Christmas Village

The Christmas Village returns to LOVE Park and Dilworth Park in Center City Philadelphia from Nov. 21 to Dec. 27. It's a monthlong holiday market run by German American Marketing that usually draws around 800,000 shoppers, so it's one of the bigger seasonal fixtures in the city.

If you've been before, the experience will feel different this time. The biggest change is that you can no longer walk inside the vendor booths. Sales counters and barriers have been installed so that shoppers stay outside and view products through the counters and window displays, with vendors helping you select merchandise over the counter. Only a few booths near City Hall may be able to use 8-foot-long ramps to allow entry. It's a shift in how you browse—you'll be looking in from the sidewalk rather than stepping inside the stalls.

Organizer Thomas Bauer said the decision followed 32 months of work with legal experts, the city, and disability advocates to ensure compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. He noted similar setups at holiday markets in New York City and Denver. The move hasn't settled everyone, though; the nonprofit Liberty Resources Inc. has raised concerns about the change.

The market runs noon to 8 PM Sunday through Thursday, and noon to 9 PM Friday and Saturday, across both LOVE Park and Dilworth Park in Center City. It opens Nov. 21 and wraps up Dec. 27.