What to Know
- Philadelphia is lifting its remaining COVID-19 restrictions on June 11, allowing for the return of popular events.
- Many music, art and food festivals will return outdoors or in a hybrid format this summer.
- Events will require varying degrees of COVID-19 safety protocols, such as wearing facial coverings and social distancing from others.
With Philadelphia set to lift remaining COVID-19 restrictions on June 11, many festivals, concerts and outdoor events will return to the Delaware Valley summer.
Visitors and locals can explore new exhibits at some of the city’s most popular museums (which returned to full capacity on May 21) and watch their favorite sports teams play live as stadiums return to full capacity. Many music, art and food festivals will return outdoors or in a hybrid format, including the first-ever outdoor edition of the Philadelphia Flower Show.
But keep in mind: Events will require varying degrees of COVID-19 safety protocols, such as wearing facial coverings and social distancing from others.
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Here is a list of some happenings worth putting on your calendar.
Festivals and Special Events Return, Some Before Summer Officially Begins
The PHS Philadelphia Flower Show — The nation’s largest and oldest horticultural event will open outdoors for the first time in 192 years. The show will incorporate the landscapes of FDR Park in South Philadelphia, where it is scheduled to take place from June 5 to June 13.
Where: in FDR Park at Pattison Avenue and South Broad Street, Philadelphia
Hours: Saturday, June 5, 8 a.m. - 5 p.m., Sunday, June 6 - Sunday, June 13, 10 a.m. - 7 p.m.
Hand to Hand Circus Festival — This two-week festival will feature contemporary circus acts such as acrobatics, juggling, clowning and aerials. The live performances will take place both indoors and outdoors in a socially distant manner from June 3 to June 13 by the Philadelphia Waterfront.
Where: 140 N. Columbus Blvd. (at Race St.) Philadelphia
Hours: Check the website for details.
Philadelphia Juneteenth Parade & Festival — Juneteenth Philly will host a series of events including the Philadelphia Juneteenth Freedom Day Float House Competition and the Juneteenth Freedom Day March along 52nd Street, but the actual parade has been canceled due to COVID-19 restrictions.
Where: Philadelphia
Hours: June 19
Check the website for updated information.
Manayunk Arts Festival — The tri-state area’s largest outdoor, juried art festival will return to Manayunk on Saturday, June 26, and Sunday, June 27. The festival will feature ceramics, photography, jewelry and more from artists across the country. Festival-goers can also enjoy food and live music.
Where: Main Street, Philadelphia
Hours: Saturday, June 26, 11 a.m. - 7 p.m. and Sunday, June 27, 11 a.m - 6 p.m.
Wawa Welcome America — Philadelphians can celebrate the Fourth of July in America’s birthplace with a week of events, including a free concert. Previous headliners include Jennifer Hudson, Pitbull and Philadelphia’s own The Roots. Other activities have included hoagie-eating contests, block parties and movie screenings. The event culminates with a fireworks display over the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Last year, Wawa Welcome America included over 50 free online events and a live-streamed concert with performances by Broadway actress Cynthia Erivo, the Jazz Orchestra of Philadelphia and R&B singer Jason Derulo.
Check the website for updated information.
Blue Cross RiverRink Summerfest — Visitors can enjoy outdoor roller skating, boardwalk games, rides and mini-golf at the Philadelphia Waterfront all summer long. Outdoor concessionaires will be selling classic food items such as cheesesteaks, Crabfries, funnel cake and summer cocktails. Blue Cross RiverRink Summerfest is open seven days a week.
Where: 101 S Columbus Blvd., Philadelphia
Hours: May 7- Sept. 26. Check the website for details.
Philadelphia Folk Festival — Established and upcoming musicians will perform at the 60th annual festival which will take place both virtually and in-person in Upper Salford Township, Pennsylvania. The festival will include music, workshops and activities, for all ages.
Where: 1323 Salford Station Rd., Neiffer
Hours: Aug. 19-22. Check the website for more details.
Grab a Drink and Food
Philly Beer Week — From June 4 to 13, Philly Beer Week will make its return after skipping last year due to COVID-19. The ten-day festival will feature events across the city including dinners, beer releases and educational opportunities. With the tagline “It’s Essential,” the festival hopes to stimulate the local economy and bring servers, bartenders and kitchen staff back to work.
Where: Philadelphia
Hours: June 4 to 13. Check the website for details.
Parks on Tap — This traveling beer garden will hold pop-ups in various parks throughout Philadelphia. Each park and location is selected by Philadelphia parks & Recreation and FCM Hospitality to highlight the offerings of city parks. Parks on Tap currently has two pop-up locations along the Schuylkill River.
Where: Water Works at 640 Waterworks Dr. and Trails End at Schuylkill River Trail via South St Ramp, South St & S 27th St.
Hours: Check the website for details.
Terrace on Tap — Another pop-up, Terrace on Tap offers local brews, specialty cocktails and small bites on the outdoor, second-floor of the Independence Visitor Center. The dining experience offers panoramic views of Independence Mall and will be open for reservations from late May to mid-June.
