Months after Macy's announced its departure from the historic Center City landmark, the iconic Wanamaker Christmas Light Show and Dickens Village will reopen on Black Friday, Nov. 28, 2025.
The return is thanks to a massive community effort that raised more than $500,000 to save the tradition.
"I was pretty sure, pretty confident that if we put out a call to save the light show and Dickens Village that people would step up and they did, they absolutely did," said Kathryn Ott Lovell, president and CEO of the Philadelphia Visitor's Center. "We thought the budget was going to be around $350,000; that was the goal that we set."
WATCH: SNEAK PEEK
Wanamaker Light Show and Dickens Village exclusive sneak peek
The Visitor's Center launched its "Save the Light Show" campaign in July. In just a few months, more than 1,200 individual gifts, ranging from $5 donations to thousands of dollars, and support from corporate sponsors, helped bring the total to over half a million dollars.
"This campaign wouldn't have been successful if it wasn't being promoted by all of these different partners, including 6abc," Ott Lovell said. "We're just so grateful to everybody who has stepped up and stepped in to continue it. It's so clear that this is what the people of the Philadelphia region want. I don't think it would be Christmas without this."
The Wanamaker Light Show has been a holiday fixture since 1956 and features more than 100,000 LED lights synchronized to music and narration, accompanied during select performances by the world-renowned Wanamaker Organ.
A look inside the Wanamaker Organ in Philadelphia
"This is the sound of Philadelphia," said Brian Cawley with Friends of the Wanamaker Organ. "Often families are three generations large, all looking up at the court in wonder, and it's a real privilege to be able to pass that on to the next generation of Philadelphia children."
Fifteen crew members are behind the setup, working long hours to get the display ready.
"It takes a week, a lot of hours," said Owen Timoney, who's worked on the show for more than a decade. "Once we get to Rudolph and you see the nose lit up, that's when the holidays begin for me."
Starting Black Friday, the light show will run Wednesday through Sunday every hour on the half hour from noon to 6 p.m. through Dec. 11, with organ concerts following at 12:45 p.m. and 4:45 p.m. From Dec. 12-23, the show will run daily, and on Christmas Eve, performances will take place from noon to 4 p.m.
The Dickens Village, located on the third floor, will operate during the same hours as the light show. Admission is free, but timed-entry tickets are required for the Village and will be released five days before each date.
New this year, the Grand Court will feature about 40 vendors offering gifts, treats, and handmade goods as part of the Shops at Wanamaker Light Show, along with a holiday-themed bar serving craft beer and cocktails.
Ott Lovell said the event means more than just lights and music.
"I think it means connecting people from different walks of life and different neighborhoods and different towns to bring them together in a great public space, and ultimately it's a celebration of the holiday season and a celebration of what the holidays mean to us as individuals."
The Wanamaker Building's new owners plan to begin restoration and construction work soon, meaning the light show will pause during the 2026 and 2027 holiday seasons.
The Visitor's Center says it remains committed to continuing the tradition in future years.
"It wouldn't be Christmas without this," Ott Lovell said. "And so the show must go on."
Donations will be collected during the light show for future years.