Santa and his Elf catch a ride in the opening of the “Miracle on the 13th Street” neighborhood holiday light display in South Philly.
Photo by Bob Jackson
FunTimes Magazine Culture + Entertainment column, week of December 2, 2024
“Few things make people broke as quickly as trying to appear rich.”
— Dave Ramsey, Author & Finance expert
Let’s tie up the most wonderful month in a bow. It is said that December is the month to finish what you started and make your wishes come true. Start tidying up loose ends and making your wishes come true with these free or low-cost activities highlighting the joys and jubilance of the winter holiday season. Please don’t forget: When event-going, take precautions, especially when among groups and while indoors, with the ongoing risk of COVID-19 variants.
FunTimes Workshop Keeps The Faith
Thursday, December 12, 2024. Mark your calendars. FunTimes is presenting its next holiday virtual event “Faith, Family, and Culture: Learn how different religions celebrate the winter holidays” in Black communities. Coach B. Wright (Bulinda Wright-Jones) and Juliette Njoku, Ph.D, will lead this engaging session celebrating cultures and religions. It will be a fun but educational interfaith exploration of family and spiritual dynamics in modern-day society. Coach B. Wright is an author, certified life coach, podcast host, and event planner. Dr. Njoku is the Chairwoman of Nigerian American Mothers For Youth Advancement and Judiciary, State of New Jersey. The workshop will be moderated by multi-media professional Lavonne Nichols, a certified life coach and founder of Say Something Good LLC focusing on women’s empowerment and trauma recovery. Free, noon to 1 p.m. EST. Instagram Live. funtimesmagazine.com.
Don’t Be Tardy To The Christmas Toy Drive Party
Saturday, December 21, 2024. FunTimes and its partners — Fruits of The Family Table, Abiding Truth Ministries, and MERCYworldwide — will bring joy to the world and host a Christmas Toy Drive & Giveaway in Southwest Philadelphia. Our motto is “Give ‘til it helps.” Kids up to 18 years old can enjoy unwrapping their free toy, photos with Santa, games, prizes, face-painting, caroling, lunch, gift grab bags, and more. Anyone interested in donating toys, money in advance, or volunteering for the event onsite, please reach out. Drop toys off at the meeting place of Philadelphia International Christian Church, 932 E. Hunting Park Ave., Sundays, 1 p.m. EST to 2 p.m. EST, or coordinate a drop-off time at Abiding Truth Ministries, 846 S. 57th St. by calling 215-476-7225. The deadline is Wednesday, December 18, 2024. Monetary donations can be made by Zelle to phl.admin@usd21.org, with “2024 Toy Drive” in the notes. Volunteers can help with event set-up. Free. Kids must be registered in advance and attend the event to get a toy. Registration ends Thursday, December 14, 2024. 1 p.m. EST to 4 p.m. EST. Abiding Truth Ministries, 846 S. 57th St., 267-410-6188 or 215-917-4956.
Dance Steps Back In Time
Friday, December 6, to Sunday, December 8, 2024. PHILANDANCO!’s presentation of Our Voices, Our Choices…This Is US! will showcase female perspectives and expressions featuring the voices of four African-American women. From the 1950s to Harlem in 1989 and all of the way to the rock music of Led Zeppelin, take a deep dive into original movement, music, and stories through the evocative and well-crafted choreography of Martha Nichols, Jawole Willa Jo Zollar, Dawn Marie Bazemore, and Bebe Miller. $29 to $49, times wary. Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts / Perelman Theater. 300 S. Broad St. 215-893-1999 or ensembleartsphilly.com or philadanco.org.
Photo by Joseph Kaczmarek, courtesy of the Philly Tree Lighting Celebration and Welcome America, Inc.
Rockin’ Around The Philly Holiday Tree
Thursday, December 5, 2024. Every year around this time Welcome America, Inc. and the City of Philadelphia event organizers have a tall order. About 50 feet tall. The annual Philly Holiday Tree presented by VISIT PHILADELPHIA® powered by NRG will shine a light on Center City, marking the unofficial start of the holidays in Philly. The tree will be illuminated to kick off the show, followed by performances by Keyshia Cole — a Grammy-nominated R&B singer, songwriter, TV personality and actor — Mr. Hollywood DJ, and Liamani, 16-year-old star of Disney’s High School Musical: The Musical. Enjoy pre-show activities including a performance by the Community Academy of Philadelphia Charter School, the cast of STOMP, and giveaway items. The real star, of course, is the towering 55-year-old Abie Concolor/White Fir. If you’re counting, there will be more than 6,000 new lights wrapped snuggly around the old tree, which is supported by a custom-fabricated tree base identifying city neighborhoods. The pedestal boasts a soundtrack playing holiday classics and messages in multiple languages. The main program will be broadcast live on 6abc and hosted by Cecily Tynan, Rick Williams, and Alicia Vitarelli. Giveaways: Free, 6 to 8 p.m.; 7 p.m. the 6abc broadcast begins (a live stream also is available). Wawa Holiday Plaza, north side of City Hall, Broad Street, and John F. Kennedy Boulevard. phillyholidays.com.
