If you’ve been following my blog this holiday season, you may have noticed a recurring theme in my posts. As someone who has always adored Christmas and everything about it — the twinkling lights, the festive songs, the warmth of the season and the overall kindness in the air — this truly is the time of year I cherish most.

In that spirit, my family and I made it a tradition to explore festive towns in our area, taking in dazzling Christmas lights, shopping at local markets, and hopping between holiday-themed restaurants and bars. One of my absolute favorites is our annual trip to the City of Brotherly Love, where the magic of the season truly comes alive.

Growing up just outside of Philadelphia, my brothers and I spent countless hours exploring the city, and over the years we’ve curated a list of our favorite spots to visit during the holiday season. We always kick off our festivities with the iconic Macy’s Christmas Light Show on Market Street in Center City. It’s the perfect way to jump into the holiday spirit!

From there, we usually wander over to the Christmas Village in Dilworth Park, right outside of City Hall. It’s a magical place, complete with an ice-skating rink, cozy hot cocoa stands, food trucks and an array of local vendors. The vendors usually feature Philly-themed products that make for the perfect one-of-a-kind gift for the holidays.

Yearning for warmth and wanting to keep the fun going, we often hop between a few holiday-themed restaurants or bars such as Craftsman’s Row, Tinsel, White Elephant and McGillin’s. Trying different foods and drinks at each stop, we have the best time and create lifelong memories with one another. Over the years more and more people join in on the fun; the holiday magic is contagious.

We wrap up the holiday fun by heading to South Philly to take a drive through Miracle on 13th Street. Here, all the houses on 13th Street decorate their houses and create their very own light show with all the neighbors.

If you are lucky, Santa will even make an appearance.

This is truly one of my favorite family traditions we’ve created. If you’re looking for more festive fun in your area, head into Philadelphia where your family can create more holiday traditions, too.

Happy holidays, everyone!

— Emily Gladu, administrative coordinator