Philadelphia’s Christmas Village

By Audrey Lee

Historic Philadelphia gets in the holiday spirit with the yearly opening of the Christmas Village. The winter wonderland is modeled after traditional Christmas markets that can be found throughout Europe — primarily Germany.

More than 80 wooden booths line the grounds, hosting vendors that sell traditional European foods, drinks and confectionary treats. Guests can purchase bratwurst, mulled wine, hot waffles, gingerbread, artisan cheeses, chocolates, roasted nuts, strudel, spaetzle and more to chow down on.

Christmas Village in Philadelphia © Des Brownlie | Dreamstime.com

The other booths are occupied by vendors selling various items for families to start or finish their holiday shopping. Local crafters present handmade ornaments, home décor signs, wooden carvings, ceramic, pottery, hand-blown glass and edible birdhouses. For those looking for unique accessories, apparel like handbags, jewelry, wallets, handmade sweaters, wool mittens and hats are all for sale. Kids will love the various toy stops with 3-D puzzles, puppets, books and figurines. Families can also enjoy a brightly lit carousel, ice-skating, story time and pictures with Santa.

Conveniently located in the heart of Center City Philadelphia, tourists and locals can easily access this cheerful bazaar by car, bus or subway. The Christmas Village is free to attend, but you pay for any food or products you wish to purchase.

Around the Christmas Village, tourists can have additional holiday fun at surrounding businesses. In the lobby of the Comcast Center, a must-see holiday light show is broadcast on the walls for a magical experience. This free event is a unique, 15-minute spectacular with clips from The Nutcracker performed by the Pennsylvania Ballet and classic holiday music. Each show begins at the top of every hour 10 a.m.–8 p.m.

At Macy’s in Center City, the third floor is transformed into a 6,000-square-foot Charles Dickens Village. Beginning the day after Thanksgiving until New Year’s Eve, this free, life-sized walk-through takes visitors through the story of A Christmas Carol. Attendees can peer through windows of houses and shops in 1840s Victorian London style and follow Ebenezer Scrooge as he figures out the true meaning of Christmas. The Dickens Village also has time-period actors strolling through the pathways caroling for extra holiday cheer.