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Don't miss the annual Rittenhouse Square tree lighting.
(Photo by J. Smith for GPTMC)

The holiday season in Philadelphia doesn’t truly begin until the annual Rittenhouse Square Tree Lighting Ceremony, hosted by Rittenhouse Row and the Friends of Rittenhouse Square on Tuesday, November 30th at 5:00 p.m.

An extremely family-friendly holiday tradition, the Rittenhouse Tree Lighting ceremony will illuminate Philadelphia’s largest Christmas tree with more than 5,000 brilliant lights.

Festivities will also include children’s ornament-making, and games and holiday entertainment from Chestnut Hill Academy and Springside School.

Pick up a complimentary elf hat and hot chocolate with cookies from TD Bank, located at 18th and Walnut, until 7:00 p.m. Dedicate the occasion to those families and children unable to partake by bringing a new, unwrapped toy for the Salvation Army’s Joy of Sharing Toy Drive presented by CBS 3 and the CW Philadelphia.

Afterwards, look out for Rittenhouse Row merchant specials, with vendors stretching from the Avenue of the Arts to 21st Street, between Spruce and Market Streets.

And make a night of it by enjoying a dinner and some drinks at a nearby restaurant. Suggestions closest to the square include Parc, Twenty Manning, Snackbar, Rouge, Zama, Tria, Franklin Mortgage, etc.

Rittenhouse Row Tree Lighting [Official Site]

Explore European delights at the Christmas Village next to City Hall (courtesy Christmas Village)

A European shopping tradition is returning to Philadelphia for the holidays. The third annual Christmas Village at Dilworth Plaza is opening to the public Thanksgiving Day.

Open daily through Christmas Eve, the Christmas Village next to City Hall attracts thousands of visitors every year.

Browse through the Village’s 80 quaint, wooden booths full of gifts for everyone on your list, including traditional German Christmas ornaments from Käthe Wohlfahrt, hand blown glass, wooden toys, jewelry and much more.

When you’ve built up your appetite, head to the food tent for bratwursts from Brahaus Schmitz then quench your thirst with some hot German Gluhwien (mulled wine) from Chaddsford Winery. Be sure to save some room for assorted pastries and European desserts.

Daily live performances on the main stage and the Village’s newest addition – a full-size carousel – add to the festive atmosphere.

Philadelphia’s holiday season officially kicks off at the Christmas Village on December 1 as Mayor Michael Nutter lights the holiday tree at City Hall. For a full list of special events, visit www.philachristmas.com

Christmas Village at Dilworth Plaza
November 25 – December 24
11 a.m. – 8 p.m. (Thanksgiving: 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.; Christmas Eve: 11 a.m. – 5 p.m.)
City Hall (15th and JFK Boulevard)

The cheese board at Kraftwork (photo by T. Darlington)

Philly Homegrown is committed to getting local food into your belly, whether you cook it yourself or you order it up at an area restaurant. In the hopes of highlighting some of the menus that are rife with homegrown ingredients, we’ve partnered with a series of Philly bloggers and have sent them out into the field, to report back on some of those locally sourced dishes.

This week, our roving blogger is Tenaya Darlington (aka Madame Fromage). She is Philadelphia’s cheese-writer-in-residence and is always on the hunt for a new brie, blue or Boursin.

Today, she’s reporting in on an afternoon spent with Chef Brian Lofink and Adam Ritter of Kraftwork, tasting her way through the five cheeses on their wrench-handled board. Located in Fishtown, Kraftwork opened last spring and immediately became a neighborhood favorite.

Click here to read her cheesy thoughts on Just In at Homegrown.

The show is 15 minutes long and runs every hour on the hour.
(Top photo by J. Smith for GPTMC; bottom photos by M. McClellan for GPTMC.)

Update: Note—the Comcast Holiday Spectacular is not in 3D this year.

The Comcast Holiday Spectacular is one of Philadelphia’s newest and most popular holiday traditions.

Now in its third year, the free 15-minute show will run every day from Thanksgiving through New Year’s Day, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. (except 5 p.m. on weekdays) every hour on the hour, seven days per week.

