The Christmas Village in Philadelphia is a beloved event filled with laughter, tears, and ice-cold fingers! The event is home for many shop owners that sometimes don’t get another chance to sell their products except for this village every year. From dog treats to hand made stickers, these shops have everything. Totaling at 50 or more shops, everyone gets to enjoy some part of the village. The joyous sounds of Christmas music and the smells of hot chocolate and peppermint mask the sirens of the city. Philadelphia has been home base for this event for many years, allowing it to be a worldwide event.

I was stopped by a tourist while walking through the city, asking questions about where to go in the village. I simply explained that the village is different every year and that when looking for a certain vendor you must tour the whole village. Christmas Souvenir Ornaments was one of the shops that I got the pleasure of interviewing with. Walking into this shop, my eyes flickered like a little kid who sees a new toy in the store. I knew once I walked into this store, I was going to spend lots of money. Around me Christmas music played, and I realized that every ornament was hand made right there. After talking to them for a while, I found out that they started working the event about four years ago, just to spread some Christmas cheer for themselves and others. They said that they try to have an eye-catching ornament for every person. For me, it was when I walked in and saw two penguins with a snow hat on. For someone else it may be the ballerina, or for someone who just lost a pet, it’ll be the animal ornaments.

Walking into this small cul-de-sac of stores, I could hear this man laughing and could sense the smiles coming from his shop. After looking into this small shop, I saw that it was a jewelry store. Tommy Conch Designs was owned by an amazing guy that had an awesome sense of humor. With every question I asked, he had a smart remark that just made the whole village laugh. He started at the Christmas village for some good representation for his business. He says that he wants to spread beauty to the world during this weird time of hot and cold weather. He wants to provide joy and happiness for this sometimes-rough season. My final interview was with the Independent Makers of Philadelphia which is a group of small business owners that showcase their stuff at this shop for representation. I found that a lot of people use this village for the representation of showcasing their merchandise for the rest of the year. The group started about 4-5 years ago and has added owners by the year. All the work at this shop is handmade. These independent owners found it important to give their work to a larger shop to have it sold during the Christmas season in hopes of getting their names out there.

Once a year the Christmas Village occurs, which means that once a year you get to experience this magical event. Turning the streets of Philadelphia into a beautiful, fairy light lit little village for everyone to walk through. Once a year you get to experience the delicious hot chocolate that is made for this wonderful, unique, and delightful event.