By Denny Dyroff, Entertainment Editor, The Times
Three Kings/Dia de Reyes
With all the holiday celebrations in November and December, the list of activities and special things to do has been like a smorgasbord.
Now it’s January and the list looks like a menu at an upscale steak house with just a handful of red meat dishes and a few side items.
Fortunately, the Kimmel Cultural Campus (Broad and Spruce streets, Philadelphia, 215-731-3333, www.kimmelculturalcampus.org) has a lot of venues and a lot to offer.
The Kimmel Cultural Campus is presenting the touring Broadway musical “Jagged Little Pill” now through January 15 (Academy of Music), a “Three Kings/Dia de Reyes” celebration on January 6 (Commonwealth Plaza), a “Lunar New Year” concert by the Philadelphia Orchestra on January 6 (Verizon Hall), “Let’s Rock Recess Family DJ Dance Party” on January 8 and a concert by Juilliard Quartet and Anthony McGill, clarinet on January 8 (Perelman Theater).
“Three Kings/Dia de Reyes” celebration will start at 5 p.m. on Friday.
“Three Kings Day” at the Kimmel Center it’s a free event that celebrates a meaningful holiday in the Hispanic community and provides an opportunity for all residents in the city to participate in this tradition.
Attendees will enjoy an evening of fun activities and surprises such as Mexican hot chocolate, traditional “Rosca de Reyes” bread, the reenactment of the tale of the Three Kings, and the breaking of piñatas for the youngest family members.
The Philadelphia Orchestra concert – “Lunar New Year Echoes of Ancient Tang Poems—iSING! Suzhou” — will start at 7:30 p.m. on Friday.
Ancient Chinese poems shine in 21st-century orchestrations by exciting young composers from around the world in this special concert welcoming the Year of the Rabbit.
To celebrate Lunar New Year, The Philadelphia Orchestra welcomes talented up-and-coming singers from the pioneering iSING! Suzhou International Young Arts Festival to perform the North American premiere of “Echoes of Ancient Tang Poems.”
This program, conducted by Lio Kuokman, commemorates of the 50th anniversary of the Orchestra’s historic 1973 tour of China.
Let’s Rock Recess Family DJ Dance Party
“Let’s Rock Recess Family DJ Dance Party” will get underway at 10 a.m. on Sunday.
Powered by popular music and dance styles, featuring a variety of interactive games and playful activities, “Let’s Rock Recess” engages guests to explore and experience Hip-Hop cultural expression as a family in a friendly, safe space.
Designed for families with young children, “Let’s Rock Recess” is delivered by a local troupe of talent including an emcee-DJ duo, hip-hop dancers, a caricature drawer, a juggler, a balloon sculptor, and a face painter
The concert by Juilliard Quartet and Anthony McGill is scheduled for 3 p.m. on Sunday.
Returning for an incredible 46th appearance on the series, the Juilliard pairs Maurice Ravel’s only string quartet (Quartet in F Major) with British-Jamaican composer Eleanor Alberga’s energetic second quartet (Quartet No. 2). New York Philharmonic Principal Clarinet Anthony McGill then joins them for Mozart’s timeless Clarinet Quintet in A Major, K. 581.
Kimmel’s Broadway series will resume with the National Tour of “A Soldier’s Play,” which is scheduled to run from January 24-February 5.
“Jagged Little Pill” is a musical drawn from Alanis Morissette’s 1995 album of the same name – an album that yielded the Number One hit, “You Oughta Know.” The Tony and Grammy-Award winning production was written by Diablo Cody, the award-winning screenwriter of “Juno,” “Jennifer’s Body” and “One Mississippi.”
Jagged Little Pill
The show is not a Morissette biopic but rather an original story informed by the Canadian American singer’s poignant lyrics dealing with deals with pain, healing, and empowerment.
For the 74th Tony Awards, “Jagged Little Pill” won two awards on 15 nominations, the most nominations of any show of the 2019–2020 season. It also won the Grammy Award for Best Musical Theater Album.
“Jagged Little Pill” is recommended for ages 14 and up.
This production contains strong language, adult themes, drug use, and moments of sexual violence that some may find triggering. “Jagged Little Pill” addresses many topics of contemporary life, including sexual assault, opiate addiction, transracial adoption, gender and LGBTQIA+ identity, marriage struggles and mental health.
