schaefferstown Road (look for the snow tubing mountain — it’s easier to see). Turn right onto Christmas Village Road. Follow until you see the lights.

Suggested Parking
• Ample parking is available at Koziar’s Christmas Village.

Places to Eat

• Numerous on-site snack bars and gift shops, with everything from hamburgers to hot chocolate

Things to Pack
• Camera

• Warm gloves and hat

• Cozy winter coat

• Blistex

• Extra pair(s) of thermal socks

• Cash (for food and gifts)

• Thermos of Hot Toddies! (wiskey, sugar, lemon, and hot water)