Can you believe it’s December already, citizens? The final month of this heck of a year brings plenty of things to do in Philadelphia in celebration of the holidays and whatever else you’re feeling good about.
Stag and Doe nights are back in Chestnut Hill, Old City is lighting up its tree, Indy Hall Clubhouse is hosting holiday arts and crafts, and Open Streets is giving us an opportunity to stroll along Rittenhouse car-and-care-free.
On the stage, we have famed Palestinian singer Nibal Malshi, dancer Marguerite Hemmings telling the story of the African Diaspora, and PHILADANCO! highlighting African-American women choreographers.
This weekend, we welcome the largest board game convention on the planet, so keep that in mind if you’re heading for Reading Terminal on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. Philly is also spending this week leaning heavily into our favorite fictional hometown hero Rocky Balboa with RockyFest, celebrating the film’s 1976 release with events all over the city.
For more holiday things to do, check out this guide:
Is that not enough? Thinking of things to do further ahead? Check out our year-round calendar about how to be a good citizen.
THINGS TO DO THIS WEEK IN PHILLY
Celebrating Rocky’s anniversary, They Might Be Giants, Old City Tree Lighting, Stag & Doe nights, holiday arts and crafts.
CELEBRATE OUR INAUGURAL ROCKYFEST! Rocky Day, The new city holiday celebrating Rocky’s release in 1976 is December 3. RockyFest events run citywide through December 8 and include a special unveiling at Philadelphia Museum of Art steps on Rocky Day at 10:30am, a mural unveiling, a Rocky Movie Marathon, Rocky Date Night at The Zoo and The Rocky Philadelphia Bus Tour. Event admission and locations vary.
LIGHT UP THE TREE IN OLD CITY. Old City’s eighth annual tree lighting happens December 4 at 6pm outside the Betsy Ross House. The festive ceremony features musical and dance performances, special guest speakers, and an appearance from Santa himself. Free. 239 Arch Street
GO STAG & DOE. Chestnut Hill’s annual Stag & Doe Nights return December 4 with extended hours, holiday specials and complimentary refreshments at participating stores every Wednesday from 5 to 9pm until Christmas. 8000 to 8600 Germantown Avenue
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YOU CAN’T GO BACK TO CONSTANTINOPLE, BUT YOU CAN GO TO THIS SHOW. They Might Be Giants takes the stage at Union Transfer December 5 at 8pm. Relive your teenage avant garde phase with the Canadian Indie rock legends. $40-45. 1026 Spring Garden Street
EXPRESS YOUR HOLIDAY LOVE WITH CRAFTS. On December 5 from 7:30 to 9pm, Indy Hall Clubhouse handmade card-making with Sending Love: A Holiday Crafting Night. Crafting supplies are provided, but feel free to bring pictures or any personal touches you’d like to use. Free. 709 N. 2nd Street, 3rd Floor
THINGS TO DO THIS WEEKEND IN PHILLY
PAX Unplugged, holiday shopping events, dance and storytelling, LPOTL live show, Open Streets, an early-evening club night, Winter around the World at Lemon Hill, and an evening with singer Nibal Malshi.