Photo-Tastic
Saturday, December 7, 2024. Guess what? Santa’s in town. Check out the Santa Stroll. Pose for a free photo with Old St. Nick. Capture all of the cool moments of the holidays at two Santa photo locations: The Comcast Center Campus, The Concourse at Comcast Center, 1701 John F. Kennedy Blvd., 11:30 a.m. EST to 2 p.m. EST.; Wawa Holiday Plaza, north side of City Hall, 3 p.m. EST to 4 p.m. EST. The City Hall photo session will feature the “Deck the Paws” station, where you can get a free professional photo with your dog and Santa near the City Hall holiday tree. At the same Center City locations, the following Saturday, December 14, carve out some time for the Holiday Ice Carving Event. Watch artists up close create holiday-themed ice sculptures at The Comcast Center Plaza, free, 2 p.m. EST to 5:p.m. EST and at the north side of City Hall /Wawa Holiday Plaza, 15th Street and John F. Kennedy Boulevard. phillyholidays.com or comcast.com.
Get On Deck With Shrek…
Through January 3, 2025. For a beloved holiday go-to attraction, take your sleigh ride to The Comcast Holiday Spectacular. You can’t beat the free 15-minute shows presented on a huge “The Comcast Experience” video wall featuring holiday sing-alongs, performances by the Philadelphia Ballet, and an enchanted sleigh ride around the world. Brand-new this holiday are short films featuring characters from Shrek called “DreamWorks Shrek’s Festive Flight” at The Universal Sphere.™ Escape with Shrek, Donkey, Gingy, and friends on a journey from Philadelphia to the North Pole. After arriving at the North Pole Bakery, decorate your gingerbread cookies in an interactive digital experience, and watch your creations come to life on screen. Free but advanced reservations are recommended; daily, from 10 a.m. EST to 8 p.m. EST. (Christmas Day & New Year’s Day, noon to 5 p.m.) Comcast Technology Center /Comcast Center lobby, 1800 Arch Street. Comcast.com or theuniversalsphere.com.
Photo courtesy of Christmas Village in Philadelphia
Get Behind The Wheel….
Saturday, December 7, 2024. Christmas Village has a gift for you; it’s a weekend of kids’ fun. Check out Family Weekend at Christmas Village in Philadelphia. That will be where you can find Phil the Reindeer, magical princesses, and, for good measure, some cool superheroes. It also will be the place where you can ride a 65-foot high Ferris wheel, the Christmas Village Express, known as the “Kids Train presented by SEPTA,” and ‘horse around’ on a colorful carousel. Take selfies in front of the 50-foot-tall Philly Holiday Tree presented by VISIT PHILADELPHIA®. Kids must be accompanied by an adult. Free, noon to 9 p.m. EST. North side of City Hall exterior apron, Broad and Market streets (the Christmas Village Carousel is inside the City Hall Courtyard). Follow the Christmas Village in Philadelphia: @philachristmas on Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok, like Christmas Village in Philadelphia on Facebook or visit philachristmas.com.
A Street-Smart Idea
Sundays, December 8 & December 15, 2024. Carefree and car-free! No exhaust fumes, no darn honking horns, and no watching while you cross the intersection. That’s right. Philly is taking it to the streets in the Rittenhouse Row area. Part of West Walnut Street in Center City Philadelphia will be closed to vehicles for two glorious Sundays. It will be part of the Center City District’s Open Streets program. It will be a street takeover. Closed will be sections of Walnut Street and 18th Street in Rittenhouse Row to create open space to shop, walk, and socialize along nearly seven blocks. The hours for West Walnut are 11 a.m. EST to 6 p.m. EST, from the 15th to the 19th. Cross streets will remain open to cars at select intersections, including 16th, 17th, and 19th streets, and on the 1700 and 1800 blocks of Sansom Street. The Center City District officials say that fewer cars mean more business in the area. Check out the entertainment including acoustic musicians and holiday carolers in these traffic-free areas. On the 1800 block of Walnut Street, enjoy a kid-friendly zone with games and story-time events with Santa Claus. Seating pods will be set up in the streets, including an area on South 18th Street where passersby can watch holiday movies. Watch the Eagles’ games broadcast live at 1 p.m. EST on December 8 and at 4:05 p.m. EST on December 15. Free admission, 11 a.m. EST to 6 p.m. EST. Rittenhouse Row. online here or https://centercityphila.org/explore-center-city/openstreets.
