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New Year's Eve Fireworks, statues at the Comcast Holiday Spectacular and the Thanksgiving Day Parade (photos by G. Widman, M. McClellan and courtesy WPVI)

The Philadelphia region just loves the holiday season. From parades, to spectacular shows to fireworks displays (two this year), we go all out in celebration of Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa and the New Year.

In honor of this celebratory time of year, we’ve collected a few of our favorite holiday events into a single list that you can find right here. Happy holidays!

I’ve always felt that the holiday season isn’t truly underway until there are a number of bedecked and illuminated trees around the city. When I was growing up, those trees were in front of the Eagle Rock Community Center (just outside of Los Angeles) and in Pioneer Courthouse Square (Portland, OR).

These days, my holiday season begins when the tree that gets erected at the heart of City Hall each December is lit (my fondness for that particular tree might also have something to do with the fact that my husband and I got engaged in its shadow last year. But that’s another story).

Happily, the City Hall tree is currently in place and will be ceremonially illuminated this Wednesday, December 2nd at 5 p.m. In addition to the lighting ceremony, the Cara Mia Big Band will be playing at 4 p.m. and Peter Nero’s Philly Pops Festival Brass will play at 6:15 p.m.

Don’t forget that the Christmas Village will be open until 9 p.m. Combine the lighting of the tree with a cup of hot chocolate and a bit of holiday shopping. What better way to celebrate the season!

Tomorrow night, our good friends two.one.five magazine are celebrating the release of their annual Sound + Style issue.

The folks from the magazine will be taking over Silk City in Northern Liberties, giving attendees the opportunity to scope out their new issue, while taking advantage of drink specials from Sailor Jerry, Heineken, and Amstel. Guests will also be able to win a wealth of door prizes, and dance the night away with DJ Big Rich Medina spinning.

The new issue features interviews with artists like Erykah Badu and Juliette Lewis, their own Holiday Gift Guide, and an in depth look at Philadelphia legend Sun Ra.

So come out, celebrate, and support one of Philadelphia’s best indie mags.

Sound + Style Release Party @ Silk City
Tuesday, December 1st, 2009

Silk City
435 Spring Garden Street, Philadelphia, PA 19123
(215) 592-8838
www.silkcityphilly.com

This Saturday, the Philadelphia Center for the Book is hosting their annual Book Paper Scissors Festival, a free artists’ book fair complete with free workshops.

The event, which is totally open to the public, features prints, artists’ books, handmade paper, origami, jewelry… pretty much anything and everything made out of paper. A lot of the items on display, from paper sculptures to intricately designed blank books, are made my local, Philadelphia region artists, and will be on sale.

The event takes place at the Free Library of Philadelphia from 10AM to 4PM.

Book Paper Scissors Artists’ Book Fair
December 5th, 2009, 10AM – 4PM
www.philadelphiacenterforthebook.org

Free Library of Philadelphia
1901 Vine Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103
(215) 686-5322
www.freelibrary.org

Hand-thrown porcelain mug from Art Star

Starting today, you can enter to win a gift of your choosing from our Philadelphia Holiday Gift Guide. One lucky winner will get to choose from 15 locally sold gifts. Check back daily, at 1PM, for new gifts each day now through mid December. Even if you don’t win, you might discover a great gift idea.

First up in our gift guide, is this hand-thrown porcelain and glaze mug from Art Star, a boutique that features handmade products from local artists. The mug is a soft yellow with white lace detailing by Robert Siegel Ceramics and Stephanie Kao, and retails for $35.

Art Star has also extended their holiday hours, and are now open on Mondays through December 21st. Their current hours are Sunday and Monday, Noon to 6, and Tuesday through Saturday, 11 to 7PM.

Not interested in the mug? Each week until New Year’s, Art Star will feature a special online shopping gift on their website. Check back every Monday!

Art Star
623 N 2nd Street, Philadelphia, PA 19123
(215) 238-1557
www.artstarphilly.com

A view of the fireworks from the Blue Cross RiverRink (photo by G.Widman)

The annual New Year’s Eve fireworks at Penn’s Landing now offers twice the fun with TWO huge displays that evening: the traditional midnight show and a brand-new 6.p.m. evening show.

The new 6 pm show offers families with small children, people with late party plans and those who just cant hang ‘til midnight a chance to see the city’s spectacular fireworks display, right before or after dinner. And of course, the annual midnight fireworks show will ring in 2010 in style.

