It’s the season of gratitude, and we are thankful for the cornucopia of awesome things to do during Thanksgiving week in Philadelphia.
Philly is home to the nation’s oldest Thanksgiving Day Parade, which sees massive floats, big-name celebrities, and talented performers from local and national choirs, dance groups, and marching bands make their way down the Benjamin Franklin Parkway on Thanksgiving morning.
Aside from the parade, Philadelphia is also the spot for seasonal celebrations and special events before and after the turkeys’ big day.
Thanksgiving week lights up with dazzling light displays throughout Greater Philadelphia, including free outdoor shows like the Deck the Hall Light Show at City Hall and Winter in Franklin Square, the iconic Macy’s Christmas Light Show in the historic Wanamaker Building, and the drive-through Holiday Light Show at Shady Brook Farm.
Get in the holiday spirit as you glide around the ice in Center City at Winter at Dilworth Park or on the waterfront at Blue Cross Riverrink Winterfest (opening November 25, 2022).
This year also sees big-time live performances in Philadelphia during Thanksgiving week, including sets from Philly hip-hop icons Meek Mill at the Wells Fargo Center and DJ Jazzy Jeff at Rivers Casino, and Broadway productions of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s Cinderella at the Walnut Street Theatre and Tina: The Tina Turner Musical at The Academy of Music.
Read on for the best things to do in Greater Philadelphia this Thanksgiving week and weekend.
Through Sunday, March 26, 2023 (dates vary by attraction)
Holiday pop ups abound in Center City’s Dilworth Park all season long (and beyond). For 2022, folks can:
Where: Dilworth Park, 1 S. 15th Street
The city’s magnificent holiday tree arrives on November 15, 2022 on the north side of City Hall, around the corner from all the wintry fun in Dilworth Park and LOVE Park. A tree-lighting celebration on Thursday, December 1, 2022 invites residents and visitors to see the tree sparkle for the first time this season. Check back as more info about this Philly holiday tradition comes to “light” (see what we did there?).
Where: North apron of City Hall, 1400 John F. Kennedy Boulevard
Each holiday season, Kennett Square’s world-renowned Longwood Gardens transforms into a winter wonderland during the hugely popular A Longwood Christmas. This year’s theme, The Art of Christmas, features floating floral displays, dozens of holiday trees draped in gilded garland, enchanting treehouses and luminous outdoor light displays. Timed tickets are required.
Where: Longwood Gardens, 1001 Longwood Road, Kennett Square
With more than 60 specialty shops perfect for holiday shopping, Peddler’s Village’s charm and beautiful, festive decorations help ring in the season — as do the attraction’s 1 million twinkling lights covering buildings and trees. Also at Peddler’s this year: The Gingerbread Competition & Display returns with more than 70 creative entries (November 18, 2022 through January 8, 2023).
Where: Peddler's Village, 2400 Street Road, New Hope
Where else but the official, Bucks County-based theme park of Sesame Street would kids get to enjoy A Very Furry Christmas, transforming the park with millions of lights? Guests can take in the festive Christmas Parade, sing along during the 1-2-3 Christmas Tree music and light show, visit Santa in the Furry Workshop and more.
Where: Sesame Place, 100 Sesame Road, Langhorne
This Bucks County farm’s three-million-light Holiday Light Show allows visitors to drive or, if weather permits, ride in wagons past after-dark displays: illuminated tunnels and just about every imaginable Christmas icon rendered in tiny bulbs. (Timed tickets required.) Included with admission: the walk-through Candy Cane Lane light show.
Where: Shady Brook Farm, 931 Stony Hill Road, Yardley
Franklin Square celebrates the winter season with free nightly light shows inspired by Benjamin Franklin’s legendary kite and key experiment. Free light shows — set to a soundtrack of seasonal tunes — illuminate the square every 30 minutes from 5 p.m. until close. Before or after the show, grab a burger or beverage fireside from the on-site Square Burger, play a round of festive Chilly Philly Mini Golf or hop aboard the classic Parx Liberty Carousel. Note that Winter in Franklin Square programming will not run on Thanksgiving Day.
Where: Franklin Square, 200 N. 6th Street
This immersive display transforms the Philadelphia Zoo’s day-scape into a nighttime multimedia spectacle. After the animals are tucked away for the evening, the zoo lights up with more than 1 million holiday lights in 14 distinct zones. New displays for 2022 — including a 15-foot tall glowing blue gorilla and an under-the-sea-inspired holiday tree — join familiar favorites like a 100-foot-long aquarium tunnel (complete with enormous jellyfish) and a 21-foot-tall brilliantly bright snake. Seasonal fare, live performers, hot chocolate and adult beverages round out the feelings of winter spirit. Timed tickets are required. Note that the Philadelphia Zoo is closed on Thanksgiving Day.
Where: Philadelphia Zoo, 3400 W. Girard Avenue
Norristown’s Elmwood Park Zoo shines (quite literally) during the holiday season, with millions of LED lights illuminating the Montco attraction’s 16 acres during Wild Lights. The walk-through experience features brilliant light displays and live entertainment during the evening hours. Tickets are required. Wild Lights is closed on November 23 and 24, 2022.
