World Cup murals in Chinatown; Code Purple in Philly; I-76 night closures

#BILLYPENNGRAM OF THE DAY

Step Outside Show across from City Hall
(Photo by @taoistpunk)

Chinatown artist designs ‘Circle of Unity’ murals to celebrate World Cup and Philly

Walk north on 10th Street towards the Chinatown Friendship Gate and you might notice a red-white-and-blue circular mural on the brick wall between the sushi burrito and frozen ice cream spots.

The mural – featuring a buffalo and bald eagle staring at each other regally in front of a blue-starred background – is the U.S.A. version of one of 17 murals created in celebration of the World Cup by Chinatown-based artist Chenlin Cai. Continue reading…

Chenlin Cai and Xingzi Liang pose with their newly installed USA mural for the 2026 World Cup in Philadelphia’s Chinatown. (Heather Chin/Billy Penn)

Westbound I-76 in West Philly to close at night for bridge construction

Get ready for some temporary bridge closures. The Westbound I-76 in West Philly will close at night for bridge construction this coming Monday through Thursday, July 20-23.

In addition, a 14-month closure of the Market Street bridge begins in late August — all the way through October 2027. Pedestrians and cyclists will still be able to use the bridge, but will be encouraged to use Chestnut, Walnut and other routes instead. Continue reading…

PennDOT will close a section of I-76 in West Philadelphia at night July 20-23 for bridge construction project. (Google Maps)

RECAP: What else happened?

$ = paywalled

• Residents are warned to stay indoors as Canadian wildfire smoke reaches dangerous levels in Philadelphia region, triggering a Code Purple Air Quality Alert. [WHYY/BP2023]

• The city Health Department is taking over management of the Sexual Assault Response Center from Drexel University amid staff shortages and funding gaps. [WHYY]

• “We’re people too”: Philadelphia Haitians fear deportation after Supreme Court terminates temporary protected status. [WHYY]

• Philadelphia doctors and construction workers target childhood asthma triggers with a free home repair program. [WHYY]

• For Tattooed Mom to resume live music performances, L&I says it must obtain “Adult Cabaret” permits and a license — policies that the popular bar says are “outdated” and unjustly targets the LGBTQIA+ community. [PhillyVoice]

• No gluten? No problem! A gluten-free expo full of pasta, pizza, fried chicken, soft pretzels, pierogi, pancakes and more is headed to the Philly suburbs this weekend. [Billy Penn]

MAYOR WATCH

Mayor Parker speaks about the shipbuilding economy at the christening of the Lone Star State ship at the Philadelphia Navy Yard’s Hanwha Philly Shipyard. (11 a.m.)

Parker then attends a Philadelphia250 School Block Party at Duckrey School, 1501 West Diamond Street, as part of the citywide Block Party Bonanza. (12:30 p.m.)

⚽World Cup Tips ⚽

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

Things To Know:

There is still time to get free DIY World Cup charm bracelets at the FIFA Fan Fest.
‘ICE Out’ protest art in Philly ramps up amid World Cup spotlight
Soccer enthusiasts in Philly can access Lemon Hill fan fest and other sites via trails.
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

A WPA Poster Day (Friday),
an ice cream soda firstival (Saturday),
Summer Punk Rock Flea Market (all weekend),
A gluten-free expo (all weekend),
AND MORE!

Send us events to add to the **FULL LIST** of this week’s events calendar at BillyPenn.com!