It really is beginning to look a lot like Christmas.
Now that we’re in the holiday sweet spot between Thanksgiving and whatever late-December holiday you celebrate, there is no better time to take in all the sights and sounds, pageantry and glitz that come with the season. Philadelphia and its surrounding areas are so loaded with history and tradition that residents and visitors alike can’t help but get a little swept up in how the region shows off for the Christmas season.
Yeah, we know your schedule is crammed with shopping, parties, work and visiting with friends and family. But there are a lot of visually and culturally arresting places to visit in the area this season. So do yourself a favor and check out at least one or more of the following attractions.
A Philly tradition since 1956, the Christmas Light Show at Macy’s in Center City, 1300 Market St., electrifies an expansive wall inside the historic Wanamaker Building with 100,000 LED lights and the sounds of the Wanamaker Organ multiple times each day through Dec. 31.
Blue Cross RiverRink Winterfest turns Penn’s Landing into a frozen riverfront park with an Olympic-size skating rink overlooking the Delaware River, a ski chalet-style lodge and a winter garden with a holiday tree, through March 5. For more information, visit www.riverrink.com.
The Holiday Garden Railway at Morris Arboretum, 100 E. Northwestern Ave., is a miniature winter wonderland complete with a quarter-mile of model-train tracks featuring seven loops and tunnels, 15 rail lines and model trains that cruise past scaled and brightly lit replicas of historic monuments and Philadelphia landmarks, through Dec. 31. Attendees can also take part in crafts for the kids and enjoy the winter garden. For more information, visit www.business-services.upenn.edu/arboretum/index.shtml.
NRG presents Christmas Village at City Hall, 1400 JFK Blvd. The traditional, open-air German Christmas Market is open daily through Christmas Eve. Shoppers can peruse high-quality international gifts and decorations and enjoy holiday sights and sounds with a new carousel in the courtyard, live music, children’s activities, a weekly happy-hour series and photos with Santa Claus. Admission is free. Prices vary for food, drink and other merchandise. For more information, visit www.philachristmas.com.
From Dec. 15-18, the Philadelphia Museum of Art hosts its Festive Tradition Trolley Tour, a guided tour that shows off the Yuletide decorations of historic homes of Fairmount Park: Woodford, Strawberry Mansion and Cedar Grove. For more information, call 215-763-8100 or e-mail [email protected].
Longwood Gardens, 1001 Longwood Road in Kennett Square, presents A Longwood Christmas through Jan. 8, with musical-inspired displays throughout their indoor and outdoor gardens. An 18-foot Fraser Fir decorated with a garland of musical instruments takes center stage in the Music Room, while organ sing-alongs, strolling carolers and performances fill the gardens with festive cheer. The holiday horticulture showcases more than 6,000 seasonal plants. At night, visitors can walk among a half-million lights and warm up at three fire pits. For more information, visit https://longwoodgardens.org.
Get your holiday running shoes on in Manayunk for the Third Annual Rudolph Run 9-11 a.m. Dec. 10. Holiday attire is recommended for the 3-mile run along the Manayunk Canal. The Manayunk Development Corporation will hand out red noses and jingle bells to everyone feeling festive. For more information, visit www.facebook.com/events/525675194301375/.
East Passyunk Avenue gets transformed into an icy winter wonderland for the second-annual Arctic Ave. 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Dec. 10, courtesy of Ice Sculpture Philly. There will be five live-carve sites, and the shops and restaurants along the avenue will have dozens more ice sculptures. There will also be tons of great holiday sales and refreshments, and the Joe King Trio will stroll the area playing holiday songs. For more information, visit www.visiteastpassyunk.com.
Up in New Hope, Peddler’s Village, 2400 Street Road, gets lit up with 1-million lights for the Grand Illumination Celebration. Make sure you stop in to see the locally made gingerbread-house display. For more information, visit www.peddlersvillage.com.
History buffs can gather on the shores of the Delaware River 10 a.m.-4 p.m. Dec. 11 for the annual reenactment of General George Washington’s river-crossing, which took place Dec. 25, 1776. At Washington Crossing Historic Park, 1112 River Road in Washington Crossing, more than 200 reenactors row across the river, and spectators can take part in colonial-era games and demonstrations. Or catch another reenactment Dec. 25. For more information visit www.washingtoncrossingpark.org.
While you’re up that way, the Bucks County Visitor Center in Bensalem will be filled with holiday cheer with 25 uniquely themed trees lighting up the main gallery during the 11th-Annual Bucks County Holiday TreeFest. The six-week celebration features decorated trees, musical entertainment and a visit from Santa Claus, who will even take pet photos on select dates through Jan. 5. For more information, visit www.visitbuckscounty.com/events/treefest.
Further west, shoppers can celebrate the season at King of Prussia Town Center’s inaugural Winterfest 10:30 a.m.-4 p.m. Dec. 10. The brand-new Town Center is featuring local school-choir performances, ice sculptures from Fear No Ice, winter-themed activities, a cookie-decorating and hot-chocolate station by Davio’s North American Steakhouse and more. Attendees can also sample the area’s newest restaurants while looking for items on their holiday-shopping list. For more information, visit www.facebook.com/events/1303486219682091/.
Get out there and have some fun. Hopefully we’ll see some of you, happy and healthy, under the glow of Christmas lights somewhere around town this holiday season.