By Denny Dyroff, Entertainment Editor, The Times
The 2025 Philadelphia Auto Show
Imagine you’re interested in getting a new car and you’ve been provided with the opportunity to visit the showrooms of more than 25 auto manufacturers — all under one roof.
Or if you’re just a car enthusiast interested in seeing all the new models in person or someone who likes classic, luxury and exotic cars and your interest is similarly piqued.
This weekend, there will be an event in Philadelphia that is right up your alley.
From January 11-20, the Auto Dealers Association of Greater Philadelphia is presenting the 2025 Philadelphia Auto Show at the Pennsylvania Convention Center (12th and Arch streets, Philadelphia, www.phillyautoshow.com).
The automotive industry’s latest creations are on display at the Pennsylvania Convention Center during the annual Philadelphia Auto Show, running for 10 days. Showgoers get an up-close look at hundreds of classic, luxury and exotic cars — and even have the opportunity to climb behind the wheel of some.
Spanning more than a half-million square feet, the 2025 Philadelphia Auto Show display floor will include several new features as well as time-honored fan favorites. This year marks the 123rd edition of the event.
Guests will again be invited to check out the latest and greatest developments from some of today’s leading vehicle manufacturers in “The Showroom,” which will be in Halls A, B and C of the PA Convention Center.
Custom Alley will showcase a wide array of tricked-out rides, bikes and the latest in after-market excitement.
Ticket prices range from $12-$20.
Another transportation special event will take place in Montgomery County this weekend.
The Greater Philadelphia Expo Center (Station Avenue, Oaks, 800-677-4677, www.phillyexpocenter.com) will be the site of two very different events this weekend – events focusing on model trains and sports memorabilia.
There will be a lot of model trains and a lot of toys on display and for sale when Greenberg’s Train & Toy Show visits the area for a two-day stop at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center.The show, which is scheduled for January 11 and 12 from 10 a.m.-4 p.m. both days, will feature a number of operating train displays, including
Royersford Modular Model Railroaders HO Scale Layout, Strasburg Model Railroad HO Scale, North Penn O Gaugers O Gauge, North Penn S Gaugers S Gauge, South Eastern Pennsylvania Garden Railway Society G Scale, Raritan Valley Hi-Railers 24′ x 48′ O Gauge, Philadelphia N-Trak 40′ x 44′ N Scale, Independent Hi-Railers 24′ x 48′ O Gauge and Dave Brent’s Model Railroad 3′ x 32′ HO Scale
This weekend’s show will also offer free clinics on a wide variety of topics, including track work, using accessories and using a digital command control. There will be a large number of dealers with toys, trains, accessories and hobby publications. Other features include hourly door prizes.
Tickets for adults are $11 for Saturday and $10 for Sunday. Children (12 and under) are admitted free.
The Expo Center is also hosting the “The Collector Connection Live Sports Cards and Memorabilia Auction.
The twice-a-year “Live Only” auction will be held on January 11 starting at 9 a.m.
This is an old-fashioned auction in which you have to be there to bid.
The promoters will have cards and memorabilia from the 1930’s to today. Some of the highlights include an amazing selection of complete sets with 1961 Topps, 1962 Topps, 1964 – 1966 Topps, and a bunch more sets from 1971 on up.
Also featured will be great singles both graded (mainly PSA and SGC) and raw, autographs galore, bulk lots, choice lots, vintage to modern lots.
More than 400 lots will be sold — and only to the people in the room.
Chaddsford Winery
Chaddsford Winery (Route 1, Chadds Ford, 610-388-6221, www.chaddsford.com) is presenting “Reserve Tastings – Winter Showcase” on select Saturdays and Sundays in January.
Guests will join the CFW Crew for an intimate and educational 60-minute experience in the Barrel Room. The trained staff will guide them through a pre-selected tasting of five widely diverse and award-winning wines from across our portfolio. The selections will be paired alongside seasonal local cheeses and other accoutrements to enhance your tasting experience.
