A Guide to the Holidays in Franklin Square
Light shows, mini golf, cozy drinks, Santa visits and more to celebrate all season long.
Holidays in Franklin Square / Photograph by Jeff Fusco
Beginning November 16th, Franklin Square is all holiday, all the time. Winter will bring sparkle through the New Year (and beyond), fun things to do, holiday events, and plenty to eat and drink. Here’s what the Center City park has planned for the season.
Electrical Spectacle Light Show
Every night from November 21st through February 23rd, more than 200,000 lights will shine throughout Franklin Square for the Electrical Spectacle. Through January 11th, the lights will dance, synchronized to a soundtrack of holiday classics (Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas is You,” selections from The Nutcracker, etc.). And a new song for this year: “Baby Please Come Home” by Jason Kelce, Lane Johnson, and Jordan Mailata from their blockbuster Christmas album.
The shows run every 30 minutes beginning at 5 p.m. daily and running throughout the night’s activities until 9 p.m. Each show features seven songs, two songs for each show, on a rotating basis. Beginning on January 9th, the holiday soundtrack will be replaced by Johnny Mathis’s “Winter Wonderland” for each show through February 23rd.
Chilly Philly Mini Golf at Franklin Square / Photograph by Laura Swartz
Fun and Games
Franklin Square’s Philly-themed mini golf gets a holiday makeover with giant decorative animal friends, lights and music to become Chilly Philly Mini Golf. Golf tickets are $15 for adults and $12 for kids. (Golf is free for children under two.) Come February, the theming changes to “Philly Mini Golf With Love” for Valentine’s Day.
The playground and carousel remain open every day. The carousel will play holiday music and glow up at night with the rest of the square. Tickets for the carousel are $4 for ages three and up. Kids shorter than 42 inches must be accompanied by an adult. The playground is always free, and is open from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Also returning: two street-curling rinks. The Olympic sport has been adapted into a one-directional format on an elevated platform where two teams take turns sliding the stones towards the target. You can book a 30-minute session for up to eight players at each of two rinks for $40 per session.
Street curling at Franklin Square / Photograph by Jeff Fusco
Food and Drink
In addition to Franklin Square’s year-round SquareBurger stand, which will operate during daytime and evening hours, the Ben on the Rocks tent will be operating in the evenings. Here, you’ll find treats, hand-crafted cocktails, hot chocolate (both regular and boozy), beer and wine in an indoor heated tent. Grab some to enjoy around the fire pits.
Fire pits at Franklin Square / Photograph by Jeff Fusco
Special Events and Celebrations
The season kicks off on Thursday, November 21st at 5:30 p.m. On the Sunday of opening weekend (November 24th, from 5 to 7 p.m.), catch a free Nutcracker performance by the Philadelphia Dance Company.
Santa arrives on the evening of Black Friday, from 5 to 6 p.m. He’ll also be there the next night, November 30th, at the same time. If you miss him on Thanksgiving weekend, Santa will be back for “Jingle and Mingle” evenings on December 7th, 14th and 21st, also from 5 to 7 p.m. Don’t forget the pups! Santa’s December 14th visit is also “Santa Paws” night, where you can bring your furry friends for photos with ol’ Saint Nick. And for even more Santa, join him for a special ticketed brunch on the morning of December 21st.
Santa at Franklin Square / Photograph by Jeff Fusco
Kids can come make free holiday gifts with local arts organizations on December 13th.
Franklin Square is also planning celebrations for Hanukkah with Old City Jewish Arts Center on December 30th, and Kwanzaa with the African American Museum in Philadelphia on December 29th.
To close out the year, Franklin Square is reprising its free Kids’ New Year’s Eve Countdown on December 31st from 5 to 8 p.m. Enjoy music and crafts before the “Square Drop” from atop SquareBurger at 6 p.m., then stay to watch the fireworks over the waterfront from the square.
Looking ahead to 2025, the park is planning Boozy Ben’s “Bengo” — Ben Franklin-themed bingo inside the Ben On the Rocks tent — on January 4th and 5th, as well as Fridays in February. Each event is from 5 to 7 p.m., and proceeds benefit the management and operation of Franklin Square. For more fun and games, come on February 15th and 16th for Presidents Day Quizzo.
Queen Elsa and her princess friends will return to Franklin Square with ice-carving and kids’ activities on Ice Princess Weekend, January 25th and 26th.
Franklin Square is also planning a Chinese New Year celebration on February 1st. Stay tuned for details on that as it gets closer.
Franklin Square’s holiday decorations / Photograph by Jeff Fusco
The Basics
Franklin Square’s holiday festivities run from November 21, 2024, through February 23, 2025. (It will be closed on November 28th, December 25th and January 1st for the holidays.) Entrance and the light show are free. Mini golf, carousel rides, and food are pay-as-you-go. Franklin Square is located at 6th and Race streets, and is accessible via SEPTA’s Market-Frankford Line, which stops at 8th and Market streets.
