Are you sick of this hot, summer weather and wishing for the holidays to come faster?

Wish no more. Stop by Historic Downtown Bethlehem for Christmas in July.

If there’s one thing the Christmas City knows how to do, it’s celebrate the holiday season, no matter the time of year.

You are just in time for the Fest of the Seven Fishes event. This seafood feast runs July 22-24. Seven local restaurants are offering specialty seafood dishes during the time frame. You can also purchase grab-and-go items July 24.

Participating restaurants include Casa del Mofongo, Tapas on Main, Urbano Mexican Kitchen and Bar, Historic Hotel Bethlehem, Twisted Olive, McCarthy’s Red Stag Pub and Whiskey Bar and Edge Restaurant.

Remember, a lot of restaurants are still short-staffed, so be nice to your cooks and servers during this busy time.

The window decorating competition is coming to a close. Windows were decorated July 1-25. Passersby can simply scan the QR code on their favorite window and place their vote.

Participating businesses are Brownstone Design, Donegal Square, Franklin Hill Vineyards, Hand Cut Crystal at Bethlehem Christmas Shoppe, Historic Bethlehem Museums and Sites, Hyatt Place Bethlehem, Grandpa Joe’s Candy Shop, Knobs and Knockers, La Petite Provence, Moravian Book Shop, Musselman Jewelers, Platz by ArtsQuest and Seasons Olive Oil and Vinegar Taproom.

The Snowball Scramble is a new event for the downtown Bethlehem area. There will be a letter displayed in each of the merchants’ windows. Add the letters to the scramble card, which can be downloaded from the downtown Bethlehem website. Unscramble the letters and upload the correct phrase to the website for a chance to win a gift certificate.

Make sure you keep an eye out for the sneaky red and green elves in the downtown merchant shops. Take a selfie with the elves until July 25 and upload them to the Heart of Bethlehem social media pages for a chance to win a gift certificate. Make sure you use the #SelfieWithAnElfie hashtag on your posts. There is no purchase necessary for this opportunity.

There are ongoing gift card sales to help you get a jumpstart on Christmas shopping. Stop by any of the participating merchants - A-list Salon, AM Luxe, Domaci, Donegal Square, El Jefe’s Taqueria, Eva’s Bargain Boutique, McCarthy’s Red Stag Pub, Musselman Jewelers, National Museum of Industrial History, Roasted, Seasons and Social Still - for special gift card deals.

Premier partners for Christmas in July include Historic Hotel Bethlehem, Hyatt Place, Moravian University, Boyle Construction Management, RCN, Omega Protective Services and Lehigh Valley with Love.

For more information, go to getdowntownbethlehem.com/christmas-in-july.

Don’t miss your chance to celebrate the holidays early in the Christmas City! There’s even a chance you may see Santa Claus himself walking around the Main and Broad streets area.

Samantha Anderson

editorial assistant

Whitehall-Coplay Press

Northampton Press

Catasauqua Press