SummerTime Madness: 5 Ways to Kick off Your Summer Fun in Philadelphia
“Summer, summer, summertime, time to sit back and unwind…”
That’s right, Philadelphia, take it from The Fresh Prince himself – summertime is here and that means it’s time to chill out! We are definitely ready to spend some time down the shore admiring the ocean, scarfing down some boardwalk pizza, and sipping ice-cold, fruit-infused beverages. Even though we understand the urge to escape the city during the hot summer months, there’s also so much that we can’t wait to experience right here in our backyards, from festivals and shows to markets and citywide celebrations. We couldn’t wait to share some of our favorite Philly summer events with you because we know they’re going to be a blast! So before you jump into that endless line of beach traffic, think about sticking around (at least for a few weekends) and partying with us!
- The Oval
Opening in Mid July smack dab in the middle of the Ben Franklin Parkway and right in front of our iconic (and majestic) Philadelphia Museum of Art, The Oval is the most dynamic and adorable pop-up park around. This year, The Oval is really bringing it with a wide array of events, installations, movies, presentations, and a big ol’ dollop of nonstop family fun. Keep yourself up to date on all of the hubbub at theovalphl.org and we will see you there for some major fun! While you’re at it, you can even check out one of the endless cultural institutions that line our insanely beautiful Parkway!
- Blue Cross RiverRink Summerfest
The Blue Cross RiverRink, located on the sunwashed banks of the Delaware River in Center City, offers a boatload of summer fun with a skating rink, kid-friendly attractions, food and drink, rides, minigolf, and a stacked schedule of fun events including the free Blue Cross RiverRink Summerfest. Take a look at the RiverRink’s event schedule and keep up on this rockin’ and rollin’ funscape. You may even see Mike McCann whipping around the rink, showing off his skating skills!
- Spruce Street Harbor Park
The Spruce Street Harbor Park has definitely become a Philly favorite in recent years, and for good reason. First off, this place is simply radiant. It shines from the waterfront with a spectacular light show that complements the natural landscape while providing hammocks, games, food stands, a boardwalk, and numerous other attractions, all combining to delight the senses and bring out everyone’s childlike enthusiasm. And guess what? The Harbor Park has a limitless event schedule for children and adults (and, of course, childish adults). Check out their event schedule at delawareriverwaterfront.com and get ready to shop, party, and boogie the night away at this surreal attraction.
(- Festival Season
Ahhhhhhhhhhh yesssss! Festival season is upon us, and that means SO MUCH MUSIC. Philadelphia has always been a musical powerhouse, pumping out legend after legend and raging across the city every night of the week. Now we get to see all of our amazing local artists, as well as quite a few out of town visitors, all of whom are guaranteed to bring the noise. Go to the Made in America Festival for acts like Philly’s own dreamchaser extraordinaire, Meek ”I run my city from South Philly back to Uptown” Mill, Nicki Minaj, Post Malone, and tons of other headliners. The Philadelphia Folk Festival will get a little bit country, a little bit hippie dippie, and a little bit bluegrass, and The Xponential Music Festival will be serving up a diverse and exciting blend of musicians with its impressive lineup. My friends, get out there and dance!
- Fourth of July on the Parkway- Wawa Welcome America
Philly baby! Not only are we SUPERBOWL CHAMPIONS, but in case you forgot, we are also the HOME OF INDEPENDENCE! This may ring a bell (pun intended) but The City of Brotherly Love kicked off this whole ‘forming a nation’ deal around, oh, say, 1776. Now, we don’t mean to gloat, but I’ve heard it was declared rather loudly by some pretty influential dudes (you may have seen them printed on just a few of your dollar bills).
In respectable Philly fashion, we will be kicking off The Fourth right with The Welcome America Festival, sponsored by the staple of most of our diets, Wawa. WaWa Welcome America will feature a week of free events, culminating in a massive party on the Parkway featuring a free Pitbull concert. Now, I don’t know why the obvious choice, The Roots, weren’t able to make it, but I hope we can expect a guest appearance from these true Philadelphia legends. We can dream, right? Hop on over to welcomeamerica.com to get the full scoop on how the greatest city in the world is going to rock this Independence Day. C’mon Philly, let’s show ‘em how it’s done! World Champions, baby!
That is it for now, Philadelphia, but that is definitely not all! Check back with us as we get up close and personal with Philly events all summer long. Before you think about jetting off to Jersey, make sure you see what’s popping off in Philly! You may not want to miss it!
