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Philadelphia, PA - Tis the season to deck the halls and celebrate a new tradition. The Festival of Trees will take over the LOVE Park Welcome Center (1569 John F Kennedy Blvd, Philadelphia, PA 19102) from Thursday, November 30 to Sunday, December 24, 2023, with a special ribbon cutting and preview event on Wednesday, November 29th at 5:00pm. This new magical tradition is designed to celebrate and raise money for children’s health in our community. The stunning collection of Christmas trees will be created with the support of local artists, makers, designers, and community volunteers. Each twinkling masterpiece will feature the glow of holiday lights, along with everything from original art pieces, themed ornaments, whimsical keepsakes, show-stopping stars and toppers, and much more. Visitors will be able to vote for their favorite design by making a donation to the 2023 beneficiary, Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP). Top trees will compete for Best of Show and People’s Choice. Festivities will also include photos with Santa every Friday, Saturday and Sunday inside the festival. Hours for the season once opened will be 12:00pm to 7:00pm (Sunday to Thursday) and 12:00pm to 8:00pm (Friday to Saturday). The festival is free and open to the public. For more information, visit www.philachristmas.com/festival-of-trees website and follow on social @philafestivaloftrees. For more about CHOP, visit www.chop.edu and follow @childrensphila.

“We are thrilled to launch a brand-new holiday tradition and attraction in the heart of Center City just in time for the 2023 holiday season,” said Christmas Village in Philadelphia CEO and President Thomas Bauer. “This is a wonderful opportunity to bring new life to the Southwest Corner of LOVE Park and activate the Welcome Center, while we raise money for such an important community cause. All funds from votes will be donated to CHOP to help close the gap between resources and breakthroughs for patients who need it most. It is a win-win for holiday merry-makers and for our community as a whole.”

“Whether it is to ease the financial burden on patient families, fast track a research discovery or provide healthcare resources to members of the community, we are honored that funds from the Festival of Trees at Christmas Village in Philadelphia will fuel critical work to improve the lives of children in our care,” said Dana Raftas, Associate Vice President of Institutional and Events Fundraising from CHOP, the nation’s first pediatric hospital.

The Festival of Trees will pop-up in the newly renovated LOVE Park Welcome Center. This will be the first activation of the space since its renovations. For the first year, the event aims to host 20 designer Christmas Trees. For themes, the sky's the limit. Bauer said, “The more festive, the more out-of-the-box the better!”

The early list of designers and sponsors includes: Philadelphia Eagles, Citadel Credit Union, Philadelphia Insurance Companies, Mazza Wines, SEPTA, Philadelphia Zoo with its LumiNature Lightshow, Wawa, Philadelphia Union, Rita's Water Ice, Westpharma, Bank of America, Voila Design Homes, LIT LÁB CO., and Mason Made with many more to be announced on opening day, Wednesday, November 29th.

All sponsors and designers will help join in the goal of giving back and bringing Christmas magic to the hundreds of thousands of visitors coming through LOVE Park during the season. One hundred percent of all proceeds from the voting process will support CHOP’s Children’s Fund, which provides support where the need is greatest, touching every area of the hospital.

Admission to the Festival of Trees is free ­­– to make the event accessible to everyone! Visitors are instead asked to partake in voting by making a small donation for a snowflake token that can be dropped into a ballot box in front of their favorite tree.

As an additional charity activity, visitors are invited to create their own DIY gift tags, every Monday to Thursday between December 4th and December 21st. As a little extra treat, all donations over $ 10 will get a free hot chocolate at Christmas Village in Philadelphia right around the corner! Donations can be made safe and secure with credit card, Apple and Samsung Pay or cash.

Another highlight at the “Festival of Trees” will be Santa’s appearance! This year, Santa will be at the LOVE Park Welcome Center every Friday to Sunday, from 12/01 to 12/24 during opening hours. He is awaiting visitors and their families to take holiday photos and is happy to listen to everyone’s wish list.

The festival will host a special opening ceremony and preview on Wednesday, November 29th with a special ribbon cutting and lighting ceremony at 5:00pm with free mulled wine from Mazza Wines and hot cocoa for the first 50 visitors to attend the ceremony. Sheila Hess, Philadelphia City Representative will be on hand to cast the first official vote for their favorite Christmas tree - and join other dignitaries and local children’s health champions for the celebration. This is open to the public!

The Festival of Trees joins Christmas Village in Philadelphia, Christmas Village Carousel, Christmas Village Ferris Wheel, Made in Philadelphia Holiday Market, City Hall Christmas Tree, Rothman Ice Rink, Rothman Cabin, Winter Garden at Dilworth Park, and many other events/attractions that will turn Center City into one of the most extravagant and largest holiday districts in the United States.

For more information and a list of sponsors, designers, and supporters, visit www.philachristmas.com/festival-of-trees and follow @philafestivaloftrees.

ABOUT CHRISTMAS VILLAGE IN PHILADELPHIA

Christmas Village in Philadelphia presented by Bank of America will once again return to LOVE Park and City Hall for its 16th consecutive season.  From Thanksgiving Day through Christmas Eve, with a Preview Weekend on November 18th and 19th, Christmas Village will transform Center City into an authentic open-air German Christmas market. Holiday sights and sounds will include thousands of twinkling lights, festive Christmas decor, themed weekends and live music that will immerse visitors in the true spirit of the season. Shoppers will find high-quality international and local gifts along with beautiful decorations at over 120 vendor booths spanning across LOVE Park, City Hall Courtyard and North Broad. Foodies are invited to warm up with a glass of mulled wine or hot chocolate while enjoying European food options. Attractions and family fun will include a double-decker Christmas Village Carousel, the majestic Ferris Wheel and the Kids Train. Visitors will feel like they are wandering the romantic winter street of a historic town in the heart of Germany. New for 2023, look for new later hours after dark, new vegan food options, new seating at North Broad section, new souvenir mug design and new European festive lights. Admission to Christmas Village in Philadelphia is always free, while food, beverages, and shopping are pay-as-you-go. Please see below for a full overview for the 2023 holiday season, including hours, special events, vendor lists, food and beverage menus, entertainment rosters, theme weekends, attraction lists and much more.