Philadelphia 4th of July – 2012 Guide to Fourth of July Festivities & Fireworks
‘Your Cheat Sheet to 4th of July Events in Philly’
Fourth of July is fast approaching and it’s always been a great time to spend time with family, friends, and loved ones.
4th of July is a day when we celebrate the signing of the Declaration of Independence which took place on July 4, 1776, declaring independence from the Kingdom of Great Britain. The City of Philadelphia is where it all began, to where the Declaration of Independence was adopted at Independence Hall, and is the birthplace of this wonderful country.
Many celebrate 4th of July with barbecues, fireworks, parades, picnics, concerts, baseball games, family reunions, political speeches and ceremonies. With the help of the City of Philadelphia and Wawa Welcome America, you will be in for a major treat and will be able to experience all that has been mentioned above.
The events in Philadelphia start on June 25 and end on July 4, which is the big day for many of us.
Fireworks in Philadelphia
- June 25 – Philadelphia Phillies Game – Playing the Pittsburgh Pirates at Citizen’s Bank Park, starting at 7 pm. Fireworks will be after the game, around 9:30 pm or so.
- June 26 – Philadelphia Phillies Game – Playing the Pittsburgh Pirates at Citizen’s Bank Park, starting at 7 pm. Fireworks will be after the game, around 9:30 pm or so.
- June 30 – Free fireworks display at Penn’s Landing on 301 S. Columbus Blvd sometime after 9 pm. This event is sponsored by Adventure Aquarium, illuminating the sky over the Delaware River.
- July 4 – Fireworks display over the Philadelphia Museum of Art sometime around 10 pm.
Activities and Events in Philly
- June 25 – “Go 4th & learn about history” – Kick off the 4th of July celebration at Franklin Square which starts at 10 am. Story telling for both young children and adults.
- June 25 – Philly at the Movies – A movie featuring the Great Gatsby at Rittenhouse Square. Starting at 9 pm, enjoy this free family-friendly movie.
- June 26 – Philly at the Movies – One of our favorites, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, held the Piazza at Schmidts in Northern Liberties at 9 pm.
- June 27 – Wawa Hoagie Day and the theme is ‘Stars, Stripes, and Hoagies Forever’ – 12 pm to 2 pm. Come join Philadelphia Mayor Michael Nutter, Wawa Associates, Philadelphia police officers, firefighters, and branches of the military at the Independence Visitor Center Lawn at Independence National Historical Park to honor our troops. Wawa Associates will serve up the largest hoagie yet, a true Hoagie of Heroic proportions weighing more than 3 tons!
- June 27 – Philly at the Movies – What would 4th of July not be like without our very own “Rocky”. Come watch this movie on the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art starting at 9 pm.
- June 28 – Go 4th & learn about the Mummers – Get a chance to learn about the history and culture of what takes place on New Year’s Eve day at the Mummers Museum, from 10 am to 12 pm.
- June 29 – Taste of Philadelphia Kickoff – Featuring Jazz & Blues on the Waterfront at Penn’s Landing – This free 3-day event starts at 5 pm on the 29th and ends July 1st at 7 pm. You get a chance to listen to some of the best musicians that the city has to offer, with food vendors and restaurants offering bite-sized dishes at discounts. Day 2 will end with fireworks.
- June 30 – Taste of Philadelphia – From 11 am to 10 pm. Come enjoy great food from local truck vendors, free entertainment, and ending with live fireworks. Held at Penn’s Landing on 301 S. Columbus Blvd.
- July 1 – Super Scopper All-You-Can-Eat Ice Cream Festival – $7 admission. Come enjoy this ice cream buffet benefiting the Joshua Kahan Fund, fighting to cure pediatric cancer. Event held at Walnut West Parking Lot, at Columbus Blvd. and Walnut Street.
- July 3 – Mural Arts Paint Day – From 2 pm to 5 pm. Everyone of all ages are invited to join the Philadelphia Mural Arts Program and help them paint the newest edition to the city’s mural collections- a design honoring The Roots. Held at Independence Mall at Independence National Historical Park.
- July 4 – Celebration of Freedom Ceremony – Taking place at the steps of Independence Hall (10 am – 11 am). For an hour you get a celebration of music, inspiring remarks and a reading of excerpts from the Declaration of Independence, amongst other special things.
- July 4 – Philadelphia Independence Day Parade – Through Historic Philadelphia from 11 am to 12:30 pm. This year’s parade features a “Heroes Salute” honoring the 10th Anniversary of 9/11. There will be 5,000 participants to include marching bands, floats, military organizations and several special performing teams. ~ Parade Route ~
- July 4 – Party on the Parkway – From 12 pm – 7 pm on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, from 20th Street to Eakins Oval. There will be blocks of exciting and educational activities, games, entertainment and food for the whole family.
- July 4 – Philly 4th of July Jam & Grande Finale Fireworks – From 7 pm to 10 pm. The 10-day long celebration ends up with live music for 3 hours and then top off the night with a fireworks dispaly over the Philadelphia Museum of Art. This will be featured as the largest free concert in America with such performers mentioned above.
For all events associated with Wawa Welcome America, please go to their events section. – Click Here
We want to leave you with this quote from Mayor Nutter, telling us what 4th of July means to him and to the City of Philadelphia;
“I think the 4th of July is really about celebrating freedom. It’s about recognizing our independence as a nation. For Philadelphians, it reminds us that our great city is the birthplace of freedom, liberty and democracy in the United States of America. We should all reflect on the deeper meaning of this day and make sure we don’t take our freedoms for granted. Freedom is not free. It must be protected. You have to fight for it. And of course, this City is the best place to celebrate the 4th of July. It’s about fun, but it’s also about freedom.”
Celebrating Our Freedom! We at MyPhillyAlive wish you all a fantastic 4th of July and enjoying the many activities and festivals leading up to our Nations birthday. Happy 4th of July!
If you missed our previous article regarding 4th of July in Philly and about Wawa America, please check this article out. 4th of July 2012 in Philadelphia at the Philadelphia Museum of Art & Philly Events from June 25 – July 4
To keep up with the 4th of July events in Philadelphia on Twitter, please follow #MyPhillyAlive and #July4thPhilly for news and updates about Wawa Welcome America!
Location
Locations will vary during the 10-day event
Days
June 25 – July 4
Cost
Mostly Free, depending on the event
Web Site
picture – Credit G. Widman for GPTMC
Follow Us!