A Bed and Breakfast Connection
December in Philadelphia 
Holiday 2014 Newsletter 
Why come to Philadelphia in December?
The reasons are plentiful: the shopping, the cultural events, the food, the museums, the ice skating, the holiday light shows. Did I mention the shopping?! Philadelphia has so much to offer year-round, and in December the city looks its finest all decked out for the holidays. It's a wonderful, magical time of the year! Come experience the magic of Philadelphia this December.

Two Outdoor Ice Rinks! Double the Fun!

The Rothman Institute Ice Rink at Dilworth Park
 

Celebrate the season at Philadelphia's newest outdoor ice rink, the Rothman Ice Rink, located in Center City at Dilworth Park next to our beautiful and historic City Hall. The rink is open seven days a week through February, including holidays. Admission is $3 for children, ages 10 and under, and $4 for adults. Skate rental is $8. The rink also offers four-week Learn-to-Skate programs on Sunday mornings.

Blue Cross RiverRink Winterfest

The Blue Cross RiverRink Winterfest, located on the Delaware Waterfront, is a must-see holiday attraction featuring not only ice skating but also food and drink, shopping, and a holiday light show synced to music every thirty minutes.
The Blue Cross RiverRink, open from November 28 to March 1, 2015, is a regulation sized ice rink at Penn's Landing with spectacular views of the Benjamin Franklin Bridge and the Delaware River. 
You can warm-up in The Lodge, an indoor space which features fireplaces, cozy seating, ski-chalet style heated tents and food and drink provided by Garces Events. Here you can grab a hot drink (spiked or unspiked), or a cocktail or craft beer to pare with some delicious food.
Winterfest also provides an opportunity to shop for holiday gifts. Art Star has again set up a small boutique offering a curated selection of gifts and handmade crafts from artists around the country.
General admission to the Blue Cross RiverRink Winterfest is FREE. Admission to the Blue Cross RiverRink is $3 with skate rental available for $10. On-site parking is available. 
     
 
         

Holiday Shopping in Philadelphia       


Make Philadelphia your destination city for holiday shopping. Why? Tax-free clothing and shoes is the best reason for some out-of-state travelers. The variety and selection of stores and boutiques are plentiful in the city and the surrounding suburbs.

Some must-see shopping venues include the Century 21 Department Store located at the Gallery in the former Strawbridge Building at 821 Market Street. This massive store, 100,000 square feet, has high-end and on-trend designer goods at deeply discounted prices. The Century 21 Philadelphia outpost, the first outside of New York, has deals on clothing, shoes, accessories and handbags, as well as beauty products and home goods.
A visit to Macy's Center City should be on everyone's list during the holiday season. Macy's, in the historic Wanamaker Building, offers great department store shopping within a National Historical Landmark. The Macy's building is also home to the Christmas Light Show, a Philadelphia holiday tradition for more than 50 years. Additionally, the third floor of Macy's is transformed into Dickens Village for the holiday season.
Just a twenty minute drive from Philadelphia, the King of Prussia Mall is the largest mall on the east coast. With more than 400 stores and boutiques, over 40 eateries and six world-class department stores including Neiman Marcus, Bloomingdale's and Nordstrom, the King of Prussia Mall is a shopper's paradise any season of the year. 
If you're a bargain hunter, the Philadelphia Premium Outlets located 35 miles northwest of downtown Philly feature more than 150 designer and brand name stores including Coach, J.Crew, Sony and Polo Ralph Lauren.
There are also numerous pop-up Holiday Markets filled with unique gift ideas. Including the Art Star Boutique at Blue Cross RiverRink Winterfest, mentioned above, some other pop up shops are the Franklin Flea Holiday Market, Christmas Village in Love Park, and the Franklin Square Holiday Market.
Franklin Flea is back in the old Strawbridge Building at 801 Market Street. Every Saturday before Christmas you can shop for vintage and handmade gifts and delicious food at the Franklin Flea. Christmas Village
Christmas Village returns this holiday season in Love Park on the west side of City Hall every day now until December 28. This charming shopping village is modeled after the traditional Christmas Markets in Germany. More than sixty vendors set up in wooden booths selling international gifts, ornaments, high quality arts and crafts as well as traditional European food, drink, and sweets amid the twinkling lights.
Franklin Square, chock full of family friendly activities (the Electrical Credit: J. Fusco for Historic Philadelphia Spectacle Light Show, carousel, miniature golf, holiday train), also has a holiday market featuring an array of artisan-made goods including clothing, jewelry and toys.

If you haven't thought about Philadelphia as a shopping destination before, we hope you will consider it now. The choices are endless and tax-free shopping on clothing adds up to a great savings! Happy Shopping!

Did You Know...
Philadelphia is known as the "City That Loves You Back" and in that spirit, all metered parking is free on Saturdays after 11:00 a.m. between Thanksgiving and Christmas?! There are also garages and lots that have parking deals.  

We hope you decide to visit our city this holiday season. There are so many spectacular holiday events that you shouldn't miss. We've included links in the sidebar to some of the most popular events in the area.

 

If you need help finding a place to stay in Philadelphia, whether it's a traditional Bed and Breakfast, a smaller homestay, a boutique hotel, or an apartment, send us an e-mail or give us a call. We're happy to assist you and we'd love to hear from you!

 

Happy Holidays!
Bridget Cowell
Diana Roe
A Bed and Breakfast Connection
800-448-3619
610-644-8790
www.bnbphiladelphia.com                                                
In This Issue
Outdoor Ice Skating
Philly Favorite Holiday Attractions
Philly Phlash-Holiday Hours
Holiday Gift Certificates
2015 Philadelphia Flower Show
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Philly Phlash:    

 New Holiday   

   Evening Loop!   

 

Credit:: J. Fusco for Visit  Philadelphia
Beginning November 28, the Philly PHLASH, our purple tourist trolley, has  daily service every 15 minutes from 10:00 a.m. - 6:00 p.m. to 20 locations throughout Center City. New this year, PHLASH also begins a special nightly service, the Holiday Evening Loop, from 6:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m. The Holiday Evening Loop will pick up and drop off from 15 stops every 15 minutes near holiday attractions such as Blue Cross RiverRink Winterfest at Penn's Landing, the Franklin Square Holiday Festival, Christmas Village at Love Park, Rothman Institute Ice Rink at Dilworth Park, Comcast Center Holiday Light Show, Avenue of the Arts, Macy's Dickens Village and Holiday Light Show and more.

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Holiday Gift Idea:   

Bed and Breakfast Connections Gift Certificates

 

 

  gift cert christmas


Purchase a beautiful holiday gift certificate for family, friends and employees. This gift certificate can be used at any of the Philadelphia area B&Bs on our website. Select a specific B&B or give a dollar amount, and we will help the recipients find the perfect spot for their getaway.  We will mail a lovely gift certificate to either the purchaser or the recipient. Order a Gift Certificate and we will mail it the same day!

Looking Ahead:
The Philadelphia Flower Show

Celebrate the Movies
Tickets are now on sale for the 2015 Philadelphia Flower Show,
Celebrate the Movies. The Show is held at the Pennsylvania Convention Center between February 28 - March 8, 2015. Don't wait to book your accommodations,  contact us now to make a reservation for Flower Show Week.