(PHILADELPHIA, PA) -- Christmas Village in Philadelphia will again transform LOVE Park (1500 JFK Blvd.) and City Hall's Courtyard and North Broad section into a traditional, open-air German Christmas Market. Christmas Village returns for its 15th season, running from November 24 to December 24, 2022 with a preview weekend on Saturday, November 19th to Sunday, November 20th.
Follow the smell of German gingerbread and Swiss raclette cheese to Philadelphia’s largest holiday attraction! Enjoy holiday sights and sounds with tens of thousands of twinkling lights, festive decorations, live music, and multiple children’s activities. Attractions this year include a double-decker Christmas Village Carousel, Ferris Wheel, and Kids Train. Get ready to shop for high-quality international and local gifts and decorations. Warm up with a glass of warm Glühwein (mulled wine) or a variety of spiked beverages featuring Boardroom Spirits. The whole family can indulge in non-alcoholic offerings, like deluxe hot chocolate and fresh pressed apple cider.
Keep an eye out for the return of the German American Weekend on December 3rd and 4th and other themed weekends, plus wine and spirits tasting events. Feel the Christmas spirit thanks to open-air outdoor seating, endless food options, and even more decorations! Plus, Santa always has a surprise up his sleeve – stay tuned for new additions and all new huts in LOVE Park. Admission is always free, while food, beverages, and shopping are pay-as-you-go.
“Christmas Village in Philadelphia is getting ready for a season full of festivities,” said Christmas Village President Thomas Bauer. “We're excited to update the LOVE Park section with brand-new wooden booths, creating an even more cheerful feeling. This is the biggest investment in the history of our company and we’re thrilled to share the new look and feel of Christmas Village with our visitors.”
He added, “We’re happy to welcome new visitors as well as the people who have come around for years, some even all fifteen seasons of Christmas Village in Philadelphia. We’re not only grateful for all the families making memories at our market but also for the support of the City of Philadelphia, which helps us make Christmas Village a reality full of joy and wonder. The enthusiasm of the vendors is as great as every year and we’re looking forward to welcoming all guests with Bratwurst and mulled wine!”
“The holidays come alive in Philly when Christmas Village arrives at LOVE Park,” said Philadelphia Parks & Recreation Commissioner Kathryn Ott Lovell. “Christmas Village has become a must-do family tradition that brings together multiple generations. Each and every year, Christmas Village fills LOVE Park with holiday cheer, twinkling lights, fun attractions and high-quality gift items. Thanks to the City’s partnership with The Welcoming Center, Esperanza, and the South Street Headhouse District, visitors to Christmas Village will see more local businesses that represent the diversity of Philadelphia’s neighborhoods, bringing their local handmade arts and crafts to the largest audience in the region during the holidays.”
Christmas Village kicks off for 2022 with a special Preview Weekend. Get ready for holiday sips, sights, and shopping when Christmas Village kicks off on Saturday, November 19 and Sunday, November 20, 2022. Meet the season’s vendors and experience some early holiday cheer while enjoying a Bratwurst or try one of Helmut’s popular strudels, which are making a comeback to Christmas Village. This year, over 110 local and international merchants and artists offer high-quality, lovingly handcrafted gifts, setting up shop in colorful tents and wooden cottages around Philadelphia's famous LOVE Park, City Hall's courtyard, and the North Broad section.
For 2022, come prepared to shop for everyone on Santa’s list. Across Dilworth Park, Christmas Village organizers will also curate more than 40 local vendors at the Made in Philadelphia Holiday Market. Together, shoppers will have 150 reasons to skip the malls and shop in Center City. Ornaments, toys, apparel, jewelry, decorations, home goods, artwork, sweets, and more - there will be something for people of all ages. After exploring the large selection of local vendors, Philly Phamous Foods is a quick and easy spot to enjoy Philadelphian favorites like roast pork sandwiches, or locally crafted sodas and snacks.
