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Home , Bumbershoot, Firefly Music Festival, Monterey Pop Festival, Rock festival

The Travelin’ Grampa Touring the U.S.A. without an automobile

Focus on safe, fast, convenient, comfortable, cheap travel, via public transit.

Music Supplement Vol. 10, No. 7, July 2017

Photo credit: Red Frog Events, Firefly .

Firefly 2017 in Dover, Delaware, reached by DART #301 bus, is said to have attracted 90,000 fans.

It’s time again to ride a bus, or train, to a music festival Dozens of multi-day music festivals beckon during summer 2017. Ranging from psychedelically spotlighted events, where performers and audience both jump around and their hands into the air, to those where the audience sits quietly as a full-fledged symphony orchestra plays classical music, many, if not most, of them are readily reachable by public transportation. The following pages of this special Music Festival Supplement focus on popular , rock and classical music festivals and how to get to them via public transportation. Getting particular attention is the Firefly Music Festival, a four-day rock music fest in Dover, Delaware, attended by Grampa, who rode there by SEPTA train and DART First State bus.

Photo credit: Town of Vail, Colorado.

Telluride Chamber Music Festival symphony orchestra performance at Sheridan Opera House, Telluride, Colo.

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. The Travelin’ Grampa Music Festivals Supplement .

Here are a few Summer 17 classical music festivals: Telluride Chamber Music Festival, Sheridan Opera House Telluride, Colo., Aug. 10-13, has since 1973 specialized in presenting high quality small-ensemble performances of classical music of such composers as Brahms, Dvořák and Mozart. Galloping Goose Transit, a free bus system, services riders in the Town of Telluride and adjoining San Miguel County communities. Lincoln Center Festival, , July 10-30; hosts more than 40 music, dance and theater events, ranging from jazz performances to a George Balanchine's ballet. Ride there on A, B, C, D or #1 subway train to 59th Street-Columbus Circle station. Or bus marked: M5, M7, M10, M11 or M104. Mostly Mozart Festival, David Geffen Hall, New York City, July 25 - Aug. 20, includes a nice variety of orchestral , opera, chamber and contemporary music. MTA M5, M7, M10, M11, M66 and M104 bus lines all stop nearby. By subway, ride a #1 train to 66th St Station Grant Park Music Festival, Jay Pritzker Pavilion, , June 13 - Aug. 18: Grant Park Chorus marks its 50th year with beautiful music, such as Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana and Dvorak’s The Spectre’s Bride. From CTA Red Line or Blue Line subway/el train, at Jackson, walk three blocks east. Closer Madison-Wabash station currently closed, due to new -Wabash station construction. CTA buses stopping near Grant Park are marked: 3, 4, 6, 7, 10*, 14, 126, 129, 146, 147, 151 or 173. Cabrillo Festival of Contemporary Music, Civic Auditorium, Santa Cruz, Calif., July 30 - Aug. 12, maybe the USA’s longest-running festival of new orchestral works. This season, it boasts a stunning roster of international guest artists. Santa Cruz Metro #10 bus stops nearby. The auditorium is a several blocks walk from Santa Cruz Metro Center bus station. For more: www.cabrillomusic.org Wolf Trap, Filene Center, , Va., suburb of Washington DC, May 25 - Sept. 9: Wolf Trap Opera Company regularly performs Mozart’s Don Giovanni and Stravinsky’s Rake’s Progress. It joins this summer with the National Symphony Orchestra and Washington Chorus to perform Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9. Ride Metro Rail Orange Line to West Falls Church station and Fairfax Connector Wolf Trap Express Shuttle bus from there. For more: www.wolftrap.org Music Academy of the West Summer Festival, Santa Barbara, Calif., June 12 - Aug. 5 is a seaside series of orchestra, chamber and solo concerts, ten premieres, and a new piano competition, including the New York Philharmonic’s Alan Gilbert conducting Beethoven's 9th Symphony, billed as the Santa Barbara area’s “largest outdoor classical music performance in history.” Electric Downtown Waterfront Shuttle bus routes #31 and #32 stop near the academy. Mann Center for the Performing Arts. Fairmount Park, , May 11 - Aug. 26. The Philadelphia Orchestra, Pittsburgh Symphony, Curtis Symphony Orchestra, and cellist Johannes Moser are among this season’s highlights. Popular People’s Choice by the Philadelphia Orchestra is July 26. SEPTA special bus service for Mann Center events charges a regular $2.50 bus fare (free for seniors with proper ID). For more: http://www.iseptaphilly.com/mannloop Minnesota Orchestra Sommerfest, Symphony of the Cities, July 3 - Aug. 5, is in several different Twin Cities area locations: Lake Harriet, Mon, July 3; Plymouth, Wed. July 5; Winona, Thur. July 6; Hudson, Sun. July 9. For more: www.minnesotaorchestra.org and https://www.metrotransit.org/ Des Moines Metro Opera, Simpson College, Indianola, Iowa, June 23- July 16 performances include Benjamin Britten's Billy Budd, Sondheim's A Little Night Music, Piazzolla's Maria de , and Puccini's Turandot. Indianola enjoys bus services of both Des Moines Area Regional Transit Authority (DART) and Heart of Iowa Regional Transit Agency (HIRTA). Bravo! Vail, Gerald Ford Amphitheater, Vail, Colorado, June 22 - Aug. 4, marks its 30th season with four of the world’s finest orchestras: New York Philharmonic, Philadelphia Orchestra, Symphony, and St. Martin in the Fields orchestra. Vail Transit and free village-to-village buses go there.

