Discover the best family-friendly things to do in Philadelphia with kids, including events, festivals, attractions, and free activities through our curated calendar. Find what’s happening in Philly today and plan your next family adventure!
💞 Check out our sister Community Calendars too: Main Line Parent and Bucks County Parent.
🗓️ Have an event to share? Join Philadelphia Family as a Member and Submit it to us for consideration! (Members are given priority event coverage.)
Philadelphia Family’s High Five Newsletter delivers:
📍 Can’t-miss family weekend events and activities
💡 Practical parenting advice for city life
🧳 Insider tips to navigate Philly like a native
Subscribe now and never miss out on what’s happening for families in Philadelphia!
This farcical murder mystery and play within a play, conceived by award-winning company Mischief Theatre, looks at the inept and accident-prone Cornley Polytechnic Drama Society as they embark on producing an ambitious 1920s murder mystery. As hilarious disaster after disaster ensues and the cast starts to […]
The season is upon us and there is no better place to celebrate than Main Street in Manayunk! Mannyunk Gets Lit is a lights and display competition where Main Street lights up with more than eighty thousand lights, with the participation of over 50 businesses. […]
The magic of the holiday season comes alive with a visit to Santa’s winter wonderland. Santa will be here starting Friday, November 29 and is located near the Main Entrance at 9th & Market St. A visit with Santa is always free and photo packages […]
The sights and sounds of the holidays come alive in this free, 15-minute show, The Comcast Holiday Spectacular, which has quickly become a new holiday tradition in Philadelphia. Marvel at holiday scenes brought to life in this multi-sensory show, featuring classics like Jingle Bell Rock, The Twelve Days of Christmas and The Nutcracker; a […]
Build the best memories at Philadelphia's top family holiday event, Holiday Bricktacular! Daily from November 29 - January 1, families can enjoy a winter wonderland of activities, festive decorations and more at LEGOLAND Discovery Center Philadelphia. Holiday Bricktacular Activities: New for 2024! Build To Give […]
One of the most nostalgic family holiday experiences Philadelphia has to offer, this immersive experience is a vintage animatronic retelling of A Christmas Carol. After exploring the fabulous displays and gorgeous lights, you can take the family to meet Santa and let him know what […]
Families can meet Santa at Philadelphia Premium Outlets as part of the Simon Santa Photo Experience. Santa arrives on Friday, November 29, and will be available until Christmas Eve. The Santa Photo Experience will be open Monday – Friday from 11AM-7PM, Saturday from 10AM-8PM and […]
The Christmas Village is back! Head to LOVE Park to peruse this iconic seasonal market of food and over 120 vendors. While your there enjoy the festival of trees, rides, and hanging out with Santa. MEET SANTA: every Friday, Saturday and Sunday from Dec 6th through […]
Philly Zoo Comes to Light LumiNature is back for another season of sights, sounds, and surprises! See more than a million twinkling lights across 16 illuminated zones at the zoo's biggest and brightest holiday light show yet. Open from 5:00 to 9:00 p.m. on weekends and […]
Relive the film that started it all. Watch the wand choose the wizard, a troll run amok, and magic mirrors in high definition while The Philadelphia Orchestra performs John Williams’s iconic score live. Don’t miss this once-in-a-lifetime event as Harry, Ron, Hermione, and all your […]
Halloween spirits come alive with bone-chilling tales from beyond the grave on a Candlelight Ghost Tour of Philadelphia! Guests will unearth spine-tingling stories of wandering ghosts, haunted houses steeped in mystery, and hidden burial grounds on a walking tour of Old City and Society Hill. […]
Don’t walk 3,408 miles from the North Pole to New York when Walnut Street Theatre brings the holidays to you! The 2024-25 Season continues with ELF The Broadway Musical. Previews begin November 19 and the show runs through December 29, 2024 which includes holiday performances. Open captioning will […]
Make your holiday even more magical with a visit to the Holiday Garden Railway, as it is transformed for the season with thousands of twinkling lights! See the enchanting rail cars in a festive wonderland of lights and sounds, a marvelous experience for visitors of […]
One of the grandest of Philadelphia traditions returns this year, lighting up the Grand Court of the historic Wanamaker Building - location of America's first department store. Spanning seven decades, this iconic display features thousands of festive lights accompanied by music from the 110-plus-year-old Wanamaker Organ. […]
Head down to South Philly for one of the most spectacular neighborhood displays in all of Pennsylvania. Every year, the stretch of 13th Street between Tasker and Morris lights up. Neighbors go all out with lights and displays to celebrate the season, along with accompanying […]
A South Philly gem of a holiday tradition not to be missed! 2700 Smedley Street goes all out with lights, decorations, displays and community events, including a letter box for Santa. The perfect local neighborhood event to stroll through with your family and feel the […]
American Heritage Credit Union's Annual Grand Illumination celebration is the perfect event to kick-off the holiday season. Our free Grand Illumination has become one of the most beloved holiday traditions in Philadelphia and includes the lighting of two 40-foot Christmas trees, hundreds of wreaths, and over […]
Shop small and shop local at over 50 small businesses to find something for everyone on your list as the neighborhood kicks off the holidays season with Small Business Saturday on November 30 2024! Sponsored by American Express, this event celebrate everything small business! Check out […]
Dilworth Park’s popular winter attractions are returning for the season! The Rothman Orthopaedics Ice Rink will again offer skating seven days per week, the Greenfield Lawn will host reindeer topiaries in the Wintergarden and the Rothman Orthopaedics Cabin will round out the park’s seasonal transformation. Visit each […]
Her's - the headquarters of the beloved Chester County snack maker - lights up again this year for their 30+ year-old tradition. This is a free drive-thru holiday experience. The grounds illuminate with over 600,000 lights and wonderful scenes.
