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Spending the holidays in Philadelphia means a season's worth of some of the nation's best entertainment, attractions and traditions. (Photo credits clockwise from top left: G. Widman for GPTMC, courtesy Longwood Gardens, G. Widman for GPTMC, B. Krist for GPTMC)

The holiday season in Philadelphia is as brimming with tradition as your glass of (spiked) egg nog.

From some of the nation’s longest-running holiday events (Thanksgiving parade, Macy’s Holiday Light Show) to some of its most stunning (Comcast Holiday Spectacular), Philadelphia is truly the place to be — well, all year round, but no more so than during the season of Prancer and pecan pies and potato pancakes and presents.

Below, we’ve highlighted the marquee holiday attractions you’d do best to experience this holiday season, whether you’re local or visiting. Make 2011 a holiday season to remember.

• Macy’s Holiday Light Show: November 25–December 31, shows begin on the top of each hour, beginning at 10 a.m., 1300 Market Street. The free Holiday Light Show at Macy’s, which illuminates the store with almost 100,000 LED lights, has been an indispensable element of celebrating the holidays in Philadelphia since 1956. This year’s show is particularly poignant in that the the National Historic Landmark Wanamaker Building in which the store is housed celebrates its 100th anniversary this December! The holiday show is accompanied by festive music from the world-renowned Wanamaker Grand Organ and narration by Julie Andrews.

• Comcast Holiday Spectacular: Now through New Year’s Day, 10 a.m.–8 p.m. (except 5 p.m. on weekdays) every hour on the hour, 1701 JFK Boulevard. 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. This year Comcast is particularly excited about new and enchanting scenes from George Balanchine’s “The Nutcracker” performed by the renowned Pennsylvania Ballet, filmed this past October.

• Blue Cross RiverRink: Open seven days a week through March 4, 2012, Columbus Boulevard at Market Street. The Blue Cross RiverRink at Penn’s Landing, Philadelphia’s only outdoor public ice rink, features a live DJ every Friday and Saturday night from 9 p.m. to midnight., special events and more holiday fun all season long. Of course, it’s also one of the best places to watch the New Year’s Eve fireworks!

• Christmas Village in Love Park: The annual Christmas Village in Philadelphia is back in a new venue, Love Park, to enrich the holiday season. The European wonderland includes more than 50 international vendors selling arts, crafts and seasonal holiday gifts in quaint wooden booths and a 2,400 square foot Kathe Wohlfahrt tent selling a huge variety of special German Christmas ornaments and plenty of special events.

• Rittenhouse Square Christmas Tree: The city’s largest Christmas tree is all atwinkle with more than 5,000 brilliant lights, right in the center of Rittenhouse Square. Stroll through the pathways for a festive holiday night’s walk, the trees above you winking with glowing snowflake orbs and the giant illuminated centerpiece a sight to see.

• Longwood Gardens Christmas: November 24-January 8, 1001 Longwood Road, Kennett Square. Longwood Gardens has transformed into a gingerbread fantasy in honor of the annual Longwood Gardens Christmas, featuring towering trees adorned with gingerbread ornaments, candy-laden Music Room overflowing with sweet holiday cheer, and more than 400,000 twinkling lights and spectacular fountain shows composing a brilliant wonderland.

More included, below.

• A Brandywine Christmas: Now-January 8, Brandywine River Museum, 100 Creek Road, Chadds Ford. This annual holiday celebration is well worth a trip to Chester County. This year is the debut of life-long doll collector Ann Wyeth McCoy’s dollhouse, measuring 8 x 10 feet and standing 9½ feet high, its rooms filled with Mrs. McCoy’s antique dolls and hundreds of miniature furnishings. A Brandywine Christmas isn’t complete without its traditional critter ornaments, a three-decades-old tradition at the museum, hand-crafted starting in March by 120 volunteers from plants, seeds and other natural materials. In addition, you can check out the popular O-gauge model train display covering 2,000 feet of track and comprised of 150 locomotives and 300 freight cars dating from 1915 to the present.

• Pennsylvania Ballet’s The Nutcracker: December 10-31, Academy of Music, 1420 Locust Street. For 43 years, families have created unforgettable yuletide memories with Pennsylvania Ballet’s production of this classic tale. The simple story of a girl and a gift is made magical by opulent sets and costumes, plus the accompaniment by the renowned Philadelphia Boys Choir and Pennsylvania Ballet Orchestra, bringing Tschaikovsky’s iconic score to life.

• Morris Arboretum’s Holiday Garden Railway Display: Through December 31 (excluding December 24-25), 10 a.m.-4 p.m., 100 E. Northwestern Avenue, Chestnut Hill. The quarter mile track of the annually displayed railway features buildings made of natural materials such as bark, leaves, twigs, logs, acorns, dried flowers, seeds and stones, including replicas of famous Philly landmarks. Along with its one-of-a-kind buildings, the Holiday Garden Railway displays active model trains, seven loops and tunnels, fifteen different rail lines, two cable cars and nine bridges,all filled with intricacies and details sure to impress in the arboretum’s winter garden.