Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts
The University of Pennsylvania’s Annenberg Center for the Performing Arts is planning a host of holiday offerings from around the world in the coming weeks to get the Philadelphia area into the seasonal spirit.
Back by popular demand after a sold-out show last year, the Preservation Hall Jazz Band will return with its slate of holiday classics, with a twist of ragtime, blues and jazz, at 8 p.m. Dec. 10. And Irish culture will take the stage at 8 p.m. Dec. 11 with Slide performing “Irish Christmas Celebration.”
Swiss troupe Mummenschanz, which relies on creative visual displays to tell humorous and thought-provoking stories, returns to Philadelphia Dec. 16-19 after a 10-year absence to perform “3 x 11,” a retrospective piece that features the troupe’s most imaginative characters from over the years, as well as some new material.
Mummenschanz’s performance is part of Annenberg and Dance Affiliates’ Dance Celebration, as is “Remember Me” by Parsons Dance, a rock-dance opera collaboration with the East Village Opera Company that wraps Dec. 4.
For more information or to purchase tickets for any of the shows, visit www.AnnenbergCenter.org or call (215) 898-3900.
Tickets can also be purchased at the Annenberg box office at 3680 Walnut St.
The Art Shop at Moore
The Art Shop at Moore College of Art and Design, 20th Street and the Parkway, sells the unique creations of the artists of Moore. The shop is comprised of current students getting their feet wet in the business of art and emerging alumnae trying to make a name for themselves here in Philadelphia.
They sell handmade crafts, apparel, jewelry, paintings, prints, ceramics and ornaments. Even the Moore Gear apparel is alumnae-made.
Support local artists at The Art Shop at Moore College.
For more information, call (215) 965-8586 or e-mail [email protected].
Benjamin Lovell Shoes
In 1988, Benjamin Lovell opened his first shoe store in Rehoboth Beach, but by 1991 he had his sights set on Philadelphia. Today, there are Benjamin Lovell Shoes locations on South Street, 18th Street near Rittenhouse, Main Street in Manayunk, plus locations in Haddonfield, N.J., Chadds Ford and Baltimore, Md. Specializing in “Style and Comfort,” Benjamin Lovell Shoes offers styles from UGG, Tsubo, Cole Haan, Dansko, Clarks and many others.
This holiday, give the gift of style and comfort. You’ll love the selection of slippers by UGG and Minnetonka, boots by Hunter, and handmade footwear for women by Sofft featuring European design and modern comfort.
Benjamin Lovell helped launch Vintage Shoe Company in Philadelphia, a new, exciting line of shoes and boots made right here in Pennsylvania. The Vintage line features heirloom designs from the late 19th century. They use finely detailed hardware, the softest hand-washed leathers and meticulous stitching, all handcrafted into shoes and boots for men and women.
Visit their stores this holiday season and see why they say, “Style never felt so good.”
For more information, visit www.BLShoes.com.
Giovanni’s Room
Philadelphia’s favorite LGBT bookstore has stood the test of time.
Named after James Baldwin’s second novel, Giovanni’s Room, 345 S. 12th St., is a great place for bookworms to spend a few hours browsing through the latest LGBT literature, history, sciences and humanities — and a great place to shop for the readers on your holiday list. With an expert staff, frequent author events and thousands of books, movies and crowd pleasers to choose from, Giovanni’s Room is a staple in the Gayborhood, as well as historically important, as it now holds the title as the oldest LGBT bookstore in America.
For more information, visit www.giovannisroom.com or call (215) 923-6265.
Pleasure Chest
Don’t let the size fool you. Good things do come in small packages.
The Pleasure Chest, 2039 Walnut St., is a lovely little adult store located below Wonderland, and offers everything from erotic games and lingerie to lotions and lubes. It also carries a good selection of all the supplies necessary for a bachelor/bachelorette party and accessories like dildos, plugs, beads and leather goodies for the non-vanilla practitioners.
For more information, call (215) 561-7480.
STARR Restaurants
This holiday season treat the food lover in your life to a STARR Restaurants gift card. Contemporary cuisine, breathtaking design and hospitable service make STARR Restaurants the city’s most popular dining destinations.
Enjoy a dry-aged porterhouse from Barclay Prime, pork tacos from El Vez or wood-fired pizza from Pizzeria Stella. Classics like Buddakan and Parc, as well as casual spots like Continental and Jones, make great gifts for everyone on your list.
Head to your nearest STARR Restaurant or go to www.starr-restaurant.com to purchase your gift card and find out how you can earn a bonus gift card for yourself. Season’s eatings!
Winterthur
Winterthur Museum & Country Estate, 5105 Kennett Pike in Winterthur, Del., boasts myriad attractions and activities that are saturated in 18th-century design and culture.
The former country estate of Henry Francis du Pont, an avid antiques collector and horticulturist, Winterthur displays du Pont’s collection in 175 rooms and several exhibition galleries. The grounds offer the world-renowned Winterthur Garden, and guests can also peruse the Winterthur Library, which includes a large selection of materials about the American decorative arts.
For more information, visit www.winterthur.org.