Crowd awaits Christmas tree lighting during Downtown D’Lights in Erie
A crowd filled Perry Square in Erie for the Downtown D’Lights holiday celebration and to await the annual Christmas tree lighting.
You are roughly a one-tank trip away from spending part of the holidays at Knoebels, Hersheypark or Sesame Place, as each is open throughout the festive season.
Here’s what you need to know before you you go.
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Are theme parks open in Pennsylvania on holidays?
These theme parks are open during the holiday season. Several also have end-of-year celebrations worth checking out as well.
Crayola Experience: The Crayola Experience will be open daily through the holiday season, including on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day.
Dutch Winter Wonderland: Dutch Winter Wonderland is open from 3 to 8 p.m. on Dec. 21, 22, 23, 26, 27, 28 and 29. Dutch Winter Wonderland will be closed on Christmas Day and will be open on New Year’s Eve.
Hersheypark: Hersheypark will close for the season on New Year’s Day at 9 p.m. Hersheypark will also be closed on Christmas Day, and will be open on New Year’s Eve.
Kennywood: will be open on weekends from 3 to 9 p.m., and on Fridays from 5 to 9 p.m. through January. Kennywood is closed on Christmas Day, and will be open on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day.
Knoebels Amusement Resort: according to its calendar, Knoebels will shut down for the season on New Year’s Eve with the last edition of the “Joy Through the Grove” drive-thru Christmas lights display. Knoebels will also be closed on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.
Sesame Place Philadelphia: Sesame Place will close out its holiday season with the last run of “A Very Furry Christmas Celebration” on Sunday, Jan. 5, 2025. Sesame Place will be open on Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day.
Six Flags Great Adventure: Six Flags Great Adventure will close for the season at 8 p.m. on New Year’s Day with the last running of “Holiday in the Park” showcase. Six Flags Great Adventure will be closed on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, but will be open on New Year’s Eve.
Which them parks are now closed for the season?
It stands to reason that most water-based parks would are already closed for the season.
DelGrosso’s Park & Laguna Splash, Dorney Park and Wildwater Kingdom and Waldameer & Water World are currently closed for the season, and will reopen in late spring/early summer.
Damon C. Williams is a Philadelphia-based journalist reporting on trending topics across the Mid-Atlantic Region.
More than $22 million in “Money Match” checks were mailed to nearly 100,000 Pennsylvanians, the treasury said.
In a news release on Thursday, the Pennsylvania Treasury said people should be on the lookout for the checks, which are part of the Pennsylvania Money Match program. Treasurer Stacy Garrity said to cash or deposit the checks “promptly.”
The first Pennsylvania Money Match checks, totaling more than $1.7 million, are now on the way to Pennsylvanians’ mailboxes. Pennsylvania Money Match is a new program that allows Treasury to return certain unclaimed property to rightful owners automatically, which was approved unanimously by the General Assembly and signed by the Governor last year.
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“I want Pennsylvanians to know that this is a real check, it is real money, and it belongs to them,” Garrity said in the news release. “And as always, I still encourage everyone to regularly search for unclaimed property online, as many claims will not qualify for the Money Match process.”
With the mailing of the year’s last batch of checks, more than $50 million will have been returned automatically to Pennsylvanians.
What are Money Match checks?
The program allows the state treasury to automatically return unclaimed property valued up to $500 owned by a single individual. Before the program was created in 2024, residents themselves had to seek out unclaimed property.
“I’m thrilled to continue this program as we work hard to get more money back to its rightful owners,” Garrity said in the news release.
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However, if the property has multiple owners or is valued higher than $500, Pennsylvanians still need to file a claim.
What is unclaimed property?
Unclaimed property includes dormant bank accounts, uncashed checks, forgotten stocks, rebates and insurance policies, among other things. It can also include the contents of abandoned safe deposit boxes.
According to the state treasury, more than one in 10 Pennsylvanians is owed some of the $5 billion in unclaimed property in the treasury’s care, and the average value of a claim is more than $1,000.
Unclaimed property scam
On its website, the state treasury has a warning about scammers using text messages to target potential unclaimed property claimants.
The department “never reaches out to people in regard to any program, including unclaimed property, via unsolicited text messages.”
A special weather statement was issued by the National Weather Service on Friday at 10:06 a.m. until 1 p.m. for Warren, McKean, Elk, Cameron, Clearfield, Cambria and Somerset counties.
“Temperatures will drop below the freezing mark through midday with rain showers quickly changing to snow showers. Blustery winds may dry off roads and other paved surfaces, but any residual water from previous rain or melting snow could freeze up and result in slick spots through the afternoon,” explains the weather service.
This results page was generated automatically using information from TinBu and a template written and reviewed by a Pennsylvania editor. You can send feedback using this form.
