The holiday season is officially upon us and with it, a slew offestive events. From Santa sightings to a cocoa crawl, here’s how and where to celebrate in and around Media.
Linvilla Orchards will transform for the holidays, complete with a Winter Makers Market on most Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays throughout December. There will also be ice skating, live music, and visits with Santa. Plus, you can cut your own Christmas tree.
⏰ Through Sunday, Dec. 21, times vary 💵 Pay as you go 📍Linvilla Orchards, 137 W. Knowlton Rd., Media
Holiday Tree Lighting at the Promenade at Granite Run
See the tree lit and explore area small businesses, which will have tables set up for the occasion.
⏰ Saturday, Nov. 29, 5-6 p.m. 💵 Free 📍Promenade at Granite Run, 1067 W. Baltimore Pike, Media
Get into the holiday spirit with a free block party at Veterans Square, where attendees are asked to contribute goods to the Media Food Bank or an unwrapped gift for Toys for Tots. There will be a holiday costume contest at 4 p.m., followed by a fun run and walk at 4:15 p.m. Festivities conclude with Santa parading along State and Front Streets, complete with mummers, musicians, classic cars, and fire trucks.
⏰ Sunday, Nov. 30, 2:30-7 p.m. 💵 Free, donations to Media Food Bank or Toys for Tots encouraged 📍Downtown Media
The Festival of Lights returns to Rose Tree County Park.
Marking its 50th anniversary this year, the festival will be open nightly for a month, with food trucks, vendors, and live entertainment on Dec. 4, 6, 7, 13, and 14. The tree lighting takes place Dec. 4 at 5 p.m.
⏰ Thursday, Dec. 4-Saturday, Jan. 3 💵 Pay as you go 📍Rose Tree County Park, 1671 N. Providence Rd., Media
This annual tradition returns with an all-day celebration that includes the Reindeer Dash one-mile walk and run at 11:30 a.m. Participants are encouraged to dress for the season. From noon to 4:30 p.m., the Winter Village will take over the borough parking lot, complete with a pub, food vendors, and crafts. There will also be a Kwanzaa celebration, trolley rides, and caroling, capped by a fire truck parade with Santa that ends with the town’s tree lighting.
⏰ Saturday, Dec. 6, 9 a.m.-9 p.m. 💵 Pay as you go 📍 Swarthmore town center
Love holiday cookies but don’t love baking? Or just want to sample an array of treats? This annual event lets attendees pick and pay for the homemade cookies they want.
⏰ Saturday, Dec. 13, 9 a.m. 💵 Pay as you go 📍Middletown Church, 273 S. Old Middletown Rd., Media
Kate Brennan puts a modern twist on A Christmas Carol with this show centered on a woman who gets trapped in her apartment on Christmas Eve and ends up assessing how technology and devices both connect and disconnect us.
⏰ Thursday, Dec. 18, 12:30 p.m., and Friday, Dec. 19, 7 p.m. 💵 $21 📍Park Avenue Community Center, 129 Park Ave., Swarthmore
This tribute to Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons features classic hits and festive tunes, as well as audience participation.
⏰ Saturday, Dec. 21, 7 p.m. 💵 $41 📍The Media Theatre, 104 E. State St., Media
This suburban content is produced with support from the Leslie Miller and Richard Worley Foundation and The Lenfest Institute for Journalism. Editorial content is created independently of the project donors. Gifts to support The Inquirer’s high-impact journalism can be made at inquirer.com/donate. A list of Lenfest Institute donors can be found at lenfestinstitute.org/supporters.
Since 1920, Philadelphia has gone without a Thanksgiving Day parade only twice — once because of poor weather, and once because of a global pandemic. But nearly four decades ago, another formidable foe — corporate sponsorship — threatened the city’s beloved holiday tradition.
That’s not a bad record for the country’s oldest Thanksgiving Day parade, which Gimbel Brothers Department Store launched with a humble procession through Center City. For more than 60 years, the festivities ended with Santa Claus climbing a ladder into the window of the Gimbels store at Ninth and Market Streets, signaling the start of the holiday season.
Until 1986, that is. Gimbels by then had fallen on hard times and, following its sale to the highest bidder, was liquidated. Its Philadelphia-area locations were to be converted into Stern’s department stores, and Gimbels hoped to pass the baton to that chain to keep the Thanksgiving Day tradition alive.
The problem was that Stern’s and its parent company, Allied Stores Corp., were not interested.
“I think the best we could do this fast is to buy the Mummers some T-shirts,” Allied Stores chairman Thomas Macioce told the Daily News in 1986.
The parade that year, however, became bigger and better than it had ever been. Here is how The Inquirer and Daily News covered it:
Article from Jun 18, 1986 Philadelphia Daily News (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) <!— –>
‘We can’t be ready in time’
A deal in the Gimbels sale emerged in June 1986 and, right away, the Thanksgiving Day parade was on the chopping block, at least for that year. Allied officials claimed no planning had yet been done and there was no way to put it together in time.
