Hanover’s Top 5 Weekend Events (December 19-21)

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We’re right on the edge of the winter solstice, the holidays, and that collective exhale that comes when offices close, PTO kicks in, and the calendar finally stops yelling at us.

I’ve noticed something interesting this year. People feel… quieter. Less frantic. Less interested in buying all the things and more interested in being somewhere that feels steady. The economy is doing what it’s doing. Inflation is very real. A lot of families are scaling back, simplifying, and getting a little more intentional.

Personally, I’m making more gifts than I’m buying. Emerson has more toys than he could ever need, and honestly, too many choices just lead to boredom and decision fatigue anyway. He’s happiest outside with the neighbor kids, building forts and disappearing into imaginary worlds, even if now it’s darker, colder, and requires approximately six layers.

This weekend feels like a bridge. Between chaos and calm. Between doing and being. Between the season we’ve been racing through and the one that’s actually about gathering, reflecting, and showing up.

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Quick question.

What happens to a town when the only stories getting told are the loud, angry, or negative ones?

That’s the gap Heart of Hanover exists to fill.

Every week, this newsletter quietly does the unglamorous work of paying attention. Showing up. Connecting dots. Reminding people that this place is more than comment sections and complaints.

That kind of work doesn’t run on algorithms. It runs on neighbors who decide it’s worth protecting.

Becoming a Founding Supporter is how you raise your hand and say, “I want this to keep existing.” You’re not buying perks. You’re backing a vision of Hanover that’s kinder, more connected, and actually fun to live in.

And here’s the part most people don’t say out loud.

Supporting something good feels good.

If Heart of Hanover has helped you feel more in-the-know, more connected, or just a little more proud to live here, this is your invitation to step into the inner circle.

You don’t need permission. You’re already the kind of person this was built for.

I am forever grateful for these 4 sweet souls because they believed in my dream, and their belief encouraged me to dream bigger. Thank you! 💗

Darlene · Brian · Holly · Andy

Listed in chronological order, because time is real and so is decision fatigue.

🧡 Silent Auction + Santa @ Avalon Ale House
💛 Santa’s Cabin in Center Square
💚 Cash BINGO Night @ Lyric Band
💙 Pictures with Santa @ Hanover Market House
💜 Yule Craft & Community Day @ The Serpent’s Key
🧡 Candlelight Rosary & Christmas Carols @ Center Square
💛 Yule Community Circle @ The Serpent’s Key
💚 18+ Game Night @ Rainbow Rose Center
💙 Meet the Sugarplum Fairy & Snow Queen @ At The Barre
💜 Christmas in the Air @ Eichelberger Performing Arts Center

📍 Avalon Ale House, 1418 Baltimore Street
🗓 Friday, December 19 | 🕓 4 PM – 10 PM

Avalon Ale House is going full holiday mode on Friday with a Silent Auction to support Hanover’s robotics team, the Guthrie Geeks. This means you can drink a beer, bid on fun baskets, and feel good about supporting local students doing cool, nerdy, future-forward things.

Make sure you bring the whole family because Santa will also be on-site making the rounds. Adults on the naughty list are still welcome, but please act like you’ve been here before.

📍 Center Square
🗓 Friday, December 19 | 🕕6 PM – 8 PM
🗓 Saturday, December 20 | 🕙10 AM – 1 PM and 🕑2 PM – 6 PM

Santa’s Cabin is open in Center Square, which means you can stop by, say hi, snap a photo, and move along without committing to a whole afternoon. This is the low-pressure Santa visit of your dreams.

📍 Lyric Band of Hanover, 2 York Street
🗓 Friday, December 19 | 🕔 5 PM

Cash BINGO night is exactly what it sounds like. Games, prizes, and plenty of opportunities to shout “BINGO” with confidence, even if you’re only 70 percent sure.

They’ll have classic BINGO, Bonanza, speed games, and Century 13. Never played before? Totally fine. The staff will teach you. Families and groups are always welcome.

📍 Hanover Market House, 210 E Chestnut Street
🗓 Saturday, December 20 | 🕘 9 AM – 12 PM

Free pictures with Santa at the Market House, because not everything in December needs to cost money. Bring your own camera, your kids, and whatever level of cooperation they’re willing to offer that morning.

This is one of Santa’s final local stops before the big night, so if you still need that photo, now’s the time.

Please note: no pets, even if they’re very good boys.

📍 The Serpent’s Key Shoppe & Sanctuary, 28 Carlisle Street
🗓 Saturday, December 20 | 🕙 10 AM – 6 PM

If your idea of celebrating the winter solstice involves crafting, intention-setting, and being around other humans who enjoy a slower pace, this one’s for you.

Drop in anytime throughout the day to make Yule cards, create decorations, contribute to the shop altar, or just hang out and soak up the energy. No schedule. No pressure. Stay five minutes or five hours.

📍 Center Square, Hanover
🗓 Saturday, December 20 | 🕕 6 PM – 7 PM

Join friends and neighbors in Center Square for a peaceful candlelit evening of prayer and Christmas carols. The night includes the Prayer to St. Michael the Archangel, the Joyful Mysteries of the Rosary, and carols woven throughout, closing with Silent Night by candlelight.

Candles and rosaries will be provided. All are welcome. Dress warmly and come as you are.

📍 The Serpent’s Key Shoppe & Sanctuary, 28 Carlisle Street
🗓 Saturday, December 20 | 🕕 6 PM – 8 PM

The Serpent’s Key is hosting a community Yule Circle to honor the winter solstice and the New Moon in Sagittarius. Expect reflection, connection, and a slower, intentional way to close out the day.

Please bring 2–3 printed or handwritten copies of your favorite cookie recipe. They’re compiling a community cookbook that will be shared after the event.

📍 Eteam Community Space, 228 E Chestnut Street
🗓 Saturday, December 20 | 🕖 7 PM – 9 PM

Third Saturday means game night. Ticket to Ride, Catan, Monopoly, Risk, Clank!, and whatever else ends friendships in the most loving way possible.

This one’s 18+ and perfect if you want to be social without yelling over live music or pretending to enjoy small talk.

📍 At The Barre, 921 Carlisle Street
🗓 Sunday, December 21 | 🕐 1 PM – 3 PM
🔗 RSVP Online

At The Barre is bringing out the Sugarplum Fairy and Snow Queen for photos, shopping, and treat bags. If your house is deep in Nutcracker season, this is an easy win.

📍 Eichelberger Performing Arts Center, 195 Stock Street, Ste 200
🗓 Sunday, December 21 | 🕒 3 PM – 6 PM
💵 $49-$54 | 🔗 Buy Online

This is a full Broadway-style holiday production with big musical numbers, high-energy dancers, and a feel-good holiday story.

If you want to sit down, turn your brain off, and let someone else handle the holiday magic for a couple hours, this is a solid choice.

These are just a few of the happenings around town. The Heart of Hanover events calendar is packed full of fun things to do.

👉 View the Full Calendar

We’re heading into the winter solstice, the darkest point of the year, and if your body is quietly begging for a nap, that checks out. This is the season that reminds us rest isn’t optional, it’s part of the design.

Quick housekeeping note. I’m heading in for more emergency dental work today, because apparently my teeth also chose December for character development. Tomorrow’s newsletter may land a little later than usual, possibly Saturday. I promise it’s coming, just with slightly puffier cheeks and fewer typing hours.

Until then, consider this your permission slip to slow down, choose fewer things, and honor the quiet. The light always comes back.

XoXo,
Megan

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