Video link for “Jagged Little Pill” – https://youtu.be/X0Z2dqRNfjQ.
“Jagged Little Pill” will run now through January 15 at the Academy of Music.
Ticket prices range from $20-$129.
Glen Foerd (5001 Grant Avenue, Philadelphia, www.glenfoerd.org) will launch its 2023 arts and culture programming when it hosts EgoPo Classic Theater’s staging of “The Ways of White Folks” from January 11-22.
Published in 1934, “The Ways of White Folks,” is a collection of 14 short stories by American poet, social activist, novelist, playwright, and columnist Langston Hughes (1901-1967). The collection addresses multiple dimensions of racial issues, focusing specifically on interactions between Black and White people.
The American classic presents powerful portraits of race relations in America. Told with unparalleled candor, each short story offers a private view into the absurd and tragic interactions between White and Black people across systemic divides.
In EgoPo’s immersive promenade staging, audiences are invited to attend a New Age retreat at the historic Glen Foerd Estate on the Delaware River. There they will be welcomed into each character’s room on a tour of the extravagant mansion to witness their intimate and private lives.
Hughes wrote the book during a year he spent living in Carmel-by-the-Sea, California. The collection addresses multiple dimensions of racial issues, focusing specifically on the unbalanced yet interdependent power dynamics between Black and White people. According to Hughes, the short stories are inspired either by his own lived experiences or those of others he encountered.
Performances will be held January 11-15 and 19-22 at 7 p.m. each night with additional matinee performances on January 15 and 21 at 2 p.m.
General admission tickets are $32 — $12 for students and industry professionals. Masks are required to be worn during all performances.
The Media Theatre (104 East State Street, Media, www.mediatheatre.org) will conclude its run of “The Sound of Music” with performances from January 6-8.
SALT Performing Arts (www.saltpa.com) has announced its second annual local playwright production, “12 Chairs,” by John O’Hara. The new show is running January 13-15 at SALT’s Black Box Theatre (19 Hagerty Boulevard, West Chester).
SALT’s 2023 season kicks off with an original one-act play written by Skippack resident, John O’Hara.
The drama is about mother-daughter relations throughout the years. In summary, Louise, the daughter, is cleaning out her mother’s house-represented by the ‘twelve chairs’ scattered about the set.
As a silent mover moves the chairs off, Louise remembers the moments of their life together–the simple moments of tears, sorrow, and laughter that mark every parent and child. As the years go on (and the chairs disappear), Louise and her mother circle about each other and come back together.
In other theatrical action, The Candlelight Dinner Theatre will get the 2023 segment of its 2022-2023 season going when a three-week run of “Sister Act” gets underway on January 21.
The first Friday of the month is a good time to check out a First Friday event.
This month’s edition of First Friday Lancaster (https://visitlancastercity.com/first-friday) will run from 5-9 p.m. on January 7 in downtown Lancaster.
The event will present attractive exhibitions at art galleries, artisan studios and museums.
Featured attractions will be “Convergence + Coincidence: works by Becky Blosser & Justin Phillips at curio. (106 West Chestnut Street, Lancaster), “First Friday at the Lancaster Science Factory” (454 New Holland Avenue, Lancaster), “Death & Rebirth” at Pennsylvania College of Art & Design (204 North Prince Street, Lancaster) and “Celestial Light: A First Friday Concert” at First Reformed Church (40 East Orange Street, Lancaster).
Rosca de Reyes, which translates to “Kings’ Ring,” is an oval-shaped pastry traditionally eaten to celebrate Epiphany on January 6. Epiphany is also known as El Día de Reyes (“Kings’ Day”) — a day to commemorate the arrival of the three Magi or Wise Men.
The tradition of placing a figurine of the Christ child in the cake goes back centuries. The baby Jesus hidden in the bread represents the flight of the Holy Family as it fled from King Herod’s Massacre of the Innocents.
Whoever finds the baby Jesus figurine is blessed and must take the figurine to the nearest church on February 2 (Candlemas Day, Día de la Candelaria). In the Mexican culture, this person also must host a dinner which includes tamales and hot chocolate.
On January 6 from 3-5 p.m., there will also be a free “Three Kings and Three Queens Day Celebration” at Taller Puertorriqueño (2557 North Fifth Street, Philadelphia, 215-423-6320, tallerpr.org). Taller Puertorriqueño’s El Día de Reyes comes to el Barrio on January 6 with live music, gift giving, and a parade.
