It’s Almost Time for Electrical Spectacle in Franklin Square

Photo by Jeff Fusco for Historic Philadelphia, Inc.

We still have costumes and Trick-or-Treating to get through, but as soon as the Halloween candy is divvied up it’s a straight shot into the holiday season and all the twinkling lights that come with it. The Franklin Square Holiday Festival kicks off Thursday, November 10th, with Taste of the Holiday Season. Ben Franklin and characters from Star Wars and Frozen will be in attendance, along with musicians from the Philly Pops playing a lead up to the first Electrical Spectacle light show of the year. Unlike the Chinese Lantern Festival, this one is free.

After the opener, Electrical Spectacle runs nightly through the end of the year. If you haven’t seen it, it’s more than 50,000 LED lights, including some under the water in the fountain, and a soundtrack of holiday songs, in two alternating shows happening every 30 minutes starting at 4:30 p.m. The last show is at 8 p.m. Sundays to Thursdays and at 9 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays.

Photo by Jeff Fusco for Historic Philadelphia, Inc.

On November 18th, characters from the Pennsylvania Ballet’s The Nutcracker will be in the square. Santa shows up on November 25th and comes back Saturdays through December 17th. On December 8th, you can watch ice carvers sculpting. New this year is a Hanukkah night on December 23rd with dreidel games, crafts and latkes, and a New Year’s Eve countdown with music, crafts and an indoor dance party for the kids.

Also new: Ben’s Sweets & Treats, where you can sip hot chocolate or egg nog while you check out fudge and donuts being made, decorate holiday cookies, and learn how to make a gingerbread house, all inside a heated tent.

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