Jellybean Town Coming to Downtown Nazareth

If you traveled down S. Main Street in Nazareth recently, chances are you’ve noticed a bright, blue-and-pink storefront across from the new .

If you stopped by to check things out, you may have noticed a sign emblazoned with a jellybean wielding an easel and a paintbrush -- the jellybean proclaiming that Jellybean Town, USA is "Coming Soon."

The jellybean does not lie.

Jellybean Town will be opening at 52 S. Main St. sometime in November. According to jellybeantownusa.com, the business will be a “new and exciting experience” for children where “art can be everywhere you look.”

But what exactly is Jellybean Town?

According to owner Tara Carson, Jellybean Town is an art studio where children not only take classes but also learn that “art is everywhere.”

Inside the studio, there will be a setup just like a small town, complete with five stores. 

“When you’re in the stores, you’re in Jellybean Town,” Carson explained.

The five stores of Jellybean Town are:

• A grocery store, complete with a checkout register;
• A post office, where kids can play letter carrier and deliver mail to the residents of Jellybean Town;
• A costume shop, where kids can try on different outfits;
• A fix-it shop, which Carson said was inspired by her husband, who is in the construction business;
• And a library.

“We’ll learn how each of these jobs is affected by art,” Carson said.

Carson plans to offer different classes for different age groups:

• Mornings will be filled with classes for younger children, including JellyTot (a variation of “Mommy & Me”)
• Afternoons will be for older children
• Evenings will be filled with arts-and-crafts classes for adults

Carson lives in Washington Township just outside of Bangor with her husband and two young children. She chose Nazareth as the place to open her business because of its ideal location in the Lehigh Valley.

“We wanted to be centrally located… and more in an area with our demographic,” she said.

Carson, who holds a bachelor’s degree in visual arts, has taught adult classes at ; now she’s making the jump to a younger age bracket.

“I thought, ‘I could do this for kids,’” she said. “I’ve been to every children’s place in the Lehigh Valley.”

As of press time, Carson hopes that Jellybean Town's grand opening will be in late November -- just before Thanksgiving -- but construction is still under way.

Nazareth Patch will share the opening date of Jellybean Town, USA when it's posted on jellybeantownusa.com.