The Fourth of July is upon us, the peak of several weeks’ worth of fireworks, festivals, and commemorations — not to mention your own picnics, backyard BBQs and mini vacations.
It’s gonna be warm, with highs near 90 despite clouds across the Philly region, and a chance of showers in the evening. So stay hydrated, maybe keep an umbrella close by if you’re catching fireworks, and we look forward to seeing some of you around town, whether it’s at the Welcome America concert, the big parade down Market Street, or at one of our dozens of parks and museums.
If you’re only beginning to plan your to-do list (or want to know what roads and locations to avoid), we’ve got you: Keep scrolling, and Happy Fourth!
Welcome America 101
Since 1993, this festival, concert, and fireworks show has been a staple of Philly’s Independence Day celebrations, even as it evolved from a day-long event centered on the Ben Franklin Parkway into a 16-day multicultural lineup at locations across the city that also incorporates Juneteenth celebrations.
This year, the musical lineup features Ne-Yo and Kesha, with pre-show entertainment from DJ Diamond Kuts and Snacktime.
- Gates open at 4 p.m. for the 7 p.m. show. The single entrance will be located at Logan Circle, at 20th Street and the Ben Franklin Parkway. The boulevard will be lined with tents for free health screenings and nutrition tips.
- Tickets aren’t needed, but prepare for big crowds and tight security, a consequence of gunfire disrupting celebrations in 2022. Security measures include metal detectors, bag checks, and increased staff.
- Here’s a list of prohibited items, including selfie sticks, posters, alcohol, and ski masks.
- 4 p.m. at the PA Lottery Groove stage: DJ Diamond Kuts and Snacktime Philly
- 7 p.m. Performers on the main stage
- 9:45 p.m. is fireworks time, though this is contingent on weather and other factors.
New to these performers?
- Ne-Yo is an American singer, songwriter, actor, dancer, and record producer, regarded as a leading figure of 2000s-era R&B. He has won three Grammy Awards.
- Kesha is an American singer and songwriter. Signed to a record deal in 2005, at age 18, her first major success came in early 2009 when she was featured on rapper Flo Rida’s number-one single, “Right Round”.
- DJ Diamond Kuts has been described as Philly music royalty, starting out on West Oak Lane and becoming the first female mixer on Power 99, an Eagles DJ, and collaborator with Nicki Minaj.
- Snacktime Philly was born out of the COVID shutdown and has used its joyful seven-piece brass band and energy to perform outdoor concerts around the city, as well as an album titled “Sounds From The Street: Live!”
Other Welcome America events
- Salute to America Independence Day Parade: The big day starts with a family-friendly parade up Market Street from 2nd to City Hall, and then up North Broad to Arch. Dance troupes, cultural groups, historical reenactors, and lavish floats will abound. (11 a.m. Thursday, July 4)
- Free Museum Days: Johnson House Historic Site: Join a 60-minute guided tour of this former Underground Railroad station on Germantown Avenue, once lived in by the Quaker abolitionist Johnson Family, who called themselves “infidel practitioners” and advocates of racial equality. Free with pre-registration. (12 to 2 p.m. Thursday, July 4)
Fireworks on the Fourth
If the weather cooperates, here is the lineup of fireworks shows scheduled across the region:
- Upper Merion 4th of July Festival (5 p.m.)
- Freedom Fest Firework & Food Truck Festival (5-9 p.m.)
- Narberth Park Show (7-10:30 p.m.)
- Battleship New Jersey Fireworks on the Battleship (9:30 p.m.)
- Wawa Welcome America post-concert fireworks show over the Philadelphia Museum of Art at the Ben Franklin Parkway (9:45 p.m.)
Good viewing locations for Penn’s Landing fireworks:
- Penn’s Landing and its staircase
- Anywhere along Dock to South streets
- Spruce Street Harbor Park
- Race Street Pier or Cherry Street Pier
Good viewing locations for Art Museum fireworks:
- Lemon Hill
- Schuylkill Banks
- Kelly Drive
- Paine’s Park
- Belmont Park
- Girard Avenue Bridge
- Drexel Park
Road closures
For the Welcome America concert:
Already closed, until 10 p.m. July 5
- Ben Franklin Parkway inner lanes, from 20th Street to Eakins Oval
Closed from 5 a.m. July 4 to 2 a.m. July 5
- 1900 Race Street
- 1800-1900 Vine Street
- I-676 on-ramp and off-ramp at 22nd Street
- I-76 eastbound off-ramp at Spring Garden Street
- Spring Garden Tunnel, from 5 a.m. to 2 a.m.
- Park Towne Place, between 22nd and 24th streets
- 20th Street, between Arch Street and Pennsylvania Avenue
- 19th Street, between Callowhill and Cherry streets
Closed from 5 a.m. July 4 to 4 a.m. July 5
- Benjamin Franklin Parkway, 18th Street to Eakins Oval (all lanes)
- Eakins Oval (all lanes)
- Kelly Drive, between Eakins Oval and Fairmount Avenue (Kelly Drive inbound closed at Fountain Green Drive around 5 p.m.)
