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Christmas time around the way
How to have a Hallmark Holiday in Philly
An Nichols
I absolutely adore the winter holidays and especially enjoy holiday rom coms. Even though the over-the-top events seem absolutely ridiculous, I always wanted to recreate that in Philadelphia. Luckily the New York Times broke down the standard holiday formula including attending a local festival/holiday village, joining a baking contest (gingerbread, cookies, etc.), volunteering (food bank, etc.), seeing holiday lights, and attending holiday shows (typically the Nutcracker) while living in a perfectly decorated holiday home. So how do we recreate those ‘small town’ Hallmark events in our small city, especially on a budget? Well, I’m so glad you asked.
Festive food, lights, and helping hands
For the holiday village\festival experience, check out the annual Christmas Village at near City Hall until December 24 or the Independence Blue Cross RiverRink WinterFest. Both feature ice skating, holiday markets, and festive food vendors.
For the food decorating experience, Awesome Little Cupcakes offers holiday themed cake decorating classes every weekend for around $55 per person while University City’s Walnut Hill College offers a family gingerbread workshop for $120.
For the lighting experience, you HAVE to check out Franklin Square’s ‘electrical spectacle’ FREE from 5-9 until February 23, the annual Christmas Light Show at Macy’s (1300 Market Street), AND the Friends of Rittenhouse Square lighting events including the tree lighting on December 9 and the menorah lighting on December 29 at 5pm. And, if you want to sing carols, Ensemble Arts Philly and WRTI will host their Silent Night Sing-In on December 13 at 5:30pm at the Kimmel.
Luckily, in Philadelphia, you are never at a loss for volunteer events. In 2022, over 600,000 people were food insecure. Philabundance continues to raise funds and request food donations. If you want to help women in need, Distributing Dignity accepts donations for menstrual products. Project Home provides financial tiers to assist the homeless with housing ($100), medical ($50) or education ($25). The LGBTQIA+ William Way Community center always welcomes assistance of any type.
While most Hallmark heroines attend Nutcracker performances similar to the Balanchine choreography by Philadelphia Ballet, the Chocolate Ballerina provides its own Nutcracker on December 21-22. And, if you haven’t seen it yet, Chris Davis’s always-hilarious One-Man Nutcracker from December 10-29 is a sure bet.
Finally, how do you design the perfect holiday decorated space? There’s the annual Miracle on South 13th Street residential lighting display until New Year’s Day, but if you want internal holiday décor worthy of a Hallmark heroine, there’s Craftsman Row Saloon’s Christmas Wonderland. If you have a bit of a budget, there’s also the Holiday Lodge Suite at the Logan complete with decorated tree, holiday themed knick-knacks, and a garland-decorated bedroom. If you want to buy your own decorations, drive out to Cape May's Winterwood Gift Shoppe.
Although Diwali took place earlier this fall, the African American Museum of Philadelphia will host annual Kwanzaa events from December 26-January 1.
So, put on your quirkiest outfit and undergo the Hallmark heroine experience Philly-style this month!
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