Escape the craziness of the holiday season and enjoy the calm and Victorian beauty of Downtown Doylestown the way holiday shopping was meant to be – with all the small-town charm and unique local shops sure to please everyone on your holiday list.

On Friday, Dec. 7, starting at 6 p.m., First Friday Doylestown meets Midnight Magic as many of the more than 60 merchants stay open until the clock strikes 12. It promises to be a magical night – rain or shine, snow or sleet – with caroling, free trolley rides and holiday music all over town.

This night combines two great Downtown Doylestown traditions: First Friday and Midnight Magic. For more, please see www.firstfridaydoylestown.com or http://doylestownalive.com/midnightmagic/.

You’ll feel like you’re in a Norman Rockwell painting! You can:

v Wander around Downtown Doylestown, and check out the beautiful window displays as hundreds of luminaries light your way.

v Enjoy free, light refreshments from many of the 60 participating merchants

v Listen to holiday sounds from several sets of carolers, who will be strolling around town
v Greet Frosty the Snowman and Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
v Be entertained by musicians at merchants throughout and at key corners of downtown Doylestown
v Ride the Bucks County Trolley – for free! (Plenty of free parking is available at the Library on Pine Street and the Courthouse Parking Garage.)
v Take a free carriage ride between stores (available for adults and families only please), thanks to Bucks County Carriages
v Buy holiday cards from BARC featuring snow scenes in Doylestown Borough. Many merchants will be selling the packs of 12 cards for $15. BARC is a non-profit organization that provides services for 900 men, women, and children with developmental disabilities through advocacy, early intervention, vocational, and residential services. BARC will also have an informational table outside of Starbucks at Main and State Sts.
Holiday Music Everywhere!
In addition to musical offerings at many merchants, Café Alessio (at Main and Court Sts.), Starbucks (at State and Main Sts.), Main Street Marketplace and the parking lot on State and Hamilton Sts. will also host many of the strolling groups on a revolving basis. These groups include:
v Sweet Harmony
v Country Gentlemen Barbershop Quartet
v YMCA Adventure Princesses and Blossoms
v CB West Choir
v Theatre Arts Group
v Anthony and Alexandra Veltri., dad and daughter keyboard and vocals
v Billy Amore, the area’s own “Frank Sinatra”
v Town and Country Players
v Brothers and Others
Musicians will also perform on the Bucks County Trolley.
Visit the House Tour, Too
On the same evening, you can also tour neighborhood homes, gloriously decked out for the holidays at the St. Paul House Tour.
Four beautiful homes on East Court Street between Spruce and Church Sts. will welcome visitors as part of the annual “Christmas in Doylestown” house tour from 6 to 9 p.m., Friday, Dec. 7. (The house tour is also open Saturday, Dec. 8 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., with the snow date on Sunday, Dec. 9.)
Tickets cost $20 in advance and $25 during the tour. You can buy them at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 84 E. Oakland Ave., Monday to Friday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. or by sending a self-addressed envelope to the church. You can also get tickets at FX Dougherty Home & Gift, 64 Main St., during business hours: Mondays to Thursdays 10-6, Fridays 10 -8, Saturdays 10 -5, Sundays 12-4.