Where: Elmwood Park Zoo, 1661 Harding Boulevard, Norristown
November 22 – December 18, 2022 (select dates)
Pack your glass slippers for the latest Broadway adaptation of the classic featuring the book by playwright Douglas Carter Beane. Note: There are no performances on Thanksgiving Day.
Where: Walnut Street Theatre, 825 Walnut Street
November 22 – December 4, 2022 (select dates)
Rock out to Tina’s greatest hits with this rollicking musical from Pulitzer Prize-winning Katori Hall. Note: There are no performances on Thanksgiving Day.
Where: The Academy of Music, 240 S. Broad Street
The open-air European wonderland that is Christmas Village in LOVE Park returns for 2022 with more than 110 different vendors set up in brand-new wooden huts. On offer: local and international gifts such as Käthe Wohlfahrt ornaments, accessories and wintry apparel, along with raclette sandwiches, spiced wine, apple cider, strudels and more seasonal treats. Across the street on the north apron of City Hall and in the City Hall courtyard, a double-decker Christmas Village Carousel, Ferris Wheel and Kids Train await for those in between shopping and eating stints.
Where: LOVE Park, 15th & Arch streets
The Comcast Center’s annual (and free!) super high-res LED holiday show returns this year, back in the lobby of the city’s second-tallest building on one of the world’s largest LED continuous video walls. Combining performances from the Philadelphia Ballet with classic holiday songs, the 15-minute show features a magical sleigh ride over the city. Shows run daily at the top of every hour from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., with sensory-friendly shows on offer every Thursday and Friday at 2:30 p.m. (and upon request).
Also back from 2022 is The Universal Sphere, a free cinematic experience (advanced reservations encouraged) created by Steven Spielberg, DreamWorks Animation, Universal Parks & Resorts and Comcast Labs, located in the upper lobby of the Comcast Technology Center. Shows run daily from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m., with the last daily show starting at 7:45 p.m.
Where: Comcast Center, 1701 John F. Kennedy Boulevard
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Comcast Technology Center, 1800 Arch Street
The Scranton-based punk rockers hit Philly for two nights at Union Transfer. The Friday show is sold out, but tickets remain for the show on Saturday, November 26, 2022.
Where: Union Transfer, 1026 Spring Garden Street
During Thanksgiving weekend at the museum, the kid-friendly Revolution Place transforms into an 18th-century winterscape. Learn about life during the snowy winter months in Revolutionary-era Philadelphia and discover how winter holidays were celebrated before and during the war. In honor of Native American Heritage Month, spend some time in an immersive multimedia gallery that explores the Oneida Indian Nation’s debate over whether to support the Revolutionary cause. Note: The museum is closed on Thanksgiving Day.
Where: Museum of the American Revolution, 101 S. 3rd Street
The Philadelphia Orchestra plays John Williams’ iconic score alongside the feature film during special screenings of this holiday classic that pits eight-year-old Kevin McCallister against two bungling burglars on Christmas Eve.
Where: Kimmel Center, 300 S. Broad Street
’Tis the season everywhere — even underwater. This sub-surface seasonal celebration features a scuba-diving Santa, underwater lighting displays and even an underwater Christmas tree (purported to be the world’s tallest).
Where: Adventure Aquarium, 1 Riverside Drive, Camden, NJ
November 25 – December 30, 2022 (select dates)
The annual Holiday Garden Railway brings a mini-winter wonderland to the historic Morris Arboretum, with a quarter-mile track where model trains chug along loops, through tunnels and over bridges, past perfect little replicas of beloved Philadelphia landmarks. In short, it’s adorable. On select Friday, Saturday and Sunday evenings throughout the display’s run, guests enjoy the railway amid thousands of twinkling lights as part of the after-hours Holiday Garden Railway: Nighttime Express programming. Lighted trees and other colored lights make the garden even more magical. Tickets are required.
Where: Morris Arboretum, 100 E. Northwestern Avenue
The Grand Court in the National Historic Landmark Wanamaker Building has hosted the Christmas Light Show since 1956. Macy’s continues the holiday tradition in 2022 with a 100,000-light show featuring twinkling snowflakes and dancing snowmen, and accompanied by seasonal sounds from the famed Wanamaker Organ. Free performances take place:
Visitors can also register to visit Macy’s Dickens Village, where intricate animated dolls and sets retell Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol.
Where: Macy's, 1300 Market Street
Returning for a second year to the Fairground at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center at Oaks, this holiday experience is powered by an astounding 1.2 million twinkling lights. Intricate displays include a 60-foot, walk-through light tunnel, illuminated recreations of Philly landmarks, and tributes to Philly’s thriving sports teams. After you walk through the winter wonderland, find the perfect gift in the artisan Mistletoe Marketplace, then glide around Rudolph’s ice rink, or grab a mat and speed down a 160-foot ice slide — both brand-new for 2022. Oh, and, it him: The one and only Gritty Claus will be making appearances on select dates.