A Dickens of a Murder see's Ebenezer Scrooge from the classic holiday tale, through the lese of a victorian style murder-mystery. Featuring Sherlock Holmes, there to solve the mystery with the help of the audience. Note, times and dates may vary. Take a look at […]
The season is upon us and there is no better place to celebrate than Main Street in Manayunk! Mannyunk Gets Lit is a lights and display competition where Main Street lights up with more than eighty thousand lights, with the participation of over 50 businesses. […]
Shop small and shop local at over 50 small businesses in Manayunk! Find something for everyone on your list as the neighborhood kicks off the holiday season with Small Business Saturday happening all day on November 30th. Many businesses will host events, promotions, exclusive experiences, […]
Explore the zigzag spaces, tunnels, and multi-level views created in Woodmere's 2024 straw maze. Built with massive bales of straw and designed by architects Peter Everett Brown and Barbara Ann Sprague of BrownSprague LLC, this year’s maze provides fun and recreation for all ages. FREE for family […]
The sights and sounds of the holidays come alive in this free, 15-minute show, The Comcast Holiday Spectacular, which has quickly become a new holiday tradition in Philadelphia. Marvel at holiday scenes brought to life in this multi-sensory show, featuring classics like Jingle Bell Rock, The Twelve Days of Christmas and The Nutcracker; a […]
Build the best memories at Philadelphia's top family holiday event, Holiday Bricktacular! Daily from November 29 - January 1, families can enjoy a winter wonderland of activities, festive decorations and more at LEGOLAND Discovery Center Philadelphia. Holiday Bricktacular Activities: New for 2024! Build To Give […]
One of the most nostalgic family holiday experiences Philadelphia has to offer, this immersive experience is a vintage animatronic retelling of A Christmas Carol. After exploring the fabulous displays and gorgeous lights, you can take the family to meet Santa and let him know what […]
As an Avenue made up of over 160 independently-owned businesses, East Passyunk is Philadelphia’s best corridor on which to shop small this holiday season! Visit on Saturday, November 30th to experience the best of what their businesses have to offer.
Gift locally this holiday season by shopping a selection of products made by artists and designers based here in Bok. Popping up in the West Gym, the Made @ Bok market will be stocked with jewelry, pottery textiles, beauty products, and more! Join Sabbatical […]
Families can meet Santa at Philadelphia Premium Outlets as part of the Simon Santa Photo Experience. Santa arrives on Friday, November 29, and will be available until Christmas Eve. The Santa Photo Experience will be open Monday – Friday from 11AM-7PM, Saturday from 10AM-8PM and […]
Celebrate and support local businesses this Small Business Saturday in Old City! On Saturday, November 30, enjoy exclusive discounts and deals at participating stores throughout the neighborhood. Look for the balloons to find shops offering special promotions, and be one of the first 25 customers […]
Join Cherry Street Pier for Holiday Markets in partnership with El Mercado Cultural with Fleisher Art Memorial at Cherry Street Pier on select Saturdays in November and December from 12 pm to 5 pm. Admission is free. Market items, food, and drink are pay-as-you-go. All […]
The Christmas Village is back! Head to LOVE Park to peruse this iconic seasonal market of food and over 120 vendors. While your there enjoy the festival of trees, rides, and hanging out with Santa. MEET SANTA: every Friday, Saturday and Sunday from Dec 6th through […]
Shop Chestnut Hill’s trendy and one-of-a-kind boutiques during Small Business Saturday and #KeepItOnTheHill. Check off gifts from your holiday wish list and support local retailers and restaurants throughout the day. Visitors can meet Santa as he strolls up and down Germantown Avenue and enjoy classic […]
Relive the film that started it all. Watch the wand choose the wizard, a troll run amok, and magic mirrors in high definition while The Philadelphia Orchestra performs John Williams’s iconic score live. Don’t miss this once-in-a-lifetime event as Harry, Ron, Hermione, and all your […]
