New Hope PA Holiday Events & Philadelphia Holiday Markets: Your November 2026 Guide
There's a particular moment every November when New Hope changes. The leaves are down, the river turns silver, and one evening the lights come on along Main Street. Ninety minutes south, Philadelphia has the same moment on a larger scale: skaters circle beneath City Hall, a German Christmas market fills LOVE Park, and every neighborhood lights its own tree.
At B&B Luxury Properties, we live and work in these places. Knowing how a town feels in each season is part of helping our clients understand where they might want to live, so every year we put together the calendar we actually use. This is the November edition: holiday markets, festivals, light shows and one hidden gem in every neighborhood.
Before November Begins: The High Heel Drag Race
New Hope opens the season the only way it can. On Sunday, October 25, New Hope Celebrates hosts the 22nd Annual High Heel Drag Race on West Mechanic Street, with the race starting at 3 p.m. Contestants in heels at least three inches high carry pumpkins up the hill, decorate them, and race back down. This year's theme is "Over the Rainbow – There's No Place Like New Hope," and Miss Pumpkin hosts (New Hope Celebrates via Newtown Yardley). The race is the finale of OUT in October, NHC's month-long celebration of LGBTQ+ History Month, and the official after party follows at 4 p.m. at Havana, 105 S. Main St. (Philadelphia Gay News).
Celebrate with us from 2 to 5 p.m. Our festivities take place at our office at 10 West Mechanic Street, right on the race route (B&B Luxury Properties). Stop in before the race, raise a glass of festive Prosecco, and cheer the racers from the best seat on the street. Everyone is welcome.
New Hope & the River Towns
Holiday Markets & Shopping
Peddler's Village in Lahaska starts the shopping season with its Holiday Kickoff Weekend, November 20–22, when its brick paths are lit for the season (Peddler's Village). The Village has more than 60 locally owned shops, and the display of a million lights is free to see (Peddler's Village). Small Business Saturday falls on November 28 (SBA), with shopping events at Peddler's Village (Peddler's Village) and in Doylestown (Doylestown Winterfest). If you love curated artisan markets, The Craftery Market comes to downtown Perkasie on November 21 (The Craftery Market).
Festivals & Seasonal Events
The month opens with the Apple Festival at Peddler's Village, November 7–8, a Bucks County tradition since 1973 (Peddler's Village). Expect fresh-pressed cider, apple fritters, candied apples and live music (Visit Philadelphia).
On Thursday, November 19, Bucks County Playhouse opens Irving Berlin's Holiday Inn, directed by Hunter Foster (Philadelphia Theater Guide). The next evening, Friday, November 20, Peddler's Village holds its 26th Annual Grand Illumination Celebration from 4:30 to 10 p.m., with local music and dance performers (Peddler's Village). The Gingerbread Competition & Display opens the same day. More than 100 entries compete for cash prizes, admission is free, and visitors can vote for their favorite (Peddler's Village).
For a family tradition, Santa's North Pole Express leaves the New Hope station for a 60-minute round trip to Lahaska with Santa, Mrs. Claus, carols, cocoa and a cookie. Pajamas are encouraged, and November has the lowest fares (New Hope Railroad). Check the railroad's live calendar before you book.
On Thanksgiving morning, runners meet for the 11th Annual Lambertville & New Hope Two Town Turkey Trot at 8:30 a.m. (NJ Family). Then, on Sunday, November 29 at 5 p.m., the town gathers for the Annual New Hope Christmas Tree Lighting. The tradition is more than 40 years old, with holiday music, hot chocolate, cookies and Santa's arrival (Greater New Hope Chamber of Commerce). It takes place outside the Logan Inn at 10 W. Ferry St. (Bucks County Parent).
Light Shows & a Short Drive to Doylestown
The Shady Brook Farm Holiday Light Show in Yardley opens November 21 with more than four million lights (Visit Philadelphia). You can drive through, and wagon rides start November 22 (Shady Brook Farm). In Doylestown, the 112th Annual Tree Lighting is the evening of Friday, November 27 (Doylestown Winterfest). Santa's Cottage opens in the Hamilton Lot the same night, with free photos and well-behaved pets welcome (Doylestown Winterfest).
New Hope Hidden Gems by Neighborhood
Downtown New Hope: Farley's Bookshop, at 44 S. Main St. since 1971, is a classic independent shop that carries local authors (Farley's Bookshop).
The Station District: The 1891 Freight House Gift Shop and the Christmas shop inside the restored Victorian passenger station are worth a visit even if you don't ride the train (New Hope Railroad).
Lahaska: The Gingerbread Display, a tradition since 1984, is best seen on a quiet weekday (Peddler's Village).
River Road / Solebury: Bowman's Hill Wildflower Preserve is open year-round except Tuesdays and is closed on Thanksgiving (Bowman's Hill).
Carversville: The Carversville General Store serves breakfast sandwiches and fresh daily fare in the historic village square (Bucks County Taste).