As always, the Blue Cross RiverRink is the place to be during the fireworks and this year the rink will be hosting two parties, one for each of the displays, complete with music, treats and of course, skating!

New Year’s Eve Fireworks at Penn’s Landing
December 31, 2009
6 pm and 12 midnight

New Year’s Eve Fireworks Display [gophila.com]

Cedar Grove Mansion, decorated for the Holiday Tours, Photo by the Philadelphia Museum of Art

This weekend, the historic houses in Fairmount Park will get all dolled up for the holiday season, and open their doors for special holiday tours.

Cedar Grove, Laurel Hill, Lemon Hill, Mount Pleasant, Sweetbriar, Ormiston and Woodford will be decorated and open from 10AM to 4PM, Friday, December 3rd through Sunday, December 5th, and again the following weekend. Trolley tours of the houses will depart from the Fairmount Water Works, and the $25 ticket includes the ride and guided tours of three mansions.

Not interested in catching the trolley? Provide your own transportation, and pay only $5 per house. Proceeds from these tours go towards preserving these historic mansions.

For more info, be sure to visit Fairmount Park’s official website.

Holiday Tours of Fairmount Park’s Historic Mansions
December 3rd – 5th, 11th – 13th, 10AM – 4PM
215-685-0274
www.fairmountpark.org

Fairmount Water Works
640 Water Works Drive, Philadelphia, PA

Parc offers an authentic French bistro experience, fully equipped with a chic Parisian ambiance and gorgeous sidewalk seating overlooking Rittenhouse Square. C'est magnifique! (All photos courtesy of Parc)

While the weather may be taking a turn for the nippy, overhead heaters allow certain sections of Parc to be open-aired — so you can enjoy the Parisian sidewalk-seating experience during late fall and early spring.

Parc [gophila.com]

Photo courtesy the Adrienne Theatre

“I wear green velvet knickers, a forest green velvet smock, and a perky little hat decorated with spangles. This is my work uniform.”

The elf outfit is just the start of David Sedaris’ deadpan tales of an overworked, under-appreciated Macy’s elf in SantaLand. Perhaps the best story to come out of David Sedaris’ book Holidays on Ice, Flashpoint Theater brings The SantaLand Diaries, adapted by Joe Mantello in 1996, back to Philadelphia this Christmas Season with Derick Loafmann reprising his role as Crumpet the Elf and Meghann Williams back at the helm directing.

Sedaris tells the story of his own experiences being Crumpet, a part-time Macy’s SantaLand Elf whose holiday sneer and jeer can’t help but take over the Christmas cheer. But who can blame him when a certain Santa (aptly nicknamed “Santa-Santa”) makes him sing carols and run all sorts of Elf Errands while he handles two-hour lines of grumpy customers and snotty children just waiting for their chance to unload their Christmas demands onto Santa. The show’s witty take on true meaning of Christmas is a wonderfully sarcastic balance to the over-the-top holiday joy the departments send our way.

Take a break from all the holiday merriment and spend a night with the saddest little elf you ever did see. Crumpet’s misery is sure to make even the Grinchiest of Scrooges to smile and laugh. And for those who enjoy a little more class participation with their theater, a special showing on December 5th at 10:30 will include bags of props and instructions, Rocky Horror Picture Show style.

The show starts Thursday, December 3rd and runs though Sunday, December 20th. Tickets range from $12-$18. Call 215-665-9720 or buy online.

The SantaLand Diaries at The Adrienne
December 3-20, 2009

Second Stage at the Adrienne
2030 Sansom Street, Philadelphia, PA 19103

Monkeys painted by Walton Ford, Courtesy the Academy of Natural Sciences

This Wednesday, watercolor artist Walton Ford will be stopping by the Academy of Natural Sciences to talk about the inspiration behind his paintings, and sign copies of his recently published retrospective of his work, Pancha Tantra.

Copies of the book will be available at the event. The signing is free and open to the public, and starts at 6:30PM, running until 8:30PM.

The event is sponsored by the Joseph Fox Bookstore, a great little bookshop on 17th and Sansom.

Walton Ford @ the Academy of Natural Sciences
Wednesday, December 2, 6:30 – 8:30PM

Academy of Natural Sciences
1900 Benjamin Franklin Parkway, Philadelphia, PA 19103
(215) 299-1000
www.ansp.org