That, it turns out, wasn’t true. Ann Stuart, a Gimbels executive, told the Daily News that parade organizers had been proceeding as though the parade would be held as scheduled. And Barbara Fenhagen, the city’s special events coordinator, said planning was going ahead as usual.
Either way, Stern’s and Allied’s lack of interest left the city in a tight spot. Aug. 15 was the last day orders could go in for the floats to be ready on time, marking a hard deadline to find a sponsor. Whoever took up the role would be expected to spend hundreds of thousands of dollars.
“We will do everything we can to make sure that [the parade’s] appearance is not interrupted, even for one year,” Fenhagen said at the time.
Article from Jul 16, 1986 Philadelphia Daily News (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) <!— –>
‘Don’t rain on our parade’
As the controversy wore on, Philadelphians and the local press grieved and snarled at the potential loss of a holiday tradition. The Daily News seemed to plead for Stern’s to reconsider.
“Please don’t rain on our parade,” the People Paper wrote in an editorial. “To Philadelphians of all ages, it launches the holiday season in a special and heartwarming way.”
Business columnist Jack Roberts struck a more combative tone, likening Stern’s to a houseguest who begins a conversation “by spitting in your face.” He later suggested that readers send back Stern’s junk mail to the company’s “Scrooge” executives with the phrase “I want the parade” scrawled across it.
Special events professionals, meanwhile, warned that forgoing the sponsorship might create a bad name for Stern’s that would be difficult to overcome.
“Philadelphians have a way of remembering,” special events consultant Shelly Picker said.
Article from Nov 21, 1986 Philadelphia Daily News (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) <!— –>
‘We’re delighted’
The search for a new lead sponsor was arduous, with city officials approaching “most every local company that breathes,” according to a Daily News report. A number of bigger local outfits — ranging from Meridian Bancorp to Kiddie City — bowed out over cost and branding concerns.
Then, after 56 days of limbo, the Thanksgiving Day parade was back on. And it was thanks to WPVI (Channel 6), better known today as 6abc.
“When it became clear that because of the time frame and other commitments most were unable to assume that mantle, we decided to do it — and we’re delighted,” said the station’s general manager, Rick Spinner.
The station had been airing the parade locally for 19 years and seemed to be a natural fit to take over. And, as the Daily News reported, the city had been pressuring Channel 6 to come up with a plan, seeing as the station benefited significantly from broadcasting the day’s festivities.
The parade would go on to be known as the “Channel 6 Thanksgiving Day Parade.” But that was not the only — or even the biggest — change afoot.
Article from Sep 24, 1986 Philadelphia Daily News (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) <!— –>
‘Establishing new traditions’
Channel 6 brought in the big guns straight away. Namely, by hiring a parade coordinator named Valerie Lagauskas, who previously managed the Macy’s parade in New York and wrote a book on parade planning.
A number of changes came under Lagauskas’ leadership, including a new route. Instead of starting at the Philadelphia Art Museum and marching toward City Hall, as had been tradition, the parade would reverse direction and end at the Art Museum. The route would allow for the use of larger balloons, bigger floats, and better camera angles for the parade’s telecast.
The full parade that year would also be broadcast nationally for the first time, appearing on the Lifetime network, in which ABC was part owner.
In total, there would be 20 bands, 20 floats, 8 gigantic balloons, and 40 other balloons that were merely very large, The Inquirer reported. A massive balloon of the cartoon cat Heathcliff would make its debut. The theme, fittingly, would be “We Love a Parade.” And leading it all as parade marshal would be Sixers legend Julius “Dr. J” Erving,
“The old Philadelphia parade has been liberated from its commercial traditions and we’re on the way to establishing new traditions,” Lagauskas said.
Article from Nov 28, 1986 The Philadelphia Inquirer (Philadelphia, Pennsylvania) <!— –>
‘The best ever’
On parade day, more than 500,000 spectators were expected to attend. And, according to reports from the time, they were not disappointed.
Not only were there better floats and a more picturesque route, but paradegoers also were met with unseasonably warm temperatures.
“It’s the first time we’ve been to a Thanksgiving Day parade where you could get a sunburn,” one attendee joked.
The parade itself seemingly went off without a hitch, concluding on the steps of the Art Museum as Santa Claus pulled up to a rendition of “Happy Holidays.” Musicians and dancers let go of green and white balloons that drifted out over the Benjamin Franklin Parkway to cheers.
And at least one Philadelphian didn’t forget who saved the day. Donna Harris, 30, of Audubon, who had attended the parade yearly since she was 5, was spotted holding a sign that read “Thank You WPVI.”