If you’re a handyman and are interested in repairing, refurbishing or upgrading your home, then plan a visit to the Greater Philadelphia Spring Home Show this weekend at the Valley Forge Casino Resort (1160 First Avenue, King of Prussia, 888-433-3976, www.acshomeshow.com).
The annual show, which is produced by American Consumer Shows, will open on January 6 and continue through January 8. Hours are from 11 a.m.-8 p.m. on Friday, 10 a.m.-8 p.m. on Saturday and 10 a.m.-5 p.m. on Sunday.
The event is geared for homeowners in all stages of remodeling, landscaping and decorating their homes. Visitors to the show will be able to check out new products and receive expert advice from professionals. The show’s “Kitchen Showcase” features the latest styles and trends installed by knowledgeable, professional, local contractors.
At the popular annual event, homeowners will find a wide array of ideas and inspiration for enhancing their home’s functionality, aesthetic appeal, comfort and overall value. The show offers hundreds of exhibits featuring product demonstrations, sample displays of interior and exterior vignettes and a wide variety of related merchandise.
There will be exhibitors representing a huge range of categories, including architects, masonry, lighting, painting, roofing, floors, air conditioning, lighting, home theaters, financing, appliances, plumbing, heating, paving, waterproofing, siding and even spas.
The event features free admission and parking.
Chaddsford Winery (Route 1, Chadds Ford, 610-388-6221, www.chaddsford.com) is presenting “Reserve Tastings – Festive Faves” on select Saturdays and Sundays in January.
Guests will join the CFW Crew for an intimate and educational 60-minute experience in the Barrel Room. The trained staff will guide them through a pre-selected tasting of five widely diverse and award-winning wines from across our portfolio. The selections will be paired alongside seasonal local cheeses and other accoutrements to enhance your tasting experience.
The staff will also discuss topics such as grape growing conditions at our partner vineyards and the onsite winemaking process from production to aging and bottling.
The 2023 Pairing Line Up is – Greeting Wine: 2021 Sparkling White; ’21 Chardonnay with Farm at Doe Run 7 Sister Cheese; ’21 Dry Rosé: Redux with Calkins Creamery Noblette Cheese and Strawberry Lavender Jam; ’20 Merlot with Èclat Chocolate Coffee and Cardamom Bar; and Holiday Spirit with OsoSweet Bakery Cafe chocolate cinnamon scone.
Reserve seatings are $35 per person.
The “Wine, Cheese & Honey Pairings at Penns Woods” at Penns Wood Winery (124 Beaver Valley Road, Chadds Ford, 610-459-0808, http://www.pennswoodsevents.com) provide a nice way for visitors to enjoy a winter weekend day.
Penns Woods Winery is joining forces with local cheese makers and local honey artisans to present exclusive pairings of wine, cheese and honey. The tastings will feature four premium Penns Woods wines, each paired with various cheeses and honey from local farms.
The mouth-watering tastings will be held every weekend in January from 11 a.m.-6 p.m. on Saturdays and 11 a.m.-5 p.m. on Sundays.
Tickets cost $40 per person and reservations are required.
Rockwood Park & Museum (4651 Washington Street Extension, Wilmington, Delaware, www.newcastlede.gov/431/Rockwood-Park-Museum) is always an interesting site to visit because it opens a door into Delaware’s past – especially with its various tours.
Joseph Shipley, a Quaker merchant banker, built Rockwood between 1851 and 1854. Its Gothic Revival architecture and enchanting landscape were designed to reflect the beauty of an English country estate.
This weekend, there is an extra reason to visit Rockwood.
On January 8, the site is hosting a special tour – “Below the Stairs & in the Attics: The Servants’ Tour. The event will run from 2-3:30 p.m.
Rockwood will provide a glimpse of Rockwood from the perspective of servants who lived and worked on the estate from the 1850’s through 20th century.
This tour will reinterpret the spaces used by servants located within Rockwood Mansion. Several areas are only interpreted on this tour and are not usually open to the public.
Guests must be able to traverse many staircases during this 90-minute tour.
All ages are welcome, and space is limited so registration is required.
This is the final weekend to catch the latest exhibition at the Brandywine River Museum of Art Route 1, Chadds Ford 610-388-2700, www.brandywinemuseum.org).
“Fragile Earth: The Naturalist Impulse in Contemporary Art,” which opened in September is closing on January 8.