SEE PHILLY THROUGH ROCKY BALBOA’S EYES. The Philadelphia Visitor Center is partnering with the Philly PHLASH tourism bus to run the first-ever publicly available Rocky Philadelphia Bus Tour running through December 8 on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays with morning and midday trips. Fans can visit several “must-see” spots from the Rocky films, including Laurel Hill Cemetery, Mighty Mick’s Gym, and the Italian Market. $42-49. 2501 Benjamin Franklin Parkway
CONFRONT THE SHADOW OF THE AFRICAN DIASPORA. Journey Arts presents Make Ready Again, an original work by dancer Marguerite Hemmings on December 5, 6 and 7 at 7:30pm. The show is an evening of dance, storytelling, and music grappling with the unanswered call for reparations and repair for herself and the African Diaspora. $10-$25.1340 S. 13th Street
HEAR AN ACCLAIMED PALESTINIAN VOCALIST. Al-Bustan Seeds of Culture presents their end-of-season concert with Nibal Malshi on December 6 at 7pm at The Rotunda. An ensemble of talented local musicians joins Malshi to create her signature blend of traditional and contemporary Arab music. Free, $20 donation suggested. 4014 Walnut Street
MEGUSTALATIONS AND HAIL YOURSELF! Last Podcast on The Left: Side Stories comes to Theater of the Living Arts on December 6 at 8pm. Join Henry Zebrowski and Ed Larson for a live taping of the weekly episode. $93-$282. 334 South Street
ARE YOU … BOARD? ATTEND PAX UNPLUGGED. Badges are still available for December 8 at the biggest tabletop gaming convention on the planet, PAX Unplugged. Meet creators at thought-provoking panels, shop the massive expo hall stacked with publishers and studios, get new game demos, test plays, participate in tournaments, and enjoy everything you love about board games, RPGs, miniatures, cards and more. $43. 1101 Arch Street
EXPERIENCE GROUND-BREAKING AFRICAN AMERICAN WOMEN CHOREOGRAPHERS. PHILADANCO! is back, highlighting women’s perspectives and expressions and featuring voices of African American women, Our Voices, Our Choices … This Is US! at the Perelman Theater December 6 through December 8. $49. 300 S. Broad Street
SHOP MERRILY. Old City District offers seasonal sips and treats on December 7 from noon to 7pm at the new Holiday Shopping Sip & Stroll. Stop by The Papery for hot chocolate and peppermint brownies! Pay as you go. 18 N. 3rd Street
A DANCE PARTY AT A REASONABLE HOUR? HELL YES. VINYL hosts The Matinee Dance Party December 7 from 6 to 10pm. DJ Eddie Tully curates a mix of disco, 80s pop, and 90s club music accompanied by food and drink specials. Enjoy a wild club night and still get home in time to get a solid 8 hours of sleep. Free admission with RSVP, $20 at the door. 215 S. 15th Street
EXPERIENCE WINTER AROUND THE WORLD. Winter Around the World at Lemon Hill Mansion lets you experience the holiday traditions, music and cuisine of the Caribbean on December 7, Japan on December 8, and Southeast Asia on December 14 — all from 10am to 4pm. $5. Lemon Hill Drive
STROLL THE STREETS OF RITTENHOUSE. Open Streets: West Walnut Returns for the Holidays December 8 and December 15 from 11am to 6pm. Nearly seven blocks of car-free space means pedestrians can enjoy shopping, dining and activities for the whole family, including ambient entertainment like acoustic musicians, holiday carolers, bubble magic and storytime with Santa on the 1800 block of Walnut Street. Free. 18th Street from Locust to Chestnut and Walnut Street from 15th to 19th
ONGOING EVENTS
Art exhibitions, live shows, outdoor activities, and more things to do, until you can’t anymore.
LEARN TAI CHI. On Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays from 7:30 to 8:30am, Franklin Square Tai Chi Group meets next to the fountain (or in the Pavilion on chilly or wet days) for the ancient practice during Tai Chi in the Square. Free. 200 N. 6th Street
SEE A PULITZER PRIZE-WINNING PLAYWRIGHT’S LATEST WORK. The Arden Theatre presents Intimate Apparel, based on the life of two-time Pulitzer Prize winner Lynn Nottage’s great-grandmother, an African American seamstress at the turn of the 20th century on the Lower East Side. Now through December 8 with evening and afternoon performances. $38-$68. 40 N. 2nd Street
VIEW A PHOTOGRAPHY EXHIBITION ON THE IMPACT OF MASS INCARCERATION. Wherever There is Light features photography by four formerly incarcerated artists sharing their experiences in the U.S. penal system. The exhibition runs through December 21. Gallery hours are Wednesday through Saturday from noon to 6pm. Free. 1400 N. American Street, Suite #103
ONE DOES NOT SIMPLY WALK INTO THE ADRIENNE THEATER. You must purchase tickets to see SideQuest Theater’s Fellowship! The Musical, a comedic musical parody of the Peter Jackson Lord of the Rings adaptation. Recommended for those 13 and older, the show runs from to December 22, with performances Fridays at 8pm and Sundays at 2pm. $40. 2030 Sansom Street