The holiday season is officially upon us and with it, a slew of festive events. From Santa sightings to a menorah motorcade, here’s how and where to celebrate around Cherry Hill.
Santa has returned to the Cherry Hill Mall, where he’s posing for photos throughout the holiday season.
Snap a photo with St. Nick during his ongoing residency at the mall, where he’ll be through Christmas Eve. Walkups are welcome, or you can sign up for a time slot here. Pets can also get in on the action on select days, but they must be on a leash, in a carrier, or held by their owner. Sign up for a pet time slot here.
⏰ Through Wednesday, Dec. 24, times vary 💵 $19.99-$59.99 📍Cherry Hill Mall, 2000 Route 38, Cherry Hill
If you’re looking to get in a little holiday decor shopping while also grabbing a photo with Santa, Spirit Christmas is hosting the big guy on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays, plus the week leading up to Christmas.
⏰ Through Wednesday, Dec. 24, days and times vary 💵 $19.99-$59.99 📍Spirit Christmas, 2234 Marlton Pike West, Cherry Hill
The rink will be open on select days through Feb. 22.
Marlton-based alpaca farm Morning Glori Farmette is hosting a pop-up shop in Cherry Hill, where you can shop handmade gifts and meet two of their resident camelids, Rocky and Crash.
⏰ Friday, Nov. 28, 9:30-11:30 a.m. 💵 Pay as you go 📍1504 Pleasant Dr., Cherry Hill
Catch holiday performances while shopping at the mall. At 6 p.m. on Dec. 3, the Pine Barons Chorus will perform everything from classic carols to current favorites. And at 5 p.m. on Dec. 17, Cherry Hill West’s Royal Purple Majesties club will perform throwback holiday tunes from the 1920s and 1940s from the likes of Nat King Cole and Frank Sinatra.
⏰ Wednesday, Dec. 3, 6 p.m. and Wednesday, Dec. 17, 5 p.m. 💵 Free 📍Cherry Hill Mall, 2000 Route 38, Cherry Hill
This year’s winter festival includes a craft market, a beer garden, fire pits, ice carving demonstrations, food, and live performances. It will be held rain or shine.
⏰ Sunday, Dec. 7, noon-4 p.m. 💵 Pay as you go 📍Croft Farm, 100 Bortons Mill Rd., Cherry Hill
Santa will make visits to neighborhoods throughout town alongside the fire department. Visits are expected to start Dec. 13 and run through Dec. 21. An interactive map with details on the schedule will go live Dec. 1.
⏰ Saturday, Dec. 13-Sunday, Dec. 21, times vary 💵 Free 📍Cherry Hill Township
Now in its 16th year, cars adorned with menorahs will parade from Chabad in Cherry Hill to Barclay Farm Shopping Center, where the giant menorah will be lit. There will be latkes, donuts, music, and LED robots for the lighting.
⏰ Sunday, Dec. 14, parade starts at 4 p.m., giant menorah lighting is at 5 p.m. 💵 Free 📍Chabad of Camden and Burlington Counties, 1925 Kresson Rd., Cherry Hill
Snag last-minute holiday gifts at this two-day pop-up at the mall that features local small businesses.
⏰ Saturday, Dec. 20, 9 a.m.-10 p.m. and Sunday, Dec. 21, 10 a.m.-9 p.m. 💵 Pay as you go 📍Cherry Hill Mall, 2000 Route 38, Cherry Hill
This suburban content is produced with support from the Leslie Miller and Richard Worley Foundation and The Lenfest Institute for Journalism. Editorial content is created independently of the project donors. Gifts to support The Inquirer’s high-impact journalism can be made at inquirer.com/donate. A list of Lenfest Institute donors can be found at lenfestinstitute.org/supporters.
The HBO crime thriller Task will return to Pennsylvania along with star Mark Ruffalo for a second season, thanks in part to generous support from the state.
On Monday, the Pennsylvania Film Office announced that Task will receive a record $49.8 million tax credit, the largest amount the state has granted to a single production.
The effort is expected to bring about 3,700 jobs to Pennsylvania as HBO estimates investing $194.1 million into the state economy, including hiring local crews and paying for hotel accommodations.
Task comes from Mare of Easttown creator Brad Ingelsby, the writer from Berwyn who has developed a reputation for putting Delco (and Philly) crime stories on national television. Last week, HBO announced the popular show would return for a second season, which is expected to film primarily in Southeastern Pennsylvania.
The tax credit is part of Gov. Josh Shapiro’s efforts to bring more TV and film productions to Pennsylvania.
“This is the largest tax credit we’ve ever awarded to one show, and we’re proud to support another returning series by homegrown storyteller Brad Ingelsby through the Film Production Tax Credit Program,” said Pennsylvania Film Commissioner Gino Anthony Pesi in a statement.
