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We made it to 2010! And the place to be is Broad Street (between Washington Ave. and City Hall), where the famously only-in-Philadelphia Mummers Parade comes equipped with 10,000+ men and women in the most elaborate costumes you've ever seen. Happy New Year! (Photo by R. Kennedy)

The Mummers Parade [gophila.com]

Hey party-goers: Look to the sky at 6 p.m. and 12 midnight to catch Philadelphia's two (yes, two!) fireworks displays heralding the New Year. (Photo by G. Widman)

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

The big day is almost here! Check out this video and watch the Philadelphia Mummers strut their stuff along Broad Street and in the Pennsylvania Convention Center.

Narrated and photographed by renowned photographer Bob Krist, this quick video shows off some of the gorgeous fireworks and elaborate costumes from the New Year’s 2008 celebration.

Have a look, and get excited for Thursday!

Wishing you a safe and happy holiday — and a great weekend, to boot! (Photo by J. Smith)

The Holidays in Philadelphia [gophila.com]

Stop by the Academy of Natural Sciences for Animal Day on Sunday!

Friday

Top 5 Philly Rock & Roll Christmas Traditions
Our buddies at Philebrity have a great list of rock and roll Christmas traditions. Have a look and tune in.

Saturday

Pop Up Shopping in Rittenhouse Square
A great temporary store is opening on Saturday, with wild discounts on designer merchandise. It’ll only be open til Tuesday, so get there before everything clears out.

See Pennsylvania Ballet’s The Nutcracker
The PA Ballet’s annual performance of The Nutcracker runs this weekend and wraps up on December 31st. See it while you still can.

Annual Champagne & Dessert Wine Tasting Gala
The Wine School of Philadelphia is hosting their annual gala event, with tickets priced at about $60. They collect wines from all over, and you get to taste them all.

Winter Wonderland @ the National Constitution Center
Stop by and vote in the NCC’s annual Gingerbread White House contest. Lots of activities for kids as well; they can make arts and crafts, as well as their own tiaras!

Candlelight Tours @ the Fonthill Museum
The Fonthill Museum is hosting a special guided tour of Fonthill. Explore the castle by candlelight.

Sunday

Boxing Day Beer Festival @ Memphis Taproom
The Memphis Taproom is hosting their annual Boxing Day Festival, with cheap beer and drinks.

Animal Day @ the Academy of Natural Sciences
The ANSP will let out their critters and take them around the museum… with their handlers, of course. Come meet some of the Academy’s animals!

Storytelling Sundays @ the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts
Stop by the PAFA for a free story telling session with award winning storyteller Queen Nur.

Inside the Please Touch Museum, Photo courtesy the Please Touch Museum

There are a lot of festivities going on in the area for New Year’s Eve (seriously, just check out this tag), but for Philadelphians with munchkins running around, it might be hard to partake in the wild, city nightlife.

Luckily, the Please Touch Museum has their annual Countdown to Noon to keep you and the little ones busy. They’ve got two countdowns scheduled, one at noon and another at 1pm to accommodate the crowd.

The countdown isn’t just limited to a large clock and screaming out numbers. Live music, a mini-Mummers parade, a family dance party, and a special ceremony led by King Countdown (the museum’s official Countdown Marshall) are just a handful of the activities the Please Touch Museum has planned.

The Museum will be open from 9am to 3pm on New Year’s Eve, and will be closed New Year’s Day. For more info on the Please Touch Museum, be sure to visit their official website.

Please Touch Museum
4231 Avenue of the Republic, Philadelphia, PA 19131
(215) 581-3181
www.pleasetouchmuseum.org

Discover how you can find each of these great gifts, in the list below!

1. Single Handed Ink Key Rack

Help the forgetful one on your list and help them stay organized with this fun and edgy key rack.

Nestology at King Of Prussia Mall or Etsy.Com, $25

2. Single Handed Ink Hanger

Her New Year’s dress shouldn’t be the only thing adding style to her closet. Keep your fashionista happy with these unique hangers.

Nestology at King of Prussia Mall or Etsy.com, $25

3. Reese Forbes Nike Toy, a Pink Bear Called “Veil Specimen,” & “Dunny” Toy

These fun collectibles are great table toppers and conversation starters.

Reese Forbes Nike Toy at Abakus (227 North 10th Street), $30

Pink bear called “Veil Specimen” at strangeco.com, $25

“Dunny” toy at kidrobot.com, $7

Check out the rest of the list after the jump.