Shown on the state-of-the-art Comcast Experience HD Video Wall at The Comcast Center — at 2,100 square feet the largest four-millimeter LED screen in the world — the spectacle includes stunning imagery and audio.

Sparkling Christmas lights, a 1940s swing-dance rendition of “Jingle Bell Rock,” ice sculptures coming to life, and music from the classic Nutcracker score are a sampling of what the show features. Last year, even Shaquille O’Neal had to stop by and see it for himself.

Be sure you make time for a visit, too.

The Comcast Center Holiday Spectacular [Visit Philly]

The Philadelphia Belle will begin offering sightseeing and evening moonlight cruises on December 3. (Photo courtesy Philadelphia Belle)

The Delaware River Waterfront is about to welcome an exciting attraction.

The Philadelphia Belle is a four-deck, paddlewheel-style riverboat, modeled after the majestic boats that plied the Mississippi River during the 1800s. The Belle is coming to the Delaware River Waterfront to offer guests a variety of sightseeing cruise options.

The spectacularly renovated riverboat is the largest vessel of its kind on the East Coast and is able to accommodate up to 1,000 guests. The top deck is open air, with three enclosed, climate-controlled decks below filled with elegant artwork depicting Philadelphia scenes.

The Philadelphia Belle will be officially christened on December 2nd at its new berth at Penn’s Landing. Beginning on December 3rd, the ship will offer a wide variety of trip options, including cruise-only, lunch, weekend brunch, dinner and moonlight cruises.

Stay tuned for more information on The Belle’s partnership with Stephen STARR Events and Philadelphia International Records’ “Sound of Philadelphia” brand.”

The Belle will be available as an event venue for unique corporate and personal gatherings, and will also be offering two New Year’s Eve cruise options for ringing in 2011.

No matter which excursion option you choose, the Philadelphia Belle is set to be a great new showcase for picturesque water views of Philadelphia’s eye-catching skyline and historic landmarks.

Philadelphia Belle
Market Street and the Delaware River
Penn’s Landing
www.philadelphiabelle.com

Top Chef All Star Jennifer Carroll at 10 Arts. (Photo courtesy 10 Arts)

As we first mentioned back in September, Philadelphia’s own Jennifer Carroll will soon be returning to television to compete in another season of Bravo’s Top Chef.

The season premiere is on Wednesday, December 1st at 9 p.m.

Her restaurant, 10 Arts at the Ritz-Carlton, is celebrating the occasion by hosting a special viewing party for the season premiere episode of Top Chef All Stars, complete with a five-course prix-fixe dinner menu prepared by Chef Carroll and her crew.

The Northeast Philly native will duplicate recipes that won her advancement on the show and loyalty from Philadelphia foodies, including the clam ceviche that clinched her $15,000; a halibut dish that impressed Wolfgang Puck; and a Kobe Korean barbecue plate that won $10,000 for Carroll and fellow Season 6-er Kevin Gillespie.

The prix-fixe dinner and screening at the restaurant is $75 per person.

The viewing party dinner begins at 8 p.m., with the season premiere of Top Chef All-Stars airing at 9 p.m.

In Top Chef All-Stars, Chef Carroll competes alongside 18 previous Top Chef “cheftestants” from the previous seven seasons of the show. Carroll says of the experience, “Instead of listening to what the judges said, we stood up against them and defended our dishes with more passion.” We like the fightin’ spirit, Jen. Good luck!

10 Arts Bistro & Lounge
Broad and Chestnut Streets
www.10arts.com

The "With Love" Carrot Cupcake at Franklin Foodworks (photo by M. McClellan for GPTMC)

What happens when you take a beloved 35 year old recipe for carrot cake, bring it to one of the city’s most heralded institutions and bake into those oh-so-popular single-serving cakes?

You get the “With Love” Carrot Cupcake!

The famous confection in question is the carrot cake originally served at The Commissary back in the seventies (it was my grandmother’s go-to dinner party dessert for at least twenty years). Since it was launched, they’ve served more than 44,000 cakes, each weighing around seven pounds each.

