Philly prepares for Holiday Festival 2018 celebration

Organizers behind the annual Philly Holiday Festival 2018 have exciting plans this year for residents of the city in a time when Mayor Kenney believes many need it most.

Mayor Kenney announced this year’s five-week-long holiday festival on Friday which will officially kick off with Philly’s Thanksgiving Parade on and end on New Year’s Day.

“We’ve had a couple of difficult years nationally and I think we need to get together and remember what the holiday is all about it’s about love and family and each other,” said Philadelphia Mayor Kenney.

Organizers have already put up a new 65-foot tree in front of City Hall in anticipation of the holiday season. Decorating will take place soon with the City Hall tree lighting event scheduled for November 28.

“It’s that Thanksgiving Day Parade that starts it for us but this is just extension, an opportunity to be part of something really exciting around City Hall. It is the official tree, everybody gets to enjoy it. We want to be part of it. We want to support it. We want to extend that to the community,” he said.

Some featured events of Holiday Festival 2018

With more than a dozen events scheduled, the Holiday Festival 2018 celebration will also include a Holiday Market at Dilworth Park from November 17 through January 1 where residents and visitors can shop. The market will features unique gifts crafted by more than 50 local artists.

Other featured events include Santa and Mrs. Claus are scheduled to make their debut with a visit to Rothman Orthopedics Ice Rink on December 23. Kids can stay and skate with Santa from 10:30 to noon.

The BlueCross RiverRink will open on November 23 so that residents can get their skate on while enjoying fresh air, fire pits, arcades, and more.

A Deck the Hall lights show with synchronized holiday music will run daily at 5:30 pm. The show will project lights onto the west facade of City Hall.

To ring in the New Year, fireworks will be featured over the Delaware River Waterfront on December 31. The SugarHouse event will have two showing, at 6 pm and midnight to ring in the New Year.