It’s the most wonderful time of the year and Philly is jam-packed with all kinds of fun and exciting ways to celebrate the season! There’s no shortage of festive things to do during the holidays in Philly—light shows, skating, shopping… the list goes on and on. With so much happening around town, it can get pretty overwhelming, but we’re making it manageable here by sticking to the can’t miss sights and events within the Center City-ish area . Be sure to check out our complete holiday guide and events posts every week to see even more special things to do both in and out of city limits!

City Hall

1400 JFK Blvd.

Let’s begin at City Hall where you’ll be greeted by the magnificent Philly Holiday Tree, standing tall on WaWa Holiday Plaza. The 50-foot tall fir festooned with a dazzling display of lights and topped with a bronze liberty bell, will be officially lit on Thursday, December 5th, with family-friendly festivities, live entertainment by local stars, and more!  The plaza also has a train ride for little ones and the Christmas Village Ferris Wheel, which offers fantastic views of the city!

Dilworth Park: Rothman Rink, Made in Philadelphia Holiday Market, and More!

1 S. 15^th St.

Dilworth Park is a holiday celebration unto itself with something for everyone to enjoy. Lace up those skates and whisk across the ice at Rothman Rink, where you can skate beneath the glow of a new, icicle-inspired art piece, (as well as City Hall’s famous Billy Penn statue!) Tickets are good for a 90-minute session, and kids can rent cute little penguin skate helpers to aid in their balance. Afterwards, refuel at the Cabin with food, treats, hot beverages, and cocktails, then warm up at the cozy fire pits out back. The Rothman Rink is open through February, so you can visit even after we ring in 2025.

Next, walk past the rink to the Made in Philadelphia Holiday Market, where local artisans, designers, crafters, and confectionaries have unique selections for gifts and special holiday foods. This market was designed to complement Christmas Village across the street—but only focuses on locally made gifts. There’s also another treat tent within the market, with hot chocolate and other snacks.

Just past the market is Wintergarden, a lovely little holiday-inspired garden with reindeer topiaries, twinkling lights, and lots of photo ops.

Christmas Village

1500 Arch St.

Now walk across the street to Love Park, where Christmas Village is in full swing. To call this just a holiday market is a great injustice, because this is basically a month of holiday cheer in the middle of Philadelphia. Modeled after the traditional Christmas markets in Germany, this annual market features over 120 vendors in rustic, wooden cottages selling authentic European food, ornaments, crafts, clothing, and more from all over the world.

In addition to the amazing assortment of wares, there are festive events all month long including live music, story times, spirit tastings, and visits with Santa! They also have great food, from waffles to mulled wine (Pro tip: buy the commemorative mug for discount refills—you won’t be sorry), and don’t forget to visit “The Alm,” the village’s own authentic German Beer Garden, where you can sip local, specialty beers brewed exclusively for the Village.

Festival of Trees

Take in the beauty of the season while helping children in need at Love Park’s Festival of Trees, a wonderful fundraiser in support of Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia. Take a stroll through a wonderland of beautiful trees, sponsored and decorated by local companies and organizations. Though free to the public, make a small donation to CHOP and receive a snowflake token to use in voting for your favorite tree. All donations over $10 will receive a free hot chocolate at the Christmas Village.

Macy’s: Santaland, Dickens Village and the Christmas Light Show

1300 Market St.

To quote Julie Andrews’s narration of this 100,000-light spectacle, the Macy’s Christmas Light Show is a “grand tradition.” If you’re from Philly, you probably grew up watching it, and not a thing has changed. The bears, the dancing snowmen, the “magic Christmas tree,” the Wanamaker Organ finale—it’s all there, and it’s all aglow in colorful nostalgia.

Note that there are 5 light shows a day, beginning at 10:30 am, followed by shows at 12 pm, 2 pm, 4 pm, and 6 pm, so you may want to plan your day around which show you are making. And because of the infrequency, the Grand Court gets very crowded, so come early to get a good spot.

Next, head up to the third floor to visit Santa before taking a stroll through Dickens Village, an animatronic retelling of A Christmas Carol. Note: reservations are required for both Santa and Dickens Village. When making reservations, you can choose Dickens Village only, Santa only, or Santa with Dickens Village.

As you leave Macy’s, be sure to check out their holiday window displays on the Market Street side!

Comcast Holiday Spectacular

Comcast Center, 1701 JFK Blvd.

For over 15 years, the Comcast Holiday Spectacular has been delighting crowds of all ages with its 15-minute festive musical on one of the world’s largest high-resolution LED displays. Running daily at the top of the hour, the show includes holiday singalongs, an enchanted sleigh ride around the world (with expansive aerial footage of Philadelphia), parts of the Pennsylvania Ballet’s The Nutcracker, and more. At the end, marvel as it begins to snow in the lobby of the Comcast Center.

