Top Holiday Events & Attractions in Philadelphia’s Countryside

With more than 70 specialty stores and restaurants, Peddler’s Village in beautiful Bucks County is perfect for holiday shopping. The village glimmers with thousands of lights, starting with the Grand Illumination Celebration on Friday, November 15. Visitors can also check out the whimsical entries created for the annual Gingerbread Competition & Display. And on the weekends, Peddler’s Village hosts visits with Santa at Giggleberry Fair and other special events.

All aboard the New Hope & Ivyland Railroad! This festive excursion invites guests to sip hot chocolate and enjoy fresh-baked cookies as Santa and Mrs. Claus deliver a special gift to all the kids. Christmas carol sing-alongs sweeten the ride as the train transports passengers to the “North Pole.” On select nights from November 29 to December 24, visitors can also take a ride on Santa’s Steam Spectacular on a carol-filled locomotive alongside Santa and Mrs. Claus.

Stop by the Bucks County Visitor Center in Bensalem to see a stunning display of adorned trees. While there, be sure to pick up a coupon book with discounts and special offers for local holiday attractions.

Millions of lights set the 16-acre Elmwood Park Zoo aglow as the popular Wild Lights display returns to the Montgomery County attraction. Guests can encounter animals, enjoy live music and meet characters every night of the exhibit, which features installations like Snowflake Central, Rainbow Runway and a giant video show.

During A Longwood Christmas at Longwood Gardens, thousands of poinsettias, towering Christmas trees and fragrant flowers transform the heated four-acre Conservatory, where guests can enjoy holiday performances and sing-alongs. Outside, 500,000 lights glitter in the trees, and fountains dance to seasonal music.

November 23 – December 22, 2019 (select dates)

Take a scenic, 90-minute holiday train ride through the Chester Creek Valley on Santa’s Express on the West Chester Railroad. Families can celebrate with Santa himself, pose for pictures, enjoy live music and more.

November 23 – December 30, 2019 (select dates)

Holiday weekends at LEGOLAND Discovery Center are full of colorful delights. Visitors can meet LEGO Santa and LEGO reindeer, build ornaments, trade minifigures and decorate the attraction’s holiday tree.

A Very Furry Christmas at Sesame Place is a festive celebration with everyone’s favorite Sesame Street friends in Bucks County. The park transforms into a Christmas wonderland with millions of twinkling lights, fun decorations and whirling rides. Guests of all ages enjoy special Christmas shows, treats, holiday shopping in the all-new Merry Marketplace and visits with Santa in his Furry Workshop. Ten festive floats are part of the Neighborhood Street Party Christmas Parade and the daily 1-2-3 Christmas Tree Show is set to holiday tunes.

Millions of lights sparkle at Shady Brook Farm during this incredible immersive experience. Guests take the magical drive past the light display in their own cars or hop on an open-air wagon to enjoy the view. Before and after the main event, attendees pick out holiday trees, warm up with cocoa and s’mores, and take photos with Santa.

Holidays at Herr’s start with tasty snack factory tours, festive hayrides, visits with Santa and a real-life reindeer at the annual Snacktacular on Tuesday, November 26. Starting at dusk the next day, more than 600,000 lights brighten the area outside the factory for the annual drive-through light show (November 27 – January 1). Don’t miss Big Blue, the 90-foot-tall tree display!

Historic mansion Pottsgrove Manor gets dressed in its traditional English best for the holidays. Visitors can take a tour of the 18th-century house to learn about how its former inhabitant — ironmaster, judge and Pottstown founder John Potts — celebrated the season. Then, during a special one-night event on Sunday, December 15, guests tour the manor by candlelight and enjoy games, crafts and colonial-era entertainment.

Christmas takes over the Brandywine River Art Museum with one of the largest O-gauge model railroad displays in the country. Be sure to make a special trip for the annual critter sale featuring ornaments made from all-natural materials on December 5-8, 2019.

November 29 & December 1, 2019

Downtown Media kicks off the season with the Holiday Stroll & Festival of Lights on Friday, November 29, 2019, with festive music, a tree-lighting ceremony and a chance for kids to mail their letters to Santa. On Sunday, December 1, 2019, the town celebrates with a block party, costume contest and fun run leading up to the sixth-annual parade.