Spanning two galleries, the exhibition includes striking works reflecting on the vulnerability of the environment, created in a variety of media by Jennifer Angus, Mark Dion, Courtney Mattison and James Prosek.
The Brandywine’s presentation of “Fragile Earth” also includes a site-specific installation by Angus and a commissioned mural by Prosek that explores the plants and animals native to the Brandywine Valley.
The museum is also celebrating the 50th anniversary of the Brandywine Railroad holiday train display now through January 8.
A holiday favorite since 1972, the Brandywine Railroad features trains running on 2,000 feet of track and contains more than 1,000 pieces, including locomotives, passenger and freight trains, and trolleys that pass through a small village, a farm, factories, a drive-in movie theater and even a carnival.
A dazzling array of both toy and scale model trains can be seen chugging through the varied scenery, including those made by Lionel, Williams, Atlas, Mike’s Train House, K-line and others. Interactive components are also incorporated into the display to allow for further engagement.
The Brandywine Railroad holiday train display is included in the cost of general admission, which is $18 for adults, $15 for seniors (65 and older) and $6 for children (ages 6-18).
For the next few months, the American Swedish Historical Museum (1900 Pattison Avenue, Philadelphia, 215-389-1776, www.americanswedish.org) is presenting an exhibit “Art for All: The Swedish Experience in Mid-America,” which will run through February 19.
“Art for All: The Swedish Experience in Mid-America” is an exhibition of paintings and sculptures by Swedish American artists in the late-19th and early-20th centuries.
This colorful and emotive impressionist art reflects its own time, interprets nature and landscape, and is independent of artificial conventions while keeping Swedish folk traditions alive.
The American Swedish Historical Museum is proud to present Art for All: The Swedish Experience in Mid-America, an exhibition of paintings and sculptures by Swedish American artists in the late-19th and early-20th centuries. This colorful and emotive impressionist art reflects its own time, interprets nature and landscape, and is independent of artificial conventions while keeping Swedish folk traditions alive.
This exhibition features many Swedish artists who studied and absorbed the democratic philosophies of “art for all,” espoused by Anders Zorn and the Artist’s League. These young artists immigrated to America to forge new career paths. “Art for all” became a catchphrase in Kansas by the 1930s, stemming from efforts of local artists to offer affordable paintings and prints so that every citizen could have original art in their own homes for a richly cultured way of life.
“Art for All: The Swedish Experience in Mid-America” was conceived and developed by the Birger Sandzén Memorial Gallery and the Hillstrom Museum of Art.
Wonderspaces at the Fashion District (27 North 11th Street, Philadelphia, philadelphia.wonderspaces.com) is an experiential, interactive arts venue.
Building on the success of annual pop-up shows in San Diego, and its first permanent location in Scottsdale, Arizona, Wonderspaces opened a 24,000 square foot gallery space in Philly a year ago.
Wonderspaces features 14 art installations that all play with the idea of perspective. The artwork ranges from award-winning virtual reality short film about a dinner party-turned-alien abduction, to a room where visitors digitally paint the walls with the movement of their bodies.
New artworks rotate in every few months, creating an ever-evolving, year-round show.
Tickets are for entry at a specific date and time. Visitors are welcome to stay as long as they please during operating hours. The average time spent experiencing the show is 90 minutes.
A few installations contain flashing lights, images, and patterns that may trigger seizures for people with photosensitive epilepsy. All visitors must sign a waiver prior to being admitted into the space. Adult supervision is required for visitors under 16.
Center City Parks District’s Rothman Orthopaedics Institute Ice Rink at Dilworth Park (1 South 15th Street, Philadelphia, http://ccdparks.org/dilworth-park) is open for the season.
In addition, a full lineup of free attractions areoffered, including the Rothman Orthopaedic Institute Cabin.
The Rothman Institute Ice Rink at Dilworth Park is an unparalleled entertainment experience on Philadelphia’s center stage in a wonderfully urban and unique setting. Open seven days a week, the rink offers wintery fun for all ages, with a full slate of programs.
Dilworth Park’s winter season will run until February 26.
Winter has arrived and the Blue Cross RiverRink (Delaware Avenue at Walnut Street, Philadelphia, 215-925-RINK, www.riverrink.com) has come back to life.