“The Shapiro administration understands that supporting productions like Task have a powerful impact on Pennsylvania’s creative economy through the creation of thousands of direct and indirect jobs, while also giving new opportunities to local businesses in the southeastern region.”
“Task” showrunner Brad Ingelsby and star Mark Ruffalo on set.
Ingelsby has been committed to “investing in authenticity” through not only writing film and TV scripts that are based in the Philadelphia region, but pushing for his productions to shoot on location as much as possible.
“There is value in shooting something where it’s set — it will bring something to the production, to the characters, to the emotion that you just can’t emulate somewhere else,” Ingelsby told The Inquirer in September.
“The locations in and around Philadelphia add an invaluable level of authenticity to the series,” said Janet Graham Borba, HBO’s executive vice president of production, in the statement. “Furthermore, the opportunity to bring a production of this caliber to Pennsylvania and provide jobs to its citizens and businesses is extremely gratifying to Brad Ingelsby and all of us at HBO.”
Shooting with Pennsylvania crews also had an impact on the Task cast: Some actors, including Emilia Jones, who played Maeve Prendergrast, bonded with crew members, who also helped them learn that difficult-to-nail Delco accent.
With the winter holiday season seeming to start before Thanksgiving turkey has even been served, it’s easy to feel like the Grinch. But if there’s one thing that can cure those early holiday blues, it’s over-the-top decorations and a novelty cocktail.
Luckily, these Philadelphia-area bars have already begun to their deck their halls (or booths) with garlands, nutcrackers, and more string lights than we can count.
One tip: Regardless of which holiday bars you chose, plan ahead and snag a reservation. The only thing worse than a stocking full of coal is waiting in the cold for a seat at the bar.
Wine Garden co-founders Nazaret Teclesambet and Favian Sutton are taking over three rooms inside Suburban Station through Dec. 31 for a luxe limited-edition holiday bar, not unlike last year’s at the Divine Lorraine. This go-round, the theme is diamond and pearls: Think gold-mirrored walls, grand Christmas trees, and enough bows and pearls for a tea party. Guests can sip on spiked hot chocolates rimmed with crushed candy canes, bourbon and apple cider holiday punches, and marshmallow-topped espresso martinis, among other cocktails. General admission is $14.64 per person for a 90-minute reservation. A $42.39 VIP ticket includes a welcome glass of sparkling rosé and a mini vintage cake. All other food and drinks are pay-as-you-go.
Unfortunately, Santa cannot call in favors to get you a table at High Street, one of Philly’s first-ever Michelin-recommended restaurants. The big guy, however, does recommend you spend $5 per person to snag a reservation at High Street’s holiday pop-up inside the Franklin Residence’s grand lobby. Ever Eve in the Back Bar runs Saturdays only through Dec. 27, and features a cocktail partnership with specialty spirits purveyor BOTLD alongside a menu of upscale bar snacks like crispy oysters, brown butter shoestring fries, and deviled eggs topped with trout roe.
Cocktails from a partnership with BOTLD will be served at Ever Eve in the Back Bar, a holiday pop-up from High Street taking over the lobby bar inside the Franklin Residences on Saturdays through Dec. 27.
Dining at this indoor-outdoor restaurant near Rittenhouse Square is far more low-key than most of the city’s holiday bars — mostly because it’s not marketed as a holiday bar at all. Instead, diners can spend two hours inside one of Harper Garden’s private heated outdoor cabins, which can seat four to six people. Something about eating warm bowls of pasta under woodsy garlands screams cozy.
There’s something about snow on the beach, at least according to that one Taylor Swift song. For a dose of holiday spirit down the shore, shoobies can check out the Jingle Bar inside Harry’s Ocean Bar & Grille. The beloved holiday pop-up bar inside the Montreal Beach Resort will run through Dec. 31 this year, with some new additions, like outdoor fire pits overlooking the ocean and a $90 Christmas tree cocktail tower that comes with six libations of your choosing.
Juno’s Holly Jolly Bar is a collaboration with events company Bucket Listers that converts an outdoor summertime hot spot into a winter wonderland — with a roof. From Nov. 26 to Dec. 28, Juno’s patio will be draped in rows upon rows of string lights and ornaments designed as Instagram bait. Don’t expect any Mexican inspiration on the menu beyond a winter marg and some sangria. Tacos and ceviches have been swapped for giant french fries, chicken tenders, and a charcuterie-inspired snack board. Tickets cost $22.50 for a 90-minute seating and a welcome drink. All other food and beverage is pay-as-you-go.
Is nostalgia on your Christmas list this year? The Library Bar inside The Prime Rib at South Philly’s Live! Casino and Hotel has transformed into a swanky-yet-quirky holiday pop-up with drinks inspired by classic holiday movies ranging from Elf to Die Hard. Guests can sip on an Ovaltine espresso martini and spiked sea salt caramel eggnog, among other cocktails, while cozying up by the fireplace through Jan. 10.