The staff will also discuss topics such as grape growing conditions at our partner vineyards and the onsite winemaking process from production to aging and bottling.
The following is the 2025 Pairing Line Up – Greeting Wine: Sparkling White; 2023 Presage: Epilogue with Savory Fig & Thyme Buckwheat Crackers, Noblette Brie Cheese, and Honey; 2021 Merlot with Cowboy Coffee Cheese from Goat Rodeo; Spiced Apple with Pumpkin Pie Dome from Éclat; and Warm Holiday Spirit with Negative Cookie from Oso Sweet Bakery.
The “Wine, Cheese & Honey Pairings at Penns Woods” at Penns Wood Winery (124 Beaver Valley Road, Chadds Ford, 610-459-0808, http://www.pennswoodswinery.com) provide a nice way for visitors to enjoy a winter weekend day.
Penns Woods Winery is joining forces with local cheese makers and local honey artisans to present exclusive pairings of wine, cheese and honey. The tastings will feature four premium Penns Woods wines, each paired with various cheeses and honey from local farms.
The palate-pleasing tastings will be held every weekend in January from 11 a.m.-6 p.m. on Saturdays and 11 a.m.-5 p.m. on Sundays.
Tickets cost $40 per person and reservations are required.
Longwood Gardens (Route 1, Kennett Square, 610-388-1000, www.longwoodgardens.org) will present “A Longwood Gardens Christmas” now through January 12.
It features more than 500,000 spectacular lights, lavish decorations, holiday music and colorful displays featuring thousands of brilliant poinsettias, brightly decorated trees and fragrant flowers — all inside the heated Conservatory.
A new attraction this year is the “Taste of Christmas” at The Fountain Room in the Gardens. The Fountain Room recently opened as part of “Longwood Reimagined.” In addition to tasty food, it also offers a premier view of the Main Fountain Garden.
The restaurant has 240 seats and features new dining options, new seasonal menus, and a private dining room, plus a bar and lounge.
There will be stations featuring gourmet entrees, a wide array of sweet treats, non-alcoholic beverages and hot chocolate. Special tickets are required.
The highlight of “Longwood Reimagined” is the new West Conservatory. The 32,000-square-foot glasshouse was designed by Weiss/Manfredi while the gardens and water features were put together by Reed Hilderbrand.
The colorful annual event, which appeals to the entire family, also has a lot of outdoor attractions such as fountain shows and nighttime light displays.
Longwood’s Christmas celebration also includes a wide array of seasonal music — holiday concerts, organ sing-alongs and carillon performances.
When darkness arrives at Longwood, a night-blooming garden of more than a half-million lights strung on close to 100 trees with approximately 40 miles of wire comes to life. A carillon with 62 cast bells plays holiday music every half hour during daylight hours. Longwood’s Open Air Theatre fountains dance to holiday music each half hour — temperature permitting.
As always, admission by “Timed Ticket” — tickets issued for specific dates and times. Timed ticketing limits the number of people in the Gardens at any given time and allows guests to enjoy minimal lines and a better viewing experience.
Visitors to “A Longwood Gardens Christmas” can also check out Longwood’s Garden Railway — a whimsical display set into motion with G-scale model trains. This is the 18th year that the railway has delighted visitors with special water features and custom trains traveling in and out of bridges and tunnels.
Tickets are $42 for adults and $23 for youth.
This weekend is a special time at the Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University (1900 Benjamin Franklin Parkway, Philadelphia, www.ansp.org).
The museum is presenting “Science Storytime” on January 11 and 12 starting at 11 a.m. each day.
Each week will feature a science story and a hands-on craft to try.
Other upcoming “Science Storytime” dates are February 8 and 9 and March 8 and 9.
“Science Storytime will take place at the Aquatic Reptile Nook in Dinosaur Hall.
Museum admission is $27 for adults, $24 for seniors and $23 for children (ages 2-12).
Sesame Place (100 Sesame Road, Langhorne, www.sesameplace.com) may be closed for park rides and activities but there’s still furry fun to be had.
