My obsession with the soundtrack of Hamilton the Musical has me feeling the need to want to know more about the history of America. As a native Philadelphian, I’m always filled with pride that my city celebrates Independence Day with a BANG. This year the tradition continues when The Delaware River Waterfront Corporation (DRWC) and Wawa Welcome America! kick off Philadelphia’s Independence Day celebration with two concerts on July 1 & 2, each followed by elaborate fireworks shows coordinated to a musical soundtrack. Make it a weekend on the waterfront by visiting Spruce Street Harbor Park and Blue Cross RiverRink Summerfest!
STAR-SPANGLED WEEKEND LINE-UP
THURSDAY JUNE 30, 8:30PM-10:30PM
Wawa Welcome America’s Philly at the Movies as part of Screening Under the Stars
Join us for a special screening of National Treasure to kick-off our Star Spangled Weekend on the Waterfront. This special movie screening is part of the Wawa Welcome America Philly at the Movies, and is the official start of the weekly Screening Under the Stars free movie series.
FRIDAY JULY 1, 8PM-10PM, FIREWORKS BEGIN AT 9:30PM
The Philadelphia Orchestra Neighborhood Concert presented by Wells Fargo and Wawa Welcome America! Fireworks presented by Comcast NBCUniversal & Pyrotecnico
The Philadelphia Orchestra returns to the RiverStage on the Great Plaza for a ninth season to present another FREE Neighborhood Concert, presented by Wells Fargo, in partnership with the Delaware River Waterfront Corporation. The concert, part of the Wawa Welcome America! Festival, will be led by the Orchestra’s assistant conductor, Lio Kuokman, and will feature patriotic favorites in honor of the country’s 240th birthday. The concert will be followed by a fireworks display. Seating is general admission and first come, first served. Tickets are not required.
SATURDAY JULY 2, 8PM-10PM, FIREWORKS BEGIN AT 9:30PM
The United States Army Band, “Pershing’s Own” and Wawa Welcome America! Fireworks presented by Comcast NBCUniversal & Pyrotecnico
The United States Army Band, one of the nation’s premier musical organizations, returns to the Great Plaza at Penn’s Landing for an evening full of rousing, patriotic music followed by the second of two fireworks celebration Independence Day Weekend.
FIREWORKS SOUNDTRACK
The fireworks begin at 9:30pm. The fireworks soundtrack will be broadcast throughout Penn’s Landing and also carried on KYW Newsradio 1060AM. The July 1 soundtrack will be a salute to the Philadelphia Orchestra, and the July 2 soundtrack is a tribute to the sounds of Philadelphia.
PLACES TO WATCH THE FIREWORKS ON THE WATERFRONT
The fireworks will be set off a barge in the middle of the Delaware River by Penn’s Landing. There are many spots along the waterfront to enjoy the fireworks with friends and family.
Great Plaza
The concerts will take place on the RiverStage, so the Great Plaza is a central location to enjoy the live music and fireworks.
Blue Cross RiverRink Summerfest
Just North of the Great Plaza, Blue Cross RiverRink is a fun and convenient location to watch the fireworks. Skate around the Rink, play a round of mini-golf, and crack crabs at Chickie’s and Pete’s Waterfront Crabshack. Best view is on skates!
Independence Seaport Museum
Independence Seaport Museum members & guests are invited to view the fireworks display from the outdoor terrace of the Museum facing the river. Space is limited, so please register to reserve your place today! Free to all Museum members; $16 for non-members. Click here for ticket information.
Spruce Street Harbor Park and Penn’s Landing Marina
South of the Great Plaza and Seaport Museum, the Marina and floating barges at Spruce Street Harbor Park presented by Univest/Valley Green Bank are two convenient places to enjoy the fireworks. Open 7 days a week, including all holidays.
Race Street Pier
Watch the fireworks over the water next to the Ben Franklin Bridge on Race Street Pier.
The festival will be broadcast on NBC10, Telemundo62, Cozi TV, TCN, and TeleXitos. Events will also be live-streamed on the NBC10 and Telemundo62 websites. Festival guides that will help residents and visitors navigate the events throughout the week will live on the NBC10 and Telemundo62 mobile apps.
DIRECTIONS
The waterfront can be accessed via car, RiverLink Ferry, public transit, bike and walking. For more detailed information, please see the website.
RIVERLINK FERRY
The RiverLink Ferry System provides daily transportation to local attractions on the Camden and Philadelphia waterfronts. Visit the website for more information.
CONTACT
Website: www.delawareriverwaterfront.com
Facebook: Delaware River Waterfront
Twitter: @DelRiverWfront
Instagram: Delaware River Waterfront
ABOUT YOUR HOSTS:
Welcome America Inc.
Welcome America, Inc. is a 501c3 non-profit organization founded in 1993 with a mission to produce Philadelphia’s official July 4th celebration with free events for residents and visitors. The festival is produced in partnership with the City of Philadelphia. Welcome America Inc. has produced this official July 4th commemoration for the City of Philadelphia since 1993. For more information, please visit welcomeamerica.com. Join the conversation by liking us on Facebook (Facebook.com/WawaWelcomeAmerica) and following us on Twitter and Instagram
(@July4thPhilly) #JULY4THPHILLY.
Delaware River Waterfront Corporation
DRWC is a 501(c)(3) created in January 2009, exclusively for the benefit of the City of Philadelphia and its citizens. The fundamental purpose of DRWC is to design, develop, program and maintain public amenities such as permanent and seasonal parks, trails, and streetscape improvements to transform the waterfront into a vibrant destination for recreational, cultural, and commercial activities for the residents and visitors of Philadelphia as is consistent with the goals of the Master Plan for Central Delaware. Daily programming throughout the entire year is changing the way Philadelphians see and converse about the waterfront, and is helping to create spaces and communities that connect residents and visitors to the waterfront.
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