While shopping, follow the sweet scent of strudel and fresh pressed apple cider to the full menu of European food, sweets, and drinks, including mouthwatering German Bratwurst or Schnitzel served on a roll (Brötchen). The LOVE Park Schwenkgrill will give spectators an up-close view of the sausages firing up in front of their eyes! Look out for Käsespätzle (soft cheese egg noodles freshly made in a huge cast-iron pan, decorated with onions) and different draft beers, including exclusive creations of local Fairmount Avenue based Brewery Techne. Also, enjoy the popular Bratwurst, Belgian Fries, and wash it all down with a mug of traditional German Glühwein (spiced mulled wine served hot) or spiked options like boozy hot chocolate with liquor from local Boardroom Spirits. An array of delicious non-alcoholic beverages are ready to be enjoyed as well. One of the market’s most popular dishes, the Swiss Raclette cheese, is back this year more gooey and tastier than ever. Back by popular request, Helmut’s strudel will make a return to Christmas Village as well and offer delicious baked puff pastry treats packed full of everyone’s favorite flavors.
On top of great shopping and dining experiences, visitors will enjoy the return of the Wish Wall, a festive light installation inside the open-air outdoor seating and beer garden, as well as themed weekdays and weekends. Furthermore, weekday tasting tours presented by Chaddsford Winery and Boardroom Spirits and live music during weekday evenings and most of the day on the weekend will sweeten everyone’s visit to Christmas Village. Remember the stay forever by capturing a moment at our brand-new photo spot, a beautiful angel wing wall, at the North Broad section of Christmas Village.
Since debuting in 2008, Christmas Village in Philadelphia has grown into one of the region’s largest and most unique holiday destinations – and one of the most celebrated authentic German Christmas markets in all of America.
Christmas Village in Philadelphia and the Made in Philadelphia Holiday Market, with locations at LOVE Park, City Hall’s Courtyard, the North Broad section, and Dilworth Park, have created an expansive Christmas wonderland in the very heart of Center City. Christmas is a time for everyone to come together, and this major holiday attraction will draw shoppers, visitors, and families from the greater tri-state area, along the East Coast, and beyond. Public transportation, such as SEPTA and Amtrak, will ensure that shoppers arrive at Christmas Village before the Glühwein (mulled wine) gets cold!
On top of Christmas Village and the Philadelphia Holiday Market, Philadelphia’s Holiday District has lots more to add to the festive fun. A whole Philly Holiday Experience awaits visitors! Together with the municipal Christmas Tree on City Hall’s North Broad section and the Holiday Parade which debuted in 2021, visitors will have even more events and spectacles to gaze at while visiting Center City this Holiday season. Watch the breathtaking tree lighting featuring show-stopping performances on December 1, 2022 from 6:00pm to 9:00pm, or be part of the unforgettable Holiday Parade on December 3, 2022 from 5:00pm to 6:00pm on Market Street.
There’s simply no place like Philadelphia for the Holidays!
SEASON HIGHLIGHTS 2022:
The full details for the new season will be released in early to mid-November including menus, vendor lists, event details and more. In the meantime, enjoy this preview of new surprises and returning favorites for 2022:
* The original Christkind from Nuremberg, Germany will be back to open the market with a big bang on November 27th. After two years, organizers are thrilled for her return!
* In an effort to promote equity and reflect the diversity of Philadelphia’s neighborhoods, the City of Philadelphia’s Commerce Department partnered with Philadelphia Parks & Recreation to provide grants to support minority-owned vendors at the Christmas Village. Through these grants, The Welcoming Center, Esperanza, and South Street Headhouse District will each recruit three or more local minority-owned businesses to vend at the Christmas Village and provide them with a booth at little or no cost.
* Christmas Village in Philadelphia will return to LOVE Park and the City Hall Courtyard and North Broad section with new bold and beautiful booths in the entirety of LOVE Park, changing the face of the market drastically and creating an even more cheerful feeling. Furthermore, Christmas Village is upgrading its tent vendors on North Broad to picturesque wooden German booths. We’re excited to share the biggest investment in the history of Christmas Village with all visitors and are looking forward to the countless photo creations with the new look and feel of Christmas Village. Shoppers will be able to immerse themselves in the most authentic German Christmas Market around.
