It wouldn\u2019t be the holidays in Philadelphia without the Wanamaker Light Show and Dickens Village.<\/p>\n
When the Macy\u2019s Department store closed its doors at 1300 Market St. earlier this year, the famous show and walk-through holiday tradition also seemed to be on the chopping block.<\/p>\n
Thousands of people in the region shared their memories of the Wanamaker Light Show and Dickens Village, inspiring a growing coalition of partners to bring them back.<\/p>\n
The Philadelphia Visitor Center, in close partnership with Wanamaker Building owner TF Cornerstone and a network of civic partners, came together to steward the future of the cherished experiences, which have drawn hundreds of thousands of visitors each holiday season and defined Philadelphia\u2019s holiday spirit since the 1950s.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis holiday season will be a homecoming for the Light Show, thanks to the more than a thousand Philadelphians who came together and decided these traditions were important for our city,\u201d said Kathryn Ott Lovell, president & CEO, Philadelphia Visitor Center. \u201cThanks to the generosity of our partners, sponsors, and neighbors, Philadelphians will once again be able to gather inside the Grand Court, hear the Wanamaker Organ, and watch the lights dance to life. We\u2019re proud to open the amazing Wanamaker Building to all to create the next generation of holiday memories.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Wanamaker Light Show, presented in the Grand Court of the Wanamaker Building, will be offered starting on Nov. 28 for free to the public throughout the season. The Light Show features thousands of LED lights synchronized to holiday music and narration, accompanied during select shows by the Wanamaker Organ, performed live by Grand Court Organist Peter Richard Conte and his\u00a0 talented assistant organists.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe Wanamaker Light Show and Dickens Village aren\u2019t just holiday displays, they\u2019re icons of Pennsylvania tourism and the heart of Philadelphia\u2019s Christmas season,\u201d said Anne Ryan, deputy secretary of tourism, Pennsylvania Department of Community & Economic Development. \u201cFor generations, families have come from across the Commonwealth and beyond to see the lights dance and the story come alive. They\u2019ve drawn millions of visitors, filled our hotels and restaurants, and become a tradition passed down like an heirloom\u2014one that reminds us every year why Philadelphia shines brightest at Christmas.\u201d<\/p>\n
The light show will run every hour on the half-hour Tuesday through Sunday until Dec. 11 starting at 12:30 p.m.\u00a0The last show will be at 5:30 p.m.<\/p>\n
From Dec. 12 to 23, it will run Monday through Sunday from noon to 8 p.m. On Christmas Eve, the final shows will run noon to 4 p.m.<\/p>\n
Dickens Village, the immersive walk-through experience inspired by Charles Dickens\u2019 \u201cA Christmas Carol,\u201d will reopen on the third floor of the Wanamaker Building. The Dickens Village experience will once again conclude with the opportunity to share Christmas wishes and take photos with Santa Claus.<\/p>\n