What's the smell of Philadelphia?
A new set of candles out just in time for the holidays looks to capture several scents synonymous with the City of Brotherly Love.
What are the scents of Philadelphia?
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The Philadelphia Visitor Center Corporation unveiled its new Philadelphia Experiences Collection of "curated scents" care of a partnership with Salem County, New Jersey,-based Color & Flame on Monday, Nov. 11, 2024.
With no further ado -- lets see which smells will be tickling your noses, while paying tribute to Philly's diverse neighborhoods:
- Beautiful Day in the Gayborhood
- Boathouse Mornings
- Place Called the Plateau
- South Philly Sunday Dinner
- The Steps
- Wanamaker Holiday Light Show
What do the Philly candles smell like?
Each 7-ounce candle -- which should burn for 30 to 40 hours -- appears to come in a jar with a wooden lid that comes inside of a box.
In the news release for the candles, the visitor center folks gave no indication as to what each scent actually smells like. However, in photos provided by the PVCC, imagery gives you an idea, while leaving the exact scent up to your imagination.
Wanamaker Holiday Light Show features the iconic light show in teal and pink on the wrapper. The candle is wrapped in multi-colored jingle bells in front of gift bags in the photo supplied by organizers.
The Steps shows people doing their best "Rocky" impressions on the iconic Philadelphia Museum of Art's "Rocky Steps" in shades of purple and pink on the jar. The only hint of what the scent might include is a pair of red boxing gloves laced up behind the candle.
South Philly Sunday Dinner shows the brightly-colored orange-and-red-wrapped candle with tomatoes and olives along side a jar of gravy with a spoon leaning on it.
Place Called the Plateau shows trees and shades of blue and green on the jar. A photo shows the candle next to leaves, apples and a candle on top of red and white checkered picnic blanket.
Boathouse Mornings features images of Boathouse Row and the Schuylkill River in orange and blue on the label. The candle sits among flower buds in front of an oar.
Beautiful Day in the Gayborhood might be the toughest to gauge the scent of as the only clues given in the supplied photos is of the pink and red label showing 13th Street wrapping the candle while it sits on top of multi-colored dots and in front of a Pride flag.
Want a chance to get a first whiff?
The Philadelphia Visitor Center Corporation plans to hold a "Candle Catwalk" at the Liberty View at Independence Visitor Center (5999 Market Street) on Wednesday Nov. 13, 2024, starting at 4 p.m. to show off the new scents.
"The fun-filled runway show will celebrate the launch of the collection in style with 'model' appearances from local ambassadors," the visitor center said in a news release. "Guests will also be invited to join us for a 'scent test,' where they will be challenged to blindly match the fragrance to the candles."
The first 20 folks to correctly guess the scents on Nov. 13 get to take home a candle, organizers said.
How do you buy scented Philly candles?
The Philadelphia Experiences Collection start at $32 a piece individually, with discounted bundles available, PVCC said. They are being sold at the PVCC's four locations:
- Independence Visitor Center (599 Market Street)
- LOVE Park Visitor Center (1569 JFK Blvd.)
- Parkway Visitor Center (2501 Benjamin Franklin Parkway)
- City Hall Visitor Center (1400 JFK Blvd, Room 121)
"Candles can also be purchased for a limited time at the Philadelphia Visitor Center Corporation booth at the Christmas Village in Philadelphia from November 23 – December 24, 2024 at City Hall," the PVCC said.
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