Christmas Village In Philadelphia To Return For 2020 Holiday Season With Enhanced Safety, Health Precautions
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Philadelphia's Christmas Village will return for the 2020 holiday season but with modifications and additional safety precautions in place due to COVID-19. The German-style Christmas Market at LOVE Park and City Hall will be open from Nov. 26 through Christmas Eve.
"After a very challenging year, we are excited to bring back a safe and socially distanced version of Christmas Village in Philadelphia without losing the charm of a traditional European Christmas market," Christmas Village President Thomas Bauer said. "We are extremely thankful to the City of Philadelphia, Philadelphia Parks & Recreation and the Philadelphia Health Department for their support and guidance to give Philadelphians something positive to look forward to during the holiday season and to bring back a piece of normalcy in 2020."
In order to follow Pennsylvania health and safety guidelines, the village will be socially distanced and only feature half of the normal amount of vendors.
Visitors will be able to enjoy the notable European dishes in a fenced-off and crowd-controlled outdoor food court that will have spacing between tables.
The shopping area will be set up in a one-way system around the outer limits of LOVE Park for a linear and spaced walking concept which will allow the proper social distancing.
All vendors will be at least 10 feet apart from each other.
Vendors around the outer permitter of the park will also face outward toward the street.
There will be social-distanced waiting areas for access to the food court and shopping areas.
Christmas Village organizers say it will meet and exceed all local and state guidelines in terms of health and safety protocols.
The village will also take over the North Apron of City Hall and the City Hall Courtyard to bring back additional vendors and holiday carousel in a socially-distanced way.
Visitors are required to wear masks at all times unless seated in the food court while they consume their food and drinks. Extensive signage will be visible to guide visitors in the right direction and remind them to follow all the rules.
Anyone who feels sick or who has been in contact with a sick person should stay home.
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