Annual Events & Festivals - Annual Events
No matter what time of year you’re here, Philly is Party Central. Whether the theme is ethnic, cultural, culinary, athletic, patriotic, or just plain fun, there’s always some sort of celebration going on. I only have space to list a small sampling of the annual events, but to get the year-round, up-to-the-minute scoop, check the Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation’s (GTMC) website (visitphilly.com), Philly’s blog (uwishunu.com), call (215-599-0776), or listen to the city’s online radio station (visitphilly.com/hear-philly). If there is no specific phone number listed for an event, contact the GTMC. Some events offer discounts on tickets purchased in advance and/or online. Check the specific event websites for details.
Annual Events & Festivals - Annual Events
Pennsylvania Dutch Country is all about tradition, so it’s no surprise that numerous annual events held here have their roots in decades, generations, and even centuries past. This is just a sampling of don’t-miss celebrations and commemorations that keep the history and spirit of this area so fresh and alive. Many more are highlighted in other chapters of this book. (In October, there are so many Halloween events, from family-friendly to blood-curdling, that I can’t even begin to list them. Check on the Pennsylvania Dutch Country and Hershey websites for details.)
1. Mummers Parade
City: Philadelphia, PA
Category: Annual Events & Festivals
Telephone: (215) 683-3622
Description: You have to see it to believe it, and you’ll only see it in Philly. Every year, more than 10,000 marchers don their most ostentatious outfits (sequins, beads, and other dazzlers as well as feathers are de rigueur) and strut through the city streets to the string band sounds of “O Dem Golden Slippers.” Ask about tickets for bleacher seats and for special pre- and post-parade shows (all of these require paid tickets).
2. Chinese New Year
City: Philadelphia, PA
Category: Annual Events & Festivals
Description: Gung Hay Fat Choy—Happy New Year! Chinatown is the only place to be when lions and dragons take to the street, fireworks light the skies, and a 10-course authentic banquet at the Chinese Cultural Center will fill you up enough to last the rest of the year.
3. Philadelphia International Auto Show
City: Philadelphia, PA
Category: Annual Events & Festivals
Telephone: (610) 279-5229
Description: All show, no sell, so you can take your time feasting your eyes on (and even sitting inside of) hundreds of the automotive industry’s latest and future concepts and creations. One dollar of every ticket sold is donated to The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.
4. Manayunk On Ice
City: Philadelphia, PA
Category: Annual Events & Festivals
Telephone: (215) 482-9565
Description: This National Ice Carving Association–sanctioned 3-day event features more than 15 top competitive ice carvers from around the country creating themed sculptures of all sizes.
5. Philadelphia Flower Show
City: Philadelphia, PA
Category: Annual Events & Festivals
Telephone: (215) 988-8899
Description: Founded in 1827, the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society (PHS) was the first organization of its kind in the nation, ditto for its flower show, which began 2 years later and blossomed into the largest indoor flower show in the world. Professionals vie for “Best of Show” with imaginative full-scale gardens. Individuals and garden clubs from around the world compete for coveted ribbons and awards. Experts will also lead 150 free gardening presentations. Tickets are $26 weekdays, $28 weekends. All proceeds, including tickets and sponsorship contributions, support PHS and its urban greening program, Philadelphia Green.
6. Sakura Matsuri—The Cherry Blossom Festival
City: Philadelphia, PA
Category: Annual Events & Festivals
Telephone: (215) 790-3810
Description: This 6-week festival is as much a celebration of the friendship between two countries and cultures as it is the annual o-hanami, viewing of the cherry blossoms (sakura) that open on the more than 2,000 trees gifted to the city by Japan and the Japan Society of Greater Philadelphia. (Download a map for the best sighting spots from the website.) Major events during the festival include showcases of Japanese crafts; musical, dance, and martial arts performances; stories; food (an amateur sushi-making contest); and a 5K run. Most of the events are free except for the Sukura Sunday picnic ($5).
7. Penn Relays
City: Philadelphia, PA
Category: Annual Events & Festivals
Telephone: (215) 898-6145
Address: 235 S. 33rd St.
Description: Begun in 1895, this largest amateur track meet in America attracts more than 22,000 high school and college track stars from around the nation. Over this 2-day event, these athletes will run more than 425 races, at least 2 dozen of which will be distance races.
8. Philadelphia Antiques Show
City: Philadelphia, PA
Category: Annual Events & Festivals
Telephone: (610) 902-2109
Address: 1101 Arch St.
Description: The half-century-old show is one of the longest-running in the nation, showcasing 50 leading antiques dealers and fine arts galleries. It costs $18 per ticket. Proceeds benefit Penn Medicine.
9. Philadelphia Book Festival
City: Philadelphia, PA
Category: Annual Events & Festivals
Telephone: (215) 567-4341
Address: 1901 Vine St.
Description: It’s a street fair filled with free programming for all ages including talks by best-selling authors, musical performances, and interactive children’s programs.
10. Philadelphia Invitational Furniture Show
City: Philadelphia, PA
Category: Annual Events & Festivals
Telephone: (215) 387-8590
Address: 5100 S. Broad St.
Description: Don’t come here expecting to find the latest style of chest of drawers by Broyhill. This event is a showcase for a carefully selected group of the nation’s artisans, whose works run from major focus-of-the-room furniture to wall and tabletop accessories. You can also order custom-made pieces. Price ranges go from “hey, I can afford that” to “put it on my Gold Card.” Tickets are $12.
11. Blue Cross Broad Street Run
City: Philadelphia, PA
Category: Annual Events & Festivals
Telephone: (215) 683-3594
Description: Ten miles is a long way to run, but nearly 18,000 people, some pros, some not, come out every year hoping to break records (or just finish alive) on this USATF-certified course, rated one of the fastest in the county by Runner’s World magazine. Donations and pledges benefit the American Cancer Society. There are also 1-mile runs and diaper dashes for fleet-of-foot—or knee—fledglings.
12. Cherokee Festival
City: Philadelphia, PA
Category: Annual Events & Festivals
Telephone: (215) 549-4191
Address: 580 Meetinghouse Rd.
Description: Sponsored by the Southeastern Cherokee Confederacy of Pennsylvania and held over Memorial Day weekend, this 3-day festival features traditional music, dancing, foods, jewelry, clothing and craft sales, and activities for children, all to increase awareness and appreciation of Native American culture. Proceeds go to the Native American College Scholarship Fund. Call for admission prices.
13. Dad Vail Regatta
City: Philadelphia, PA
Category: Annual Events & Festivals
Telephone: (215) 542-1443
Description: Two days, 3,500 athletes from more than 100 colleges and universities in the US and Canada, and 1 river (the Schuylkill). This more-than-70-year-old rowing race is the largest collegiate regatta in the nation.
14. Bloomsday
City: Philadelphia, PA
Category: Annual Events & Festivals
Telephone: (215) 732-1600
Description: Celebrate the genius of James Joyce and the odyssey through Dublin on June 16 of Leopold Bloom, the protagonist of his masterpiece, Ulysses. Come in and see the special Joyce exhibition and gather outside for readings from the novel by famous Philadelphians. (In its collection, the Rosenbach has a complete 800-page draft of the book handwritten by Joyce.)
15. Odunde African American Street Festival
City: Philadelphia, PA
Category: Annual Events & Festivals
Telephone: (215) 732-8510
Description: Held the 2nd Sunday in June, this 3-day event, which is in its 4th decade and one of the oldest African-American street festivals in the country, is a celebration of history, culture, and family.