This weekend’s special event will be “Tango’s Fur-Ever Friends Dine” om Janaury 11 and 12.
Guests will be able to join Elmo and Tango, along with Cookie Monster and Grover, for a puppy-themed party that is sure to warm your heart and leave you howling with joy.
Participants can enjoy a delicious buffet meal and some singing and dancing with Tango and some of her pals from Sesame Street. It’s sure to be a fun event for the entire family.
Other upcoming special dining events are Super Grover’s Everyday Heroes Dine from January 18-20, Ernie’s Birthday Bash Dine on January 25 and 26, Elmo’s Rockin’ Birthday Dine on February 1 and 2 and My Fuzzy Valentine Dine on February 8 and 9.
How would you like to get rid of your Christmas tree in a sustainable and extremely adorable way?
A great way is to gift it to a goat.
The Philly Goat Project’s annual Christmas Tree-Cycle festival/fundraiser (www.phillygoatproject.org) returns with a special event where you can donate your tree to local goats to enjoy. The family-friendly events, which start this weekend, run from noon-2 p.m. all three days.
On January 11, the event will be held at The Farm at Awbury Arboretum (6336 Ardleigh Street, Philadelphia) and January 18 at Laurel Hill West Cemetery (225 Belmont Avenue, Bala Cynwyd).
The event features free s’mores, hot cocoa and all the goat cuddles you want. There is a suggested donation of $20 per Christmas tree which helps support community programs. And you don’t need a tree to join in the fun.
On January 11, Laurel Hill Cemetery (3822 Ridge Avenue, Philadelphia, 215-228-8200, www.thelaurelhillcemetery.org) will present “Hot Spots and Storied Plots” walking tour at 10 a.m.
In life and in death, we all have stories to tell, and what better place to hear tales of wonder than Philadelphia’s most famous home of the dead?
This tour provides an informative overview of Laurel Hill’s long history, which includes many of the marble masterpieces, stunning views, and legendary stories about Laurel Hill.
“Hot Spots and Storied Plots” is the perfect introduction for anyone who enjoys beautiful art, scenic nature, and fascinating history. An experienced graveyard guide will offer a unique perspective.
The Tour Guide will be Shayne Russell.
This tour departs from Laurel Hill Cemetery’s Gatehouse entrance at 3822 Ridge Avenue, Philadelphia.
Founded more than 50 years ago, Choo Choo Barn — Traintown U.S.A. (Route 741 East, 226 Gap Rd, Strasburg, 717-687-7911, www.choochoobarn.com) presents a 1,700-square-foot train layout featuring over 150 hand-built animated figures and vehicles and 22 operating trains.
The majority of trains that are running in the display, which is open until 20, are “O Gauge” trains but there are also some HO Gauge trains as well as one N Gauge train.
Several of the original pieces and animations are still on the display today, including the ski slope, ski lodge and ice skaters, Dutch Haven, the Willows, the two-lane moving highway (in front of Dutch Haven), the farm with the tobacco barn, the Strasburg Fire House, the church beside Dutch Haven and a few other houses.
The layout features a special Christmas display now through mid-January. The homes and businesses along the tracks have been decked out with holiday trim.
And there are 55 hidden Santas — one for each year the site has been open — located around the display for visitors to find.
Tickets are $10 for adults and $6 for children (ages 3 and under) at Choo Choo Barn — Traintown U.S.A.
The 2025 Winter in Franklin Square holiday festival (200 North Sixth Street, Philadelphia, http://www.historicphiladelphia.org/franklin-square/holidays-in-franklin-square/) opens its season this weekend and it will run until February 25.
It will be open from 10 a.m.-9 p.m. daily.
The Electrical Spectacle Holiday Light Show will be open from 4-8 p.m. daily and 4-9 p.m. on Saturdays and Sundays and will be closed on Thanksgiving and Christmas Day.
Visitors are invited to experience the magic of the holidays and celebrate traditions new and old at the Franklin Square Holiday Festival.
