What to Do This Thanksgiving Weekend: Five Ideas From Visit Philly Staffers

My family has hosted Thanksgiving at our house in the ʼburbs for as long as I can remember. You could always find me on the couch Thanksgiving morning, tuned into Philly’s very own Thanksgiving Day Parade.

This year, we’re switching things up: I’m hosting in the city. You’ll catch us kicking the holiday off at the parade on the Parkway, watching the floats in person for the first time as a family.

Then, we’ll head back inside for the classic four-course feast, complete with a few Philly favorites from Isgro Pastries and Stock’s Bakery. I may even sneak in a personal new fave from Manna Bakery.

This Thanksgiving marks the first time I get to share the holiday season with my four-month-old baby, and I’m excited to show him all the magic Philly has to offer, starting with the city’s holiday light displays.

We already have LumiNature at the Philadelphia Zoo and Independence Blue Cross RiverRink Winterfest at Penn’s Landing on our schedule.

And I’m lucky enough to live a few blocks away from the Miracle on 13th Street light display, my personal favorite. There’s something so beautiful about a group of neighbors coming together to make this magic happen — and then opening their block up for the entire city to enjoy. It’s the City of Brotherly Love at its best.

The Eagles continue their Super Bowl pursuit with a Friday afternoon matchup against the surprising Chicago Bears.

The action on the field is one thing. Let’s talk about the tailgate situation. Seventy thousand Eagles fans equipped with fridgefuls of leftovers and time to prepare? This parking-lot feast will make Thanksgiving dinner look like an appetizer. Forget shopping. There’s no place on Earth I’d rather be than in South Philly with my fellow fans on Black Friday.

Thanksgiving has always been my favorite holiday, and I have a few traditions I never skip.

My wife and I always swing by Winter in Franklin Square, taking in the Electrical Spectacle Light Show and warming up inside the pop-up cocktail bar. I also try to hit up a Sixers game and stop by the Christmas Village in Philadelphia for some holiday shopping. Believe it or not, I’m still a Black Friday shopper, so visits to small businesses in places like Germantown or Midtown Village are a must, and a trip to King of Prussia, a Simon Property Mall is mandatory.

And now that the Netflix House Philadelphia is open, it’s on this year’s holiday hit list. We got a sneak preview — the One Piece escape room was super fun — but we’re headed back to try the Squid Games VR experience next.

I’m always looking for a way to get my family out of the house and away from the iPad. My 10-year-old daughter is a big fan of art, particularly sculptural art like you find at Calder Gardens, so with a few days off, we’re planning a trip to Woodmere.

The Chestnut Hill art museum has a bunch of outdoor sculptures, perfect for exploring in the crisp fall weather, plus some really cool exhibits and a brand-new gallery space, so there’s plenty to see indoors, too.