Spruce Street Harbor Park Reopens Next Week With New Eateries, Hammocks and Entertainment!
Spruce Street Harbor Park Reopens Next Week With New Eateries, Hammocks and Entertainment!
With the May 26th opening of Spruce Street Harbor Park, a stroll down Philadelphia’s Urban Boardwalk will lead you right into the return of Summer on the Waterfront just in time for Memorial Day Weekend. Between Race Street Pier, Cherry Street Pier, Blue Cross RiverRink Summerfest, and Spruce Street Harbor Park, Philadelphians and visitors will once again have ample space to relax, dine, soak in the views, and have fun on the Waterfront this season.
Visitors will enjoy a brand new set of Hammocks with bright new colors, all of which will be undergoing regular, enhanced cleaning protocols, three exciting new boardwalk eateries, and a new contactless arcade payment system with prepaid card swipes and self-service payment kiosks that accept cash or cards.
Games such as cornhole, giant Connect Four, giant Legos, bocce, and giant Jenga will return, and of course, the park will be decked out in its signature technicolored lights.
Returning for the second year, and their first full Summer at Spruce Street Harbor Park, will be the now-famous French Toast Bites. Featured prominently at festivals and markets throughout the Philadelphia area, these sweet, made-to-order treats are also available as a vegan option. Owner Charisse McGill made history last Summer as the first Black woman food vendor at Spruce Street Harbor Park. Charisse has a location at Cherry Street Pier, as well.
Spruce Street Harbor Park eats will turn toward the park’s roots, featuring more local up and comers in Philly’s vibrant food scene. New this year are three exciting offerings; Philly Taco which will take over on the Barge; Dre’s Water Ice and Ice Cream, a local small-batch business making homemade real fruit water ice with flavors like mango, passionfruit, strawberry lemonade, and peach, as well as southern style ice creams including sweet potato, banana pudding, and peach cobbler; and a new Boardwalk-style eatery which will be frying up funnel cake and fried oreos and spinning fresh cotton candy.
The floating Barge Oasis returns along with The Barge Bar, a lush Beer Garden, and of course Philly favorite Chickie’s & Pete’s will all be back in action for this exciting season.
Riverside Hammock Lounge rentals are back and can be booked soon by visiting www.SpruceStreetHarborPark.com or emailing sshp@drwc.org. Four riverside hammock lounges will be available for 90 minute rental increments at a newly reduced $75 fee, Friday through Sunday. Each lounge can accommodate up to 10 people with self-service pay as you go food and beverage. Pre-purchased food and beverage and a dedicated server can also be arranged.
As the City of Philadelphia prepares to lift COVID-19 restrictions on June 11th, the Delaware River Waterfront remains the best place to gather safely outdoors with family and friends to enjoy sunny days, warm summer nights, great eats, fun games, chill moments swinging in hammocks under the trees, and mesmerizing lights.
Exciting programming is also planned for Spruce Street Harbor Park. Launching on Memorial Day Weekend and reappearing on select days in June is the Makers Market, a specialty market featuring custom creations by local vendors. Makers Market dates are: May 29, May 30, June 5, June 12, June 19, and June 26.
With the Bike Trail nearing completion, the ability to walk, run, or bike from park to park and enjoy all that the waterfront has to offer in one afternoon or evening will be even more accessible to all.