Unlike most of the suburban ice rinks, RiverRink features public skating. Ice skating is the only use of the ice. This winter, RiverRink takes the ice-skating experience on the Delaware River waterfront to another level by once again transforming the annual rink into a bona fide winter wonderland.
For 29 seasons, Winterfest has been Philadelphia’s favorite Winter tradition on the Delaware River Waterfront, inviting visitors for a chance to indulge in flights of fancy under thousands of sparkling lights in a winter wonderland with spectacular views of the Delaware River. Cozy up in comforting warming cabins, firepit stations, boardwalk rides and games for the young and young-at-heart, delicious food and hot beverages, the signature holiday tree, and, of course, ice skating on our NHL-sized rink. Winterfest is a top destination for anyone looking to rekindle family traditions.
The Winterfest site is free to enter and open to the public. Amenities such as ice skating and cabin and firepit experiences can be reserved in advance. Winterfest is open seven days a week including holidays through March 5.
Ghost Tour of Philadelphia (215-413-1997, www.ghosttour.com), Ghost Tour of Lancaster (717-687-6687, www.ghosttour.com) and Ghost Tour of Strasburg (717-687-6687, www.ghosttour.com) operate throughout the winter and offer an eerily entertaining evening of true ghost stories and real haunted houses.
The Ghost Tour of Philadelphia, which is based on the book, “Ghost Stories of Philadelphia, PA.,” is a candlelight walking tour along the back streets and secret gardens of Independence Park, Society Hill, and Old City, where ghostly spirits, haunted houses, and eerie graveyards abound.
Participants can discover the ghost lore of America’s most historic and most haunted city with stories from the founding of William Penn’s colony to present-day hauntings.
The activity is open year-round – weekends, December-February; every night, March-November. Tickets are $24.
The Ghost Tour of Lancaster and the Ghost Tour of Strasburg are based on the book, “Ghost Stories of Lancaster, PA.”
Participants in the Ghost Tour of Lancaster explore the long-forgotten mysteries of one of America’s oldest cities, with haunting tales of otherworldly vigils, fatal curses, and star-crossed lovers. The tour provides the opportunity to experience 300 years of haunted history from the Red Rose City’s thorny past. Tickets are $20.
The Ghost Tour of Strasburg is a candlelight walking tour of the quaint and historic town of Strasburg in the heart of Pennsylvania Dutch Country. Visitors will experience an entertaining evening with a costumed tour guide spinning tales of haunted mansions, eerie graveyards, and spirits that roam the night … in a town lost in time. Tickets are $20.
Grim Philly’s “Dark Philly History Tour” (www.grimphilly.com) will be held every evening throughout the winter.
Participants can walk with tour guides from the grounds of America’s first White House, Congress, and Liberty Bell to homes and sites of Hamilton, Washington, Franklin, Adams, Jefferson, Madison, Monroe, and more than 10 other Founding-Fathers. The surprising dirt of espionage, murder, sexual license and blackmail highlight the secrets of 1776 with a ghost story or two along the way. This tour is highly researched. And your guide is a historian.
Tickets are $35.
The John Heinz National Wildlife Refuge at Tinicum (8601 Lindbergh Boulevard, Philadelphia, www.fws.gov/refuge/John_Heinz) has several attractive events scheduled for this week.
“Bird Walk with Chuck Root and Emily Dodge” will be held on January 7 and “Bird Walk with Debbie Beer” will be held on January 8.
Visitors can take an educational walk with two of the site’s knowledgeable volunteers and discover the 300+ species of birds that use the Refuge during their migration routes.
Walk will begin at archway at the Visitor Center and will last approximately one hour on flat surfaces.
There will also be a “Plant Walk with Dick Cloud” on January 8.
There are some people who hate the let the Christmas holiday season leave – you know, your neighbors that keep their Christmas lights on until February.
Fortunately for them, the Christmas season isn’t entirely over. A few attractions remain on the calendar.
One of the best holiday events in the area is the annual “Yuletide at Winterthur.” This year’s 40th annual staging of the event, which runs now through January 8 at Winterthur Museum, Garden & Library (Route 52, Wilmington, Delaware,800-448-3883, www.winterthur.org).
At Winterthur, visitors can revel in the beauty and warmth of the holidays and explore treasures of Christmases past with displays of holiday traditions from the 1800s to the early 20th century, including displays of: the earliest types of colorful lights decorating house exteriors; the du Pont family holiday celebrations; and the evolution of Christmas trees over the decades from the 1880s to 1960s.
