Top 10 Thanksgiving weekend activities in Philadelphia

By Taylor-Lynn Capaldo
Collegian Staff
November 15, 2006

It’s that time of year again. Time to head home for the weekend, spend time with family, catch up with old friends, carve the turkey and take a whole bunch of naps. Thanksgiving is right around the corner. But, what a lot of people don’t realize is what else Thanksgiving signifies—the official beginning of the Christmas season. So, if you find yourself bored over Thanksgiving break, and turkey just isn’t cutting it for you anymore, there are plenty of things to do over the weekend from music to sports to educational activities. And, of course, there are plenty of things to get you into the Christmas spirit.

10. Thanksgiving Dinner at the City Tavern—If you’re looking for an authentic, old-fashioned and fabulously filling Thanksgiving meal, head over to the City Tavern, located in Old City. The Tavern has prepared its Thanksgiving dinner with recipes straight out of “Martha Washington’s Book of Cookery.” Dinner is at 4 p.m. Thanksgiving Day.

9. A Trip to the Movies—After finishing up your turkey and taking your traditional Thanksgiving nap, how about heading into the city to catch a movie on the most popular movie night of the year? For a sophisticated movie-going experience, be sure to check out The Bridge, one of the swankiest theaters on the East Coast, located near Penn’s Campus. If you’re looking for a less expensive and equally enjoyable experience, check out an independent film at any of the three Ritz locations in Old City. And there’s always the United Artists Riverview Theater by Penn’s Landing for your traditional movie theater experience.

8. 6ABC/Boscov’s Thanksgiving Day Parade—The oldest Thanksgiving Day Parade in the country, celebrating its 86th year, kicks off at 9 a.m. at 20th and Market Streets and continues down the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, ending at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Come out for music, celebrities and, of course, giant balloons.

7. G. Love and Special Sauce—If you’re into music, be sure to check out Philadelphia’s local talent G. Love and Special Sauce at the Electric Factory Saturday, Nov. 25. If you haven’t heard of them, you should familiarize yourself with their eclectic and original hip-hop/jam-rock sound. Fans say that the band loves coming back to their hometown, and Philly shows are always the best.

6. Disney Live!—That’s right, Mickey Mouse himself is coming to Philadelphia, along with Minnie, Donald and the rest of the crew. They’re taking over the Academy of Music Friday and Saturday afternoons, Nov. 24 and 25, for Mickey’s Magic Show. Good for children, or just the child in you. There’s no better time to get a blast from the past than Thanksgiving weekend.

5. Dino Weekend—If you’ve never been to the Academy of Natural Sciences, Thanksgiving weekend is the perfect time to go because it’s Dino Weekend. In addition to checking out the dinosaur skeletons that they have on display, visitors can view dinosaur shows at 11 a.m. and live bird shows at 2:30 p.m. A fossil show will also take place at 1:30 p.m. Craft making is also a feature that is offered. The museum is open from 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Friday and 10 a.m.-5 p.m. Saturday and Sunday. Students with ID get $1 off admission.

4. Sports Events—If Christmas activities and Mickey Mouse just don’t do it for you, maybe you need something with a little meat in it. What better way to spend Thanksgiving weekend than celebrating with some of the toughest sports fans in the country? There are tons of games to check out in the city this weekend, including the Flyers vs. the Columbus Blue Jackets at the Wachovia Center, the Phantoms vs. the Albany River Rats at the Wachovia Spectrum and the Sixers vs. the Chicago Bulls, also at the Wachovia Center. All three events take place Friday, Nov. 24.

3. Enchanted Colonial Village—The Please Touch Museum opens up its Enchanted Colonial Village exhibit Friday, Nov. 24. The display consists of an actual window scene that was featured in the Lit Brothers Department Store during the 1960s. The exhibit runs through Dec. 30, but the sooner you check it out, the sooner that Christmas spirit will hit you.

2. Wanamaker’s Light Show—Although Lord & Taylor has been replaced by Macy’s, and neither store is Wanamaker’s, the Wanamaker’s Light Show will still continue this Christmas season and will open Friday, Nov. 24. The show takes place inside the building and is a massive display of twinkling lights that stretches across an entire wall of the department store. The lights are accompanied by music from the Wanamaker Grand Organ. The show runs every even hour from Nov. 24 until Dec. 26.

1.Rittenhouse Square Tree Lighting—What a better way to get into the Christmas spirit than a tree lighting? The lights will be turned on in Rittenhouse Square the day after Thanksgiving at 5 p.m. There will be lots of holiday cheer throughout the park, including caroling hosted by the Pennsylvania Girlchoir and the Keystone State Boychoir. So, bundle up and get ready to enjoy the first official tree lighting of the year!

capaldot1@lasalle.edu