By Lawrence Ferber, Fodor’s Travel
Through the New Year, history-rich, foodie-friendly Philadelphia’s calendar is chockablock with special events, attractions, and distinctly Philly activities for fun-seekers and families of all denominations, ages, and identities (a bar crawl for gays and friends dressed as Santa Claus? Check!). Read on for the eight best reasons to visit Philadelphia for the holidays this year.
Blue Cross RiverRink Redux and Waterfront Winterfest
1. BLUE CROSS RIVERRINK REDUX AND WATERFRONT WINTERFEST
Celebrating its 20th season in 2013, Penn Landing’s Olympic-size outdoor ice-skating rink , which overlooks the Delaware River, has added on the Waterfront Winterfest: a pop-up holiday village and pine tree garden boasting a restaurant, holiday market, hourly light show, and more.
2. NUTCRACKER MARKET
The Pennsylvania Ballet kicks off . . . ahem, pirouettes a new tradition this year with its Nutcracker Market at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts. Free and open to the public on December 7 and 8, with a special $100 ticketed preview party the night of December 6, the market—which benefits the Pennsylvania Ballet and its school—features handcrafted artwork, jewelry, ornaments, and other goods from 50 curated vendors. Look, too, for special activities (like candy- and origami-making workshops) and appearances by Nutcracker characters.
3. FRANKLIN SQUARE’S ELECTRICAL SPECTACLE: A HOLIDAY LIGHT SHOW
From now until December 31, every half hour from 4:30pm to 8pm, you can catch this glimmering, colorful holiday tribute to Ben Franklin at Franklin Square. Tip: It involves a sparkling 10-foot-high kite, so you can leave yours at home.
4. HOLIDAYS AT THE MUSEUM
The Philadelphia Museum of Art offers up a bevy of activities this season both on and off its grounds. Highlights include free “Christmas Story in Art”-themed gallery tours (Dec. 1–Jan. 1), an Ugly Sweater Party (Dec. 4), puppet shows about snowflake photographer Wilson Bentley, concerts, Winter Family Studio workshops, and Holiday Trolley Tours through Fairmount Park’s historic homes. See www.philamuseum.org/holidays for the full lineup and details.
Read the full article by Lawrence Ferber from Fodor’s Travel.