Where: The Greater Philadelphia Expo Center at Oaks, 100 Station Avenue, Oaks
Opens for the season on Friday, November 25, 2022
Experience a riverfront winter wonderland at the Blue Cross RiverRink Winterfest. Glide around an enormous ice skating rink, snap a photo next to the festive holiday tree and warm up with a hot beverage next to a fire pit or inside a cozy cabin. Entry into Winterfest is free. Ice skating, cabins and fire pits can be reserved in advance.
Where: Blue Cross RiverRink Winterfest, 101 S. Christopher Columbus Boulevard
Get an early jump on the Thanksgiving Eve celebrations with an evening of music and dancing at the Kimmel Center. Cuban music group Raul y su ClaveAché pump out the tunes while dance instructor Marck “Flaco” Best leads the action on the dance floor. The event is free, but registration is encouraged.
Philly icon DJ Jazzy Jeff’s mini-residency at Rivers Casino continues with a free pre-Thanksgiving bash. DJ Gary O gets the party started at 8 p.m. before Jazzy Jeff takes the stage from 10 p.m. to midnight, spinning a mix of timeless throwbacks, hip-hop classics and chart-topping hits.
Where: Rivers Casino Philadelphia, 1001 N. Delaware Avenue
The nation’s oldest Thanksgiving Day parade — originally founded in 1920 — brings larger-than-life floats, spectacular marching bands, dazzling dancers, A-listers and, of course, Santa and Mrs. Claus to the Benjamin Franklin Parkway. This year’s eclectic mix of performers and celebs includes everyone from The Spinners and C+C Music Factory to Mickey Mouse and Minnie Mouse, Philadanco, Carson Kressley, Blue Man Group and more.
November 25, 2022 – December 23, 2022 (Fridays)
All aboard! Visit Philadelphia and the Philly PHLASH are teaming up to debut the Philly PHLASH Shopping Loop. The bus route — providing easy access to Black- and Brown-owned businesses in four separate Philly neighborhoods — departs from the Independence Visitor Center at noon each Friday before making stops in the South Street Headhouse District, West Philadelphia, Northern Liberties and Center City. The bus spends one hour in each neighborhood, allowing shoppers to pop in and out of the many Black- and Brown-owned shops and boutiques at their leisure. (Find 21 great shops in those neighborhoods here.) The bus is free, but registration is encouraged.
Where: Bus departs from the Independence Visitor Center, 599 Market Street
Black Friday sees the Fly Guys skate against the cross-state rival Pittsburgh Penguins in front of a national television audience as part of the NHL’s 2022 Thanksgiving Showdown doubleheader.
Where: Wells Fargo Center, 3601 S. Broad Street
In time for the 2022 World Cup (and before Philly serves as a host city for the global event in 2026), the streets of Fishtown transform into a giant soccer pitch thanks to a partnership between The Fishtown District and Street Soccer USA. The daylong soccer celebration features a street soccer tournament between teams of four on three pop-up pitches along Frankford Avenue. In addition to the action on the asphalt, expect a block party-like atmosphere with DJs, food and plenty of family-friendly fun.
Where: Frankford Avenue between Girard Avenue and East Thompson Street
Young visitors and their families are invited to join the National Liberty Museum and We Are the Seeds — a Philly-based educational organization that celebrates Indigenous arts and culture — for an afternoon of hands-on fun and learning. The event features musical instrument-making workshops, oral history and creation stories from an Indigenous storyteller, and an exhibit about Thanksgiving celebrations throughout history. The Family Day event is included in regular museum admission.
Where: National Liberty Museum, 321 Chestnut Street
Motown legend Smokey Robinson performs just a handful of dates this fall, and luckily Philly’s on that list. Out of his extensive repertoire, hits like You’ve Really Got a Hold on Me and The Tears of a Clown are sure to get the crowd going.
Where: The Met Philadelphia, 858 N. Broad Street
You ready? Philly native Meek Mill celebrates the 10th anniversary of his debut album Dreams and Nightmares with a one-night-only homecoming concert in South Philly. The album’s platinum-certified title track, which became a rallying anthem for the 2018 Super Bowl-winning Philadelphia Eagles, can still be heard blaring from stereos throughout Philadelphia on game days and, well, pretty much any day that ends in “y.” Expect other local artists and a few Dreams and Nightmares collaborators to make appearances at the show.
Jalen Hurts and the high-flying Eagles close out Thanksgiving weekend with a battle against Aaron Rogers and the Green Bay Packers. The Linc will be rockin’ for the primetime showdown, which could have major implications for playoff seeding in the NFC.
Where: Lincoln Financial Field, One Lincoln Financial Field Way
The Visit Philly Overnight Package — booked more than 190,000 times since 2001 — comes with free hotel parking (worth up to $100 in Center City Philadelphia), overnight hotel accommodations and choose-your-own-adventure perks.
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