This behemoth cake has been scaled down into a cupcake, but has lost none of its charm. It consists of a super moist carrot cake, filled with a caramel, raisin and pecan concoction and iced with cream cheese frosting. Each is printed with the “With Love, xoxo Philadelphia” image, as you can see above.

Get it at the newly opened Franklin Foodworks (operated by Chef Steve Poses, owner of Frog Commissary), inside the Franklin Institute. The cupcake costs $3.49 a piece and easily serves two.

Franklin Foodworks at The Franklin Institute
222 N. 20th Street
www2.fi.edu

Shop local this Holiday season.

Avoid the mall chaos and wield your credit card at any of the numerous boutiques and shops open in the city on Black Friday, November 26th.

Work off Thanksgiving dinner poundage and invest in local retail simultaneously.

Old City

• Three Sirens: Open 10 a.m.-8 p.m. Sales include 50% off in-stock Rebecca Minkoff, 40% off clearance merchandise and 20% off accessories.

• Bus Stop Boutique: Open 11 a.m.-7 p.m. “Black and Blue Black Friday Sale” features 20% off all black shoes and boots, plus 25% off any autumn/winter styles with a blue sticker.

Rittenhouse

• MAX STUDIO: Open 9:30 am. to 8:30 p.m. 20% off everything in the store.

• Boyds Philadelphia: Open 9:30 a.m. to 6 p.m. Expect markdowns on select designers up to $500.

Northern Liberties

• Art Star Gallery & Boutique: Open 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Select ceramics will be 20% off.

• Delicious Boutique: Open 12 a.m. to 8 p.m. Up to 75% off selected merchandise.

Don’t forget other city shopping destinations like East Passyunk Avenue, Manayunk, Chestnut Hill, University City and more.

On a related note, American Express is running a nationwide effort to declare the day after Black Friday, November 27th, Small Business Saturday. American Express cardholders get a $25 credit for shopping at local businesses that day. Extra incentive to keep it local this holiday weekend.

Old City District Shopping [Old City District]
Rittenhouse Row Shopping [Rittenhouse Row]
Northern Liberties Shopping [Northern Liberties Business Owners Association]
University City Shopping [University City District]
East Passyunk Shopping [East Passyunk Avenue Business Improvement District]
Manayunk Shopping [Manayunk Development Corporation]
Chestnut Hill Shopping [Destination Chestnut Hill]

Sugarcube in Old City mixes new and vintage. (Photo courtesy Sugarcube)

Two new jewelry lines at Sugarcube, Ian Lander and Alkemie, offer you a head start on crossing names off the holiday gift-giving checklist.

Philadelphia local Ian Lander makes his contemporary jewelry using semiprecious stones like greenish-blue chrysocolla and blush pink rose quartz, syncing an urban aesthetic with ethnic notes. His work developed from years of traveling in Central and South America.

L.A.-based husband and wife team Ashley Lowengrub and Dara Gerson also debut a jewelry line, equally eco-friendly, at Sugarcube this holiday season. Titled Alkemie, the pieces are forged from 100% reclaimed materials like leather from sustainable cattle ranchers tinted with non-toxic earth friendly dye.

Sugarcube, Old City shopping corridor mainstay, promotes independent design alongside vintage styles, making for the ideal source for unique holiday gifts.

Sugarcube
124 N. 3rd Street
www.sugarcube.us

This Friday, instead of fighting your way through the Black Friday crowds, make a date to visit the newly opened National Museum of American Jewish History. Two weeks ago, the museum had their grand opening and they’ve spend the time since then putting the finishing touches on the exhibitions and making it truly ready for visitors.

Even if you don’t claim Jewish heritage as yours, this is a museum worth experiencing. The intention of the permanent exhibition is to document and illuminate the immigrant experience that so many cultures have gone through in the United States. It feels somehow universal, despite the focus on Jewish tradition.

If you plan on visiting the museum this weekend, make sure to get your tickets now. You can buy them online (though if they’re sold out, do know that they hold a back some tickets from the internet site, to ensure that there is space for walk-up guests). Admission costs $12 for adults and $11 for students and seniors. Children ages 12 and under are free.

National Museum of American Jewish History
101 South Independence Mall East, Philadelphia
215-923-3811
nmajh.org