One of visitors’ favorites every year is the 18-room dollhouse mansion created by designer and philanthropist Nancy McDaniel over a period of 30 ears. It features amazing intricate details in each room and is even decorated for the holidays.
As always, the rooms will be enhanced with the floral displays so essential to du Pont’s decorating, and with special Christmas trees inspired by the beauty of the Winterthur’s gardens — including the popular Dried Flower Tree in the Conservatory.
Timed Yuletide Tour reservations are required.
Tickets are $15.
Winterthur is also hosting its Guided Exhibition Tour – “Jacqueline Kennedy and Henry Francis du Pont: From Winterthur to the White House” – which is running now through January 8, 2023.
Visitors can explore the friendship between the First Lady and H. F. du Pont and their work to restore the White House in this guided tour of the special exhibition.
In 1961, an unusual partnership was formed when the youngest First Lady in American history, Jacqueline Kennedy, appointed a reserved octogenarian collector from Delaware, Henry Francis du Pont, to lead her project to restore the White House interiors. Du Pont brought credibility to Kennedy’s efforts and vision, and her enormous popularity lifted him onto the national stage and validated his life’s work.
Together, they transformed the White House from a mere public residence into a museum, and along the way, they engaged with some of the most celebrated interior designers of the 20th century.
For the first time, the story of this historic partnership will be told at Winterthur, the inspiration for Mrs. Kennedy’s project. Through artifacts, archives, and images, this exhibition will invite visitors to experience the behind-the-scenes collaboration between the two during this captivating period in American history.
Their partnership culminated in a televised tour of the White House, led by Jacqueline Kennedy, which became the most watched program in American history. The former First Lady will forever be remembered as the person who restored history and beauty to the White House.
Their “restoration” of America’s most famous house became a history lesson for the country and awakened an interest in preservation and interior design that is still felt today.
Admission to Winterthur is $22 for adults, $20 for seniors and students and $8 for children.
Longwood Gardens (Route 1, Kennett Square, 610-388-1000, www.longwoodgardens.org) has shifted into holiday mode with the arrival of “A Longwood Gardens Christmas.”
The festive holiday display at Longwood Gardens, which is running now through January 8, features spectacular lights, lavish decorations, holiday music and colorful displays featuring thousands of brilliant poinsettias, brightly decorated trees and fragrant flowers — all inside the heated Conservatory.
There will be towering trees adorned in amber to fiery red tones, flickering flame lanterns, and an inviting mountain retreat, complemented by icy-hued plantings, a “frozen” succulent fountain, and a refreshing alpine waterway that is the ultimate winter wonderland.
The colorful annual event, which appeals to the entire family, also has a lot of outdoor attractions such as fountain shows and nighttime light displays. Longwood’s Christmas celebration also includes a wide array of seasonal music — holiday concerts, organ sing-alongs and carillon performances.
When darkness arrives at Longwood, a night-blooming garden of more than a half-million lights strung on close to 100 trees with approximately 40 miles of wire comes to life. A carillon with 62 cast bells plays holiday music every half hour during daylight hours. Longwood’s Open Air Theatre fountains dance to holiday music each half hour — temperature permitting.
As always, admission by “Timed Ticket” — tickets issued for specific dates and times. Timed ticketing limits the number of people in the Gardens at any given time and allows guests to enjoy minimal lines and a better viewing experience.
Visitors to “A Longwood Gardens Christmas” can also check out Longwood’s Garden Railway — a whimsical display set into motion with G-scale model trains. This is the 18th year that the railway has delighted visitors with special water features and custom trains traveling in and out of bridges and tunnels.
Admission to Longwood Gardens is $30 for adults, $27 for seniors (ages 62 and older) and college students, $23 for active and retired military and $16 for youth (ages 5-18).
Now through January 7, the Philadelphia Zoo (3400 West Girard Avenue, Philadelphia) will host LumiNature, a gigantic holiday season light experience that transforms the entire Zoo into a magical journey of lights, music, sounds and surprises.
The giant-sized holiday extravaganza will transform the entire Zoo into a nighttime winter wonderland. Guests will experience a magical journey of lights, music, sounds and surprises. LumiNature will expand to feature 14 illuminated experience zones that will feature lively themed displays, newly-enhanced installations and thousands of twinkling lights.