Lambertville, NJ: The Golden Nugget Antique Flea Market has been a Lambertville institution for 50 years and is open Wednesdays, Saturdays and Sundays (Golden Nugget).
Philadelphia
Holiday Markets
The Made in Philadelphia Holiday Market opens at Dilworth Park on November 13, with local makers selling home goods, jewelry, skincare, art and treats (Center City District). Christmas Village returns to LOVE Park and City Hall on November 21 with more than 120 vendors (Christmas Village). It's closed November 23–25 and open 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Thanksgiving (Christmas Village). One change this year: booths will no longer allow shoppers to walk inside (Philadelphia Inquirer).
Collectors should note the 50th Annual Philadelphia Museum of Art Contemporary Craft Show, November 6–8 at the Pennsylvania Convention Center (Pennsylvania Convention Center). The South Street Holiday Night Market and Tree Lighting at Headhouse Plaza is November 21, 4–8 p.m. (Beyond the Nest). The free Hanukkah Makers Market at The Weitzman is November 29 (Historic Philadelphia Gazette).
Festivals, Parades & Light Shows
Winter at Dilworth Park begins November 13 with the Rothman Orthopaedics Ice Rink and the Wintergarden, where a Chaddsford Winery kiosk sells warm mulled wine (Center City District). On November 19, three things happen at once: Franklin Square lights its Electrical Spectacle at 5 p.m. (Historic Philadelphia Gazette), Manayunk lights its tree at 5:30 p.m. (Manayunk), and LumiNature opens at the Philadelphia Zoo (Philadelphia Zoo).
The Holiday Garden Railway at Morris Arboretum opens November 21 and is free with general admission (Morris Arboretum). The Philadelphia Marathon runs November 20–22 (Visit Philadelphia). On Thanksgiving morning, the 6abc Dunkin' Thanksgiving Day Parade, the oldest in the nation and now in its 107th year, runs down the Benjamin Franklin Parkway from 9 a.m. to noon (Visit Philadelphia).
On the waterfront, Independence Blue Cross RiverRink Winterfest opens November 27. Entry is free and skating is $5. The Holiday Tree Lighting is Sunday, November 29 at 6 p.m. (Independence Blue Cross). One note for longtime fans: the Wanamaker Light Show and Dickens Village are paused for 2026 while the building is renovated (It's Christmas 365).
Neighborhood Celebrations
Chestnut Hill begins Holidays on the Hill on November 18 (Chestnut Hill Business District) and holds its Circle of Trees Celebration at Woodmere Art Museum on November 21 at 5:30 p.m. (Chestnut Hill Community Association). Manayunk's storefront lighting contest, "Manayunk Gets Lit," starts November 19 (Manayunk), and more than 50 businesses take part in Small Business Saturday on November 28 (Manayunk). In Society Hill, the Powel House hosts Spirits of Independence on November 20, an evening on porter in colonial America (PhilaLandmarks).
Philadelphia Hidden Gems by Neighborhood
Center City: The Wintergarden at Dilworth Park is the quieter side of the rink, with lights, illuminated sculptures and mulled wine (Center City District).
Rittenhouse: The Rosenbach Museum & Library is a historic house museum and garden, open Thursday through Sunday with timed tickets (Rosenbach).
Old City: Shane Confectionery makes clear toy candies, a Pennsylvania-German tradition, by hand in antique Victorian molds, and only at holiday time (Shane Confectionery).
Society Hill: The Powel House at 244 S. 3rd St. is one of the city's finest colonial interiors (BrewedAt).
Parkway / Fairmount: The Rodin Museum and Garden is a Beaux-Arts retreat right on the parade route (Philadelphia Museum of Art).
East Passyunk: Occasionette, a woman-owned gift shop, has been on the Avenue since 2013 (Occasionette).
Italian Market: Fante's Kitchen Shop has served cooks since 1906 (Fante's).
Fishtown: The Head & the Hand Books is an indie bookstore that also shows local artists (Billy Penn).
Northern Liberties: Liberty Lands Park is a 2-acre green space owned and maintained by the neighborhood (NLNA).
Manayunk: The Canal Towpath runs beside the 1819 canal just behind Main Street (Wikipedia).
Wissahickon: Valley Green Inn is Philadelphia's last remaining roadhouse (OpenTable).
Planning Notes
Reading Terminal Market (Reading Terminal Market) and Bowman's Hill (Bowman's Hill) are closed on Thanksgiving. For Christmas Village, SEPTA to Suburban Station or 15th St/City Hall is the easiest route, and kids under 12 and seniors 65 and over ride free (Christmas Village). Santa trains, LumiNature and the larger light shows sell out, so book ahead.
Celebrate the Season with B&B
From Mechanic Street to Rittenhouse Square, this is the season when our towns feel most like home. If you're thinking about making one of them yours, or about what your home is worth this season, we'd love to talk over a glass of Prosecco.
B&B Luxury Properties
10 West Mechanic Street, New Hope, PA 18938
215.436.9772 · bandbluxuryproperties.com
Event details were checked against organizer sources in October 2026 and may change. Please confirm with each host before attending.