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Boutique shopping in Rittenhouse Square, Photo by K. Ciappa

I love post-holiday shopping. The discounts on Christmas candy, the deals on overstocked merchandise, I even like picking up cheap holiday decorations to use next year. However, I greatly dislike the epic lines in shopping malls and the shoving & pushing in department stores.

Luckily, this year, post-holiday shoppers (like myself) can swing by the “Shopt Out” Pop-Up Shop, a temporary store that’ll open at 1528 Walnut Street. Created by the folks behind Moko in Old City, the temporary store promises 40% to 80% off designer labels, accessorries, and other merchandise on Saturday, December 26th, through Tuesday, December 29th.

Some of the designer labels up for grabs include Opening Ceremony, Corey Lynn Calter, 3.1 Phillip Lim, bags by Christopher Kon, Vanessa Bruno, Paul & Joe Sister accessories and shoes by F Troupe and Sigerson Morrison. Boutiques like Reward, Philly 360 favorite Sevilla Smith and Petulia’s Folly will also be in the mix.

So swing by, shop, and don’t miss the opening night party on Saturday. From 5pm to 9pm, Triumph will dish out appetizers, Pinot Boutique will be pouring their specialty Pinot-Tini, and Tarte are supplying pastries. Mmm!

Update: According to the Philly Style Blog, the entrance to the shop isn’t at 1528 Walnut Street, and is around the corner on 16th St. below Walnut, between the Starbucks and the Kaplan test place. See their blog for pictures.

Hours
Dec 26th, Sat: 10am – 8pm
Dec 27th, Sun: Noon – 5pm
Dec 28th & 29th, Mon & Tues: 10am – 6pm

IKE, Photo courtesy World Cafe Live

Tomorrow night, Philadelphia favorites IKE are throwing a CD release show at World Cafe Live. Attendees will receive a free copy of the band’s latest album, Where To Begin with admission, and the album has a pretty wild story behind it.

The group recorded the new album in a haunted studio in South Philadelphia. The group experienced encounters with ghosts and some mysterious voices somehow worked their way onto the album during mixing. They kept the voices in the album. To listen to some tracks, visit the band’s Myspace.

The group is joined by The Jealousy Curve, Pawnshop Roses, and The MLMs. General admission is $14.

IKE CD Release Show @ WCL
Saturday, December 26, 2009

World Cafe Live
3025 Walnut Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104
(215) 222-1400
www.worldcafelive.com

Tomorrow night, Christmas Eve, Paradiso Restaurant & Wine Bar will be serving a traditional Italian American “Feast of the Seven Fishes” dinner. This special dinner is served on a prix fixe menu, at $65 a person.

This traditional feast consists of seven different seafood dishes, and Paradiso has quite the menu lined up. From seafood risotto to stuffed calamari, the menu has a little bit of everything.

The meal is available Thursday, December 24th from 5pm to 10pm. The normal menu won’t be available, but the chef will prepare a fillet for anyone who doesn’t want to eat fish, as well as chicken parm for kids. Reservations are encouraged.

I’ve got the menu pasted after the jump. Have a look.

Paradiso Restaurant
1627 East Passyunk Avenue, Philadelphia, PA 19148-1121
(215) 271-2066
www.paradisophilly.com

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Longwood Gardens' fountains, lit up for the holidays. Photos courtesy Longwood Gardens

From family parties to visits with friends, cookie baking to shopping and wrapping, it’s easy to get caught up in the hustle and bustle of the holidays. We should all take a little time out to appreciate the spectacular sights and sounds of the season, and Longwood Gardens is just the ticket.

There’s nothing like an impressive display of adorned Christmas trees and sparkling twinkle lights to get into the holiday spirit. Longwood Gardens in Kennett Square is the perfect place for that. I hadn’t been there in several years, so this time around felt like my first time all over again.

The Conservatory is a sight to see, from the enormous Christmas trees decorated just perfectly, to the colorful flowers and plants from all over the world filling every nook and cranny. Being a self-proclaimed beach lover, I was particularly amazed by the tropical Hibiscus flower and palm tree exhibits.

The outdoor light displays in The Gardens, though, are by far my favorite. The season comes alive as more than a half-million lights illuminate the Longwood forest. You definitely won’t want to miss the brightly colored dancing fountain shows either (pictured), which run throughout the evening.

If you get hungry or just want a cup of hot chocolate, there are plenty of great options. If you’re in the mood for finer dining, you can visit 1906, a formal, full-service dining room which serves local fruits, vegetables and meats. For a less expensive meal or snack, you can try The Café, featuring local salads, soups, hot entrees kids’ meals and pastries.

Longwood Gardens
1001 Longwood Road, Kennett Square, PA 19348
(610) 388-1000
www.longwoodgardens.org