Hundreds pack Love Park for unofficial opening of Christmas Village

Hundreds pack Love Park for opening of Christmas Village

The holiday shopping season is underway in Center City, with a soft opening of Christmas Village, a beloved tradition. The official start to the Village is Wednesday.

CENTER CITY - The holiday shopping season is underway in Center City, with the opening of Christmas Village, a beloved tradition.

Saturday was termed a soft open for the Center City holiday festivities, but people packed the outdoor markets, showing how anxious folks are to get a start on the holidays.

"I think it’s never too early to get in the Christmas spirit," Sarah Blum, Collingswood, N.J. resident stated.

Spreading joy on the first day of Christmas Village is what the holidays in Philly are all about.

"I love seeing all the people out here getting into the spirit. I think it’s great and I think as early as you can start, it is good," Blum continued.

"It really feels like the holiday spirit is coming early this year, which is perfect," Zach Cox said. "It feels like it’s Christmas out here!"

A chill in the air helped sell many warm drinks.

"It’s been going non-stop here. We opened and it looks like, you think, the line will get shorter and then it gets longer, so, yeah, we’ve been busy," Lydia Bailey commented. "I think people are excited."

One man from Texas said he didn’t need a drink, or even a warm coat, for his first winter in Philadelphia.

"I think Christmas brings out the warmth in everybody, so I felt like I didn’t really need to bundle up, because I knew the Christmas spirit would keep us warm," Paul Knight, from Austin, Texas, said.

Business owners have their fingers crossed this is the start of a stellar season of sales.

"I’ve been doing it for 15 years and I’ve watched it grow every year," owner of Russ Brown Photography, Russ Brown, said. "So far, on the first day, it seems like it’s a lot busier than it has been in the past, so I think it’s gonna be great moving forward."

"It’s just nice to see everyone going around and shopping and buying stuff for their family members and then also getting stuff, too," Milo Schoen Balack, of Long Island, said.

"It’s just wonderful being with my family and it’s an early Christmas to me," Janice Farley, from Glenolden, said.

Christmas Village will be open Sunday, then close and reopen for the official holiday season Wednesday.