- Anne d’Harnoncourt Drive (rear of Art Museum)
- 2000-2100 Winter Street
- MLK Drive, Falls Bridge to Eakins Oval
- Spring Garden Street, between Pennsylvania Avenue and 31st Street
- 23rd Street, between Pennsylvania Avenue and Eakins Oval
Closed from 5 a.m. July 4 to 8 a.m. July 5
- 22nd Street, between Winter Street and Pennsylvania Avenue
- 21st Street, between Winter Street and Pennsylvania Avenue
Closed from 1 p.m. July 4 to 1 p.m. July 5
- All roads from Arch to Spring Garden streets, 18th to 22nd streets
- All roads from Arch Street to Fairmount Avenue, 22nd to Corinthian streets
- 16th and 17th streets, between Arch and Spring Garden streets
- 1600-1700 Benjamin Franklin Parkway
Closed from 8 p.m. July 4 to 1 a.m. July 5
- Kelly Drive, Fairmount Avenue to Fountain Green Drive
- Lemon Hill Drive
- Sedgley Drive
- Waterworks Drive
- Poplar Drive
For the Independence Day Parade:
Closed from 6 a.m. to 1 p.m. July 4
- 2nd Street, between Arch and Chestnut streets
- Chestnut/Market Street Viaduct, between Chestnut and Front streets to 2nd and Market streets
- Market Street, between 3rd and Front streets
Closed from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. July 4
- Front Street, between Dock and Market streets
- Chestnut Street, between 2nd and Front streets
Closed from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m., and 5-9 p.m.
- 6th Street, between Chestnut and Walnut streets
Closed from 10:30 a.m. until parade ends
- 3rd to 12th Streets, between Arch and Chestnut streets
- JFK Blvd., between Market and 15th streets
- North Broad Street, between JFK Blvd. and Vine Street
- South Penn Square, from S. Broad to E. Market streets
- East Market, from Front Street to City Hall
- 12th Street, between Vine and Market streets
- 13th Street, between Vine and Market streets
- Arch Street, between 12th and Broad streets
Fireworks safety
- Are fireworks legal in Philly? Yes, but only consumer fireworks like bottle rockets and firecrackers, and only for adults age 18 and older.
- Philly also has a bunch of conditions regulating where and when you can set off fireworks.
- Review our handy guide to Philly’s rules and regulations before the big day.
- There are no authorized retailers in Philly, according to the state list. There are a few in the suburbs, though.
- There are also limits to the hours during which you can set fireworks off.
- For non-holidays, quiet hours are either after 9 p.m. (Philly’s 2020 ordinance) or between 10 p.m. and 10 a.m. (a 2022 state law).
- However, July 4 and the weekend before it allow an exception — a 1 a.m. cutoff.
Don’t forget…
- National Fire Protection Association statistics show fireworks start more than 18,500 fires per year and cause an average of $43 million in direct property damage.
- If you’re using fireworks, be safe about it.
General safety
A happy holiday means a safe holiday. So keep these tips for BBQ safety, grilling safety, and driving safety in mind going into the long weekend.
- Drive safely. Wear a seatbelt when in a car or truck. Wear a life vest when on the water. Pennsylvania state officials also made their annual reminder this week to stay sober while driving — whether that’s a car, boat, bike, or other moving vehicle.
- Drink responsibly. The state Fish and Boat Commission will be doing sobriety tests on the water, and Pa. State Police say “During the July 4th holiday, we’re showing zero tolerance to drunk driving.”
- Use oven/grill mitts and gloves, and don’t wear long sleeves or anything loose that can catch fire. Keep children away and don’t leave a barbecue pit unattended.
- Ensure your grill has good ventilation and no leaks. DIY outdoor grills and kitchens are popular, so make sure they’re also safe and have no recalls. Keep them on a flat surface and outdoors on a flat surface, not indoors.
- Clean your grill after use. Don’t leave grease to accumulate and cause a fire hazard.
Know your history
- Go beyond the touristy spots. This primer on Philly’s Revolutionary-era history (map included!) will take you to Cliveden and Fort Mifflin on the Delaware, the Thaddeus Kościuszko National Memorial, and dozens of historical markers.
- Join a non-traditional walking tour, which explore the city’s diverse cultural history led by women, LGBQT+ pioneers, South Asian Americans, Jewish Americans, and others.
- Which museums are free? Family-friendly? Covers less-known communities? This historic landmark index will help you narrow down your Philly options.
- Go on a self-guided tour of Philadelphia’s abolition history, starting from the WHYY offices on the site of the former Pennsylvania Hall — built as a meeting place for abolitionists in 1838, until it was burned down by anti-black rioters three days after opening.
- Pay your respects to fallen soldiers, founding fathers, and notable historical figures alike. In addition to this guide to war memorials around Philly, there is the Christ Church burial ground where Ben Franklin and four other signers of the Declaration of Independence are buried, and potential African American burial grounds where pioneers in the community rest.
- Explore some of Philly’s unique murals and architecture.
- The Philadelphia region has an interesting tie to Juneteenth: Soldiers trained at Camp William Penn were part of the army corps that secured Union control of Galveston a few days before Major General Gordon Granger issued General Order No. 3, the proclamation of freedom, on June 19, 1865.
- Protest is patriotic. In 2022, after the Supreme Court reversal of Roe v Wade, people took to the streets to support women’s rights and reproductive freedom. Before that, the summer of 2020 was full of protests amid national outcry over the murder of George Floyd and others. And this isn’t a new thing: here are five notable Fourth of July protests from the 19th to 21st centuries.
- The city has commemorated the Fourth of July with everything from presidential visits to parades and picnics.
- The Bicentennial Celebration in 1976 is widely considered a flop. But it’s the reason we have Valley Forge National Historic Park, the clothespin statue, the LOVE sculpture, and an expanded Independence Mall that includes the Liberty Bell. As Philly gears up for the 2026 semiquincentennial, let’s hope we learn from past mistakes.