Highlights for 2021 include: more than one million lights and 10 miles of power cord; more than 500 colorful illuminated flamingos and a 25 feet tall flamingo holiday tree; 200+ illuminated penguins; 100 ft-long aquarium tunnel with enormous jellyfish; 22-feet-tall new Butterfly Tree; 21-feet tall brilliant colored snake; glee club made from talking trees that come to life’ brand new octopus tree that is sure to make you laugh’ cascading blue and white meteor light showers; giant cat eyes glowing in the dark of night; and a new Wilderness Express Train.
Additionally, seasonal fare, strolling performers, hot chocolate and ever-warming adult beverages promise to additionally spark the holiday spirit.
Tickets are $25 for adults and $20 for children.
A well-attended Bucks County attraction is the “Holiday Light Show” at Shady Brook Farm (931 Stony Hill Road, Yardley, www.shadybrookfarm.com)
The farm features a three–million-light Holiday Light Show with “Dashin’ Through the … Lights,” a family-friendly two-mile drive-through on Thursday and Friday nights.
The main display allows visitors to drive or (if weather permits) ride in wagons past post-sundown displays including illuminated tunnels.
The “Holiday Light Show” is open now through January 28.
Timed tickets, which start at $40, are required.
“A Very Furry Christmas at Sesame Place” (100 Sesame Road, Langhorne, www.sesameplace.com) is a festive, family-friendly celebration with everyone’s favorite Sesame Street friends live and in-person at the amusement park in Langhorne.
The annual event, which runs through January 8, offers a wide array of family holiday activities.
Visitors to the park can sing along at three special Christmas shows and a spectacular music and light show at our giant 1-2-3 Christmas Tree, take a train ride tour through the Twiddlebugs’ Gingerbread Cookie Factory on the Sesame Place Furry Express, take part in the Neighborhood Street Party Christmas Parade, and have the opportunity to meet Lightning, the adorable reindeer from the movie “Elmo Saves Christmas.”
As an added attraction this year, Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer is spending the holiday season at Sesame Place. The lovable reindeer along with his friends Clarice and Bumble, will be available for photos with guests.
Tickets for “A Very Furry Christmas” start at $34.99.
Founded more than 50 years ago, Choo Choo Barn — Traintown U.S.A. (Route 741 East, 226 Gap Rd, Strasburg, 717-687-7911, www.choochoobarn.com) presents a 1,700-square-foot train layout featuring over 150 hand-built animated figures and vehicles and 22 operating trains. The majority of trains that are running in the display are “O Gauge” trains but there are also some HO Gauge trains as well as one N Gauge train.
Several of the original pieces and animations are still on the display today, including the ski slope, ski lodge and ice skaters, Dutch Haven, the Willows, the two-lane moving highway (in front of Dutch Haven), the farm with the tobacco barn, the Strasburg Fire House, the church beside Dutch Haven and a few other houses.
The layout features a special Christmas display now through January 15. The homes and businesses along the tracks have been decked out with holiday trim. And there are 55 hidden Santas — one for each year the site has been open — located around the display for visitors to find.
Tickets are $8.50 for adults and $5 for children (ages 3 and under) at Choo Choo Barn — Traintown U.S.A.
A guaranteed way to remain in a Christmas mood is to visiting Koziar’s Christmas Village (782 Christmas Village Road, Bernville, 610-488-1110, www.koziarschristmasvillage.com) which began its 75th season on November 5.
Koziar’s Christmas Village is truly a holiday wonderland — a wintertime spectacle that delights young and old alike with a huge amount of holiday displays and special attractions. It will remain open every night through January 1 — including Christmas Eve, Christmas Night, New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Night.
The tours of “Christmas Village” feature visits to a variety of displays and exhibits, including “Santa’s Post Office,” “Christmas in the Jungle,” “Manger Scene,” “Christmas Beneath the Sea,” “’Twas the Night Before Christmas,” “Olde Fashioned Bakery Shop,” “Toy Maker and his Toy Shop,” “Christmas in Other Lands” and “The Olde Church”.
Other attractions at Koziar’s Christmas Village include a huge model train display, a toy shop, a country kitchen, indoor and outdoor Christmas displays and a place to visit with Santa and even get pictures taken with the old guy in the red suit. Admission to Christmas Village is $12 for adults, $11 for seniors (65 and older) and $10 for children (ages 4-10).
