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By: Dylan Bowman, HAHS Board Member & Ryan Bowman, HAHS President December 13, 2025 During a tense moment for those nearby, Halifax Mayor Jeff Enders faces off with the Belsnickel at the parade held annually in the small town to honor the fur-clad legend. Photograph by Dylan Bowman. A Town's Hero On December 6 of this year, a large group of attendees at the Halifax Area Historical Society’s Annual Belsnickel Holiday Parade and Festival inadvertently found themselves near a h

By: Dylan Bowman, HAHS Board Member December 11, 2025 Visitors to the 22nd Annual Belsnickel Parade & Festival get their photo with the Belsnickel. Photograph by Emma Bowman. Selfies and Stories During the Belsnickel Parade & Festivities, I noticed (as with every year), a great number of individuals and families capturing EPIC photos with the grand old Belsnickel himself. As usual, there were even some photos captured with him disciplining the impish to the sheer delight of t

By: Dylan Bowman, HAHS Board Member December 11, 2025 HAHS Board Member Judy Vallier purchases some festive kettle corn from BFD's Snack Wagon at the 22nd Annual Belsnickel Parade & Festival. Photographs by Dylan Bowman. Feasting in the Valley As the 22nd Annual Belsnickel Parade had been nearing, the HAHS Belsnickel Committee had been planning for some time, and asking the essential question: "How can we have amazing food and level up without causing so many volunteers to be

By: Dylan Bowman, HAHS Board Member December 10, 2025 HAHS volunteers make a third batch of hot chocolate. Photograph by Dylan Bowman. To Those in the Trenches The 22nd Annual Belsnickel Parade & Festival was a massive success. But it would never have even got off the ground without the volunteers and many other helping hands that made everything move like clockwork. Making hot chocolate (over and over and over again). Parking cars in the cold. Directing traffic. Participatin

By: Dylan Bowman, HAHS Board Member December 10, 2025 All Eyes on the Mountain Eyes turned to the mountain on December 6th, as all in the Halifax region knew that the Belsnickel was again descending to their town...and bringing with him, judgement . With the Halifax Area Historical Society at the helm, the Halifax Youth Center was again transformed into a place of holiday magic. Christmas tunes rolled over the Valley from the loudspeakers there, Christmas lights were strung,

By: Dylan Bowman, HAHS Board Member January 18, 2025 The Belsnickel and Uncle Sam of Keystone - DS&T Insurance (Dylan Troutman) switching...

By: Dylan Bowman, HAHS Board Member January 6, 2023 Volunteers Emma Bowman and Graylee Dobbin make a signature hot chocolate for...

As the winds turned bitter with the arrival of winter, bells, ever so lightly ringing, could again be heard descending from the highest poin

With Halloween upon us, one thing is certain within American society as the leaves continue to fall and Autumn winds sweep through the month

This past Friday was another incredible success for the whole town of Halifax, as hundreds of families, friends and individuals came out for

By: Dylan Bowman, HAHS Board Member July 3, 2024 Belsnickel at the beach. Photograph by Dylan Bowman. With the sweltering heat, the glory...

By: Dylan Bowman, HAHS Board Member December 12, 2023 For centuries, the Belsnickel has guarded (or terrorized, depending on who you talk...

By: Dylan Bowman, HAHS Board Member December 10, 2023 The Belsnickel and Uncle Sam of Keystone - DS&T Insurance in the 20th Annual...

By: Dylan Bowman, HAHS Board Member December 4, 2023 Jane Mello, HAHS Board Member, displaying the cleaned-out soup and chili...we had to...

By: Dylan Bowman, HAHS Board Member December 3, 2023 The Belsnickel is here. Photo by Dylan Bowman. The Bells on the Mountain Bells, all...

By: Dylan Bowman, HAHS Board Member November 4, 2023 Candy...and a Switch Only a few short days ago, the annual Halloween Parade took...

By: Dylan Bowman, HAHS Board Member September 30, 2023 He was admirable...ARE YOU? Photo by Dylan Bowman. A Historic Face at the HAHS...

By: Dylan Bowman, HAHS Board Member December 5, 2022 The annual Halifax Belsnickel Parade and Festival, which took place on December 3,...