Philadelphia becomes a little bit brighter during Thanksgiving week thanks to the return of holiday traditions all within walking distance. And, all for free!
Start across from the southeast corner of City Hall for the annual Holiday Light Show in the main area of Macy's in Center City.
The "Christmas Pageant of Lights," a holiday tradition since 1956, includes about 100,000 LED lights, the majestic sound of the Wanamaker organ and holiday favorite songs from Frosty the Snowman, the Nutcracker and more.
Starting Black Friday, you can catch it every two hours from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. (most nights -- click here for the full schedule) through New Year's Eve (excluding Christmas) at 1300 Market St.
While at Macy's, head up to the third floor for the traditional "Dickens Village" display where the story of A Christmas Carol comes to life until 7 p.m. most days. You can even stop to take a photo with Father Christmas.
On your way out of the store be sure to check out the traditional holiday windows outside Macy's -- where the first Christmas window displays happened back in the 1870s.
After your visit to Macy's, head to the other side of City Hall to check out the Christmas Village at LOVE Park. Now in its sixth year, the German-style Christmas market features dozens of merchants in wooden decorative booths with holiday gifts, ornaments and crafts for sale.
After walking through the village, head over to the Comcast Building at 1701 JFK Blvd for the Comcast Holiday Spectacular.
Now in its sixth year, the show utilizes one of the world's largest 4-mm LED video displays in the lobby of the Comcast Center. The 15-minute show features amazing visuals to Christmas music including The Nutcracker performed by the Pennsylvania Ballet and Olympic-caliber ice skaters that will get you ready for the Winter Olympics in Sochi (only on NBC10 and the Comcast-family networks).
The Comcast Holiday Spectacular runs daily on the hour from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. from Thanksgiving through New Year’s Day (excluding 5 p.m. on work days). Use the hashtag #Spectacular to share your photos and experiences of the show.
All the events are geared towards kids of all ages.
Photo Credit: j.Holder for GPTMC