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. FIREFLY MUSIC FESTIVAL .

Photos credit: Facebook, Red Frog Events, Firefly Music Festival.

Signs at Firefly Music Festival. Just as some events might have a place where cars can drop-off kiddies, Firefly had a parent drop off spot, from where Grampa could ride a tricycle pedicab to campsite or other destination.

Firefly definitely not geared to grown-ups, but attracts many anyway Attendance at Firefly 2017 topped 90,000, say its promoters. Others guess 70.000, or maybe low as 60,000 paid full-price. When Grampa arrived early Thursday morning, official opening day, there was only a fraction of those numbers. Some vendors said they were told “to expect about 30% fewer fans” than the figure touted, said the daily Wilmington News Journal. “Ask just about any fan in The Woodlands and that person will tell you, the crowd is smaller,” wrote reporter Ryan Cormier. What definitely can be said about the audience is: it was ultimately humungous, overwhelmingly teenagers over age 16 and twenty-somethings, mostly female, light color skin, noisy and boisterous but otherwise well behaved, and largely sunburnt and exhausted by the time it was over.

Grampa rode to Firefly on SEPTA train, #301 DART bus Grampa went to the annual Firefly Music Festival in Dover on a SEPTA #109 bus to Chester, Pa., SEPTA Regional Rail train to Wilmington, Del., and a DART #301 bus to Delaware State University. From there, it was a 25-minute walk to The Woodlands, the festival site, DART bus fare: $2.40. SEPTA train: $1.75. SEPTA bus: zero. Round-trip total: $8.30. For a not savvy adult, this trip could have cost $34 or more: $16 train, $4 SEPTA bus, $12 DART bus, because: (a) in Pennsylvania, seniors ride on public transit free*, (b) in Delaware, seniors pay half fare or less**, (c) SEPTA interstate railroad fare is 50% of regular adult fare, and (d) SEPTA train fare is cheaper from Chester than from center city stations. * Proper ID required, such as: SEPTA Senior photo ID card, or Medicare Card and photo ID showing age. ** Grampa has a red-color Senior DART Card, which cost $14 but provides $48 worth of rides.

Photo credit: SEPTA. Photo credit: DART First State.

SEPTA Regional Rail train and DART #3101 express bus Grampa rode on to Firefly Music Festival in Dover, Delaware.

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. FIREFLY MUSIC FESTIVAL ..

Grampa seemed only age 80&+ guy at Firefly festival At Firefly, Grampa sensed he was the lone age eighty-something guy among a congregation that ultimately grew to perhaps 70,000 teenagers and twenty-somethings, plus many ages 30&+ and a smatter of folks in their 50s. He wasn’t the only senior citizen there, however. “I think the first year, we were two of maybe 10 people over 45,” said an annual attendee. “There definitely have been older people the last couple of years.” Judging by a Firefly Over 50 message board, the festival attracts folks up to at least age 69, most buying VIP tickets and staying at nearby hotels, motels, or in comfortable recreational vehicles or trailers. A few camped-out in tents, such as one age 69, accompanied by two 30-somethings and 14-year-old granddaughter. Most seniors there came from Delaware or nearby Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania or Virginia communities. Some were from far away as New York, Ohio and Canada.

