Good afternoon. I'm in a much better state of mind this week since (most of) my finals are done. I'm not yet ready to post the "I'm finished with finals!!!!!!!!!!!!!" Facebook status, but I'll get there eventually. Tonight is the holiday party for the Higher Ed department, so I'm excited for that. I'm also really happy that the place is 3 blocks from my apartment...when I was walking to work this morning, it seemed that there was some sort of "wintery mix" on the horizon.
In honor of the winter/holiday season, I decided to post some links to events going on in the Philadelphia area.
Ice skating at Penn's Landing
Philadelphia's version of ice skating at Rockefeller Center. They convert a large parking lot at Penn's Landing into an ice skating rink. Penn's Landing is right on the waterfront with gorgeous views of the city. It'll be chilly, so bring your gloves, scarves, and earmuffs.
http://www.delawareriverwaterfront.com/places/blue-cross-riverrink
The Christmas Village in Philadelphia
From what I've heard and can tell from their website, this is set up like a traditional German Christmas market. It takes place at Love Park (where the famous "LOVE" statue is, on 15th and Arch Streets in Center City). Vendors from all over the world come to sell food, beverages, and crafts, and they also have live music and performances on some nights.
http://www.visitphilly.com/shopping/philadelphia/christmas-village-in-philadelphia/
Holiday lights!
Regardless of which (if any) winter holiday you celebrate, viewing holiday lights is sure to bring cheer to even the Grinchiest of Grinches (I just made that up). Here is a link to the top places to view holiday lights both in and around Philadelphia.
http://www.visitphilly.com/articles/philadelphia/top-holiday-lights-attractions-in-philadelphia/
Fireworks on New Year's Eve
Speaking of viewing brightly colored things, here is a list of the top places to watch fireworks on New Year's Eve!
http://www.visitphilly.com/articles/philadelphia/where-to-watch-new-years-fireworks/
Mummers Parade
The Mummers Parade is an annual tradition that takes place in Philadelphia on New Year's Day. Since I don't know much about it, I copied and pasted some text from their website. It sounds like a lot of fun: An annual tradition, the Mummers Parade features 10,000 men and women dressed in colorfully lavish costumes as they twirl, sashay, pirouette and strut up one of the city’s main streets. An unforgettably wild ritual, the parade and subsequent performances are all family-friendly and fun for everyone.
http://www.visitphilly.com/events/philadelphia/the-mummers-parade/
A note about dining/going out in Philadelphia on New Year's Eve:
If you're planning to spend New Year's Eve in the city and this is your first time doing so (like me), I wanted to share some advice I got from friends who have lived here for a while.
They recommended figuring out what you and your family/friends want to do ahead of time, and then buy tickets/make reservations ASAP. Many of the fancier restaurants will have "prix fixe" menus on New Year's Eve, which means that they charge a flat rate of about $50-$75 and you can choose from a selection of entrees. There are some places that don't do this, but regardless of where you choose to eat, everywhere will be crowded so it's best to book in advance. In terms of places to go out after dinner, most bars and clubs will charge a cover fee, so my friends have recommended doing research ahead of time and finding a place to commit to.
Hope this helps! I'll write more over break :)
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