Franklin Square Holiday Festival

A beautiful holiday light show every half hour accompanied by Christmas music and a beer garden! I was really excited to visit Franklin square during the holiday season because of those 2 things but I was slightly underwhelmed with both the light show and the seating provided in the beer garden. The light show was very beautiful and I loved the Christmas music that went along with it but I wished there were more colored lights, it was mostly all white lights. And the pictures of the beer garden make it seem like there’s a bunch of Fire Pits with benches to sit around but there are only 2 fire pits. I’m glad we went to see the light show but probably won’t be coming back.

Really nice light/​music show to go see with your family and children. There were different colored lights on almost all the trees surrounding the fountain so the whole park looked really festive. It was really nice because there were plenty of tables, chairs and benches so that you could sit and enjoy the light show. There was also an area that was enclosed and heated that also had tables and chairs and sold funnel cakes, soft drinks, coffee, hot chocolate, pretzels etc. Outside there was a «Beer Garden» and they had cool fire pits with benches around them. I had the hot chocolate and the funnel cake and they both hit the spot while watching the light show. The show is every 30 minutes but it wasn’t very long. It was cool and the music was nice but I think it only lasted like 7 minutes. All the kids (and a couple of teenagers) looked like they were having fun on the cool carousel. There was also miniature golf and a mini train that adults and children could ride on around the park. Not sure how much both of those things cost but I do know that they weren’t free. Only the light/​music show was free. Overall it’s a nice family, kid-​friendly event, everyone that was there looked like they were having a good time.

Franklin Square becomes a gloriously lit park during the Christmas season, with the fountain and trees decorated by lights and a giant glowing key on one side of the fountain. The carousel, with its magnificently painted horses and the bald eagle, was the highlight for me. The light show itself, with myriad blinking lights that twinkle and bedazzle, wasn’t the most innovative, as the lights just keep blinking, with some minor pattern changes. But I guess the kiddies find it wow and the adults need only drink more beers before they see their own light show. Having seen Kowloon Harbor lit during Christmas time, with the dragon amidst the buildings, might have jaded me for tamer stuff, because I kept waiting for some finale that never came. I couldn’t hear any music, carolers or otherwise, though I did hear the kiddies cheer and whoop in awe when the mini train showed up carrying Santa. Santa did some ho ho ho’s, then I have no idea where he escaped to, probably the huge tent with Ben’s Bites and Brews. All in all, it’s a cute place to get some Christmas cheer, and definitely to bring the kiddies, if you have.

Ok not to be a scrooge, and it is partially my fault. I thought it was an all day Saturday and Sunday thing. My parents and I met up with a friend here last Saturday and it was pretty much dead, not to mention quite chilly. but I mean it is November in the Northeast! LOL There was a couple playing mini-​golf and a couple kids on the carousel. The Christmas shoppes were CLOSED. I knew the lights, carolers and Pops weren’t going to start until later in the day. but geez. Next time i’ll read the fine print closer regarding the time. We were there from approximately 3 – 3:50, there are only so many times you can walk around the fountain circle, which was turned off.

This is a wonderful place in Philadelphia to get into the Christmas spirit. The lighting is awesome and the electrical spectacle to music every 30 minutes is cool, there are Christmas carolers singing most evenings, and Ben’s Bites and Brews has food and drink. What’s not to like? Happy Holidays!