Seniors ignore dust, rain, mud to enjoy music, partying, fun Guy named Jeffrey, age 57, was there by himself. “I am not a loner and I am not a misfit,” he insisted. “I just like good music.” Quite a few others at Firefly agreed with him. Gal named Allyson, also age 51, from Virginia, hoped to attend the Bonnaroo in Tennessee earlier in June, but that was at the same time as her son’s high school graduation. So, she went to Firefly instead. Performers named and performed at both events. Another age-resistant fan said, “Here I am at 60+ going to my 3rd Firefly. “I really enjoy the whole experience: the music, the people who won’t let mud, dust, or rain ruin their fun – and falling asleep to the happy sounds of the all-night partiers,” wrote another. “Hope to do this for quite a few more!” “I’m 59, and this is my first Firefly,” said a Dover area resident. “We decided to commute this time, because we live so close.” Here for the 4th year, a western New Yorker, 55, arrived by bus with a flock of elders and 20 teens.

Most senior fans choose hotel, motel or glamping* While ages 20- or 30-something fans were packed like sardines in campsites at The Woodlands and farther afield, some far away as Killen’s Pond, 18 miles from the festival, some seniors at Firefly enjoyed glamping at VIP campsites*, or in nearby hotels or motels. “VIP is worth the extra costs in my opinion,” said a guy named Java. “Some things I really don’t want to do without for 4+ days, such as clean bathrooms.” Other VIP camping benefits he named: better food options, free bottles of water and soda, VIP-only bars, “being able to watch bands in far less crowded area close to the various stages,” air-conditioned tents for the separate Porch, Lawn and Backyard stages, and shaded sitting area at the main Firefly stage. “Being over 40 doesn’t mean you cannot attend festivals,” agrees a gal named Sue, who admits to being over that age. “Being older just means I want it a little more comfort and VIP is a must.” Gal nicknamed Feisty said, “Age just makes festivals better! I’m 43. My husband is 47. This will be our 4th Firefly. I do admit, VIP makes it a little easier. Over-all, FF is welcoming and relaxing!” VIP and passes were said to cost $699 and Super VIP passes $2,499. * Glamping is a new word for camping in relative comfort, i.e., “glamorous” camping.

Hey Hey, My My: Aging rock fans still hold their lighters high “Concerts aimed at old guys are big business,” says The New York Times. An article about aging Boomers paying big bucks to attend music festivals by Tammy La Gorge makes interesting reading at: https://www.nytimes.com/2017/04/07/business/retirement/aging-rock-fans.html

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. FIREFLY MUSIC FESTIVAL ..

Some grownups who are highly enthusiastic Firefly Music Festival fans

Left to right: (1) Jack Markell, then Delaware’s governor at 2016 Firefly Music Festival, (2) “I’m 48 and looking forward to my first Firefly. I’m not camping, though. I’ll be at a local hotel. I’ll let the 20-somethings party all night while I get some quality sleep.” (3) “I’m 46 and husband 50. We have attended every year! We started going with our daughter and her friends, but we loved it so much, we keep going without them.” (4) “I’m 53 and attending my 4th Firefly solo.” “As Firefly has grown, so has its impact on our state,” said Markell. Photos from Firefly Festival message boards.

Firefly festival will be in Dover again next year If you plan to attend the 7th annual Firefly at Dover on June 14-17, 2018, expect another humungous, very noisy and boisterous congregation next year, said a spokesperson for Red Frog Events, based in Chicago, manager of the festival. Red Frog is four years into a 10-year contract with Dover International Speedway, granting it exclusive rights to The Woodlands as a music venue. The first Firefly festival, at Dover in 2012, drew about 35,000 fans.

They said Grampa couldn’t get in without granddaughter Grampa got his Firefly ticket from teenage granddaughter Katrina. She bought it weeks earlier, before being hired for a summer job as a children’s camp counselor, thus couldn’t attend. Grampa was unable to get into the Firefly performance grounds, however. Attendants at the gate said the person who originally buys the ticket must accompany whoever to whom they sell or give the ticket*. Alas, this wasn’t possible, Katrina being at least 150 miles away at Pine Forest Camp, near Scranton, Pa. So, Grampa walked around adjacent campgrounds, chatted with other early arrivals, and was able to see and hear a few early Thursday morning acts. * A security guard told Grampa this is to discourage ticket scalpers. “If someone shows up three or four times, they get arrested for ticket scalping,” he said. Four-day general admission ticket initial price was $289, VIP four-day pass $699. Tent camping started at $169. Someone not attending entire festival could buy a one-day ticket or camping permit. For Fri., Sat. or Sun. $109. Thurs. $79. VIP single day $249. Single day camping $79.

