DECEMBER 3, 2015
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Make @KimmelCenter your go-to gathering place for the #holidays w/ #free performances, New Year’s Day celebration, free wi-fi & more!
Press Contact:
Amanda Conte
215-790-5847
aconte@kimmelcenter.org
KIMMEL CENTER CELEBRATES THE HOLIDAYS WITH
FREE PROGRAMMING, LOBBY FESTIVITIES,
ANNUAL NEW YEAR’S DAY CELEBRATION AND MORE
FREE HOLIDAY PROGRAMMING FOR THE WHOLE FAMILY
TAKING PLACE THROUGHOUT DECEMBER
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE (Philadelphia, December 3, 2015) – This holiday season, the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts cements its position as Philadelphia’s home for the holidays with free programming, special events, holiday activities, and more. The campus will be alive with the sights and sounds of the season with free events ranging from performances of Christmas Posada, as part of the Philly ¡En Vivo! series, and Tuba Christmas, to festivities on Commonwealth Plaza like photos with Santa every Saturday from noon until 2:00 p.m. (December 5, 12, and 19), plus the Kimmel Center’s annual New Year’s Day celebration, and much more for visitors of all ages.
“Throughout the month of December we will be presenting free, family-friendly offerings featuring new and returning favorites,” said Anne Ewers, President& CEO of the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts. “We make strides all year to open the doors of the Kimmel Center campus to our entire community yet the holidays give us the greatest opportunity to make any visit a truly magical experience through the gift of the arts.”
Details for the Kimmel Center’s FREE holiday offerings can be found below. For more information on these events, or any of the ticketed holiday events throughout the campus, please visit www.kimmelculturalcampus.org
2015 FREE Holiday Programming:
Christmas Posada
Commonwealth Plaza
December 10, 2015, 5:00 p.m.
Each year during the nine days before Christmas, Mexico celebrates popular festivities known as Las Posadas. These widespread celebrations commemorate the journey of Mary and Joseph from Nazareth to Bethlehem while they searched for a place to stay and await the birth of Jesus. This Christmas, Las Posadas comes to the City of Brotherly Love through The Consulate of Mexico in Philadelphia and the Mexican Cultural Center with a Christmas Posada event at the Kimmel Center.
This year’s event will feature a display of community piñatas, the breaking of a piñata, a performance by Jarana Beat quartet, and many more festivities including a beverage offering of traditional Ponche (free for children 12 and under) provided by Garces Events. This event is part of the Kimmel Center’s Philly ¡En Vivo! Series.
Tuba Christma
Commonwealth Plaza
December 20, 2015, 12:00 p.m. and 5:00 p.m.
There’s nothing more comforting than hearing the holiday classics. This December, the holidays come to life as more than 100 regional tuba, sousaphone, and euphonium players join together to perform songs for people of all ages.
New Year’s Day Celebration
Commonwealth Plaza
January 1, 2016, 10:00 a.m.– 6:00 p.m.
The Kimmel Center’s highly-anticipated annual New Year’s Day Celebration returns for the 11th consecutive year. The Kimmel Center opens its door from 10:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m., providing a safe, warm space filled with activities and performances, along with a birds-eye view of the famed Mummers Parade.
This year’s celebration will include:
The Kimmel Center’s Resolution Wall where patrons are invited to share their New Year’s resolutions for all to see
A free Hot Chocolate Lounge with fun mix-in ingredients for children 12 and under, provided by Garces Events
Performances by Dancing with the Students, Steve Pullara and The Cool Beans Band, Philadelphia Ukulele Orchestra, and the Broadway Dreams Foundation
Organ demonstrations every hour on the hour from noon until 4:00 p.m. in Verizon Hall
Family-friendly activities including the Greater Philadelphia Paper Pholders, face painting and balloon art
Roaming jugglers, magicians, stilt walkers, a craft lounge, ticket giveaways, AND MORE!
For an additional fee, patrons can get access to Garces Group’s New Year’s Day VIP Experience featuring unlimited food and drink for four hours. View the parade outside on the Tier Two Terrace and stay warm inside the Garces Lounge. Tickets are available through the Kimmel Center’s website ($55 in advance / $65 at the door / $27 under 21 non-alcoholic buffet).
KIMMEL CENTER FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS
Located in the heart of Center City, Philadelphia, The Kimmel Center’s mission is to operate a world-class performing arts center that engages and serves a broad audience through diverse programming, arts education, and community outreach. The Kimmel Center campus is comprised of the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts (Verizon Hall, Perelman Theater, SEI Innovation Studio, and the Merck Arts Education Center), the Academy of Music (owned by the Philadelphia Orchestra Association), and the University of the Arts Merriam Theater. TD Bank, America’s Most Convenient Bank, is the season sponsor of The Kimmel Center’s 2015-2016 Season. American Airlines is the official airline of Broadway Philadelphia. For additional information, visit kimmelcenter.org.
Macy's is the proud sponsor of the Kimmel Center's holiday programming
Special thanks to Garces Events for their generous contributions to Christmas Posada and New Year’s Day
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