* The Alm, the event's authentic German Beer Garden, with its many traditional decorations will ensure that foodies can enjoy food and drinks in a typical German ambience.
* The holiday season starts with the return of a Preview Weekend on 19th and 20th of November.
* Spirits tastings on Wednesdays as well as wine tastings on Tuesdays and Thursdays presented by local Boardroom Spirits and Chaddsford Winery will provide a flavorful taste journey through local products that are sure to glow up the midweek. Join a VIP wine or spirits tasting and enjoy a gourmet food package customized for the respective wine and spirits varieties by local and Philly-famous Di Bruno Bros.. Tickets will be on sale in late fall.
* Calling all collectors to make sure to grab one of the exclusive Christmas Village baby blue boot mugs on time as they sell out super quickly! Warm up with a drink from the market’s traditional dark blue Glühwein (mulled wine) mug or toast with an authentic cream-colored beer mug, which will both feature a new 2022 mug design.
* Beer lovers can enjoy locally brewed craft beer made by Brewery Techne in a large beer garden at LOVE Park and the City Hall Courtyard with authentic German style beer benches. Don't forget to pick up a few cans of commemorative Christmas Village beer brewed especially for this year’s event! The exact beer style will be announced in late October.
* Crowds’ favorite vendors such as Käthe Wohlfahrt and the Raclette Hut are excited to come back.
* Visit on Family Day (December 10th) and experience A Moment of Magic: Taking a picture with children’s favorite princesses, superheroes, Christmas Village’s very own mascot Phil the Reindeer and many more will surely sweeten the entire family’s day.
* Helmut's Strudel is back at Christmas Village! Try a perfectly baked puff pastry treat packed full of everyone’s favorite flavors like apple, cherry, Nutella, and cheese to name a few. Wash it all down with a spiked hot cider, boozy hot chocolate, or an array of non-alcoholic beverages.
* Don’t miss the biggest and most eventful German American Weekend yet with four German dance bands schuhplattling all weekend long on December 3 and 4, 2022. Visitors can catch a concentrated load of German tradition as they grab a German style Bratwurst while watching local United German Hungarian Schuhplattlers and G.T.V. Almrausch perform their choreography in traditional dresses. Can’t get enough of German traditions? Then participate in one of the German games and try to win the Beerstein holding contest!
* Take pictures and videos in front of the different attractions and remember each visit at Christmas Village forever. The new angel wing photo spot at the North Broad section will brighten up everyone’s Instagram feed for sure. Or share via TikTok - make sure to tag Christmas Village, new on TikTok this year!
* The family won't want to leave once they see all of the kids attractions at Christmas Village. Reaching majestic views at the top of North Broad’s ring of light Ferris Wheel or picking a favorite animal on the market’s double-tier Carousel will ensure that there will be gleeful children's laughter again this year. There is something for everyone! It's “all aboard” at the market’s very own Christmas Village Kids Train.
* Stay a while at the warmly lit authentic style German tables and benches in the seating area inside City Hall’s Courtyard. From flame-grilled bratwurst, gooey raclette cheese, and crispy belgian fries the food court at City Hall leaves nothing to be desired. The sounds of laughter and twinkling lights of the Courtyard are sure to bring a smile to everyone’s face and fill everyone with holiday cheer.
After the special preview weekend, Christmas Village will officially open for the season on Thanksgiving Day, November 24, 2022. Invite the entire family to experience a ceremonial start into a wonderful season with a relaxing walk over the spacious created Christmas Wonderland and celebrate it with the first sip of Glühwein (mulled wine) of this year. Stroll past numerous vendors and let the tempting aroma of European food draw everyone in for a quick break in one of the market’s lovingly decorated seating areas. After a festive beginning into the Christmas season of 2022, a program full of weekday and weekend events awaits visitors to keep Christmas spirits high until the holidays.
PHOTOS BY Christin Kalff
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