Christmas Village going up in Love Park

Workers are setting up for Christmas Village, which has been moved to Love Park this year due to planned construction at Dilworth Plaza.

From Thanksgiving through Christmas Eve, vendors in more than 50 wooden booths will sell traditional European food and drinks, along with jewelry and other trinkets. The outdoor holiday market was located in Dilworth Plaza for the past two years, but major renovations are expected to begin this week at the plaza, which is currently the site of Occupy Philadelphia’s tent city.

To accommodate the wooden booths in Love Park, the benches have been removed and the holiday tree has been set up in the fountain.

Last year, the outdoor market became a national story when city officials replaced the word “Christmas” with “Holiday” on several signs due to a complaint, but changed it back after being widely criticized by residents and pundits alike, including Fox’s Bill O’Reilly.

The village is modeled after traditional Christmas markets in Germany. While the market will open next Thursday, the grand opening is scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 26.