Benjamin Franklin’s kite-and-key story gets retold in lights every night, and Franklin Square has built a winter around it. Holidays in Franklin Square, featuring the free Electrical Spectacle Light Show presented by PECO, opens Thursday, November 19, and runs through January 3, 2027. It also closes out the park’s 20th birthday season.
Historic Philadelphia, the nonprofit that runs the Square at 6th and Race streets, puts the lights at hundreds of thousands, more than ever. Holidays in Franklin Square keeps the park open daily from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., with the evening program running 5 to 9. The light show itself is free.
The Light Show at Holidays in Franklin Square
At Holidays in Franklin Square, shows start every 30 minutes from 5 p.m. until closing, themed to Franklin’s giant kite and key. Each show plays two songs from a rotating list that includes “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)” by The Philly Specials, Mariah Carey, “Sleigh Ride” with Peter Nero and The Philly POPS, and a remix of “Carol of the Bells.” The Nutcracker’s Sugar Plum Fairies and Russian Dance are in the mix too.
Opening night is Thursday, November 19, from 6 to 8 p.m., with the Commonwealth Youth Choir, free hot chocolate and hot apple cider, and the first show of the season at 6:30. Nutcracker Night follows on Friday, November 20, at 5 p.m., when the Philadelphia Dance Academy performs scenes from the ballet.
Food, Drinks and Games at Holidays in Franklin Square
The paid extras sit around the lights. Chilly Philly Mini Golf, the only outdoor mini golf course in Center City, is decked out in lights and seasonal music, at $15 for adults and $12 for children. Street Curling returns on two rinks with 30-minute sessions, a version of the Olympic sport played on a raised platform with stones called rocks and a target called the house.
Frosty’s Fireside Lodge is the pop-up winter bar, a heated tent ringed by fire pits in the Winter Garden. The Marshmallow Mischief, with marshmallow vodka and hot chocolate, the Fireside Toddy and the Snow Day Spritz are $12 each. Santa’s Cider is a warm, non-alcoholic $9, and there is a kids’ hot chocolate for $6. Snacks include a cinnamon bun with maple cream cheese icing and a gingerbread cookie decorating kit.
SquareBurger, run by Cescaphe, adds seasonal items by day and by night. Churro French Toast Bites, a Wagyu hot dog with white cheddar and bacon, and a chili served in a bread bowl are $12 each. The Parx Liberty Carousel and the two playgrounds stay open during the day.
Holidays in Franklin Square Events to Mark on the Calendar
Santa is a regular at Holidays in Franklin Square. Jingle and Mingle with Santa runs November 27 and 28 and December 5, 12 and 19 from 5 to 7 p.m., and pets get their turn at Santa Paws on December 12. Stories, Cookies and Milk with Santa takes over the Lodge on December 19, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., and needs a ticket.
The calendar for Holidays in Franklin Square reaches well beyond Christmas. Quintessence Theatre performs scenes from its production of Pippin on December 1, and The Clay Studio runs a free gift-making night for kids on December 5. A free Hanukkah night on Sunday, December 6, brings songs, crafts and activities. On December 29, the African American Museum in Philadelphia brings Kwanzaa Quizzo and an evening bazaar to the Square.
The Kids’ New Year’s Eve Countdown is Thursday, December 31, from 5 to 8 p.m., with crafts and the Square Drop at 6, plus a view of the waterfront fireworks. The park is closed Thanksgiving Day, Christmas Day and New Year’s Day, and it closes at 8 p.m. on December 24 and 31. Hours depend on the weather.
Franklin Square spent July on a free birthday party, and this holiday season is the last chapter of the same anniversary year.
Franklin spent his life chasing a little light, and for six weeks the Square hands the whole city a lot of it.
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