Where to celebrate Christmas in July in Philly

Ho ho ho.

It’s the summer, but that doesn’t mean the holiday spirit isn’t still alive and well in the City of Brotherly Love. Every year, a few local spots in Philadelphia decide to celebrate Christmas in July, and 2025 is no exception.

River Twice

River Twice (1601 E Passyunk Ave.) for one always throws a dinner series in honor of the quirky occasion. This sunny season, the East Passyunk locale will be hosting a series of collaboration dinners with talent from all over the country (including Maine, New York City and Washington D.C.) with seatings held from July 22-26.

The series will kick off with Chef Johnny Spero of Washington D.C.’s Michelin star eatery, Reverie, while the next night, Chef Neil Zabriskie of Regards in Portland, Maine will bring his Los Angeles and Mexico City-inspired fare to the restaurant. Night three will welcome Chef Nick Tamburo of Smithereens, coming down from New York City to share his seafood-centric cuisine, and night four will highlight Roman cuisine Chef Jacob Siwak of Forsythia in New York City.

Shola Olunloyo of Studiokitchen in Philadelphia (where he develops and plays with culinary concepts, global foods and cutting-edge technology) will join Rucker in the kitchen to conclude the series on Saturday night, July 26.

Certain meals for River Twice’s Christmas in July series will also have the option to add on a curated wine and beverage pairing, with options from Sydney Adams from Pray Tell Wines (July 22), Laura Barrett from Clif Family Winery (July 23), and Ben Wenk from Ploughman Cider (July 26).

Seating for all dinners begin at 5 p.m., with 50 seats available per night. The dinner experience comes out to be $150 per person, or $175 to dine at the seven-seat chef’s counter. Each evening will feature a collaborative multi-course menu with beverage pairings and a-la-carte options available. Reservations can be made via Resy, and Santa hats are welcome. Note, the restaurant will be closed for its usual service on Sunday, July 27.

Morgan’s Pier

Christmas in July will also be in full swing this week at Morgan’s Pier (221 N Christopher Columbus Blvd.) The popular waterside locale will be hosting themed fun, decorations and events from Monday, July 21 to Saturday, July 26.

“As a seasonal operation, we are closed during the Christmas holidays so we have embraced a new tradition of celebrating Christmas in July,” says Avram Hornik, owner of FCM Hospitality. “With Santa, Mad Elf, Christmas karaoke and a sensational performance by the Soul Cruisers, we are hoping to make this made-up holiday an excellent excuse to bring Philadelphians together for a bit of extra cheer.”

July 21 will kick off with Portable Picasso ‘s Christmas-themed paint night (6 to 8 p.m.) and Christmas-themed Trivia with Philthy Phil (7 to 9 p.m.), while July 22 will highlight Christmas Karaoke with Alyssa Marie (8 to 11 p.m.)

Wednesday evening, July 23, on the other hand will feature a performance from the Soul Cruisers (8 to 11 p.m.), while on Thursday, July 24, Philadelphians can head to Morgan’s Pier for live music from DJ Adub (5 to 9 p.m.) and Turning the Tide (9 p.m. to midnight), plus snap some photo ops for “Christmas in July Eve” to win prizes. The next day, July 25, locals can continue to snap a pic in their best Christmas outfit and tag their post with #ChristmasAtMorgans for a chance to win a Morgan’s Pier $50 gift card.

July 25’s festivities at the Pier will also see Santa coming to town. Kris Kringle will be on site from 6 to 8 p.m. And finally, Saturday, July 26, will feature Ugly Tank Top Day in honor of the occasion. Additionally, all week long, visitors can enjoy pours of Troeg’s Mad Elf Christmas Ale and a specialty Frozen Christmas cocktail: “The Jolly Santa”, made with Sobieski Raspberry Vodka, Apple Pucker and Sour.