Brand-new PEEPS® Chick, New PEEPS® Games & More Highlight Event Dec. 30-31

The PEEPS® Chick  rings in the new year at the 7th annual PEEPSFEST®  Dec. 31, 2015 in Bethlehem, PA.  Jeff Fusco/AP Images for Just Born Quality Confections

The PEEPS® Chick rings in the new year at the 7th annual PEEPSFEST® Dec. 31, 2015 in Bethlehem, PA.  Jeff Fusco/AP Images for Just Born Quality Confections

Family fun is the name of the game at PEEPSFEST®, the annual two-day New Year’s Eve festival returning to SteelStacks in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, for its eighth year Dec. 30-31.  Each year, PEEPS® fans arrive from all over the country to enjoy family-friendly activities and marvel at the giant PEEPS® Chick as it descends at 5:15 p.m. followed by a stunning display of fireworks, commemorating the beginning of an exciting New Year.

Highlighting this year’s PEEPSFEST® celebration is a brand-new PEEPS® Chick that’s bigger and better than ever, measuring 4-feet, 9-inches tall and weighing in at 200 pounds. Plus, this year is made even sweeter with more activities for families and more community organizations joining the fun. Among the new activities are Make Your Own Noisemakers with the Banana Factory Arts Center, Make Your Own Menorahs with the Jewish Community Center of the Lehigh Valley and the PEEPS® Olympics, where kids can take part in four fun and exciting games like bean bags, a challenging mini-toss and even a PEEPS® toss.

Also new this year, is the Da Vinci Science Center’s “Using the Force” presentation, where students discover Newton’s laws of motion in fun and exciting ways. A few lucky audience members will even have the chance to break a board in half, take a ride on a hovercraft and act as the magician’s assistant during this fun-filled event Dec. 30.

Among the many perennial favorites back at the event are the PEEPS® diorama competition, PEEPS® s’mores making, live animal presentations by Wildlands Conservancy and the popular Dutch Springs “Rub a Dub Dub, Scuba in a Tub,” where kids can get a taste of scuba diving by donning diving gear.

“The PEEPS® Chick is an iconic symbol that represents the PEEPS® brand, our company and our community,” says Matt Pye, Vice President of Corporate Affairs at Just Born Quality Confections. “We are excited to unveil the new PEEPS® Chick this year and we look forward to celebrating with fans, some of who travel from all over the country, at PEEPSFEST®!”

Kicking Off the Celebration

On Dec. 30, at 4 p.m., the community is invited to come together for a sneak peek of the all-new PEEPS® Chick during the PEEPS® Chick Rising event, during which the excitement builds as the Chick is raised high above SteelStacks in anticipation of the drop on New Year’s Eve. The day also includes:

  • The annual PEEPFEST® Mascot Dash, sponsored by Red Robin®, beginning at 12:30 p.m. Parents are also encouraged to cheer on their kids during the PEEPFEST® Kids Fun Run, beginning immediately after the mascot dash.
  • Family-folk musician Dave Fry taking the Capital BlueCross Creativity Commons stage at 10 a.m., noon and 2 p.m.
  • Magician Ari Felber entertaining children of all ages in the Capital BlueCross Creativity Commons at 11 a.m., 1 p.m. and 3 p.m.
  • Community artwork activities with Mikayla’s Voice from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. (also at PEEPSFEST® on Dec. 31). Children are invited to create tissue paper decoupage and handprint artwork. This year’s program has expanded to provide opportunities for individuals who are blind or visually impaired.

The New Year’s Festivities Continue

The family fun carries on Dec. 31 with even more community activities that are sure to please:

  • Parents are encouraged to participate in the PEEPSFEST® 5K, sponsored by St. Luke’s University Health Network and Red Robin®, which kicks off at 1 p.m. New this year is a one-mile, family-friendly loop sponsored by Just Born Quality Confections.
  • GRAMMY and Kids Choice winner Steve Pullara and his Cool Beans Band perform live from 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m. at the Family Disco Lounge in the Musikfest Café.
  • Two-time GRAMMY nominees Brady Rymer & The Little Band That Could return to wow the crowd with their energetic, rockin’ live music at 4:30 p.m. at the Levitt Pavilion.
  • The night concludes with the world-famous PEEPS® Chick Drop at 5:15 p.m., followed by the popular fireworks show.

 

PEEPSFEST® is presented by Just Born Quality Confections and the nonprofit ArtsQuest. Festival hours are Dec. 30, 10 a.m.-4 p.m., and Dec. 31, 10 a.m.-5:30 p.m. Admission is free, although a few select activities, such as the Family Disco Lounge and PEEPSFEST® 5K, require an admission ticket or additional charge.