Philadelphia City Hall Christmas Village & Tree Lighting & Stop By the Tour Office Gift Shop

Today I was on my way to work and I came across a cute little village on the outskirts of City HallAfter a bit of research, and a run over at lunch I discovered an enchanted village: Christmas Village in Philadelphia is an outdoor Holiday market event at Dilworth Plaza on the west side of City Hall Philadelphia from Thanksgiving till Christmas Eve. Vendors in more than 50 wooden booths and timber houses which form a medieval village will sell European food, sweets and drinks as well as international seasonal holiday gifts, ornaments and high quality arts and crafts. Throughout each day their will be performances on the stage in the concourse area.
Today’s Schedule
Fifty booths and two timber houses form a little medieval Village and offer its visitors a wide and attractive range of seasonal goods which cannot be found anywhere else besides this market. Besides local vendors and artists there will be German vendors selling Christmas decoration from genuine Erzgebirge, candles, Nativity sets, glass ornaments in all shapes and sizes, toys for all ages, ceramic light houses, woolens, model trains, lace, spices, jewelry and a lot more. The booths’ assortment will have a relation to the winter season and the upcoming holidays. One of the first shops I stopped in was Lauscher Glaskugelhaus
which had so many colorful, clever ornaments
Like the Pope & Bible ornaments
right near the Moulin Rouge or what I like to call the Drag Queen accessories ornaments
and not too far from the Dracula, devil, shrunken head ornamentsbut there’s also sports ornaments like soccer, tennis, footballs and dwarf, wait I hope they are Gnomes.
then there’s the meat section with bears, walrus’ and cattle
and not to be left out for the vegan’s there are corn, carrot, lettuce and that other vegetable ornament
Then there were my favorite ornaments
but don’t fret you can also find your traditional balls
Next door is the Käthe Wohlfahrt where you will find the friendly Ty Parrish or his team to help you look for the special holiday decoration. Handmade Nutcrackers, Incense Smokers,
Wooden Ornaments, Glass Ornaments
Schwibbogen, Music Boxes,
Although both of these tented stores carry many different ornaments, you may also find many unique ornaments and items in the wooden sheds that line the walkway
and other areas of the shopsPuppets, Flying Mobiles, Soft Toys, Wooden Toys, Pull Toys, Tutus and girl’s dress up accessories, Ribbon Purses, headbands and bows; Gourmet Treats and Bones for Dogs and Cats; Glass Bead Jewelry, Glass Vases, Glass Plates and Bowls, Solid Glass Figurines;
Santa’s House will offer children of all ages a chance to meet Santa and give him their wish list. A variety of portrait packages, photo magnets and ornaments will be available
The official kick-off to the holidays in Philadelphia features the ceremonial lighting of the City Hall holiday tree by Mayor Michael A. Nutter on 12/3/08
Start: 5pmCity Hall, Apron Area
Don’t forget to visit the City Hall Tour Office and Gift Shop where you will be greeted by the smiling Gift Center Director, Judy, City Hall’s Tour Director Greta Greenberger or one of the many volunteers who are on hand to assist you. You can either take a tour of the building, go to the observation towerPick up a Philly Ornament
or even this 5 ft wide Eagle at only $70. I understand that they have sold 2 of them already.Philadelphia Christmas Village
This is a great post. Thank you for taking the time to capture this fantastic addition to Philadelphia.
OMG! The Christmas Village is open during the week?!? I am so excited!!! I\’m totally going today. I need a pope ornament!
Thanks for giving us an inside peek at the shops! Great photos!
Darn! I wish I was in Philly…I have a friend who would LOVE the camera ornament, and a few others who would like some of the other unique ornaments you captured.
Thanks for the great post! This is a wonderful holiday attraction for the city, and it couldn't be in a better spot. Everyone should check it out – for the most part everything is unique and affordable. I hope the great little jewelry spot is there this year.