Fairmount Park Conservancy is excited to welcome the public to Lemon Hill Mansion in East Fairmount Park from 10:00 AM–4:00 PM on select dates in December for one of the most beloved traditions – decorating for the holidays!

After undergoing an extensive three-year renovation led by Philadelphia Parks and Recreation, Lemon Hill Mansion will honor Philadelphia’s diversity and celebrate its reopening by literally inviting the world through its doors. “Winter Around the World”, the theme for this year‘s holiday festivities, will feature the seasonal traditions of several international cultures. Experience how people around the world celebrate the winter season with creatively decorated rooms and an array of exciting activities.

Participating groups include The Ukrainian League of Philadelphia, The Mexican Cultural Center / Mercado de Latinas, The American Swedish Historical Museum, and the Vendors from Southeast Asian Market in FDR Park.

On the first two weekends (December 2, 3, 9, and 10*), the Conservancy will highlight a nationality on each day with live music, regional food, craft activities, and other celebrations centered around the country’s cultural traditions. (Admission for these dates will be $5 per person, free for children 12 and under — with the exception of December 10, which is free.) The third weekend (December 16 and 17), Fairmount Park Conservancy presents Family Weekend with FREE admission for all. Plus, live music, children’s activities, and daily appearances from Santa Claus.

Fairmount Park Conservancy and Lemon Hill Mansion are partnering with Ormiston Mansion, Laurel Hill Mansion, Woodford Mansion, and Historic Strawberry Mansion to present the 2023 Holidays in the Park. For more detailed info on all of the holiday house tours, please visit parkcharms.org.

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CELEBRATE SOUTHEAST ASIA SCHEDULE

Vendors
From 11:00 AM–4:00 PM, FDR Park’s famous Southeast Asian Market will take over the house and grounds of Lemon Hill! Multiple vendors from Cambodia, Lao, Vietnam, Thailand, and Indonesia will be offering a selection of homemade food (ready-to-eat pre-packaged foods as well as prepared dishes that you can take home to cook yourself) and handmade crafts. Bring an appetite and support immigrant entrepreneurs. All proceeds go directly to the vendors!

Vendors include: Sahbyy Food, Pecel Ndeso, Lucky Elephant Cafe, Saijai Nadhabhand, Melissa Khmer BBQ, Suga Dady FDR, La’Bopha Kitchen, MaeDee, Vietnam Eats, and Pov Srey Fashion

Cooking Demonstration
11:00 AM, 1:00 PM, 3:00 PM: Chef Seri Chao presents an interactive Cambodian cooking demonstration! Participants will learn to make “kreung,” an essential ingredient in Cambodian cooking, and relieve holiday stress by smashing the paste in a traditional mortar and pestle. Enjoy complimentary samples of Seri’s salaw macheu kreung soup that is guaranteed to excite your taste buds and warm you on a chilly winter day!

Music
All day: Music highlighting Southeast Asian artists from DJ Transit and DJ KB

TICKETS: FREE! Thanks to support from the Philly Holiday Experience and The Office of Arts, Culture, and the Creative Economy (OACCE). Please RSVP.

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2023 SCHEDULE

-Saturday, December 2: Celebrate Ukraine!  Presented with The Ukrainian League of Philadelphia
-Sunday, December 3: Celebrate Mexico! Presented with the Mexican Cultural Center, artist Cesar Viveros, and the Mercado de Latinas
-Saturday, December 9: Celebrate Sweden! Presented with The American Swedish Historical Museum
-Sunday, December 10: Celebrate Southeast Asia! Presented with Vendors from Southeast Asian Market in FDR Park. **Free Admission with support from Welcome America! and The Office of Arts, Culture and the Creative Economy (OACCE)**
-Saturday, December 16 and Sunday, December 17: Celebrate America Family Weekend!

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KNOW BEFORE YOU GO:

• Lemon Hill Mansion has public restrooms.
• Lemon Hill Mansion has a staircase entrance that is not ADA accessible.
• Tickets are not timed. Come anytime between 10:00 AM–4:00 PM, capacity permitting.
• If you cannot attend Lemon Hill Mansion on the date of purchase, you can exchange your tickets for another date (capacity permitting) by emailing programs@myphillypark.org.
• If you’re planning to visit other historic houses in East Fairmount Park, please check parkcharms.org for open dates as they vary by house. (All hours are 10:00 AM–4:00 PM.)
• All of the houses charge a $5 admission fee, which can be purchased through each house’s website or at the door (there is no “all-house pass”). Tickets purchased on this platform are valid at Lemon Hill Mansion ONLY.
• There is no bus transportation from house to house this year. However, the Historic Houses of East Fairmount Park are conveniently located within a short drive of each other or by SEPTA’s Route 32 bus.

PARKING/GETTING THERE: There is plenty of parking in the lot behind Lemon Hill Mansion and along Lemon Hill Drive. As always, never leave valuables in our car! If traveling to Lemon Hill by public transit, the nearest stops are at 31st and Girard Ave and Art Museum Drive – both are a half-mile walk from the start. The nearest Indego bike station is at 31st and Girard – also a half-mile from the start.

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QUESTIONS? Please reach out to programs@myphillypark.org

Enjoy our programs? Become a Supporter of Fairmount Park Conservancy to help ensure that Philadelphia’s parks are enhanced for generations to come! Supporters enjoy special benefits like early registration access for events and our Park Perk Pass, which offers discounts and benefits throughout Philadelphia.