Prime Rib inside the Live! Casino & Hotel at 900 Packer Ave. has been transformed into a cozy living room for Holiday Rewind, a pop-up inspired by nostalgic Christmas movies.
Philly’s first minigolf bar has also partnered with Bucket Listers to overload their course with a hefty dose of Philly-ified holiday spirit. From now through Jan. 31, guests can play nine or 18 holes of holiday-themed putt-putt with decor like a greased North Pole, snow globes, and a golf cart covered in Philadelphia Parking Authority tickets (of course). Libertee Ground’s seasonal menu features a standout tomato soup and grilled cheese duo alongside several holiday cocktails, including a cranberry and cinnamon mule and an orange-plum punch made with Stateside Vodka. Those looking to tee off can expect to pay $20 for nine holes of minigolf, plus a cocktail in a souvenir cup.
It’s a gift from Santa himself: A walk-ins only holiday bar. Every holiday season, McGillin’s covers itself in floor-to-ceiling Christmas decorations. (That’s roughly 1,200 feet of lights and 1,000 feet of garlands for number-crunchers.) Holiday barflies can expect a lineup of festive drinks that include an eggnog martini and a spiced rum hot apple cider. Just around the corner from the bar at Sansom and Juniper Streets is holiday pop-up shop that sells McGillin’s merch (stocking stuffers, anyone?). The shop is open noon to 6 p.m. daily.
All 18 holes of mini golf at Libertee Grounds have been updated with string lights, ornaments and other holiday decor for a collaboration with Bucket Listers that runs through Jan. 31, 2026.
It takes roughly 60,000 ornaments and 20,000 lights to transform Craftsman Row Saloon into the Miracle on 8th Street, its annual holiday pop-up bar best known for over-the-top milkshakes. This year’s shake lineup includes the seasonally confused Pumpkin to Talk About — blended pumpkin ice cream topped with a whole slice of pumpkin pie — and Santa’s cookies, a chocolate chip cookie dough variety rimmed with chipwiches. Reservations are recommended for Miracle on 8th Street, which runs through mid-January.
For the first time since its 1978 opening, Bridget Foy’s will transform into the aptly titled North Pole on South Street, a Christmas bar that will run from Nov. 28 through Jan. 4. The devil (or Santa) is in the details: The bar’s new Instagram account shows footage of craftsmen freezing tiny nutcrackers into custom ice cubes for a lineup of cocktails that includes a peppermint tea-infused negroni and honey-chili margarita floated with aperol. Reservations also include access to several holiday-themed photo backdrops.
Take in views of the ice skating rink and the Delaware River from the lodge inside the Independence Blue Cross RiverRink Winterfest, a festival of all things festive that runs from Nov. 28 to March 1. Guests can choose to warm up inside the pop-up ski lodge or sip spiked hot chocolates and ciders around private fire pits or cabins available for rent.
Annual pop-up bar Tinsel runs from Nov. 28 through January with the same over-the-top shtick in new dressing. Sip on cocktails in novelty cups (that you can take home!) under a blinking neon Santa tracker, oversized ornaments, and illustrations of pop culture’s wackiest holiday characters. This year’s naughty beverages include punch served in an adult juice pouch and a duo of festive red and green shots.
Evil Genius regulars secured their spot on Santa’s nice list by painting larger-than-life gingerbread houses and cutting hundreds of paper snowflakes for the bar’s Twas an Evil Christmas holiday pop-up. Ornaments and wrapped presents hang from the ceiling while guests can sip on the brewery’s signature holiday saison Santa! I Know Him!, a 7.5% ABV Belgian-style brewed with rose hips, dark candy syrup, and chamomile.
The brewery is hosting a 0.5K (a run around the block) on Dec. 3, where $30 scores runners free beer and a Santa Hat. All proceeds will go toward buying Christmas gifts for families in need.
This Manayunk Tex-Mex restaurant will dress up for any occasion, and the winter holidays are no exception. Taqueria Amor has transformed into its signature Señor Grinch pop-up for the sixth year in a row, playing classic holiday movies via projector every evening through New Year’s Eve, no reservations required. Taqueria Amor’s very-merry cocktail lineup includes a shot that purportedly tastes just like a gingerbread cookie and several margaritas the color of Rudolph’s nose or the Grinch.
Santa’s workshop is taking over Center City’s Uptown Beer Garden through the end of 2025, and with it comes inflatable elves, oversized nutcrackers, snow globes, and fire pits for s’mores. All of the pop-up’s holiday cocktails are served in souvenir cups, including the Polar Espress-o — a peppermint bark-flavored cold brew martini — and the Apple Spice and Everything Nice, a caramel apple mule.
