Philadelphia and the Countryside - Press Room

This February is extra special because it adds another full day to the 2008 calendar. In honor of the occasion, the Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation (GPTMC) is using www.gophila.com, the region’s official visitor site, and insider blog www.uwishunu.com, to ask people what they will do with the

New Year’s Day is about celebrating, and there’s no better place to fete than at the Philadelphia’s Mummers Parade, a 110-year-old tradition in which 10,000 men and women dressed in colorfully lavish costumes twirl, sashay, pirouette and strut up one of the city’s main streets. An unforgettably wild ritual, the

The Christmas season really is the most wonderful time of the year in Philadelphia and The Countryside®, where families partake in old and new traditions to make happy holiday memories. Parents who remember standing in awe of the Enchanted Colonial Village at Lit Brother’s department store can take another peek

Art lovers, garden enthusiasts, film connoisseurs and sports fans keep coming back year after year for festivals, sporting events, art shows, parades and cultural events in Philadelphia. Here’s what’s going on in the region in 2010*:

January:

• Thousands of decorative strutters kick off the New Year by marching up

Long weekends are the perfect time to discover all the things to Love about Philadelphia. Those looking for a three-day escape this winter can take advantage of the popular Philly Overnight® Hotel Package, which comes with an extra incentive this season thanks to the new Love campaign. As always, the

The wacky and colorful Mummers Parade along Broad Street on New Year’s Day and the breathtaking New Year’s Eve fireworks show at Penn’s Landing distinguish Philadelphia’s New Year celebration from all others. With some insider tips on where to get the best views, how to stay warm and what else

The following itinerary is available on gophila.com/holidays.

LOCATION: Center City, Penn’s Landing and the Brandywine Valley

TRANSPORTATION: Foot, taxi and car

DURATION: Two days and two nights

Crisp starry skies…cozy firelight dinners…colorful twinkling lights. The holidays are here, and all around Philadelphia, romance is in the air. Time for

The following itinerary is available on gophila.com/holidays.

LOCATION: Center City, Manayunk and King of Prussia

TRANSPORTATION: Foot, taxi and car

DURATION: Two nights and two days

’Tis the season to be shopping. But a long holiday gift list can be overwhelming—even if shopping is usually your favorite sport. Turn

The following itinerary is available on gophila.com/holidays.

LOCATION: Center City, Penn’s Landing, South Philly, Kennett Square

TRANSPORTATION: Foot, taxi or car

DURATION: Two days and two nights

Holiday time is family time, but too often, busy schedules and bustling activities have everyone running in different directions. In 2008, start

It doesn’t take a holly, jolly budget to have a holly, jolly holiday—especially in Philadelphia and The Countryside®, where even Ebenezer Scrooge would be impressed with all the budget-conscious ways to celebrate the season. Here are 25 entertaining reasons to make merry in 2008—all while keeping the tab under $25

Art lovers, garden enthusiasts, film connoisseurs and sports fans keep coming back year after year for festivals, sporting events, art shows, parades and cultural events in Philadelphia. Here’s what’s going on in the region in 2009:

January 2009:

• Thousands of decorative strutters kick off the New Year by marching

Winter may be chillier, but Philadelphia is just getting warmed up with a dozen new reasons to explore the five-county region. This season, visitors can walk through an interactive Chronicles of Narnia exhibition at The Franklin, view Cézanne’s masterful paintings at the Philadelphia Museum of Art and pay homage to

People come to Philadelphia year after year to create new holiday memories with the help of the region’s time-tested traditions. Parents who remember standing in awe of the Enchanted Colonial Village at Lit Brother’s department store can take another peek inside the busy bakery, the bustling village store and the

gophila.com and uwishunu.com are the go-to-sites for Philadelphia locals and visitors looking to get festive in Philadelphia and The Countryside® this holiday season. Beginning November 20, the official visitor site for Greater Philadelphia, gophila.com will offer loads of holiday content, including e-postcards, top five lists, Thanksgiving and New Year’s Day

Philly’s More Holiday Fun, an award-winning campaign by the Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation (GPTMC) to promote the region’s seasonal experiences, kicks off its second year with even more great ways to celebrate the holidays in the region. The tourism campaign includes a specialized microsite, gophila.com/holidays (details below); a public

IgoUgo travel blog, a partner of Travelocity, named Philadelphia one of  “10 US Cities with Tourism Sites to See” this month. The trip planning Web site called gophila.com, Greater Philadelphia’s official tourism Web site, “undeniably fresh” and “full of multimedia options” and went on to say, “But besides being

Philadelphia isn’t waiting until Black Friday to kick off the holiday season. Today, the Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation (GPTMC) announced a $350,000 initiative called Philly’s More Holiday Fun to showcase the city’s holiday experience. The campaign shines a light on Philadelphia’s distinctively independent shops, lighting displays, seasonal events and

Openings:

• Please Touch Museum and Centennial District – When it opens on October 18, 2008, the children’s museum’s new location in Fairmount Park’s Memorial Hall—a National Historic Landmark built in 1876 for the Centennial Exhibition—will boast three times more space for exhibitions and programs. Just outside the museum,

To mark the 100^th anniversary of Mother’s Day, started by Philadelphia resident and West Virginia native Anna Jarvis to honor her mother Anna Marie, the Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation (GPTMC) and the Office of the City Representative are organizing the City of Motherly Love" celebration on Saturday, May