Fireworks, Concerts and Fun Dazzles for Two Weeks in Philadelphia

Fireworks, Concerts and Fun Dazzles for Two Weeks in Philadelphia

Three Fireworks Shows And Concerts By The Roots, Goo Goo Dolls, Philadelphia Orchestra, Peter Nero And The Philly Pops Make Philly The Place To Be For Independence Day

PHILADELPHIA, June 9 /PRNewswire/ -- Philadelphia, the city where America's independence was born, is the best place to celebrate Independence Day. During the nine-day Wawa Welcome America! Festival, June 26 through July 5, visitors will enjoy a flag-waving parade through Historic Philadelphia, three dazzling fireworks displays and three free concerts with the Philadelphia Orchestra, Peter Nero and the Philly Pops and the nation's largest free outdoor Fourth of July concert featuring The Roots and the Goo Goo Dolls.

(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20100609/PH18321 )
(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20100609/PH18321 )

With so much happening before, during and after Independence Day, the popular Philly Overnight® Hotel Package makes it easy for families to make it a weekend - or two. The two-night offer, available at more than 30 hotels throughout the region, includes free hotel parking and is bookable on visitphilly.com or by calling the hotel directly.

Here are just a few highlights of the celebration:

The Pre-Independence Day Party:
-- Taste of Philadelphia - A favorite of foodies, Taste of Philadelphia
returns for the fifth year, with more some of the city's most popular
eateries serving up their specialties. Free admission; fees for food
samples. June 25-27. Great Plaza at Penn's Landing, Columbus Boulevard
at Chestnut Street, (215) 683-2200, welcomeamerica.com
-- Waterfront Concert and Fireworks Display - After Morris Day and the
Time kick it old school-style, the first of three breathtaking
fireworks shows--presented by the Delaware River Waterfront
Corporation and themed Heat--lights up the skies above the Delaware
River. Free. June 26. Great Plaza at Penn's Landing, Columbus
Boulevard at Chestnut Street, (215) 683-2200, welcomeamerica.com
-- Wawa Hoagie Day and Philly @ the Movies - It's double the delight when
these Philly classics team up. Grab a piece of the quarter-mile-long
Wawa hoagie and enjoy live music, contests and other iconic Philly
treats. Then give your best "Yo Adrian" for the Rocky look-alike
contest that precedes the movie showing of the Oscar-winning film on
the steps that Rocky made famous. Free. June 30. Philadelphia Museum
of Art, 26th Street & the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, (215) 683-2200,
welcomeamerica.com

Fourth of July Weekend Festivities:
-- Liberty 360 - The newest addition to Historic Philadelphia, Liberty
360 surrounds visitors as they discover the nation's symbols of
freedom with the help of narrator Benjamin Franklin. Inside the 360°
theater, the groundbreaking, 12-minute indoor show uses the most
modern 3-D technology of its kind to spotlight the most treasured
American value--liberty. Opens July 4 Weekend. Historic Philadelphia
Center, 6th & Chestnut Streets, (215) 629-4026,
historicphiladelphia.org.
-- Pops on Independence - To start the Independence Day weekend, freedom
lovers grab their blankets and picnics and head to Independence Mall
for an alfresco performance by Peter Nero and the Philly Pops. Free.
July 2. Between 5th & 6th Streets and Market & Chestnut Streets, (215)
409-6700, constitutioncenter.org
-- Philadelphia Orchestra, Philly Phanatic and Fireworks at Penn's
Landing - The world-famous Philadelphia Orchestra kicks off its free
waterside concert with the Philly Phanatic acting as guest conductor
for the first number. After the music, catch dazzling fireworks
display presented by the Delaware River Waterfront Corporation. Free.
July 3. Great Plaza at Penn's Landing, Columbus Boulevard at Chestnut
Street, (215) 683-2200, welcomeamerica.com
-- Super Scooper All-You-Can-Eat Ice Cream Festival - Forget about
calories. A $5 donation gets you all-you-can-eat buffet of the coolest
summer treat. July 3-5. Great Plaza at Penn's Landing, Columbus
Boulevard at Chestnut Street, (215) 683-2200, welcomeamerica.com
-- Independence Day Parade - What's red, white and blue all over? The
old-time Fourth of July parade that winds through Historic
Philadelphia. Don't miss Miss America, Salute to the Military, the DC
Cowboys Dance Troupe from America's Got Talent, marching bands, Asian
drummers and an attempt by Marine Colonel John Folsam to break the
Guinness World Record by high-fiving more than 6,000 hands along the
parade route. Free. July 4. Market Street, (215) 683-2200,
welcomeamerica.com
-- Life, Liberty and You Concert and Fireworks - Cap off Independence Day
weekend at the nation's largest free outdoor Fourth of July concert
featuring The Roots, the Goo Goo Dolls and an eye-popping,
jaw-dropping, light-up-the-sky fireworks display, themed Land of the
Free and the Home of the Brave. Free. July 4. Benjamin Franklin
Parkway between 18th & 23rd Streets, (215) 683-2200,
welcomeamerica.com

The City's Post-Fourth Of July Glow:
-- Hot on the heels of two spectacular seasons, the Philadelphia Phillies
are in town the week of July 5. On July 5, fans can enjoy all the hot
dogs they want during Dollar Dog Night, and the games on July 8 and 9
feature fireworks. 1 Citizens Bank Way, (215) 463-1000, phillies.com
-- Even after the last fireworks have faded, Philadelphia still isn't
done. On July 8, the anniversary celebration of the first public
reading of the Declaration of Independence includes a live reading and
festivities at Independence Hall. After July 12, the tower of the
historic building will go behind a decorative scrim for a 14-month
restoration. July 8. 5th & Chestnut Streets, (215) 965-2305,
nps.gov/inde
-- The Egyptian pharaohs were a far cry from the American Founding
Fathers, and that's a good thing. An expedition thousands of years in
the making, the stunning Cleopatra: The Search for the Last Queen of
Egypt at The Franklin Institute reveals some of the secrets of the
world's most legendary queen. 222 N. 20th Street, (215) 448-1200,
fi.edu
-- Visitors discover how the masters expressed their artistic freedom at
the Philadelphia Museum of Art's Late Renoir, which includes 80
masterpieces by August Renoir along with Matisse, Picasso and others
whose talents were influenced by the groundbreaking impressionist.
26th & Benjamin Franklin Parkway, (215) 763-8100, philamuseum.org

The Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation (GPTMC) makes Philadelphia and The Countryside® a premier destination through marketing and image building that increases business and promotes the region's vitality.

For more information about travel to Philadelphia, visit visitphilly.com or uwishunu.com, where you can build itineraries; search event calendars; see photos and videos; view interactive maps; sign up for newsletters; listen to HearPhilly, an online radio station about what to see and do in the region; book hotel reservations and more. Or, call the Independence Visitor Center, located in Historic Philadelphia, at (800) 537-7676.

Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20100609/PH18321
AP Archive: http://photoarchive.ap.org/
AP PhotoExpress Network: PRN6
PRN Photo Desk, photodesk@prnewswire.com
http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20100609/PH18321
Source: Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation

CONTACT: Cara Schneider, +1-215-599-0789, cara@gptmc.com, or Eric
Cortes, +1-215-599-0790, ecortes@gptmc.com

Web Site: http://www.visitphilly.com/

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