Philly Holiday Tree presented by VISIT PHILADELPHIA® powered by NRG will return to City Hall this year. During an event with Mayor Cherelle Parker to announce the upcoming activities, the holiday tree, a Concolor/White Fir, was hoisted above its custom pedestal on the north side of City Hall last week. The 75-year-old tree towers above 50 feet tall and is ready for holiday ornaments and lights. The tree will be lit officially to kick off the holiday season at the City of Philadelphia’s Tree Lighting Celebration on Thursday, December 4 at 6 p.m. EST. Photo by Joseph Kaczmarek courtesy of Welcome America, Inc.
As fall flies away like an autumn leaf, get ready for the flurry of winter holidays on the horizon. From carousels in the courtyard to the joys of toys, warm up during the close of 2025 with these low-cost or free festivities.
Exploring The Young Hispanic Experience
Wednesday, November 19, 2025. Take part in a meet-and-greet and book reading session with award-winning Philadelphia-area children’s author Hilda Eunice Burgos at the Free Library’s Author Series. Eunice Burgos’ books focusing on the Dominican-American experience, include the Bodega Cats series, the middle-grade novels Ana María Reyes Does Not Live in a Castle and Miosotis Flores Never Forgets, and the picture book, The Cot in the Living Room. From the time that she was in grade school learning her new language of English knew that she wanted to be a writer. And her lifelong passion for books shines today through her own imaginative storytelling. For first-grade students and older. Free, 1 p.m. EST. Parkway Central/ Library / The Montgomery Auditorium (Ground Floor), 215-686-5369 or https://libwww.freelibrary.org/calendar/event/158267 or hildaeuniceburgos.com
A Mouth-watering Chat
Thursday, November 20, 2025. Spend your lunch with FunTimes on Thursdays twice a month. Join multimedia hosts Diamond Jones, Kyrah Page, and Aaliyah ”Li-Li” Edwards for Voices Of The Diaspora, a lively virtual series that brings a cool fresh spin on matters that affect and inform your daily lives. Be part of an engaging informal community conversation. The next can’t-miss session is “a holiday check-in” focusing on winter holiday traditions and favorite Black comfort foods during the joys and stress of the season. Join the live chat. Laugh, tell us about your absolute favorite holiday dish, and maybe even learn a few secret family recipes. Free; noon. Set your reminder and pull up a virtual seat. #FunTimesMagazine #VoicesOfTheDiaspora #BlackCulture #HolidaySeason #CommunityStories. FunTimes Instagram Live, email: info@funtimesmagazine.com or 215-954-6300.
Leveling The Playing Field
Friday, November 21, 2025. Step out to the music of the Swingtime Celebration: The Sweethearts of Rhythm concert paying tribute to the Sweethearts of Rhythm, the first all-female, multi-racial 1930s and ’40s jazz band. The versatile group played every instrument and put its own spin on the music. Local female vocalists will perform the Sweethearts of Rhythm’s versions of Jump Children, Honeysuckle Rose, and Sweet Georgia Brown. The concert will be part of the Music at Woodmere’s Friday Night Jazz series courtesy of partners WRTI and Lifeline Music Coalition. Single tickets: $28; 6 p.m. EST to 7:30 p.m. EST. Woodmere Art Museum /Charles Knox Smith Hall, 9201 Germantown Ave. 215-247-0476 or https://woodmereartmuseum.org/calendar/friday-night-jazz-swingtime-celebration-the-sweethearts-of-rhythm
The winter carousel in the Courtyard at City Hall.
Wander In A Wonderland
Saturday, November 22 & Sunday, November 23, 2025. Get into the holiday spirit; venture down to City Hall for Preview Weekend at Christmas Village in Philadelphia. Get a sneak peek at Center City’s famous urban outdoor German-style Christmas Village before its official debut (on November 27th). Get lost in a winter wonderland, shop for holiday gifts, and sip on a festive beverage to kick off the season of jingles and joy. Free admission, November 22: Noon to 9 p.m. EST & November 23: noon to 8 p.m. EST. Nearby, the Preview Weekend sets the stage for the lighting ceremony of the city’s towering 50-foot-tall holiday tree on the north side of City Hall featuring GRAMMY® Award-winning singer Ashanti on Thursday, December 4 at 7 p.m. EST. Preview Weekend offers two venues: LOVE Park, 15th Street and JFK Boulevard & City Hall, Broad and JFK Boulevard. Follow the activities @philachristmas on Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok, liking Christmas Village in Philadelphia on Facebook, or visiting www.philachristmas.com or https://www.philachristmas.com/index.html
Rockin’ The River
Friday, November 28, 2025. Late-nighters: Get ready to rock the boat on the Delaware River at the Freedom Party featuring DJ Snipes and host J Gamble. The dance party will be held by DJ-promoter Herbert Holler and JayRider Events. Individual tickets: $15, or get two free passes, if you’re age 30+ and birthday is in November. (Reply with your first and last name, birthday, code-word “PHL”, and wait for confirmation.); 10 p.m. EST to 2 a.m. EST. Moshulu (Main Deck & Snips Lounge), 401 S. Columbus Blvd. Email: herbert@herbertholler.com, https://www.herbertholler.com/
Feel The Jazz Vibe
Thursday, November 20, 2025. Award-winning pianist-organist Luke Carlos O’Reilly brings his versatile mix of jazz, soul, R&B, Gospel, Latin Jazz, and classical rhythms to the stage in a fundraising concert that supports Jazz Bridge’s mission to aid local musicians in need. O’Reilly grew up in Boston but made his bones in Philly. He attended Esther Boyer School of Music at Temple University and later toured and recorded with Seal, Roy Ayers, Dave Valentin, Billy Paul, Bobby Watson, Macy Gray, and others. He has made three solo albums. Single tickets: $10 in advance, $15 at the door. 6 p.m. EST to 9 pm. EST. The concert is suitable for ages 21 and over. Chris’ Jazz Café / Time Restaurant, 1315 Sansom St. Bring an instrument and join a jam session in the event’s final set. https://www.chrisjazzcafe.com/
The Joy Is In The Toy
Through Thursday, December 18, 2025. Get into the spirit of the season and donate an item to the CBS Philadelphia Joy of Sharing Holiday Toy Drive. Just take unwrapped toys to donation boxes at CBS3 or various community events or locations like the Kimmel Center, Academy of Music, and Miller Theater, Kimmel Center, Academy of Music, and Miller Theater on Broad Street’s Avenue of the Arts South. More than 100,000 children have been collected over the years. The beneficiaries, Mothers in Charge, which supports families affected by gun violence, and the Salvation Army, which offers food pantries, shelters, financial assistance, and other community programs, will distribute the toys. Look for designated drop-off locations, including at CBS Philadelphia, 1555 Hamilton St., and other community sites, or visit the CBS Philadelphia website for drop-off locations and events: cbsnews.com or www.ensembleartsphilly.org