New for the 2024 holiday season, Comcast is featuring “Dreamworks Shrek’s Festive Flight” at the Universal Sphere, a free, interactive cinematic experience featuring Shrek, Donkey and more of your favorite characters from the movie “Shrek.”

Santa is also expected to visit the Market at the Comcast Center on weekends,  so stop by for some extra festiveness.

George Balanchine’s ‘The Nutcracker’

Academy of Music, 240 S. Broad St.

For many families, the holiday season just isn’t complete without the Pennsylvania Ballet’s performance of The Nutcracker. From the Tchaikovsky score to the timeless story of holiday magic, this ballet is a classic for a reason. The PA Ballet is also offering a sensory-friendly performance on December 30 at noon with accommodations both inside and outside the theater to make children who are on the autism spectrum, or who may have sensory sensitivities, more welcome.

ELF The Broadway Musical and Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol at the Walnut Street Theatre

Walnut Street Theatre, 825 Walnut Street

America’s oldest theatre has not one, but two fantastic holiday productions to entertain you this season. ELF The Broadway Musical follows everyone’s favorite Christmas enthusiast, Buddy, as he journeys to New York City to find his true identity, and save Christmas in the process! If you’re more in the mood for a classic, the theatre’s popular Theatre for Kids Series brings Charles Dickens’ beloved A Christmas Carol to the stage in a kid-friendly, hour long, musical performance. Featuring traditional songs to help bring this Christmas classic to life, kids will delight in this condensed version of this famous tale of Ebenezer Scrooge’s most memorable Christmas Eve.

Luminature

Philadelphia Zoo, 3400 W. Girard Ave.

The Philadelphia Zoo’s LumiNaure is back and better than ever. This beloved nighttime holiday spectacle illuminates the zoo with over a million twinkling lights. Experience the zoo like never before as you journey through 16 glittering zones that celebrate wildlife and the beauty of our planet. Highlights include a 25 ft tall flamingo tree, a glittering coral reef display, and a show-stopping 40 ft penguin glowing with a whopping 40,000 lights!

Photo by R. Kennedy for Visit Philadelphia

Historic Holidays in Old City

Old City is hosting holiday events all season long, beginning with the tree lighting celebration on December 4th at the Betsy Ross House. There will also be a menorah lighting on December 30.

Santa will be at Fireman’s Hall on Fridays and Saturdays, too, so drop by!

Dating back to 1703, Elfreth’s Alley is one of the oldest continuously inhabited residential streets in the United States. Although just strolling down this cobblestone street is enough to transport you back in time, on December 7th, visitors can go one step further as residents of this historic corner of Philadelphia will open their doors for the annual Deck the Alley open house fundraiser. Guests can get a glimpse of contemporary life inside 18th and 19th century houses while enjoying seasonal decor, carolers, beverages and snacks. It’s an Old City tradition you won’t want to miss!

Franklin Square Holiday Festival

Sixth and Race streets

From Thanksgiving to New Year’s Eve, and the holidays in between, Franklin Square will celebrate with magnificent lights, and lots of free festive fun. There will be celebrations for Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, Christmas, and New Year’s Eve!

Catch the Electrical Spectacle light show every 30 minutes beginning at 5 pm, where the square lights up timed to a holiday soundtrack. To warm up between light shows, drop into Ben on the Rocks for hot chocolate, s’mores kits and more.

Santa will visit every Saturday night, with a special Santa Paws event on December 14th where Santa can pose with your pet.

There will also be performances from “The Nutcracker”, holiday gift making nights, and a special Kids’ New Years Eve Countdown to ring in the New Year.

As always, you can play Philadelphia-themed miniature golf and ride on the beautifully illuminated carousel—now playing holiday music through December 31.

Blue Cross RiverRink Winterfest

101 S. Columbus Boulevard

For over 30 years, the Blue Cross RiverRink has brought fun and merriness to Philadelphia. In recent years, the Delaware River Waterfront has made the RiverRink even more of a holiday destination, expanding into Winterfest—with food, games, photo ops, cozy cabins, and more.

The city’s only regulation-sized outdoor ice skating rink is a favorite winter spot for all ages, and has amazing views of the river and Ben Franklin Bridge. There’s also food and drinks inside The Lodge, an indoor arcade, and firepits for roasting s’mores (available from Franklin Fountain’s stand by the rink).

Beginning with their tree lighting on December 6, Winterfest will have a variety of events all season long including holiday markets, story times and themed skate nights.

Lead photograph by Laura Swartz.