What's New in Philly for the 2025 Holiday Season

November 20, 2025 – January 3, 2026 (select nights)

The Philadelphia Zoo unveils a stunning new addition — a 110-foot-tall Pherris Wheel! — to LumiNature, its annual holiday light extravaganza. In its more than 150-year history, there has never been a Ferris wheel at the zoo, making this a phantastic Philly-style addition.

A seven-minute spin on the wheel offers stellar views of the on-site lights, as well as the beautiful Philly skyline. Riders must be more than 32 inches tall to ride with an adult.

The zoo’s new addition will stick around long-term to dazzle visitors during America’s big 250th anniversary bash next year.

Decked in stunning holiday lights, Holidays in Franklin Square sparks festive wonder and cheer all season long.

Unwind this year next to a toasty fire pit or inside the heated tent with a festive cocktail in hand at the new Frosty’s Fireside Lodge.

The new pop-up spot offers seasonal treats, cocktails and cookie-decorating kits. Other featured treats include warm cinnamon buns and reindeer chow snack mix. Get toasty with featured drinks: Merry Mint Mocha, Cin-full Cider, Rosemary & Cranberry Cosmo and all-ages Holiday Hot Chocolate.

In between drinks and snacks, don’t miss the free Electrical Spectacle Light Show, Chilly Philly Mini Golf and street curling.

November 22 – December 30, 2025 (select nights) 

One of the country’s largest outdoor model train displays gets its annual winter makeover when it becomes the Holiday Garden Railway.

Located inside the 100-acre Morris Arboretum & Gardens, the railway’s G-scale mini locomotives wind through loops, tunnels, bridges and replicas of beloved Philly landmarks beneath a canopy of thousands of sparkling lights.

New for 2025: the Morris Train Station, modeled after the Chestnut Hill West Station newsstand on Germantown Avenue, and a 60-foot-long Holiday Tunnel adorned with thousands of twinkling lights.

A giant, glowing German Christmas Pyramid will light up LOVE Park this year at the annual open-air Bavarian holiday marketplace Christmas Village in Philadelphia.

The four-level German Christmas tower — inspired by the rotating windmill-like Christmas structures from the Ore Mountains region of Germany — features 3,000 lights, classic figures and festive decorations.

Join the lighting ceremony of the Pyramid on November 30, 2025 at 4 p.m., then get a jump-start on your holiday shopping at the 100-plus vendors set up in wooden stalls offering gifts, ornaments, accessories and wintry apparel.

November 28 – December 24, 2025 (select dates)

The Wanamaker Light Show (formerly the Macy’s Christmas Light Show) and Dickens Village return to the Wanamaker Building this holiday season alongside two new surprises.

Grab great gifts at the brand-new Vendor Village, brought to you by the team at Christmas Village in Philadelphia. The indoor holiday market features handmade gifts and hand-crafted, artisanal goods.

Guests can also enjoy holiday food and drinks at the new Holly and Humbug pop-up restaurant with pay-as-you-go offerings. FCM Hospitality — the team behind Philly eateries and seasonal spots, like Liberty Point, Walnut Garden and Rosy’s Taco Bar — curates the holiday food-and-drink experience with a menu ranging from sweet to savory.

Philadelphia’s Delaware River waterfront gets a snazzy seasonal makeover each winter when Independence Blue Cross RiverRink Winterfest returns.

The cozy, cold-weather park once again features all of the amenities visitors know and love, including an ice skating rink, a ski chalet-style lodge, a majestically lit holiday tree, an outdoor seating area with fire pits and cozy warming cabins.

New to the mix this year comes Jacquin’s Porch Bar to warm you up with a variety of winter-themed cocktails at the new outdoor bar. On offer: sips from brands like Pennsylvania Dutch, The Roaster’s Daughter and Union Forge vodka.

December 4-14, 2025 (select dates)

Throughout the 2025 holiday season, Delaware County welcomes a new vendor market where residents and visitors can pick up gifts from local merchants, nosh on snacks from local food trucks and enjoy family-friendly entertainment.

Part of Delco for the Holidays, the Delco Fare & Flair Nights sets up in Rose Tree Park in Media on select nights in December from 5 to 8:30 p.m.

Lastly, don’t miss the 50th annual Rose Tree Festival of Lights that kicks off the holiday festivities on Thursday, December 4, 2025.

December 5-14, 2025 (select dates)

Bucks County has curated a special holiday itinerary to attract holiday visitors to three major events through Holly & Huzzah.

The holiday tri-fecta lasts three nights and takes visitors to three separate locations with special holiday programming: Pennsbury Manor’s Holly Nights (December 5, 2025), Peddler’s Village’s Holly Jolly Weekend featuring Santa (December 6, 2025), and Washington Crossing’s First Crossing (December 14, 2025).

2025 marks the first year that the three sites have collaborated to create the curated itinerary. Note that you’ll need tickets for Holly Nights and Washington’s Crossing.

Wednesday, December 31, 2025 ⎸ 6 p.m. & midnight

Ring in 2026 Philly-style with an opportunity to literally ring a replica Liberty Bell at Cherry Street Pier on New Year’s Eve.

The 2,000-pound replica bell — owned by the National Liberty Museum — was cast at the same place as our beloved OG Liberty Bell, complete with a crack.

The replica will visit the waterfront to kick off the year-long celebration of 250 years since the signing of the Declaration of Independence. And, unlike the real Liberty Bell, you can actually touch this one.

For your opportunity to ring the bell, grab tickets to Cherry Street Pier’s kid-friendly New Year’s Eve Kids Countdown or adults-only Party on the Pier.