April 09, 2015
Matt Stanley/Delaware River Waterfront Corporation
Spruce Street Harbor Park.
Philadelphians fell in love with the Spruce Street Harbor Park when it opened along the Delaware waterfront last year. This year it's returning better than ever and is accompanied by the opening of a summer version of the popular RiverRink Winterfest. RiverRink Summerfest, whose main attraction is a roller skating rink, will open alongside SSHP on May 22.
Delaware River Waterfront Corporation's Summerfest includes all the attractions Winterfest lovers enjoyed but with a seasonal twist. The rink will be the city's first outdoor roller skating rink and will be home to both roller skates and inline skates. An island in the rink's center will become an oasis for tired skaters (or, you know, the perfect Instagram spot) covered by a canopy of lights.
The Winterfest Lodge will be transformed into a boathouse-themed (and air conditioned) restaurant space, featuring summery decor and seating, Garces Group food and plenty of shade. The wraparound veranda will remain and a play space and arcade will be open to occupy the little ones.
As with Winterfest, Summerfest will be free and open to the public, with the food being pay-as-you-go and the skating being ticketed, though it is free for Independence Blue Cross cardholders.
Spruce Street Harbor Park's return will feature the same beautiful landscaping and design, accompanied by more food options from Garces Group, flowers reused from a Philadelphia Museum of Art temporary installation and way more places to sit. Yes, more of those comfy hammocks will be back, along with some Adirondack chairs and picnic tables.
The SSHP Boardwalk will be back with a new entertainment area and more seating as will the Oasis full of water gardens, floating barges and a net lounge. One of the new Indego bike share sites will be tantalizingly close to SSHP and the whole thing is free and open to the public. In addition to being opened a month early, SSHP will stay open through the end of September.