1500 John F. Kennedy Blvd., 267-639-4493, uptownbeer.com
This popular Rittenhouse Square beer garden is winterized through Dec. 31 and features a 22-foot tall Christmas tree alongside plush life-sized penguins, a playhouse pulled by reindeer, and lots of neon lights. Also included inside Walnut Wonderland: make-your-own gingerbread house and s’mores kits for $9 each, plus $12 holiday drink specials that include a maple whiskey sour and a banana-flavored vodka and hazelnut liqueur number that’s meant to taste like banana bread.
Santa greets guests at Walnut Garden at 1708 Walnut St., which is offering table side s’mores and gingerbread house decorating kits this holiday season.
Spend the winter inside Butcher Bar‘s heated covered patio, which looks kind of like a man cave inside a contemporary ski cabin. Butcher Bar’s seasonal cocktails make up for the macho decor. This reporter’s favorites include the Die Hard is a Christmas Movie (rye whiskey, sweet potato, marshmallow, toasted almond bitters) and the Christmas in Paradise (citrus almond spiced rum, mango, lime, herbal liqueur topped with a teeny drink umbrella).
Taking over Cord’s morning show at 102.9 WMGK will be another radio veteran — the versatile Paul Kelly, who’s been a utility infielder at the station since 2019, hosting just about every shift.
Now Kelly will take over WMGK’s morning show, the former home of famed Philly radio host John DeBella, who retired in 2023.
Both Cord and Kelly will begin their new hosting gigs Monday.
“This has been a dream come true — rocking in the same building I visited on my bike as a kid,” Kelly said in a statement. “It’s been amazing working alongside the personalities I grew up listening to — Matt Cord, Tony Harris, John DeBella, Debbi Calton, and Andre Gardner!”
Kelly, a Philadelphia native, has been working on the air since 1989, hosting shows in Atlantic City, Wilkes-Barre, Scranton, and Poughkeepsie, N.Y. He also runs his own radio consultancy firm and is a founding member of Kelly Music For Life, a nonprofit that turned an old retail store in Havertown into the Kelly Center, a home for concerts, festivals, and shows.
“Paul’s deep Philadelphia roots, his lifelong love of classic rock, and the genuine connection he’s built with our listeners over the years make him the ideal choice for mornings on WMGK,” said program director Chuck Damico. “He understands this city, he understands this music, and he brings an energy and authenticity that resonate with our audience every time he cracks the mic.”
Pierre Robert, seen here broadcasting on WMMR in 2017.
Robert, 70, was found dead in his Gladwyne home on Oct. 29 after failing to show up for his midday show. The cause of Robert’s death was not disclosed and officials don’t plan to release additional information. Caroline Beasley, the CEO of WMMR’s parent company, Beasley Media Group, said foul play was not suspected.
“Everything seemed to be natural,” Preston Elliot said on air following Robert’s death. “It just appears he passed overnight.”
The show will feature bands and musicians near and dear to the former WMMR host’s heart, including the Hooters, Brent Smith and Zach Meyers of Shinedown, Lizzy Hale and Joe Hottinger of Halestorm, and Ed Roland of Collective Soul.
“Nobody replaces Pierre — let’s make that clear,” Cord said in a statement. “I promise to carry his amazing spirit into the studio bearing his name and do my best to make him proud.”
It’s been almost two months since the Philadelphia Art Museum unveiled its new name and logo to, let’s be kind and say, a mixed response. To the bane of all graphic designers, rebrands are lightning rods where everyone suddenly becomes a branding expert.
So we wanted to put your knowledge to the test. We’re going to ask you to identify the real logo among those that we’ve subtly modified.
Good luck!
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Question 1 of 6
Before the change, one of these was the real logo for The Philadelphia Museum of Art. Can you pick the right one?
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For those concerned about the changing logo, fear not. Legally the museum’s name isn’t changing, just its “consumer-facing” one.
Alejandro A. Alvarez / Staff Photographer
The questions will get a little harder from here.
Question 2 of 6
Which logo replaced the one above?
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The museum said in a statement, “The new brand identity captures Philadelphia’s vibrant culture, reflecting how art influences everyday life and resonates across the city’s diverse communities.” The change surprised many, with lots of critics upset with the new look.
Question 3 of 6
Let’s move to another art gallery. Which is the real logo for the Barnes Foundation?
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Pentagram, the company responsible for the logo, said about the design: “The identity is based on the forms found within a specific ‘ensemble.’ The letters play with positive and negative space, gaining coherence through the act of reading across the ensemble.”
Alejandro A. Alvarez / Staff Photographer
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Question 4 of 6
Which is the real Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts logo?
