There is plenty to do around Philadelphia and its surrounding suburbs this holiday season. You will want to fit in all of these grand sites before the New Year; there are better sales after the holidays anyway!
Peddler’s Village
Located in the heart of beautiful Bucks County, Pennsylvania, Peddler’s Village has something for everyone from 70 specialty shops and six restaurants to the luxurious 70-room Golden Plough Inn and the Giggleberry Fair family entertainment center.
Plan a trip to welcome the holidays and the arrival of Santa and Mrs. Claus at the annual Peddler’s Village Christmas Festival on Saturday, December 6 and Sunday, December 7. The Village grounds will be festively decorated for the holidays with fruit wreaths, and greenery. By evening, one million twinkling lights will transform the village into a winter wonderland. Santa and Mrs. Claus will arrive at 1:30 pm on Saturday in a horse-drawn carriage as part of an old-fashioned parade through the Village to Giggleberry Fair.
Be ready for a mouth-watering holiday extravaganza as you stroll through the Village’s free gingerbread house and competition and display through January 3, 2009. The competition includes categories such as Traditional, Authentic Reproduction of a Significant Building, Amateur, Unusual Three-Dimensional Creation, and Children’s. This visual delight is on display at the Village Gazebo.
For those of you who would rather make your own holiday decorative wreaths (or as gifts for others), don’t miss the Fruit Wreath Demonstration on Wednesday, December 3rd from 10 am to 12 noon. Learn how easy it is to make your own door or window decoration for the holidays from fruit in the traditional Williamsburg style. Ann McAloan, floral designer and owner of Annie’s Floral Farm in Jaimson, Pennsylvania, will showcase models of different styles and instruct so you can do-it-yourself at home.
The Village has expanded greatly since Earl Jamison founded it 46 years ago. Today, Peddler’s Village offers its visitors a wide array of dining options, including the Pine, Cock N’ Bull, Sweet Lorraine’s, Hart’s Tavern, Peddler’s Pub, Painted Pony, Murder Mystery Dinner Theater, Colonial Kitchen Diner, and House of Coffee.
Longwood Gardens
Christmas at Longwood Gardens, 1,050 acres of gardens, woodlands, and meadows, is an annual event in Kennett Square, PA, that you won’t want to miss.
The Gardens presents ice skating performances at an outdoor rink near the Chimes Tower. National, world and Olympic skaters - including Olympic pair team Scott and Philip Dulebohn and Olympic ice dancer Alexey Beletsky - perform for 20-minute skating vignettes daily. Bring your camera! Skaters will meet and greet the audience and pose for pictures following each performance.
In addition to ice skating, the dazzling floral displays, stunning trees, holiday music, 500,000 outdoor lights, and dancing fountains create a Christmas fantasy at Longwood. Holiday concerts in the ornate Ballroom include organ sing-a-longs, and evening choral and bell choir performances throughout the season. While enjoying these sites, feast on scrumptious buffets, including Thanksgiving Buffet, Breakfast with Santa (December 13, 14, 20 and 21), and the Yuletide Buffet.
Center City Philadelphia
If you are visiting Philadelphia this holiday season, don’t worry, there’s plenty to do to enjoy the season here in the heart of the city without travelling to the suburbs.
Be there on December 17 as the magic of the season comes alive as more than a half-million outdoor lights adorn a forest of trees that enchant both young and old. The Lighting Kick-off ceremony at 6:15 pm occurs at The Bellevue at 200 South Broad Street. Stay from 5:30 - 7:30 pm to celebrate with ongoing entertainment and food. Guests will be treated to savory offerings from Cadence Restaurant at the Kimmel Center, The Palm, XIX, Doubletree Hotel Philadelphia, Del Frisco’s Steakhouse, and the Union League of Philadelphia.
Since shopping can sometimes seem “boring” and like a “never ending chore” to those who dread lines, check out the Holiday Light Show and A Christmas Carol’s Dickens Village while at Macy’s at 13th and Market Streets. Put it on your Macy’s Christmas list so you don’t forget these fabulous holiday events.
The Holiday Light Show (November 28 - December 31) is a Philadelphia tradition that dates back half a century. This show is spectacular with snowflakes, ballerinas, and reindeer floating beyond the four-story velvet curtain of the Grand Court atrium. During the show, more than 100,000 bright, energy-efficient LED lights combine to create fantastic holiday images. The display is accompanied by festive music from the world-renowned Wanamaker Grand Organ.
Squeeze in a family history lesson about the time period of the 1800’s as Dickens Village on Macy’s third floor this holiday season. Here Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol comes to life with more than 100 fully animated figures reenacting 26 of the story’s most memorable moments.
Written by Karen Toner for ExplorerPod.com
Looking for something uniquely Philly? Check out the Cheese steak wars
Did you like this? If so, please bookmark it,
0 responses so far ↓
There are no comments yet...Kick things off by filling out the form below.
You must log in to post a comment.