We made it to the end of the year! As we begin to say goodbye (or good riddance) to 2025, Philly is spreading the holiday cheer with markets, performances, and parties.
Grab a Last-Minute Gift
Whether you’re celebrating Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa, or none-of-the-above, gift-giving is a way to spread joy this time of the year. But sometimes it’s hard to find the perfect gift. City Cast hosts from all of our 13 cities shared their top recommendations for items that will ship straight to your door. If you prefer doing your shopping in person, Philly has a plethora of holiday markets to visit.
Send Your Seasons Greetings
Pair your gift with a card or send some holiday cheer to a long-distance friend or relative. Skip the generic dollar store cards. Instead, support a local artist and buy a card with some Philly flavor. You can pick up a unique card at neighborhood stationery stores like Bodie, Omoi, Paper on Pine, and Occassionette.
See the Twinkling Lights
Philly may be challenging Paris as the City of Lights this season. We’re brightening up the city with Miracle on 13th Street, LumiNature at the Philadelphia Zoo (which has a new Ferris Wheel!), and the Christmas Village.
The Wanamaker Light Show and Dickens Village is also back for one more year. Visit the former department store for one of Philly’s iconic winter traditions before its hiatus.
And go on a bus tour around the city to see the other holiday displays.
Celebrate the Solstice
Dec. 21 may be the shortest day of the year, but it doesn’t have to be a boring one. Welcome the winter season with a nature walk, Lenape storytelling, solstice lore, or ice skating.
And if you need to warm up after all that, why not eat some soup?
Go to a Holiday Performance
Catch more than just the sugar plum fairies dancing this year. The month is full of performances on stage including “The Nutcracker,” “A Christmas Story,” “Cirque Dreams Holidaze,” and Philly Pops’ “A Philly Holiday Spectacular.”
Give Back
Help a Philadelphian who may be struggling this holiday season by giving back. You can donate toys for children through drives organized by Toys for Tots, USPS Operation Santa, and SEAMAAC. And as temperatures drop, people need to bundle up. You can donate winter gear to Cradles to Crayons or the Navy Yard.
Ring In the New Year
End the year with a bang at a New Year’s Eve party! Celebrate the end of 2025 with a Goth New Year’s Eve Dance Party or a bash at the Crystal Tea Room. Maybe embrace the chaos at a Recession Pop New Year’s Eve Dance Party. Then, get ready for all that’s in store in 2026.
