HAPPY HOLIDAYS ARE HERE AGAIN
Holiday Happenings In The Philadelphia Region Have Everyone’s Happiness in Mind

PHILADELPHIA, November 25, 2003 – There’s an exciting holiday spirit spreading throughout the Philadelphia region. Twinkling lights set city streets aglow, festive songs and sounds fill the air and treasured traditions return to communities, concert halls and theaters for this special time of year. Here’s a sampling of what’s going on this holiday season:

Out and About:

• The 10th annual Philadelphia Holiday Festival is a month-long celebration featuring parades, exhibits and events. Festivities kick off at 5 p.m. on December 3, 2003, with the tree lighting at City Hall, followed by the Market Street East Holiday Parade. More tree lightings take place in neighborhoods throughout the city and thousands of brightly colored, mini holiday lights decorate the trees of Rittenhouse Square, Franklin Square, Logan Circle, City Hall and the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Other highlights include Santa on the Square, featuring the jolly man in his charming gazebo on Saturdays from 12 noon-4 p.m. through December 21, 2003, and the Holiday Light Show and Organ Concerts at Lord & Taylor. www.gophila.com

• During Pennsbury Manor’s Holly Nights, William Penn’s recreated plantation is radiant with candles, torches, caroling, bonfires and warm mulled cider. Guided candlelight tours of the Manor House are available as well on December 11 and 12, 2003, from 5:30-9 p.m. 400 Pennsbury Memorial Road, Morrisville, (215) 946-0400, www.pennsburymanor.org

• The Legend of Santa Through the Ages, a display of Santas in the lobby of the Bellevue through December 31, 2003, depicts the cultural traditions and historic tales surrounding Christmas’ main man. Broad & Walnut Streets, (215) 875-8350

• Santa, merry musicians and colorful clowns are on board PATCO trains running from the Woodcrest Station in Cherry Hill to Center City, Philadelphia, on December 13, 2003, during PATCO’s 12th annual Yuletide Ride. Festivities begin at the Woodcrest Station at 9 a.m.; trains depart at 10 a.m. (856) 772-6900, www.drpa.org/patco

• At Peddler’s Village, dozens of gingerbread creations are on view during the Gingerbread House Competition and Display from November 21, 2003-January 8, 2004. Routes 202 & 263, Lahaska, (215) 794-4000, www.peddlersvillage.com

• Six two-hour skating sessions are available on New Year’s Eve at the Blue Cross RiverRink, beginning at 10 a.m. and ending late at night as fireworks illuminate the sky above the Delaware River. (215) 925-RINK, www.riverrink.com

• The oldest folk parade in the United States features more than 12,000 marchers costumed in feathers, glitter and sequins at the annual New Year’s Day Mummers Parade. Broad Street, (800) 537-7676

Performances and Concerts:

• The Kimmel Center is filled with a festive blend of seasonal favorites during Peter Nero & the Philly Pops’ annual concert, taking place December 3-8, 2003.
  Broad & Locust Streets, (215) 893-1999, www.phillypops.com

• The Philadelphia Orchestra performs the magical music of Winter Wonderland from December 10-13, 2003, and the traditional tunes of Handel’s Messiah on
  December 14 and 15, 2003. Broad & Locust Streets, (215) 893-1999, www.philorch.org

• A Christmas Carol, Charles Dickens’ famous tale, is performed by one man and many puppets at the Mum Puppettheatre, December 9, 2003-January 3, 2004.
  115 Arch Street, (215) 925-8686, www.mumpuppet.org. This same classic Christmas performance also takes place at the Walnut Street Theater, December 12-21, 2003.
  825 Walnut Street, (215) 574-3550, www.wstonline.org

• During Something Wonderful Right Away, comedic actors present the holidays through improv at 1812 Productions, December 5, 2003-January 4, 2004. 525 S. 4th Street,
  (215) 592-9560, www.1812productions.org

• Two performances by the Singing City Choir on December 13 and 14, 2003, feature jazz legend Dave Brubeck and a host of holiday tunes, including the traditional Mexican Christmas music of La Fiesta de la Posado. Bryn Mawr Presbyterian Church, 625 Montgomery Avenue, Bryn Mawr, (215) 569-9067