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The Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts is the nation’s first institution that is both an art museum and school. The Heads of State, the brand agency that designed the logo, said: “We felt a classic wordmark would be an opportunity for visual simplicity and increased name recognition.”
Tom Gralish / Staff Photographer
Question 5 of 6
Eastern State Penitentiary also recently rebranded. Can you pick out their new logo?
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Not only does Eastern State have a new look, but they also recently released their 2025-2029 strategic plan, with a focus on criminal justice education and a reimagined visitor experience.
Question 6 of 6
The Museum of the American Revolution has part of its logo displayed on its building. Can you spot the right design?
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The thirteen stars in the museum’s logo are displayed on the building outside. The stars are based off the Commander in Chief’s Standard flag, which is on display in the museum.
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Your Results
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Get out there and see some museums!
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Design, development, and reporting: Garland Fordice
Editing: Sam Morris
Copy Editing: Brian Leighton
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If you’re trying to pass some time while you wait for your delayed flight home, these stories can help.
Joy Velasco / For The Inquirer
The Inquirer published some fantastic reads this year — stories you may have meant to read but couldn’t find the time for. The holidays are the ideal time for catching up: Maybe you’re stuck on a delayed flight, waiting for the turkey or ham to thaw, or just looking for an excuse to avoid that one annoying relative who’s a despicable Cowboys fan.
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Annie Schuster couldn’t believe what she saw Sunday night when scrolling Instagram. She ran to the kitchen to show her husband the grisly crime that had occurred in their Manayunk neighborhood hours earlier.
Bridget the Dino, a 3-foot-tall costume-sporting stone Tyrannosaurus rex, was ruthlessly beheaded, in the garden she calls home. Bridget’s head, still wearing a scarf, was lying at the foot of her stone body in the photo posted by the Manayunk Bridge Garden, the dinosaur’s caretakers.
Schuster and her husband, who live in Manayunk and take their children to see Bridget regularly, were in shock. “I thought it was like an unspoken rule, you leave Bridget alone,” she said.
Roxborough resident Juliane Holz felt a wave of anger and sadness as she learned of the vandalism, “She’s actually decapitated,” she said to herself upon reading a text from a neighbor.
Park volunteers notified the community that someone knocked the head off the statue in a heartfelt Instagram post Sunday evening. While the park didn’t announce any suspects or persons of interest, they’re calling on the community for help. “If you saw anything, or know what happened, please reach out,” the statement said. Volunteers filed a report of vandalism with Philadelphia police, but neighbors aren’t expecting police to catch the person who did it, Holz said.
Holz, who serves as a volunteer for the Roxborough Manayunk Conservancy, which oversees the garden at Dupont and High Streets, believes the vandalism occurred between a volunteer event that the garden hosted Saturday evening and early Sunday, when neighbors walk their dogs in the morning.
Schuster and other parents teach their children the golden rules of keeping one’s hands to oneself, so it’s perplexing to think an adult would do something like this, she said.
“I think it definitely had to be an adult, which is unfortunate because it’s not very adultlike behavior. It had to involve a lot of strength because I don’t even know how you carry one, they’re so heavy. Let alone knock it over and put it back up.“
Bridget the Dino, a beloved stone garden statue at the Manayunk Bridge Garden, pictured in an Easter Bunny costume for Easter. The community often dresses up Bridget during different holidays and themed events. In November 2026, her head was smashed off her body.
Holz echoed other neighbors’ sentiments that it must have been an intentional act committed by an adult, seeing as the 300-pound Bridget would be difficult to move even for the strongest Philadelphians, Holz said.
This is a blow to a neighborhood, Schuster said, which has steadily been redefining its community spaces to be more green, inviting, and a safe place for the many young families of Manayunk. Bridget the Dino is a symbol for the patchwork of neighbors who are volunteering their time and contributing to public spaces. On holidays, locals adorn her in themed costumes, like a witch for Halloween or rainbow-colored skirts for Pride.
“It seems like something silly to be upset about, but someone put a lot of effort and money — these statues and improvements are not cheap — into making that bridge garden a really nice place,” Schuster said. “I hate the fact that somebody did that.”
Holz and Schuster both agree that if a perpetrator is caught, they will receive a community service punishment of a full year of mandatory weeding. “The most grueling job in the garden,” Holz said.
Bridget the Dino, a beloved stone garden statue at the Manayunk Bridge Garden, pictured in a construction worker’s uniform. The community often dresses up Bridget during different holidays and themed events. In November 2026, her head was smashed off her body.
Does Manayunk replace or repair Bridget the Dino?
Holz said that the Manayunk Bridge Park will neither replace nor repair Bridget, as the dinosaur is “irreplaceable” and it would be disrespectful to place another stone dinosaur in her stead and refer to is as “Bridget.” Park volunteers are wary of repairing Bridget because of the slanted break across her neck. Any repair could easily succumb to the weight of a child riding her back or a dog leaning on top of her, and cause injury, Holz said.
