1- On Thanksgiving Morning, November 28, 2013,
between 8:30 a.m. and noon, a wonderful Philadelphia holiday tradition continues with the 6ABC Dunkin' Donuts Thanksgiving Day Parade. Now in its 94th year, Philadelphia's Thanksgiving Day
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| Credit M.Kennedy for GPTMC |
Parade is the oldest in the country. The child in all of us will delight in the massive balloons, festive floats, marching bands, choirs, dancers, and especially the arrival of Santa and Mrs. Claus. The 1.4 mile route starts at 20th and JFK, heads east then marches up the Benjamin Franklin Parkway. The parade culminates with a grand finale at the Art Museum steps. What a fun way to kick off the holiday season!
2- A visit to the Comcast Center at 17th and JFK Boulevard to view the Comcast Holiday Spectacular is a must between Thanksgiving Day and New Year's Day. Enjoy sights and sounds of the season on a state of the art, 2,100 square foot, high resolution video wall
that has 5 times the resolution of a high definition television. This free 15-minute show delights audiences with its holiday scenes, including a magical sleigh ride through the snow covered countryside, scenes from the Nutcracker, and new performances this year by Olympic-caliber ice skaters and actors from the Walnut Street Theatre. This wonderful holiday experience is shown every hour on the hour from 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. (except 5:00 p.m.).
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Credit G. Widman for GPTMC
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NEW! In celebration of its 20 year anniversary, The Independence Blue Cross River Rink will be transformed this season (November 29 - January 5) in to a pop-up holiday village. The grounds will feature a 400 person warming tent surrounded by a winter garden oasis of pine trees and fire pits, and, of course the ice rink. The tent will house a restaurant serving winter favorites in American Beer Garden fashion. In addition, a craft bazaar, the Art Star Holiday Market, will set up shop with rotating vendors and be open every Friday-Sunday through the season. A 3-D Holiday Light Show will play every evening on the hour from 5:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m.
4- NEW! The Franklin Flea is a winter flea market held this holiday season for 6 Saturdays in the former Strawbridge and Clothier Department Store at 8th and Market Streets. On November 16, 23, 30 and December 7, 14, and 21 between 10:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. with a special weekday market scheduled on Friday, December 20 from noon- 7:00 p.m., top local vendors of antiques, furniture, collectibles, handmade gifts, vintage clothing, and delicious food will set up shop in this grand historic building. Vendors will rotate from week-to week giving the market a fresh look. Live music and delicious food offerings will add to the festive, flea market atmosphere.
5- The Macy's Light Show has been a Philadelphia tradition since
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Credit Macy's Philadelphia
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1956. The show, featuring holiday images created by more than 100,000 LED lights, is presented in the Grand Court of the famous Wanamaker Building (Macy's Center City store). The renowned Wanamaker organ provides the music to this magical holiday display of lights. The Light Show can be seen every 2 hours at 10:00 a.m, Noon, 2:00, 4:00, 6:00, and 8:00 p.m. from November 29 to December 31, 2013.
After the Christmas Light Show, head to Macy's 3rd floor to visit the Dickens Village. A Philadelphia tradition for more than 20 years, you can stroll through the village where scenes from Charles Dicken's A Christmas Carol come to life with more than 100 animated figures.
6- Every December the historic houses in Fairmount Park are decorated in festive holiday finery by interior designers and garden clubs. These beautiful homes with their thematic holiday decor are stunning, so December is truly the perfect time to visit these Charms of Fairmount Park. There are a variety of ways to partake in this Historic Holiday House Tour. You can visit the houses at your own pace during the homes' open house hours, you can take a guided trolley tour, or you can reserve a group tour through the Philadelphia Museum of Art. The Fairmount Park Holiday House Tours will be held from December 4 to December 15 this year.
7- The Christmas Village in LOVE Park, on the west side of City 
Hall, is back again this holiday season. From Thanksgiving Day to New Year's Day, the Christmas Village, which is modeled after the traditional Christmas markets in Germany, offers a unique shopping experience in a festive atmosphere. Vendors sell their wares in more than sixty wooden booths while the twinkling lights and the delicious smells of gingerbread and mulled wine put you in the holiday spirit.
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Credit G. Widman for GTPMC
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8- NEW! Franklin Square is home to a brand new nighttime holiday light show, Electrical Spectacle: A Holiday Light Show featuring a 10-foot tall kite made of lights and more than 50,000 lights decorating the Square. From now until December 31, there will be two free alternating light shows beginning at 4:30 until 8:00 p.m. set to a holiday soundtrack by Peter Nero and the Philly Pops. This family-friendly venue includes mini-golf with warming stations, the Parx Liberty Carousel playing holiday music selections, and a daily variety of food trucks offering a seasonal selection of food and drink.
9- The holiday season would not be complete without a trip to the Brandywine Valley to visit Longwood Gardens and be awed by their magnificent Christmas displays. On 
view
from November 28 to January 12, 2014 are magnificently adorned trees, thousands of poinsettias, hundreds of sparkling snowflakes and a half million twinkling lights. Enjoy daily Christmas performances by local choirs and organists and marvel at the illuminated fountain shows in the Open Air Theater.
10- Philadelphia really knows how to welcome the New Year in 
style. The Mummers Parade is a uniquely Philadelphia event that happens every New Year's Day dating back to 1901. The parade features over 10,000 participants in 5 divisions, the String Bands, the Fancies, the Fancy Brigades, the Comics and the Wench Brigades. The costumes, the theatrics, and the music make this a parade like none other. This Philadelphia tradition is worth experiencing in person, so find a spot along the parade route and join in the celebration as our Mummers strut up Broad Street on January 1, 2014.