• The oldest professional African American theater, Freedom Theatre, presents Black Nativity nightly through January 11, 2004. 1346 N. Broad Street, (215) 765-2793, www.freedomtheatre.org

• Center City hums with holiday music created by New York composer Phil Kline as hundreds of revelers armed with boom-boxes blasting his ambient electronic masterpieces meet at the Philadelphia Ethical Society on December 19, 2003, at 7:30 p.m. and travel through the streets of the city for an Unsilent Night. 1906 Rittenhouse Square, (215) 574-8246, www.relache.org

• Fans of Tchaikovsky’s The Nutcracker have two opportunities to enjoy this seasonal favorite. No holiday is complete without a visit with the Sugarplum Fairy and the Mouse King during the Pennsylvania Ballet’s production of this George Balanchine classic, running from December 12-31, 2003, at the Academy of Music. Broad & Locust Streets, (215) 551-7000, www.paballet.org. Dancers at the Settlement Music School also put on excerpts of The Nutcracker on December 19 and 20, 2003. 3745 Calarendon Avenue, (215) 320-2686, www.smsmusic.org

Museum Exhibits and Events:

• Through January 11, 2004, it’s A Brandywine Christmas at the Brandywine River Museum. The extensive O-gauge model railroad display is filled with holiday exhibits, including a Victorian dollhouse and thousands of whimsical critter ornaments. U.S. Route 1, Chadds Ford & PA Route 100, (610) 388-2700, www.brandywinemuseum.org

• The Kwanzaa Celebration at the African American Museum in Philadelphia showcases the ways African Americans and world cultures experience the holiday season. Lively performances, storytelling and refreshments entertain the family on December 27, 2003, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. 701 Arch Street, (215) 574-0380, www.aampmuseum.org

• The University of Pennsylvania Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology hosts the 8th annual Free Holiday Family Event on December 7, 2003, from 1:30-4:30 p.m. The theme, “Peace Around the World,” reflects the multicultural flavor of the event, which features children’s choir music, dance from three continents, pageantry, puppetry, storytelling and international crafts. 33rd & Spruce Streets, (215) 898-4890, www.museum.upenn.edu

• Being Jewish at Christmas, an annual celebration held from 11 a.m.-4 p.m. on December 25, 2003, at the National Museum of American Jewish History, features music, children’s activities and refreshments. 55 N. 5th Street, (215) 923-3811, www.nmajh.org

Parks and Gardens:

• The spirit of the season comes alive during A Longwood Gardens Christmas, showcasing thousands of poinsettias, towering trees, fragrant flowers, dancing fountains and 420,000 lights. Daily concerts herald the season through January 4, 2004. U.S. Route 1, Kennett Square, (610) 388-1000, www.longwoodgardens.org

• Amidst Morris Arboretum’s twinkling holiday lights and decorations is their Holiday Garden Railroad Display, in which G-scale model trains ride through model villages complete with miniature replicas of Philadelphia landmark buildings. On display weekends through December 21, 2003, and daily from December 26, 2003-January 4, 2004. 100 Northwestern Avenue, (215) 247-5777, www.morrisarboretum.org

• “Portraits in the Park” is the theme of the Philadelphia Museum of Art’s Yuletide Tours 2003 in Fairmount Park. From December 5-10, 2003, visitors can explore historic mansions decorated by local garden clubs and floral designers. 26th Street & Benjamin Franklin Parkway, (215) 235-7469, www.philamuseum.org

• See how George Washington once spent Christmas Day with the reenactment of Washington Crossing the Delaware on December 25, 2003, at 1 p.m. at Washington Crossing Historic Park. River Road, Washington Crossing, (215) 493-4076, www.fwchp.org

The Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation (GPTMC), Philadelphia's official regional tourism marketing agency, is a private, non-profit organization dedicated to building the region's economy and positive image through tourism and destination marketing. For more information about travel to Philadelphia, call the new Independence Visitor Center, located in Independence National Historical Park, at (800) 537-7676, or visit www.gophila.com. For information about arts and cultural attractions in the region, click on the CultureFiles link.

Note to Editors: For photos of Greater Philadelphia, visit the photo gallery of www.gophila.com/pressroom

October 2003

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