THE MONTHLY SPECIAL Nothing can compare to Philadelphia in May. There’s beautiful weather, all types of carnivals, races and street fairs to enjoy! We’re officially in our “high season” for events, with over 300 street festivals, parades and runs executed and permitted through our office to date. As more and more applications come through our office for processing, our staff continues to work around the clock to make sure your event needs are met and everything goes off without a hitch. The best part is getting out to the events to see all the hard work finally paid off. If you happen to spot us on site, be sure to say hello! We’re just as excited as you are for event day to be here! Photos via Visit Philly ● South Street Headhouse District Spring Festival on South Street (5/5) ● South of South Neighborhood Association Plazapalooza on Grays Ferry Triangle (5/12) ● Rittenhouse Row Spring Festival on Walnut Street (5/19) ● Kensington Kinetic Sculpture Derby and Arts Festival on Trenton Ave (5/19) ● South 9th Street Italian Market Festival on S. 9th St (5/19-20) Photo via SEPTA A SUSTAINABLE CHOICE! By: Olivia Gillison Construction in Philadelphia is booming, Therefore, might we suggest making a and Center City events are not going more sustainable choice for us all and anywhere, at least not anytime soon. If leave the car at home. One of the best anything, street festivals and athletic ways to limit traffic issues is to reduce the events are becoming more ubiquitous each number of vehicles on the roads, and year. This is great news for local special events have continued to find ways businesses, visitors and the many residents to provide options that promote non- who enjoy the event atmosphere, but may traditional modes of transportation. be viewed by some as a hindrance to their everyday lives. SEPTA increases service levels for major events and diverts bus routes around To keep everyone informed, a closures (instead of suspending them) to comprehensive event calendar and monthly ensure that event-goers can effectively posting of tentative no parking/road utilize public transportation. Ridesharing closures are available on our website, companies are continuing to expand www.phlevents.org. Event-related road throughout the city. Indego Bike Share is closures are tweeted weekly via the handle continuously expanding their footprint in @PHL_OSE_RC, and users have the ability the city. To accommodate the growing to subscribe to SMS notifications by texting number of cyclists, many festivals have “Follow PHL_OSE_RC” to 40404. begun to incorporate “bike corrals”, which are areas where cyclists can check their While the Office of Special Events has bicycles while they attend the events. taken steps – both literally and figuratively – to proactively mitigate the negative So, get out there, register for a walk, take impact associated with events in in a festival and experience all that Philadelphia, we still hear (and understand) Philadelphia has to offer this year. Just do the complaints about the street closures. us a favor, and leave the car in the garage. LAST MONTH IN REVIEW There must be some magical powers in the Philadelphia water, because Philly teams are undefeatable in 2018. What a way to kick off the month with another victory celebration, honoring our 2018 NCAA Men’s Basketball Champs, the Villanova Wildcats! The celebrations continued throughout the month, and on April 21st Photo By: N. Faragalli some of our favorite current Philadelphia Eagles players helped Parks and Recreation, Councilman Kenyatta Johnson, Mayor Jim Kinney and former Philadelphia Eagle, Connor Barwin, the founder of the Make The World Better Foundation cut the ribbon to the newly renovated Smith Playground at 24th and Snyder Avenue. We finished out the month at the Franklin Institute’s Science Festival, where families got to participate in live experiments and take a walk through the Brain, pictured to the left. Photo By: Bill Z. Foster As always, April has been nothing short of exciting for our office. We’ve witnessed street dedications, like Philly’s own Smokin’ Joe Frazier Boulevard at Broad and Glenwood Street. We raced through local neighborhoods at the annual Sky Partners Point Breeze 5K. Spring officially bloomed at Shofuso Japanese House and Garden’s Cherry Blossom Festival. We ate for a good cause at the 6th Annual Food Truck Pop-Up in support of Action Wellness. And now we are cheering on our 76ers as they enter round 2 of the NBA Photo By: M. Sabb Eastern Conference Playoffs! Trust the Process! ON THE HORIZON S. 9th Street Italian Market Festival May 1st – 7th May 15th – 21st Chinese Lantern Festival – Franklin Square (5/1- Public Health Management Community Health Fair – 6/30) 2500 Germantown Ave. (5/16) Mexico Flag Raising – City Hall North Apron (5/1) World Lupus Day Rally – Thomas Paine Plaza (5/16) Living Flame Police & Fire Memorial Service – Night Market Burlhome – Rising Sun Ave. Between Franklin Square (5/2) Cottman and Tyson (5/17) Frankford CDC Food Truck Festival – 4600 Paul St. Haiti Flag Raising – City Hall North Apron (5/18) (5/4; 5/18) St. Pio Festival – 1800 Pollock St. (5/18-5/20) SSHD Spring Festival – 200-800 South St & More S. 9th Street Italian Market Festival – S. 9th St. (5/5) Between Wharton & Fitzwater (5/19-5/20) Ride for Recovery – The Dell East Parking Lot (5/5) Rittenhouse Row Festival – 1400-1800 Walnut St. Mt. Airy Day – 6400 Germantown Ave. (5/5) (5/19) Fishtown Flea Market – 1700 Front St. (5/5) Eagles Autism Challenge – Start & End Lincoln Blue Cross Broad Street Run – Start: Broad & Fisher Financial Field (5/19) Ave.; End: Navy Yard (5/6) Mayfair Business Association Community Day – Cedar Point Bar and Kitchen Neighborhood Festival 7300 Frankford Ave.; 3500 Ryan Ave. (5/19) – 1800 Cedar St.; 2600 E. Norris St. (5/6) Mural Arts Ed Bradley Dedication – 4300 Wyalusing Chestnut Hill Home & Garden Festival – 8000-8700 Ave. (5/19) Germantown Ave. (5/6) Lung Force Walk – Start & End: 2nd & Lombard Sts. (5/19) May 8th – 14th Fallen Heroes 5K Run – Start & End: Rowland & Veteran’s Festival & Resource Fair – Thomas Paine Ryan Ave. (5/19) Plaza (5/9) Kensington Kinetic Derby – Start & End: E. Dauphin Stenton Museum Fundraiser – 4600 N. 18th St. St. & Trenton Ave. (5/19) (5/10) 12th Annual Asian Pacific American Heritage Month Children’s Mental Health Awareness Day – Thomas Festival – 500 Ritner St.; 2300 6th St. (5/19) Paine Plaza (5/10) Cafe Ynez Anniversary Party – 2000 Washington SOSNA Street Festival – 600 S. 23rd St. & 2200 Ave. (5/19) Grays Ferry Ave. (5/12) Poconos Raceway Xfinity Philly Takeover – Comcast Ridge Runners Car Club Show – 6300-6400 Ridge Center (5/21) Ave. (5/12) Historic Germantown Festival – 5400 Germantown May 22nd – 31st Ave. (5/12) National Tap Dance Day – City Hall Courtyard Saddiq’s Water Ice Health Fair – 200 S. 60th St. (5/25) (5/12) Bridesburg Memorial Day Parade – Start & End: Race for the Cure – Various Locations (5/13) Richmond St. (5/28) Israeli Flag Raising – City Hall North Apron (5/14) For a full detailed list of events, please visit the Calendar on our website! @PhillyMDOevents.