Spruce Street Harbor Park and Summerfest at the Independence Blue Cross RiverRink Kick Off This Weekend

The riverfront will be back in full swing for the summer season.  On May 12th both Spruce Street Harbor Park and the Independence Blue Cross RiverRink Summerfest will kick-off.

Summerfest which is one of the city’s hottest destinations for entertainment boasts outdoor roller skating, boardwalk games and rides, mini golf, a 60-foot Ferris wheel, carousel, and great food and drinks, and great views of the Delaware River and Ben Franklin Bridge.

Ongoing and recurring activities will include Saturday Sounds with DJs every Saturday night from 7pm-10pm and Friday Flavor with live DJs on Friday nights from 7 to 10pm.

For Memorial Day Weekend, Summerfest will host a special waterfront dance party on Saturday May 27th with by fireworks at 9:30 pm. Memorial Day weekend will include, a Silent Philly party where three DJ’s with Red (80’s 90’s 2000’s) Green (Top 40 and EDM), and Blue (Hip Hop). The party will also include:

• • Cosmic Rhythms at Cherry Street Pier 3-9:30pm
  • Alex and The Kaleidoscope– kid friendly dance party at the Great Plaza 4-5pm
  • DJ ChillX and live music from Tara Hendricks at the Great Plaza 6-9:30pm
  • Worldtown Sound System– a fusion of the essence of electronic dance music with global rhythms and Philly Soul 7-10pm

More fireworks will be available Independence Day Weekend with a display Saturday, July 1 (plus, our annual tradition: U.S. Army’s Band “Pershing’s Own” concert); concert  will be at 8pm while fireworks will start at 9:30pm.

In addition to entertainment, Summerfest will also welcome James Beard nominated (Best Chef Mid-Atlantic) Cantina La Martina. Chef Dionicio, who was also named Chef of the Year by the Inquirer will bring is traditional Mexican dishes to the RiverRink. As always, for those looking for adult beverages,  The Lodge will also feature cocktails and local brews.

As for Spruce Street Harbor Park, they will also be welcoming a new vendor.  Humpty’s Dumplings will be introduced to th  lineup of Spruce Street Harbor Park’s returning favorites which include Philly Tacos, French Toast Bites, Ay Burritos, Frozen Delights hand dipped ice cream, and Chickie’s & Pete’s.

Check Out Some of the Summer Programming Along The River:

RACE STREET PIER

• Wellness on the Waterfront is back beginning Thursday, June 1 thanks to continued support from Independence Blue Cross. Three Queens Yoga will curate three free fitness classes a week, Mondays at 6:00pm, Thursdays at 6:00pm and Sundays at 10:00am.  *In the event of inclement weather, classes will be canceled.

PECO MULTICULTURAL SERIES

• The PECO Multicultural Series makes its return to the waterfront. DRWC will host a variety of cultural festivals from June through October highlighting Philadelphia’s diversity. This year’s festivals include:
  • June 4: Philadelphia Irish Festival
  • June 10: Islamic Heritage Festival
  • June 24 and June 25: Hispanic Fiesta
  • August 6: ACANA Festival
  • September 3: Brazilian Day Festival
  • September 10: Mexican Independence Day Festival
  • October 1: Taste of the Philippines

SPRUCE STREET HARBOR PARK (May 12 – September 24)

• After Work Sessions curated by Shekhinah B. of The Women’s Coalition for Empowerment Inc. will be back on Friday Nights at a new later time from 7:30-10:30pm.
• Saturday Markets are back from 12-5pm. Markets will rotate between the Global Craft Market, hosted by the Welcoming Center, The Zen of Philly Market, hosted by the Zen Building Co., and The Makers Market curated by the DRWC team.
• Family Fun Day Sundays are back.  PopUpPlay will be hosting free family friendly activities from 2-4pm every Sunday with one workshop a month hosted by a Cherry Street Pier resident artist, beginning with free tie dye workshop with Nyambi Naturals on May 20.