Inspired by Benjamin Franklin’s electrifying genius, the free Electrical Spectacle Holiday Light Show presented by PECO is the key to holiday fun in Franklin Square.
Attendees can marvel at more than 50,000 lights as they shimmer, dance, and illuminate the Square to a soundtrack of holiday classics, some of which are performed by The Philly POPS in two alternating shows every 30 minutes. Every evening, one lucky audience member will be selected to “ignite” the 4:30 p.m. show.
A popular annual Philly holiday tradition can be found at the Rothman Orthopaedics Institute Ice Rink at Dilworth Park (1 South 15th Street, Philadelphia, http://ccdparks.org/dilworth-park).
Back in November, some of Philadelphia’s favorite winter traditions return to Dilworth Park. Visitors of all ages can enjoy a dramatic seasonal transformation as fountains are replaced by the Rothman Orthopaedic Institute Ice Rink and reindeer topiaries take up winter residence on the Greenfield Lawn.
In addition, a full lineup of free entertainment is featured, including the Deck the Hall Light Show, the Made in Philadelphia Holiday Market and Rothman Orthopaedic Institute Cabin.
Dilworth Park’s winter season began in November with the opening of the Wintergarden on the Greenfield Lawn and the Rothman Orthopaedics Ice Rink and Cabin.
The Rothman Institute Ice Rink at Dilworth Park is an unparalleled entertainment experience on Philadelphia’s center stage in a wonderfully urban and unique setting. Open seven days a week, the rink offers wintery fun for all ages, with a full slate of programs.
Winter has arrived and the Blue Cross RiverRink (Delaware Avenue at Walnut Street, Philadelphia, 215-925-RINK, www.riverrink.com) has come back to life.
Unlike most of the suburban ice rinks, RiverRink features public skating. Ice skating is the only use of the ice. This winter, RiverRink takes the ice-skating experience on the Delaware River waterfront to another level by once again transforming the annual rink into a bona fide winter wonderland.
For 29 seasons, Winterfest has been Philadelphia’s favorite Winter tradition on the Delaware River Waterfront, inviting visitors for a chance to indulge in flights of fancy under thousands of sparkling lights in a winter wonderland with spectacular views of the Delaware River. Cozy up in comforting warming cabins, firepit stations, boardwalk rides and games for the young and young-at-heart, delicious food and hot beverages, the signature holiday tree, and, of course, ice skating on our NHL-sized rink. Winterfest is a top destination for anyone looking to rekindle family traditions.
The Winterfest site is free to enter and open to the public. Amenities such as ice skating and cabin and firepit experiences can be reserved in advance. Winterfest is open seven days a week including holidays through March.
There are also a lot of ongoing non-holiday events in the area this weekend.
Grim Philly’s “Dark Philly History Tour” (www.grimphilly.com) will be held every evening throughout the winter.
Participants can walk with tour guides from the grounds of America’s first White House, Congress, and Liberty Bell to homes and sites of Hamilton, Washington, Franklin, Adams, Jefferson, Madison, Monroe, and more than 10 other Founding-Fathers.
The surprising dirt of espionage, murder, sexual license and blackmail highlight the secrets of 1776 with a ghost story or two along the way.
This tour is highly researched. And your guide is a historian.
Ticket prices start at $38.
“TreeTrails Adventures Trevose” (301 West Bristol Pike, Trevose, treetrails.com/trevose-pa) is an adventure park full of fun challenges for outdoor adventurers of all ages.
Participants can experience the rush of TreeTrails Adventures as they swing through the trees of the new adventure park. They will be able to discover the excitement of climbing and zip lining above the forest floor with family, friends, co-workers, or teammates.
The park, which is based at Phoenix Sport Club in Bucks County, offers two ways to experience climbing – TreeTrails Adventure Park and KidTrails Park. Young explorers can enjoy miniaturized courses in the adjacent KidTrails Park.
General Park Admission prices are: Main Park Adult Tickets (Ages 12+), $59; Main Park Youth Tickets (Ages 7–11), $51; KidTrails Tickets (Ages 4–7), $12.