Photo credit: Deal Casino Facebook page; Red Frog Enterprises’ Firefly Music Festival.

Grampa stayed long enough to hear Deal Casino, white dudes from Asbury Park, N.J., and Trio, black guys from Dover.

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. FIREFLY MUSIC FESTIVAL ..

Last year’s beer peddlers this year’s opening act See picture on page 5 Grampa arrived at The Woodlands Thursday morning, just in time to hear Trio, three hip-hop guys from the Dover area who peddled beer there last year: Matt “Tribe Beats” Howe, Matt “Meezse” Coston, and Samuel “SAM” Carter III. “Last year, we worked here (at Firefly) selling beer,” Carter said. This year Trio kicked off the festival with a 10 am show on a sideshow stage, with a sparse but awake audience of about 50 fans, mostly nearby campers and locals arriving by car or, as Grampa did, on a DART transit bus. Firefly had six stages. Trio was then on The Porch stage. On Sunday, they played on The Pavilion stage, and once in a while at The Rambler, a jazzed-up Humvee serving as a mobile stage for pop-up acts. The others were named The Lawn, The Backyard, and Firefly, the main stage.

Second act opens as Grampa walks back to bus stop See picture on page 5 Second act at Firefly was Deal Casino, four guys from Asbury Park, N.J., whose next paid gig is July 27, more than a month later, in Asbury Park. Joe Parella, 's front man, sang and played guitar. Jozii Cowell guitar, Jon Rodney guitar, and Christopher D’Onofrio drums.

Firefly 2017 enjoyed nice weather, with a few brief showers Sky was sunny, temp in the high 70s, nice breeze blowing, while Grampa was there. Campers were setting up tents, canopies, a teepee. Dust flew around, as many vehicles, including RVs and small sleep-in trailers, continued arriving. Some folks wore bandannas over nose and mouth. Trio’s audience grew to a few hundred, as the three danced around, thrusting hands into the air, bouncing beach balls around the stage, etc. Many in the crowd sang along with them. They “bridge the gap between the mumble rap and hip-hop,” said Shaun Beasley, their manager. “They have a very eclectic sound with hip-hop melodies, hooks and delivery,” whatever that means. By Sunday, beside maybe 82,000 paying fans and 450+ performers, on or around the festival grounds were about 5,000 paid and volunteer workers, vendors, security staff, vendors, police, et.al.

Lousy weather in 2015, but aging McCartney drew it 90,000+ fans Firefly topped 90,000 fans in 2015 with big stars Paul McCartney, and the main attractions. A sudden soaking rainstorm hit, forcing evacuation of the crowd, causing Kings of Leon to abandon the stage. When they returned for Firefly 2016, the weather was nicer.

Photo credit: Red Frog Events, Firefly Music Festival.

Entire campground at The Woodlands was about ten times this size. Many stayed at camp sites miles away.

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. FIREFLY MUSIC FESTIVAL ..

Photo credit: Firefly Music Festival. Photo credit: John Vettese, WXPN FM

Firefly audience was small while Grampa was there. , age 76, drew biggest crowd.

Bob Dylan, age 76, attracts hip old festie gals and dudes Big stars at Firefly included old timers, such as Bob Dylan, age 76, and his band, , age 45, and British legend , age 58. Most of the 140 or so gigs were by relative youngsters, however, including groups with names such as: Muse, Twenty-One Pilots, Chance the Rapper, The Weeknd, etc. Youngest big star singer probably was Canadian female singer Bishop Briggs, age 24, a shout-a-long stomper who wowed the crowd on Saturday. Her real name is Sarah McLachlan. Some Firefly entertainer names implied youth, e.g., Young Thug, age 25, and , a band all maybe 20-somethings. A group of senior campers called themselves “the Hip Old Festie Gals and Dudes.”

Happy-go-lucky fans leave behind tons of trash Days after Firefly, cleanup crews were at work in The Woodlands and adjacent areas, noted Gary Camp, spokesman for Dover International Speedway, which rents showbiz, campsite and parking space to Reg Frog Events, the festival’s manager. “They (Red Frog) have a lot of staff out here cleaning up and disassembling everything. They’re pretty quick about it too,” he said. “The speedway will have a fair amount of our staff out here as well, re-seeding and landscaping the ground.” Many thousands of happy-go-lucky music fans left behind tons of trash and even many valuable items, all of which were dealt with by about 200 volunteers and a bevy of volunteers and paid workers. Within two weeks, the property was pretty much back to its original state.

