|
|
|
Illumination 2025 / Coca-Cola has earned my Top Holiday Experience for a few reasons. Experience is the key word. Walking in you don't know where to look first! Entire ballpark is covered in lights. FYI: this review is a combination of 2 visits in 2 weeks. Firepits (great to warm the hands), of course for the smores kits! Swings, write a letter / photos with Santa. Kids can make an ornament. Only the beginning of Illumination. They have photo / selfie stops around the park. Trust me, everywhere you look is perfect for this! My favorite part?
You can go down to the field walk / train ride around the dirt track. Safety tip: Walking? Watch out for the train. Looking up a everything makes you feel a part of the experience vs. only watching it. Seriously adding to interactivity. Honestly, check the video review for all the details, otherwise this will be a novel not review.
Before I forget: Cost: Between admission / food, you can bring the family to Illumination without blowing the paycheck. Scroll down for price on my Thanksgiving Eve dinner (including signature cocktail w/ mug).
Expect to spend around 1 - 2 hours at Illumination. 2 visits 2024 / 2 in 2025, 1 1/2 hours minimum each time. Plus, you can miss something on the 1st or 2nd lap around. Even this year, 2nd visit, noticed obvious displays, details I missed opening weekend. Tip: unless you have kids going to bed early, get there around 6:30 on weekends. Staff does an excellent job with getting people in. Even opening weekend, line cleared in 15 minutes. Trust me, it went across front of ballpark.
Only part I am not thrilled with but completely understand. Walking in, you see a tree with white lights sponsored by Hotel Bethlehem. This was one of my suggestions last year. Great! Get the whole sponsorship thing. But... Bethlehem (lack of Christmas City review 2024) does not need the promotion. Plus, the tree looks boring like downtown Bethlehem. Something with blinking-colored lights would be great for intro / walking in.
You can purchase a combo Illumination / Christkindlmarkt ticket. Which leads to my main concern, Coca-Cola Park (2024) started at the very top. 2025? Did an incredible job of evolving. I hope they do not let ArtsQuest become involved in any way possible. ArtsQuest has a way of turning things into only about the money, most events almost pushing alcohol sales to achieve that goal. Perfect examples: They completely fucked up Musikfest. Octoberfest is mainly about the beer sales. Except for Friday evening, $14.50 (advance) just to walk into Christkindlmarkt.
Main suggestions: a few more vendors, seriously suggest Illumination to indie creators / Ice skating rink. Seriously, Illumination has everything for a perfect holiday experience! Including some add-ons, Hayride with Mrs. Claus / Carousel / Igloos and more. On a tight budget? Everything you can do for admission price easily makes the experience worth it.
Between downtown Philadelphia / Manhattan / Lehigh Valley, Illumination is my top holiday experience. Philly / Manhattan: several years. Price, including food / interactivity / incredible light displays / staff are the reasons. Everyone involved with Illumination has a part in seriously earning this review. Believe me, even during the holidays, no problem with a bad review, provided it is earned.
Scroll down for video review / photos / videos!!!!
You can go down to the field walk / train ride around the dirt track. Safety tip: Walking? Watch out for the train. Looking up a everything makes you feel a part of the experience vs. only watching it. Seriously adding to interactivity. Honestly, check the video review for all the details, otherwise this will be a novel not review.
Before I forget: Cost: Between admission / food, you can bring the family to Illumination without blowing the paycheck. Scroll down for price on my Thanksgiving Eve dinner (including signature cocktail w/ mug).
Expect to spend around 1 - 2 hours at Illumination. 2 visits 2024 / 2 in 2025, 1 1/2 hours minimum each time. Plus, you can miss something on the 1st or 2nd lap around. Even this year, 2nd visit, noticed obvious displays, details I missed opening weekend. Tip: unless you have kids going to bed early, get there around 6:30 on weekends. Staff does an excellent job with getting people in. Even opening weekend, line cleared in 15 minutes. Trust me, it went across front of ballpark.
Only part I am not thrilled with but completely understand. Walking in, you see a tree with white lights sponsored by Hotel Bethlehem. This was one of my suggestions last year. Great! Get the whole sponsorship thing. But... Bethlehem (lack of Christmas City review 2024) does not need the promotion. Plus, the tree looks boring like downtown Bethlehem. Something with blinking-colored lights would be great for intro / walking in.
You can purchase a combo Illumination / Christkindlmarkt ticket. Which leads to my main concern, Coca-Cola Park (2024) started at the very top. 2025? Did an incredible job of evolving. I hope they do not let ArtsQuest become involved in any way possible. ArtsQuest has a way of turning things into only about the money, most events almost pushing alcohol sales to achieve that goal. Perfect examples: They completely fucked up Musikfest. Octoberfest is mainly about the beer sales. Except for Friday evening, $14.50 (advance) just to walk into Christkindlmarkt.
Main suggestions: a few more vendors, seriously suggest Illumination to indie creators / Ice skating rink. Seriously, Illumination has everything for a perfect holiday experience! Including some add-ons, Hayride with Mrs. Claus / Carousel / Igloos and more. On a tight budget? Everything you can do for admission price easily makes the experience worth it.
Between downtown Philadelphia / Manhattan / Lehigh Valley, Illumination is my top holiday experience. Philly / Manhattan: several years. Price, including food / interactivity / incredible light displays / staff are the reasons. Everyone involved with Illumination has a part in seriously earning this review. Believe me, even during the holidays, no problem with a bad review, provided it is earned.
Scroll down for video review / photos / videos!!!!
Thanksgiving Eve dinner total:
Hot Dog: $3.00
Apple Dumpling: $5
Diet Coke: $4
Signature Cocktail including mug: $15
Plus tax of course.
video review
mini-tour
Field level and light show!
Field level
They do a great job with the line at 6 p.m.!
Had to get the full experience for article. Signature cocktail in one of the official mugs.
Quick tour walking in
Festival of Trees
Are you looking for a shipping solution? Maybe you need to change freight carriers? Find out what the hard working and reliable people at Team Worldwide can do over land, sea and air