10 Coolest Philly Fitness and Foodie Events This Month: December 2016

The South Philly Holiday Lights Run is just one of the festive fitness events going down this month. | Photo by J. Fusco for Visit Philadelphia

’Tis the season for holiday EVERYTHING, folks — including holiday-themed fitness. So naturally, many of this month’s top picks for fitness and foodie events encourage ugly Christmas sweaters and reindeer antlers as gear. Take your pick!

1. NamaSLAY: Holiday Edition 
When: Friday, December 16th at 6 p.m.
Where: Three Queens Yoga, 410 Monroe Street, Queen Village.

Get this: The holiday edition of Three Queens Yoga’s recurring workshop NamaSLAY is called — wait for it — SLAYbells. Amazing, we know. The 2.5-hour yoga session will be taught to a diva-filled R&B and hip-hop playlist (we see some Beyoncé in your future) and, in the theme of the holidays, they’ll be doing giveaways, raffling off prizes and collecting coats for Broad Street Ministry. As the Facebook event page says, during the yoga session, you’ll “tap into your strength, engage your heart and shine your light bright enough to slay anything in your way.” Amen to that.

2. South Philly Holiday Lights Run
When: Thursday, December 15th at 7 p.m.
Where: Toll Man Joe’s, 26 East Oregon Avenue, South Philly.

This free annual group run, put on by the South Philly Striders and Fishtown Beer Runners, takes runners by the many magical holiday lights displays in South Philly. Holiday costumes, bells, antlers and the like are encouraged. After soaking in the lights, runners will hang at Toll Man Joe’s for drink and food specials.

3. The Rocky 50K
When: Saturday, December 3rd at 7 a.m.
Where: The corner of Wolf and South Lambert streets.

The one time each year it’s totally socially acceptable to dress up like Rocky Balboa — grey sweatsuit, red handband and all — and go for a run is the Rocky 50K, a fat ass run (read: a free race with no bibs or trophies) that takes folks along the 31-mile route run by Rocky in Rocky II. And if you’re shaking your head at the ambitious distance, know: You don’t have to run the whole 31 miles is you don’t want to.

4. Sweet Treats Cooking Class with WholePHL 
When: Thursday, December 8th at 7 p.m.
Where: Function Coffee Labs, 1001 South 10th Street.

If you’re looking to cut down on your sugar intake this holiday season, the ladies over at WholePHL have you covered with a sweet treats cooking class where you’ll learn how to whip up homemade chocolate bark, holiday cookies, chai-spiced coconut pancakes and egg nog — all without refined sugar. Impressive, huh?

5. Jingle Jog
When: Saturday, December 3rd at 9:30 a.m.
Where: Historic Strawberry Mansion, 2450 Strawberry Mansion Drive, Strawberry Mansion.

Here’s one way to jam-pack your Saturday morning with holiday cheer this weekend: The Jingle Jog — festive attire encouraged, of course — takes runners on their choice of a five-mile or 8.2-mile run through East and West Fairmount Park, passing by the park’s historic mansions, and ending at the Historic Strawberry Mansion. And in exciting news, this year there will be a special holiday-themed Parks on Tap pop-up beer garden going down at the Historic Strawberry Mansion (and your run registration gets you a drink ticket!).

6. Hip-Hop Yoga Jawn at Palo Santo Wellness 
When: Friday, December 16th at 6 p.m.
Where: 1707 East Passyunk Avenue, South Philly.

We are BIG fans of throwback hip-hop yoga classes (we’ve even hosted a few), so you KNOW Palo Santo’s old school hip-hop yoga party is on our list of this month’s best events. As the event description says, “None of that Drake type sh*t. Come bend, stretch, shake and bounce through a 2-hour extended flow …” We can dig it. (No offense, Drake.)

7. Holiday Cheers Market at Inspired Brews
When: Friday, December 2nd at 5 p.m.
Where: 263 North 3rd Street, Old City.

If you’re planning on hitting up First Friday festivities tomorrow, you’re going to want to make a pit-stop at kombucha fermentary Inspired Brews for their first-ever Holiday Cheers Market, highlighting local women artisans and entrepreneurs, like the folks behind Pure Batch’s gluten-free, vegan baked goods, natural beauty product company Bolted from the Blue, and more. Oh! And there will be holiday kombucha cocktails on deck, of course.

8. NYE: A Sweaty Soiree at Yoga Habit
When: December 31st at 9:30 p.m.
Where: 1640 Fairmount Avenue, Fairmount.

Can we get a “Hallelujah!” for New Year’s Eve plans that won’t end up being overhyped and terrible? At Yoga Habit’s sweaty New Year’s Eve soiree, first you’ll sweat through a candlelit restorative yoga session and afterwards you’ll toast with champagne and snacks. Yes, please!

9. Free Yoga at The Wall 
When: December 6th through December 18th
Where: 107 Cotton Street, Manayunk.

The Wall’s Manayunk location has all sorts of yoga — candlelight! Spin-and-yoga combos! Yoga sculpt! — and they want you to come try it out. For free! They’ll be hosting free classes for the next two weeks. Enjoy!

10. Rudolph Run
When: Saturday, December 10th at 9 a.m.
Where: Canal View Park, 4430 Main Street, Manayunk.

Yes: There is yet ANOTHER holiday run on this list, because ’tis the season, after all. At the Rudolph Run, in exchange for a few cans of food to be donated, the Manayunk Development Corporation will hand over a red nose and jingle bells for you to run the streets dressed as Rudolph. Ugly Christmas sweaters are optional but encouraged.

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