Heat emergency extended; Congress comes to Philly; 100 Steps 101

#BILLYPENNGRAM OF THE DAY

Keep your head in the game
(Photo by @denisewalksphilly)

‘Dangerously hot’: City extends emergency through Sunday

“This is not the kind of heat event we see every year,” the National Weather Service reported, adding it may be the hottest period Philly has experienced since 2011.

The region’s latest heat wave has health workers on high alert for heat-related illnesses and complications among World Cup fans and visitors to the outdoor festival at Lemon Hill. Continue reading…

Liyana Mendez, 7, of Philadelphia cools off in the mist fans at FIFA Fan Fest at Lemon Hill. (Emma Lee/WHYY)

The Wissahickon’s 100 Steps connect a natural oasis to the city

The 100 Steps, nestled on the edge of Philly’s Wissahickon neighborhood, is a sort of bridge to our own local Terabithia.

What starts on an ordinary city street quickly descends into the wooded expanse of Wissahickon Valley Park, where miles of trails and bike paths wind alongside the creek. Continue reading…

The 100 Steps (Julia Binswanger/ Billy Penn)

RECAP: What else happened?

$ = paywalled

• Congress returns to Philadelphia to mark 250 years since America’s first vote for independence. [WHYY]

• U.S. Marshals offer $5,000 rewards to find teens charged with killing Penn State student in South Philly on June 6. [PhillyVoice]

• Take that, Boston: Philly has more Declarations of Independence than any other city. [WHYY]

• The city’s first youth restorative justice cohort completed nearly a year of training designed to help young people address conflict, violence and harm in their communities. [WHYY]

• Jaylen Brown is getting traded by the Boston Celtics to the 76ers for Paul George, draft picks. [AP]

• The ‘flying saucer’ building at LOVE Park will host a beer garden and then a restaurant. The Broad Street Beer Garden opens Saturday. [Inq$]

MAYOR WATCH

Mayor Parker welcomes 100+ mayors from across the country to Philly for a historic bipartisan March of America’s Mayors at Independence Mall. The event is meant to mark the 250th anniversary of the Continental Congress’ vote for independence on July 2, 1776. (10 a.m.)

Parker then heads a few blocks south to the Museum of the American Revolutn for the “We the People 250” Program during the 2026 U.S. Conference of Mayors Annual Meeting. (11 a.m.)

She returns to Independence Mall at 6 p.m. for the 2026 Wawa Welcome America: Salute to Independence Concert honoring soldiers and veterans, with performances by the renowned U.S. Army Field Band & Soldiers’ Chorus.

⚽ World Cup Daily Recap ⚽

Start Here:
World Cup events guide
Billy Penn’s FIFA World Cup Guide

The Latest:

Philly medical teams at outdoor FIFA Fan Festival prepare for cases of heat illness as temperatures soar in the region.
Meet the Philly couple who had their wedding photos crashed by Croatian World Cup fans

On the Ground:

FIFA fan fest organizers reveal steps to cut down lines for free DIY World Cup charm bracelets that have become a viral hit.
‘ICE Out’ protest art in Philly ramps up amid World Cup spotlight
World Cup fans can take a hike — literally. Soccer enthusiasts in Philly can access Lemon Hill fan fest and other sites via trails.
A heat wave may be the most obvious health threat. But infectious diseases can spread in a crowd, and experts are set to scrutinize wastewater, hospital visits, even social media for any signs that an outbreak might be brewing.

ON THE CALENDAR

IT IS FOURTH OF JULY WEEK!

Stay cool as much as possible when attending events this week.
PAFA has an indoor tour on Stars, Stripes and Stories (Thursday at 1 p.m.)
+ the Thursday Night Art Club is holding an art therapy portrait class (Thursday at 5 p.m.)
+ South Street is hosting a community soccer watch party with plenty of businesses to run into for AC (Friday)
And more!

See the **FULL LIST** of this week’s events calendar at BillyPenn.com!