Longwood Goes Cosmic, Christmas Village Runs Longer and Wanamaker Goes Dark for Two Years
The Christmas decorating season has returned to the Philadelphia region. This year, Longwood Gardens is taking the cosmos as its theme, Christmas Village will stay open past Christmas Eve for the first time, and the Wanamaker Light Show, a longtime Philadelphia favorite, will sit out two years. A survey also found real Christmas tree prices and supply steady.
The season starts in mid-November. The Made in Philadelphia Holiday Market at Dilworth Park opens Nov. 13, Christmas Village begins with a preview weekend Nov. 21, and the Longwood Gardens Christmas display opens Nov. 20.
Longwood Gardens Goes Cosmic
Longwood Gardens said this year's Christmas display was inspired by the beauty and wonder of the stars and the cosmos. The display runs Nov. 20 through Jan. 10. More than 500,000 lights and more than 100 decorated trees will fill the gardens. Admission is by timed ticket bought in advance: $45 to $52 for adults and $25 to $32 for youth.
The display begins at the Visitor Center, where images of the universe taken by the Hubble and James Webb space telescopes greet visitors. Longwood Gardens said the images were chosen on the recommendation of the Space Telescope Science Institute.
Inside, an 18-foot Christmas tree slowly rotates in the Music Room. Beside the tree sit books, scientific instruments and a 1923 telescope once owned by Longwood founder Pierre S. du Pont. A supernova sculpture woven from vines fills the East Conservatory, and a galaxy installation made of moss and poinsettias fills the Exhibition Hall.
Outside, large stars glowing in blue and white shine over the Small Lake, and a path through the Meadow Garden is lined with shooting-star decorations and illuminated half-moon arches. Weather permitting, fountain shows with 750 water jets play to holiday music at the Open Air Theatre. The Garden Railway, which opened for the season in October, keeps running through Christmas.
Inside the conservatories, thousands of poinsettias, paperwhites and amaryllis fill the rooms. From Dec. 20 to 24 and Dec. 26 to 30, the Fountain Room hosts a Taste of Christmas culinary experience, which requires a separate ticket. The gardens are open daily from 10 a.m. to 11 p.m.
Christmas Village Runs Past Christmas
Christmas Village will hold a preview weekend Nov. 21 and 22 before opening officially on Thanksgiving Day, Nov. 26, WMGK reported. This year it runs through Dec. 27, the first time it has stayed open past Christmas Eve. LOVE Park, the City Hall courtyard and the North Broad Street section become a German-style winter market.
More than 100 vendors sell ornaments, crafts, winter clothing and food. At the center stands a 30-foot authentic German Christmas pyramid carrying more than 3,000 lights. A 65-foot Ferris wheel, a double-decker carousel and a Kids Train operated by SEPTA also return. Santa Claus takes photos and listens to wishes all season. Admission is free, with food, rides and shopping pay-as-you-go.
The event calendar is out. The Christkind arrival and pyramid lighting ceremony take place Nov. 29, German American Weekend falls on Dec. 5 and 6, and Family Weekend on Dec. 12 and 13. A Holiday Night Market and tree lighting at Headhouse Plaza on South Street runs Nov. 21 from 4 to 8 p.m.
The Made in Philadelphia Holiday Market at Dilworth Park opens first, on Nov. 13, Visit Philadelphia said. Local makers sell home goods, jewelry, skin care products, art and treats, and an ice rink and cabins operate alongside.
Peddler's Village in Bucks County will light the village with one million lights from Nov. 19 through Dec. 31, Visit Philadelphia said. Santa personally ushers in the season during kickoff weekend Nov. 20 to 22.
The Wanamaker Light Show Sits Out Two Years
There is one place not to go this year. The Wanamaker Light Show and Dickens Village will pause for the 2026 and 2027 holiday seasons and are expected to return for the 2028 season. Visit Philadelphia confirmed the pause in a guide updated Oct. 29.
The light show is a Philadelphia tradition that began in 1956. A 10-minute show of flowing light played in the Grand Court of the Wanamaker Building to organ music. Dickens Village re-created scenes from Charles Dickens' novel "A Christmas Carol."
The crisis came when Macy's closed its store in March 2025. The Philadelphia Visitor Center raised funds through a campaign, and the show returned for that season. But the building's owner, TF Cornerstone, has begun converting the building into a mixed-use property with about 600 apartments, shops and rooftop decks, forcing the two-year closure.
Instead, the Philly Holiday Tree lighting celebration takes place in front of City Hall at 6 p.m. on Dec. 3. Live music, free giveaways, hot chocolate and warm apple cider are planned for the moment the tree on the north apron lights for the first time. Admission is free, and 6abc will broadcast the ceremony.
Real Trees Hold Steady on Price and Supply
People buying a real tree for home have good news. The Real Christmas Tree Board surveyed 47 wholesale growers across the United States in August, and 91 percent said they would not raise wholesale prices this year. In last year's survey, 84 percent said the same.
Supply is ample. Eighty-five percent of respondents rated this year's supply as strong or very strong, and 79 percent expected to sell the same number of trees or more than last year. The board said growers were largely absorbing higher input costs rather than passing them along.
In a consumer survey, 91 percent said the price they paid was worth it, and 56 percent said it was less than they expected. The survey covered 1,500 American adults from Dec. 26, 2025, to Jan. 7, 2026.
Stable wholesale prices do not guarantee the same retail prices. Transportation, labor and store margins are added to the final price. Buying early still means the widest selection, as it does every year.
This year's Philadelphia Christmas brings the new and the absent together. Longwood dressed in stars and a longer Christmas Village supply the new, and the Wanamaker gap waits two years. Longwood tickets are timed, so buying in advance is wise, and Christmas Village is free to enter, though weekend afternoons are crowded.