Whether your year’s been great, not-so-great or downright weird, everything is fa-la-la-la when it comes to December’s holidays in Philly. However, if you need something to do beyond the usual mall Santa sittings, Mummers strutting and kids’ stuff (ing), Metro has you covered with a cool list of Yuletide (and NYE) events off-the-beaten track.
“No Arena” Carols on Christmas Day/Chanukah in Chinatown
If you’re bugged with the idea of the 76ers taking over Chinatown, this is for you. And who doesn’t love a Christmas Day protest sing-a-long? With the festival of Chanukah beginning at sundown on Christmas Day, Dec. 25, those who consider themselves allies to the Chinatown community and its cause of having an arena-less neighborhood will sing out in protest over City Council’s decision to build a 18,500-seat 76ers arena on the edge of Chinatown.
Carolers will sing Save Chinatown-themed carols and light Chanukah candles with Rabbi Linda Holtzman of the Tikkun Olam Chavurah to mark the holidays, while the No Arena in Chinatown Solidarity Group will gather at 3:30 p.m. at 1003 Arch Street. I don’t know the words to any of the NACS’ anti-arena carols, but if you hum a few bars, I’m guessing you’ll pick up on the melodies.
Feast of the Seven Fishes at Dolce Italian
Sure, a handful of local Italian restaurants between Philly and Collingswood, New Jersey, host their own variations of the December holiday meal throughout the month. But, know this—old school traditional Italian families only serve the seven fishes on Christmas Eve – and if there’s any smelts (or “Schmeltz”) left after midnight into Christmas Day, either your mom or your aunt made a big mistake. Chestnut Street’s Dolce Italian does the whole meal on Christmas Eve, and gets extra points for serving that which makes those but the most hardcore Italian grandmother squeamish – baccala, also known as salted cod fish, Mangia.
Sleigh the Bells + New Year’s Eve at Warehouse on Watts
No one in Philly is throwing down all night, on both Dec. 25 and the arc of Dec. 31 into Jan. 1, like 923 N Watts Street. Promoter-DJ Mike Saga promises to “ditch the sleighs and sugarplums for booming basslines” and loads “unprofessional Nutcracker & Xmas themed decorations” on Christmas Day while his fellow DJs Karl K and Nobi spin (and Julie Bells dances across the North Pole). Then, on New Year’s Eve, Goodie, Subsurface, & Vza presents Philly’s longtime house head DJ Rob Paine, Fransisco Callazo, Urbankowboi and more spinning late into the morning of 2025 when the Mummers start walking down 2nd Street.
New Year’s Eve with Chelsea Reed and Fairweather 9
If you don’t feel like blowing your own tin horns and noisemakers come midnight New Year’s Eve, join in on the roar of the five-piece brass and reed section behind silken chanteuse Chelsea Reed at Chris’ Jazz Cafe on Sansom Street. Reed’s bold, jazzily empowered singing voice is made for the power of swing music – original songs and traditional big band favorites – that’s louder than the fireworks outside.
New Year’s Emo at Kung Fu Necktie
A room full of skinny, mopey hardcore punk kids with asymmetrical bangs, shags, all dressed in skin-tight black everything—now that’s one glad-to-be-unhappy party. Sold with the tagline “New Years, Same Tears,” the folks from Fame Lust productions promise a dance floor filled with “the songs that take you back to the good old days” of emo. And that means Rites of Spring, Jawbreaker, Cap’n Jazz, Jimmy Eat World, New Jersey’s Thursday and Philly’s Circa Survive.
West Philadelphia Orchestra’s NYE Bash
Anyone recalling South Street West’s Tritone club across from Bob & Barbara’s remembers the raging Balkan and Klezmer party sounds of the West Philadelphia Orchestra and their annual NYE celebrations. Now, the WPO — together since 2006 with the self-descriptive “avant village folk brass band” tagline — brings their patented “drunken singalong” and dance vibes to Fishtown’s Black Squirrel’s back room with the audience surrounding the band and their piano.
NYE-A-GO GO! A Disco Dance Party
Any opportunity to focus on a large whiskey menu, go go dancing and a legendary disco playlist sounds like an all-out celebration. Making go-go and whiskey happen on New Year’s Eve AND in the Eraserhood warrants bonus booze points going into 2025. Trestle Inn’s DJ Steve J spins all vinyl disco all night with Live Go-Go by the Trestle Specials Connie Love, Rico Fellini and CeCe Summers.
Drink and dance responsibly, everyone.