VISIT CHRISTMAS VILLAGE. LOVE Park’s annual transformation into an open-air Bavarian holiday marketplace happens through December 24. Over 100 vendors peddling gifts, ornaments, winter apparel and seasonal treats, including spiced wine, apple cider, and strudels set up throughout the park, are joined by the Festival of Trees at the LOVE Park Visitor Center (aka the “flying saucer”). Vendors stretch all the way to City Hall and its 65-foot Ferris wheel and Kids Express train. Open noon to 8pm Sunday through Thursday; until 9pm Friday and Saturday. Free to enter. 1500 Arch Street
CELEBRATE THE HOLIDAYS IN CHESTNUT HILL. Through December 25, Holidays on the Hill brings lights, hot chocolate, shopping, music and festivities to Chestnut Hill. Homes and businesses will be decked out, free parking specials are available, and local businesses offer unique gifts. Also, Santa will totally be there. Various locations around Germantown Avenue
ADULTS ARE ALLOWED TO LOVE CARTOONS TOO. The Philadelphia Film Society handpicked selections for its Lost in Animation Curated Anime film Series featuring director Satoshi Kon’s Perfect Blue, Paprika, Tokyo Godfather, and Millennium Actress. Dates and showtimes vary through December 26. $14. 1412 Chestnut Street
CELEBRATE THE WINTER AT DILWORTH PARK. It’s that time of year already! The ice skating rink, Wintergarden and the Made in Philadelphia Holiday Market open for the season at Dilworth Park. Holiday shopping is Friday and Saturday from noon to 9pm and Sundays through Thursdays from noon to 8pm. The rink is open 7 days a week with special events scheduled throughout the season. Advanced tickets are recommended! Free-$19. 1 S. 15th Street
EXPLORE THE FUTURE OF CLAY. The Clay Studio’s yearlong, 50th anniversary celebration concludes with the opening of The Future of Clay, an exhibition of multiple artists showcasing the future of ceramics art, running through December 31. The gallery is open Monday through Friday 11am to 5:30pm and until 5pm Saturday and Sunday. Free. 1425 N. American Street
EXPERIENCE SOUL SHOTS PORTRAIT PROJECT. The fourth edition of this amazing original art exhibition that memorializes victims of gun violence in Philadelphia opens at Widener Hall at the Presbyterian Church of Chestnut Hill through December 2024 (open Monday-Friday from 10am to 4pm and Sunday 10am to noon). Read more about the project here. Free. 8855 Germantown Avenue
SEE THE ZOO ALL LIT UP AND LOVELY! The Philadelphia Zoo’s holiday multimedia spectacular LumiNature is back for the season. More than a million twinkling lights include a 22-foot tall butterfly tree, 40-foot tall glowing penguin, a new sparkling waterfall and loads more bright attractions that will light up the venue — while the animals slumber out of sight. Seasonal fare, live performers, hot chocolate and adult beverages will also be on hand. LumiNature is open from 5 to 9pm select nights through January 4. $18-$29. 3400 W. Girard Avenue
SEE THE WINTER SPECTACLE IN FRANKLIN SQUARE. Winter in Franklin Square runs nightly through the New Year (closed Thanksgiving Day, Christmas, New Year’s Day). Hundreds of thousands of twinkling lights and dancing fountains choreographed to holiday tunes strike up every 30 minutes throughout the evening while you ride the carousel, play mini golf, or warm up with some hot cocoa and/or adult beverages at Ben On the Rocks. Oh and this year, they’ve added street curling. Pay as you go. 200 N. 6th Street
CATCH MICKALENE THOMAS ON INTERNATIONAL TOUR. The iconic creator of large-scale tableaux of Black women in glamorous repose shows more than 50 of her stunning works at the Barnes. Mickalene Thomas: All About Love is the artist’s first international tour, a show New York wishes it had, through January 12, 2025. 2025 Benjamin Franklin Parkway
THINK ABOUT FAMILY IN A NEW WAY AT A NEW ART EXHIBITION. The Museum for Art in Wood hosts Mark Sfirri: La Famiglia through February 26, 2025. This new solo exhibition of new and never-before-seen work by the artist and woodturner “presents a way of thinking about the definition of family and its meanings through different lenses.” Museum hours have been extended and are now Sundays to Saturdays, from noon to 5pm. Don’t miss the Hot Cider and Hands-On Holiday Craft Table on December 7, 14, and 21. Free. 141 N. 3rd Street
CELEBRATE WINTER AT PENN’S LANDING. Independence Blue Cross RiverRink Winterfest opens at Penn’s Landing November 29 and runs through March 2. Enjoy ice skating, cabin, lounge, and fire pit rentals, and festive food and drink now until practically spring break. Hours vary. Pay as you go. 101 S. Columbus Boulevard
MORE GOOD THINGS TO DO IN PHILLY
Stag & Doe Night in Chestnut Hill.