Photo credit: Code Purple, Two Men & Truck and Capital Cleaners.

Cleanup crew included folks from Red Frog, Capital Cleaners, Del DOT, Two Men & A Truck, and Code Purple.

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. The Travelin’ Grampa Music Festivals Supplement .

Multi-day festivals feature music ranging from classical to counry, jazz, rock, or whatever. Left to right: Mozart Music Festival, June 8-16, Bartlesville, Okla.; Internatonal Pop Festival, Monterey, Calif., June 16-18; Summertide, Amenia, New York, July 7-9; 60th . Monterey, Calif., Sept. 15-17.

Monterey Pop Festival granddaddy of them all Monterey International Festival marks its 50th anniversary this year. Taking place at the county fairgrounds in Monterey, Calif., on the exact same weekend dates and place where it was born back in 1967, this is generally considered the granddaddy of all rock music festivals. Among its earliest copycats was Music Festival, two years later. The pop event’s founders, Alan Pariser and Ben Shapiro, figured the 10-year older Monterey Jazz Festival was such a success, why not try one for rock music. Result: a successful fest featuring such rock legends as: , , Lou Rawls, , Simon & Garfunkel, , Eric Burden, , and – drawing about 200,000 fans.

Appropriately named JAZZ bus serves Monterey music festivals Closest Amtrak train station to Monterey, Calif., is in Salinas, 17 miles away. From there to Monterey, Amtrak provides motor coach service. Monterey-Salinas Transit (MST) Route #20 express bus also runs between Salinas Transit Center, where Greyhound buses stop, and Monterey Fairgrounds, music festival site. It’s a beautiful 40-minute mostly oceanside ride. Adult fare: $3.50. Senior: $1.75. Ironically, MST’s bus line to/from the music festivals is called JAZZ Bus Rapid Transit. It runs along a seven-mile route between Edgewater Shopping Center in Sand City and the Monterey Bay Aquarium. At JAZZ bus stops are kiosks featuring jazz themes and the history of the jazz festival. Anyone with a ticket or credential to the Monterey Jazz Festival can ride without paying on MST buses anywhere in the county during festival weekend. This is because the JAZZ line is subsidized by the festival. For more: http://www.montereyjazzfestival.org/partnerships/monterey-salinas-transit-jazz-line

MST, Monterey-Salinas Transit, JAZZ festival bus. MST, Monterey-Salinas Transit, Route #20 express.

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. The Travelin’ Grampa Music Festivals Supplement .

Photo credit: Chicago Transit Authority; Nicole Burton, SXSW, LLC.

Left: Chicago Transit Authority sold a special limited-edition CTA Ventra fare card for ’s 25th anniversary. Right: Capital Metro MetroRail train stops next to the South by Southwest festival entrance.

Top USA wild pop music festivals’ public transportation Following are Grampa’s picks as the USA’s top wild pop summer music festivals, alphabetically listed, and how to get to/from them on public transportation:

Beale Street Music Festival, Memphis, Tennessee, May 2018 Forbes magazine told its readers Beale Street Music Festival, aka BSMF, is “one of five underrated music festivals you should definitely attend.” It’s held at Tom Lee Park on the banks of the Mississippi river in downtown Memphis. Memphis Area Transit Authority, aka MATA, “trolley” buses marked Main Street, Madison, or Riverfront trolley stop near the festival. Fare: $1. 3-day pass $9. MATA regular adult bus fare is $1.75. The bus system runs until midnight.

Bonnaroo Music & Arts Festival, Manchester, Tennessee, June 7-10, 2018 Greyhound makes a stop in Manchester. Fare from Nashville is about $20. Nashville hotels/motels provide twice daily round-trip shuttles. Shuttle bus from Nashville Airport fare is around $70. No public transit in the Manchester area, a farm community, not even cabs. Fans walk or hitchhike to the festival.