Where: 599 Market Street, Philadelphia
Hours: Check the website for details.
Museums Open to Full Capacity
Philadelphia Zoo — The Philadelphia Zoo in Fairmount Park is open daily with time reservations required for all visitors. This summer, the Zoo is hosting the exhibit BIG TIME: Life in an Endangerous Age, which features 24 life-size, animatronic creatures including the T-Rex and Woolly Mammoth. Visitors can also enjoy prehistoric-themed food at the new DINO-mite dining location.
Where: 3400 W Girard Ave., Philadelphia
Hours: Daily, 9:30 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Franklin Institute — The Science Museum in Center City is open from Wednesday to Sunday, with advanced ticket purchases highly recommended due to reduced capacity. A special display, “Crayola IDEAworks: The Creativity Exhibition” will be open until July 18. The exhibit features family-friendly games and problem-solving activities in collaboration with Crayola.
Where: 222 N 20th St., Philadelphia
Hours: Wednesday - Friday 10 a.m. - 5 p.m., Saturday and Sunday 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.
The Barnes Foundation — The Barnes is open from Friday to Monday in Center City, with a new exhibition focused on the affinities between the works of Chaïm Soutine and Willem de Kooning showing through Aug. 8. The exhibition, Soutine / de Kooning: Conversations in Paint, is in its world premiere and only showing in the United States.
Where: 2025 Benjamin Franklin Parkway, Philadelphia
Hours: Friday - Monday, 11 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Live Music Is Back
Ellen Reid SOUNDWALK — Fairmount Park is now home to a GPS-enabled piece of public art by Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Ellen Reid. The music is designed specifically for Fairmount Park to highlight the natural environment and encourage calm reflection. Visitors can experience SOUNDWALK through a free mobile app while following social distancing guidelines.
Where: 1 Boathouse Row, Philadelphia
Hours: Launches June 4
West Philly Porchfest — On June 5, West Philadelphia residents will host their annual “do-it-yourself musical festival” with musicians playing free shows on porches throughout the neighborhood. The festival aims to celebrate West Philadelphia’s musical and cultural diversity.
Where: West Philadelphia. Check the website for details.
Hours: June 5, 12 p.m. - 6 p.m.
The Mann Center — The Mann is hosting a number of bands and musicians in their outdoor music venue in Fairmount Park this summer. Brothers Osborne is coming on July 29, followed by the Goo Goo Dolls on Aug. 21 and Wilco and Sleater-Kinney on Aug. 22. HoagieNation 2021 on Aug. 7 will feature Daryl Hall and John Oates, as well as free hoagie tastings, food trucks, local craft beer and spirits.
Where: 5201 Parkside Ave., Fairmount Park, Philadelphia
Hours: Check the website for details.
BB&T Pavilion — Camden’s outdoor concert venue is hosting a number of notable musicians throughout the summer. Luke Bryan is performing on Aug. 8, followed by Jimmy Buffet on Aug. 8. Later in the month, James Taylor is performing on Aug. 25, with a concert by Alanis Morisette the following day.
Where: 1 Harbour Blvd., Camden, NJ
Hours: Check the website for details.
XPoNential Music Festival — WXPN’s annual music festival will feature Dawes, Los Lobos, The Record Company and Shovels and Rope. The festival will take place from Sept. 17 to Sept. 19 on the Camden Waterfront.
Where: Wiggins Waterfront Park, 2 Riverside Dr., Camden, NJ
Hours: Sept. 17 to Sept. 19. Check the website for details.
Firefly — The annual music festival will feature headliner Billie Eilish, The Killers, Tame Impala and Lizzo. The lineup features more than 120 bands across seven stages. The festival is scheduled to take place in Dover, Delaware at the end of September.
Where: 1131 N Dupont Hwy, Dover, DE
Hours: Sept. 23 to Sept. 26. Set times will be released in the weeks leading up to the Festival.
Back to the Ballpark, Arena, Stadium
Philadelphia Phillies Home Games — The Phillies play at Citizens Bank Park through Oct. 3 (hopefully later with a playoff run). The park will return to full capacity in June but a small number of seating pods will be available for fans who prefer to remain socially distanced. Tailgating in the lots near the stadium will return on June 12.
Where: 1 Citizens Bank Way, Philadelphia
Hours: Check the website for details.
Philadelphia Union Home Games — Major League Soccer returned in early April and will continue through November with 34 regular season matches. Subaru Park, Philadelphia Union’s home stadium, will open at full capacity on June 23.
Where: 1 Stadium Dr, Chester
Hours: Check the website for details.
Philadelphia 76ers Home Games — The Sixers secured a spot in the NBA Playoffs and will play their first game on Sunday at home against the Washington Wizards. Home games will take place at the Wells Fargo Center and could continue through July (fingers crossed) depending on how deep of a playoff run the 76ers make.
Where: 3601 S Broad St., Philadelphia
