Reading Terminal Market is an iconic location in the City of Brotherly Love. It’s your one-stop shop for a lunch break, a showcase of what local Philly vendors have to offer, and it’s home to a couple of bars as well.
But during the holiday season, the country’s No. 1 public market (voted so by USA Today) also offers more than what meets the eye with plenty of gift options for anyone on your list—whether you celebrate Hannukah, Kwanzaa or Christmas. And for those who celebrate the latter, there’s even a chance to hang with the big man in red himself.
Santa will post up at Reading Terminal this weekend on Saturday, Dec. 17, with free photo ops from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. And while hanging with Kris Kringle, there will also be vendors offering an assortment of gift options from handcrafted jewelry, to accessories, crafts, gift baskets and a plethora of edible treats.
One standout comes from Bee Natural. As a release states, all the honey and beeswax products are handmade by the owner and apiarist Darren Sausser’s beehives in Smyrna, Delaware. You’ll find pure and specialty honey, natural beeswax candles, beeswax balms, and skin care items on top of hives and other apiary supplies.
Amazulu, on the other hand, comes from silversmith Charita Powell, and her designs were created by metalworkers from all over the country and worldwide. Each piece of jewelry is made with a story and meaning, and shoppers can sift through them all while there.
For the local foodie in your life however, Pennsylvania General Store is where you want to shop. As the story goes, Michael and Julie Holahan opened this brand in 1987 as a lunch box catering business using the foods of Reading Terminal Market. But when someone asked them if they shipped Tastycakes, they shifted their focus to creating gift baskets filled with a collection of the greatest Pennsylvania-made products—and that’s what they still offer. Plus, they do the packaging and shipping themselves.
Little Marrakesh Bazaar, on the other hand, takes on a more wordly approach to the City of Brotherly Love. This vendor offers the most authentic Moroccan handcrafted pieces. And as a release states, Chakir, the owner of Little Marrakesh Bazaar, works with local artisans in Morocco to design the pieces he sells. In addition, he is constantly traveling between Philadelphia and Morocco to source his products.
But whatever you’re looking for, Reading Terminal Market has over 70 vendors, each offering their own unique offerings from chocolates, to candles, to local Philly items and everything in between. For a full list and a look at what the Market is offering for the holiday season, head to their website.
For more information on Reading Terminal Market (1136 Arch Street), visit readingterminalmarket.org
