Candis R. McLean
This week there will be tremendous holiday celebrations and gatherings throughout the city. Philadelphia will be infused with an exciting vibrancy and energy as families come together to embrace each other and their dinner plates. Thanksgiving will attract thousands to the city to partake in the annual holiday parade, various exclusive meals offered by local restaurants, and several other attractions. Thanksgiving’s closure also serves as the signaling beacon for the coming and thrilling Christmas season. Several Christmas showcases and displays will open this week, igniting the city with cheer and wonderment. Here are a few things that you can enjoy this holiday week with your loved ones:
The 97th Annual Philadelphia Thanksgiving Day Parade
This Thursday beginning at 8:30 a.m., the 97th Annual Philadelphia Thanksgiving Day Parade commences. The ABC televised production is the oldest Thanksgiving Day parade in the United States. The holiday custom is a true gem of the season. The parade spans nearly a mile and a half, adoring the Philadelphia streets with fantastic visuals and sounds. The parade begins at 20th and Market Street, runs all the way through to the Ben Franklin Parkway, and concludes at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. There will be sizeable and detailed decorative floats, massive holiday balloons, and beloved figures from films. This year will have a surplus of Disney characters, Santa floats, and so much more. There will be stage and dramatic performances by the Walnut Street Theater and musical acts by Drew Lachey and Estelle will highlight the affair. Ginger Zee from Good Morning America will also be in attendance. Come see great dancing, fantastic floats, local choirs, and more as Philadelphia celebrates the holiday season.
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Thanksgiving Dinners Throughout the City
Lets all face it, with more faces coming to dinner each year, cooking can become taxing. Most restaurants and eateries are offering many specialized menus for Thanksgiving in Philadelphia. From upscale hotels, to department stores, to local favorites, there are options if you wish to tuck the apron away this year. Several places offer take-out options, buffets, or dine-in options for people who want a change of scenery. Here are a few top options in the city:
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Philadelphia Christmas Village
Philadelphia’s Christmas Village is an annual favorite for locals in the area. The peddler and mercantile village will run from Thanksgiving Day through Christmas Eve. Reflective of a rustic German Christmas market, the event offers visitors a chance to shop and browse the isles of various vendors’ shops. The village will be brimming from the belly of City Hall and expand through the structure up the edges of Dilworth Park. This Sunday, November 27th, the village will have host a celebration with the original Christkind from Nuremberg, Germany. This holiday market, nestled in the heart of Center City, will have more than 80 wooden booths for each of the sellers. Traditional European food, beverages, and sweets will be sold. You’ll be able to find great holiday gifts and keepsakes at these spacious arts and crafts gathering. Thousands come each year to take in the Christmas decor, the effervescent and glowing lights, bratwurst, mulled wine, and more.
For more information click here.
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Macy’s Christmas Light Show
Each year, the Center City location Macy’s (1300 Market Street) is the scene for one of the most extravagant and wondrous holiday displays the city has to offer. The Christmas Light Show is one of the highlights of the Christmas season. The Wanamaker Organ Concert to open the festivities is something that should not be missed. From Thanksgiving to December 31st, light shows will run every two hours beginning at 10 a.m. and ending after the 8p.m. show. Over 30,000 LED lights shine bright during each of the shows, representing various spectrums of colors and frequency. The store widow will be adorned with several images of the holiday season. Come with your friends and family to see the glimmering outlines of Santa, his reindeer, snowy downpour, and whatever else the store has prepared for their adventurous windows. The third floor of the store will also turn into “Dickens Village”. The store will be made-over in A Christmas Carol’s image through New Year’s Eve. The village will have several figurines recreating scenes from the work of literature all throughout the store.
For more information click here.
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Comcast Holiday Spectacular
The lobby of the Comcast Center (1701 John F. Kennedy Blvd) will become glazed by the holiday spirit this Thursday. The spectacular will be filling Center City with a seasonal glow from November 24th through Sunday, January 1st. The light show and other productions will span the entirety of the massive LED screen in the building. Spectators can see various performances by The Philadelphia Ballet, including “The Nutcracker” and more. Visitors will also have an opportunity to see “Jingle Bell Rock”, “The Twelve Days of Christmas,” and several other holiday favorites. The Walnut Street Theater’s artists will also get their chance to be front and center of the Comcast Center audience. There will be a magical sleigh ride and Christmas enthusiasts can take part in the holiday sing-along during the shows. The spectacular demonstration can be viewed daily, at the top of the hours, between 10 a.m. and 8 p.m. However there will be no 5 p.m. show.