Bridget originates from the local home and garden center store, Holod’s on Ridge Pike in Lafayette Hill, which hosts an annual stone T. rex costume contest. Last year’s winner was “Rexy the Paleontologist.”
In the wake of Bridget’s destruction, Holod’s will be donating a brand new stone dinosaur statue, Holz said. Several neighbors already own stone dinos from Holod’s, which has become a staple on stoops throughout Roxborough and Manayunk. Holz’s home dinosaur is named Hans.
Many offered to donate their own, but Holz is grateful for Holod’s contribution.
Bridget the Dino, a beloved stone garden statue at the Manayunk Bridge Garden, pictured in a rainbow skirt and accessories for Pride Month. The community often dresses up Bridget during different holidays and themed events. In November 2026, her head was smashed off her body.
This isn’t the first time animal statue vandalism has hit the Bridge Garden. Bridget had a friend named “Gary the Goat,” a similar-sized plush goat toy who dressed up alongside Bridget, who was stolen from the park in 2023. “He was stripped of his clothes, and poof, he was gone from the Manayunk Bridge Gardens. Bridget misses her friend,” one Roxborough Rants & Raves Facebook group member wrote at the time.
As the Manayunk Railroad bridge was converted into a pedestrian and cyclist bridge in 2015, a movement began to revitalize the green spaces along the trail, birthing the Manayunk Bridge Park around 2020. Bridget the Dino, named after the bridge she lives at, soon arrived and graced the park as its loyal guardian and mascot for the wider community.
It also helps that Bridget is eye-level with most young children for approving pats on the head, Schuster said.
Bridget will soon be repurposed elsewhere in the garden to safely rest and continue her tenure as the garden’s guardian, Holz said. Once the new dinosaur statue arrives, the community will have to come together to imagine a new name and backstory, “Could it be Bridget’s child or maybe an entirely new dinosaur altogether?” she said.
There are few artists who can accomplish the impossible feat of a voluntary phone-free show.
The moment Dijon Duenas — dressed casually as if he’d stopped by a Fishtown bar to watch the Eagles game — walked on to the Met stage, Philadelphians packing the 3,500-seater venue remained captivated for the full two-hour show.
The Grammy-nominated American singer-songwriter, record producer, actor, and multi-instrumentalist, who goes by just his first name, made a stop at the Met Philadelphia on his 37-city tour on Sunday night.
The international tour, which began in October, comes after the release of Dijon’s second album, Baby, “a spectacular new vision of soul, pop, and R&B” in which his “surrealist, collagist approach to songwriting stretches the bounds of sound and feeling,” according to Pitchfork.
And altering those bounds of soul, pop, and R&B he did; performing 18 songs from new and past albums. With his nine-person band, fans watched a live jam session playing out as the artist expertly weaved together instrumentals and his voice to recreate the high production of his work live on stage.
Starting off on a “HIGHER!”note, Dijon began the show with the ecstatic and celebratory track. Audience members were up on their feet by the first beat, dancing, bopping their heads, and singing along until he concluded the show with a heart-wrenching encore performance of “Rodeo Clown.”
Philadelphia fans have waited four years to see Dijon back in the City of Brotherly Love, since he last stopped here in 2022 at the Union Transfer for two sold-out shows. The anticipation to see him was palatable from the mass of people buying merch and records before the show even began and the commitment to stay on their feet, phone-free throughout.
Since his debut album Absolutely dropped in 2021, Dijon has quickly made his mark. He regularly works with guitarist and songwriter Mk.gee. He teamed up with Bon Iver for single One Day, and helped produce Justin Bieber’s SWAG. He made a cameo on Paul Thomas Anderson’s One Battle After Another, and will be a musical guest on Saturday Night Live on Dec. 6. And he’s up for producer of the year for his work on Bieber’s album at the Grammys.
On Sunday, Dijon let all the small yet significant quirks of his production vibrate off the Met walls: euphoric swells in “Yamaha” offering vulnerable glimpses of joy and devotion, his trademark squawks and wails in “My Man” echoing deep emotions of resentment, and intentional pauses in “Talk Down” making space for his fans to belt out the lyrics to the crowd favorite Absolutely track.
The flashing flood lights on stage lit up the thousands of faces that remained transfixed and almost hypnotized by Dijon’s artistry. He finished his set with soulful, soft “Kindalove,” but cheers and hollers from the crowd for a full four minutes brought the singer back on stage for two raspy, raw encore performances of “Skin” and “Rodeo Clown,” both tracks that demonstrated the lengths he’ll go — even if it means shrieking until his voice gives out.
Watching the artist replicate his work live, for many in the audience walking out of the venue, was nothing short of — as critics have hailed his latest album — “transcendent.”
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