Who Lights Up Camp Hill This December? The Light Walk, the Candy Cane Walk and a New Home Contest

Camp Hill's holiday light event has a new name, a new location and a shorter run this year. The borough now calls it the Hometown Holiday Light Walk & Tree Lighting Celebration. It takes place on one evening, Thursday, December 3, from 5 to 8 p.m. at the Borough building at 2145 Walnut Street, and the borough describes it as "transforming the former 'Parade of Lights.'"

The details on the borough's special events page point to who is doing the decorating. The light display comes from local organizations, clubs and businesses that offer to build one. The borough's first holiday home decorating contest depends on residents nominating their own homes or a neighbor's. Before either of those, the Downtown Camp Hill Association brings Market Street shops into the season with its Candy Cane Walk. Taken together, more of this year's holiday calendar is built by the people and businesses already in the borough.

Here is the season in order, starting with the dates closest to publication.

From a Market Street parade to a walk on Walnut Street

The Light Walk is the latest version of an event that has changed format several times.

• The street parade. In 2018, PennLive's weekly roundup of free things to do described the parade route this way: it stepped off at 24th and Market, turned onto Walnut Street, and finished at Borough Hall for the tree lighting.
• The drive-through years. WGAL reported in 2022 that the pandemic stopped the Toys for Tots parade in 2020, so the borough decorated a park for visitors to drive through instead.
• Two nights in Willow Park. The borough's 2025 Parade of Lights page kept the parade name, but the event itself was a walking event in Willow Park on December 5 and 6 from 6 to 8 p.m. A trolley ran on Friday evening, and the Marines and volunteers collected toys at the cubes on N. 24th Street.
• One night at the Borough building. For 2026 the event is a single evening on the Walnut Street grounds, with the annual tree lighting folded into the same night and Mid Penn Bank at 2148 Market Street as the partner.

After several years away, the event is back at Borough Hall, where the old parade used to finish. The tree lighting is again the main event of the evening.

What happens on December 3

The borough's listing describes a full evening on the grounds and inside the building:

• A walk through light displays and holiday decorations
• Holiday music by the Camp Hill High School Band
• Community groups and organizations set up in the Prosser Hall Community Room
• Photos with Santa and a station for writing letters to Santa
• A chance to meet Camp Hill police officers
• Free food and refreshments
• The annual Holiday Tree Lighting

Admission is a new, unwrapped toy for Toys for Tots. The borough is continuing to work with the Marines on the toy drive. It will also accept cash donations, which staff will use to buy toys. Last year the borough asked for toys for children from newborn to age 17. Those are the 2025 guidelines, so they are a useful starting point for this year's shopping list.

Last year's Willow Park map directed visitors to two parking lots: the Borough Building lot at 2145 Walnut Street and the Camp Hill Presbyterian Church lot at 101 N. 23rd Street. Those were the 2025 arrangements, so check the borough's page closer to December 3 for this year's parking guidance.

The displays come from the community

The light displays come from local groups, so their number and variety depend on who signs up. Any organization, club or business can set one up at no cost. The borough welcomes donations and takes interest through an email address listed on its events page.

The borough's guidelines for groups considering a display:

1. Finish decorating by December 1.
2. Provide your own sign for your organization, club or business.
3. Plan to provide your own power. The borough has a limited supply and may be able to connect some displays.
4. Expect the display to stay outside for about a week, in rain or shine.
5. Get the borough's permission before putting any lights in trees.
6. Leave out religious or political symbols and decorations, which the guidelines prohibit.
7. Clean up by Monday, December 7.

The borough also notes that it is not responsible for displays before, during or after the event. Groups planning something elaborate should build it to handle a week of December weather.

Your neighbor's porch could be on the ballot

The Holiday Home Decorating Contest is new this year, and it extends the season to individual homes. Residents can nominate their own house or a neighbor's. After nominations close, the borough photographs the participating homes and the community votes for its favorites.

The timeline is longer than most residents might expect. Nominations open November 15 and close November 30, and a home has to be registered by the 30th to be included. Decorating must be finished by December 6, which is three days after the Light Walk. Photos are taken December 7 through 11, public voting runs December 14 through 20, and winners are announced December 21. The contest is limited to homes in Camp Hill Borough.

Because nominations close before the decorating deadline, a home can be entered before the lights go up. A neighbor who decorates big every year can be nominated in November and still finish the display in early December.

Before the lights: Market Street's afternoon

Market Street gets its own holiday event first. The Downtown Camp Hill Association's Candy Cane Walk runs Sunday, November 22, from noon to 4 p.m. The Visit Cumberland Valley listing promises Santa and Mrs. Claus, kids' activities, local food and drinks, holiday shopping, music and festive storefronts. It directs visitors to the event's Facebook page for updates on which businesses are taking part.

Last year's walk shows what the afternoon usually looks like. Local writer Sara Bozich's 2025 preview listed live music, food and drink stations and pop-ups. The participating businesses that year included One Good Woman, Plum Bottom, Cornerstone Coffee House, Little Black Dress, Meeka Fine Jewelry, Daisy Age, Live in Color Boutique, Joey Jaks, Chef de Crepe, Sweet Velvet Macarons, Blooms By Vickery and Carmina Cristina. That list is from 2025, and the 2026 lineup will appear on the DCHA's event page.

The Candy Cane Walk is one of four DCHA events in 2026. The others were the Spring Fling in April, the Plein Air Art Walk in June and the Harvest Hop in October.

Two more Tuesdays at Market on Market

The DCHA's farmers market also has two dates left before the Light Walk. Market on Market runs Tuesdays in the Trinity Lutheran Church parking lot. Since November 3 it has kept shorter hours of 3 to 6 p.m., and the season ends November 24. The kids' activity tent is closed for the November markets, and the market may close early if strong winds or thunderstorms are forecast. The market posts weather updates on its Facebook and Instagram pages on Tuesdays.

The borough's 2026 vendor list covers food for the table and food to give. It includes Tuckey's Orchard, Bennett Run Mushroom Farm, Back Creek Farms, Beshore Hill Farm and Open Hands Farm, along with bakers such as Heritage Bakery, Jenbel Haitian Bakery and The Wholesome Loaf. Castlerigg Wine, Amy & Steve's Preserves, Baby Bee Apiaries, The Popcorn Loft and Big John's Beef Jerky are also on the list, as are Wild for Salmon and Sharp Again. The list covers the whole season, so check the market's social pages before a November Tuesday if you are going for a particular vendor.

The DCHA describes the market's purpose as bringing more foot traffic to downtown and supporting the businesses and organizations in the business district. The final market on November 24 falls two days after the Candy Cane Walk and nine days before the tree lighting.

If you're decorating this season because you plan to list your home in the spring, or you'd like to know how your street's homes are holding their value, The Shannon Kincaid Team can help. We're based in Camp Hill and are glad to talk through timing, preparation or a home valuation. Contact Us any time, and we hope to see you on Walnut Street on December 3.