BUMBERSHOOT, , Washington, Fri.-Sun. Sept. 1-3 describes itself as “an environmentally friendly festival” that “encourages all festival fans to consider arriving at the festival by alternative methods” by “utilizing public transportation, biking, or walking.” Seattle Center Monorail whisks riders from/to downtown to Bumbershoot at Key Arena in little as two minutes. Nearby are stops of 15 Metro bus routes. For more: www.metro.kingcounty.gov

COACHELLA, Indio, Calif., April 13-15, 2018 and April 20-22 Airport shuttle bus from (LAX), $70 one-way fare, runs to/from Coachella festival campground, the Renaissance at Palm Springs, Agua Caliente, JW Marriott in Palm Desert, La Quinta Resort, etc. Any Line, Anytime Shuttle, available from Valley Music Travel, issues a pass that allows riding from any shuttle stop to/from the festival. Greyhound bus stops in Indio and Amtrak bus stops in Indio and Palm Desert. Sunline Transit provides local bus service: https://www.sunline.org/

Governors Ball, New York, Randall’s Island, June 1-3, 2018* Randall’s Island Park is located in New York City along the East River, between Manhattan, Queens Continued on following page

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. The Travelin’ Grampa Music Festivals Supplement .

Continued from previous page and The Bronx. It is reachable by subway, Manhattan ferry boat, Williamsburg Shuttle, or by biking or walking from Manhattan. Subway lines 4, 5, or 6 stop at 125th Street station. Riders transfer to an MTA X80 express bus at 125th & Lexington Ave. This drops them off at the festival entrance. Some prefer to walk there from 125th street, across RFK Bridge, a distance of about a mile, or 20 city blocks. NOTE: MTA X80 express bus charges a $6.50 round-trip fare, but for subway riders only $3.75. * Might be pushed off to June 8-11. Official date has yet to be announced.

Lollapalooza, Grant Park, Chicago, August 3-6, 2017 Grant Park is in downtown Chicago. Main entrance to the festival is at Congress Parkway and Ave., not far from where Grampa occasionally worked as a daily newspaper editor. Closest CTA ‘L’ (subway-elevated) stations are Harold Washington Library Station, where trains of Brown, Pink, Orange or Purple lines stop, and Jackson Station, where Blue and Red lines stop. Stopping nearby Grant Park also are CTA buses numbered 1, 3, 4, 7, 26, 28, 126, 132 and 147. Metra Electric commuter railroad trains stop at Millennium Station, just North of Grant Park.

Riot Fest & Carnival, Chicago, Douglas Park, Sept. 15-17, 2017 Rock, metal and punk music are heard at this festival in Douglas Park on Chicago’s West Side. Readily reached via CTA “L” Pink Line train to station, its entrance is a short walk away from there. CTA buses numbered 12, 18, 49 and 94 also stop nearby. Metra BNSF commuter railroad train riders get off at Western Avenue station.

South by Southwest, aka SXSW, Austin, , March 12-18, 2018 Capital Metro airport flyer runs 30 minutes between the airport and the downtown MetroRail station, near the Convention Center, right in the middle of festival action. Regular adult fare: $1.75. Cap Metro buses smoothly connect to MetroRail at many stations. SXSW also runs its own free for paid attendees shuttle every 10 minutes, connecting Convention Center and most festival venues.

Voodoo Music + Arts Experience, New Orleans, Oct 27-29, 2017 Held in City Park, readily reachable by RTA (New Orleans Regional Transit Authority) streetcar or bus. Adult fare $1.25. All-day Jazzy Pass $3, and 3-day Jazzy Pass $9. To help speed the ride, RTA suggests buying tickets before boarding, at convenient vending machines. RTA #48 Canal/City Park streetcar line goes to the festival. RTA #91 Voodoo Shuttle runs between City Park and Hyatt Downtown every 30 minutes from 11 am until one hour past the last Voodoo Music fest performance ends.

Wawa Welcome America, Philadelphia, June 29 to July 4, 2017 This annual 6-day fest ends with a July 4th grand finale on Benjamin Franklin Parkway, an evening concert starring Mary J. Blige, “Queen of ,” the Philly POPS BIG Band, and Philly’s own Boyz II Men, followed by a spectacular fireworks display. Events take place all over center city, all readily reachable by SEPTA (Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority) bus, subway-surface trolley car, subway train, and SEPTA Regional Rail railroad train. Also, PATCO (Port Authority Transit) high speed railway line to/from New Jersey has four subway stations in center city Philly, with smooth connections to SEPTA subway and bus lines.

© 2017, all rights reserved. The Travelin’ Grampa is published monthly by John A. Moore Sr., freelance journalist, P. O Box 636, Clifton Heights PA 19018-0636. Price for one year (12 issues) subscription by email: $75. Special 66½ discount to U. S. residents ages 62 and above.

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