For the holidays, Linvilla Orchards transforms into the North Pole — farm style. Visitors get into the holiday spirit by cutting their own Christmas trees and shopping at the market. Santa makes an appearance every Saturday and Sunday, and on Saturday evenings, guests can sing along on hayrides and gather around the campfire for marshmallows and apple cider.

Levittown’s Bolton Mansion hosts its tree-lighting ceremony early in the month to get visitors in the holiday spirit. Guests enjoy music, dancing, mansion tours and hearth cooking — plus a visit from Santa — inside the historic home.

West Chester ushers in the season with this annual highlight hosted by the West Chester Chamber of Commerce. For its 40th anniversary, marching bands, floats and antique vehicles delight onlookers and set the festive mood. Guests can stroll through town to enjoy refreshments, entertainment and more during open houses at many local businesses.

Wayne’s Christmas Tree Lighting is a flurry of fun, with face painting, strolling carolers, a train display and ornament-decorating activities leading up to the annual lighting of the town’s tree on Friday, December 6, 2019. The next day, Santa makes his way down Lancaster Avenue to the Wayne Hotel for photo ops.

Phoenixville celebrates the holiday season with two blockbuster events. On Friday, December 6, 2019, a joyous parade leads up to the town’s annual tree-lighting ceremony. The next day, the Firebird Festival brings live music, dancing and shopping before the spectacular burning of a gigantic wooden phoenix.

Held the first Saturday in December, the Coatesville Christmas Parade ushers in the holidays with a festive celebration featuring floats, antique automobiles, marching bands, community groups and a visit from Santa Claus.

Santa helps lead a parade down Main Street to jumpstart the holidays in Yardley. The event ends at Buttonwood Park for the town’s tree-lighting ceremony, followed by visits with Mr. and Mrs. Claus and shopping opportunities in Santa’s Workshop.

Towamencin Township’s last event of the year is a holiday bash that includes a tree-lighting ceremony and free photos with Santa, plus horse-drawn surrey rides through glorious light displays, and local music and dance performances.

December 7 & 12, 2019

The community of Ambler gathers on Butler Avenue in view of the historic Ambler Theatre for the annual Holiday Parade on Saturday, December 7, 2019, which features bands, floats, Mummers and a special visit from Santa. The big guy returns on Thursday, December 12, 2019 along with Mrs. Claus; the duo arrives at the Ambler Train Station for milk, cookies and storytime.

December 8, 2019 

Enjoy the holidays at beautiful Fonthill Castle in Doylestown. The space, built by Henry Chapman Mercer and modeled after a 13th-century Rhenish castle, hosts a Community Holiday Open House on Sunday, December 8. Guests can wander through the meandering hallways, see the differently shaped rooms and encounter 32 stairways on their holiday journey.

The Michener Art Museum and Mercer Museum offer free admission during the annual Holiday Open House. Celebrate the season through works from local artists and special events throughout the evening, including gift shopping at the museum store.

The ever-popular Clover Market pops up for two days in Bryn Mawr for holiday shopping needs. Seventy vendors sell handmade goods, jewelry, home decor and crafts, while local purveyors like Harvest Ridge Winery, Mama’s Meatballs and Philadelphia Brewing Company help shoppers fuel up.

All season long

The traditional German Christmas Market at Byers’ Choice boasts plenty of gifts for holiday shoppers (think gingerbread houses, advent calendars and other goodies) in addition to spirited events throughout the season. Explore the indoor snowstorm, mingle with singing reindeer and check out more than 250 nativities from around the world on display, all while enjoying mulled cider and holiday cookies. Don’t miss the market’s specialty: caroling figurines handcrafted to take on a variety of personalities and historical characters.

All season long

Doylestown, Upper Merion, Quakertown and more towns of the Philadelphia countryside glow with holiday spirit during their tree-lighting ceremonies. Visitors can meet Santa in Spring City (Saturday, December 7, 2019), attend the country’s oldest community tree-lighting celebration in Perkasie (Saturday, December 7, 2019) and stroll down charming main streets decked out for the season. Check out the complete guide to tree lightings in the Greater Philadelphia area for more.