The Top Thanksgiving Events In Philadelphia

The Daily Meal Staff|Nov. 17, 2014 7:00 am EST

If you want to find some new ways to enjoy the season of being thankful, there are many activities in the Philadelphia area to add some fun and culture to your schedule. Thanksgiving means many places will be having additional exhibits and activities, and fall-inspired colors and foods are nearly everywhere.

"A Christmas Carol"
Walnut Street Theater
825 Walnut St.
Philadelphia, PA 19107
(215) 574-3550
www.walnutstreettheatre.org

Date: Nov. 29 to Dec. 21, 2014

Thanksgiving and all of the fun upcoming winter holidays go together. Many people start their holiday shopping the day after Thanksgiving, so why not schedule in a little Christmas and literary culture and entertainment? This show is decently discounted and is targeted toward families with children. Seats are $12-$14. Enjoy the story of Ebenezer Scrooge and his encounters with Christmas Past, Present and Future. Audiences will walk away with a new appreciation for the holidays.

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

Date: Now through Nov. 23, 2014

Catch the end of the Chrysanthemum Festival at Longwood Gardens, where you can view over 80,000 artistically arranged chrysanthemums. These flowers are trained to grow into various designs with an Asian feel. The festival runs until November 23, 2014 and is part of the Autumn Colors event at Longwood Gardens. You do not want to miss the Thousand Bloom mum, which includes over 1,300 arranged flowers and is the largest on display outside of Asia. Late blooming Golden Rod and Native Asters are plentiful and beautiful this time of the year. During the festival, you can view the Night of 1,000 Lights in the evening when lanterns are lit in the conservatory. Longwood Gardens has over 1,000 square acres of meadows, trees, seasonal flowers and lighted fountain shows.

National Constitution Center
525 Arch St.
Philadelphia, PA 19106
(215) 409-6600
www.constitutioncenter.org

Date: Nov. 29 to Dec. 1, 2014

The National Constitution Center is full of American history. During Thanksgiving weekend, there are over six different additional activities included with admission that you can enjoy along with the rest of the museum. The day kicks off with an interactive History of Thanksgiving show, which tells the stories of the history of the holiday, the food and even the tradition of the Presidential pardon for one turkey. Other activities include a children's Thanksgiving fashion show, thank a vet letter writing stations, lawn games, corn husk art activities and Colonial characters in costume. Admission to the Constitution Center is $14 for adults and children are $8.

"Native American Voices: The People. Here and Now"
Penn Museum
3260 South St.
Philadelphia, PA 19104
(215) 898-4000
www.penn.museum

This interactive display is designed to challenge preconceptions of Native Americans and is full of media and personal stories from Native Americans themselves. The Penn Museum will have over 200 artifacts and objects on display within a 2,000-square-foot area for this exhibit. The museum is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily and is closed on Mondays. It is also open later (8 p.m.) on the first Wednesday of each month. "Native American Voices" will be available throughout the winter season. Admission is between $10-$15 to the museum and this exhibit is included in the price.

Christina Dagnelli is a freelance writer in Philadelphia and the author of Little Squares with Colors: A Different way to look at autism. Her work on examiner can be found here Examiner.com.