July 03, 2019
Philadelphia is ready to celebrate the Fourth of July, are you?
If you still need to make plans for Thursday, check out our roundup of things to do below. You'll find info on museums to check out, Wawa Welcome America festival events, beer gardens and more.
Make the most of your day off work and enjoy the holiday.
What better way to spend the Fourth than diving into the history of the American Revolution?
Recently, the museum installed a rare 1776 broadside printing of the Declaration of Independence, on loan from a descendant of Declaration signer John Witherspoon. The printing hasn't been publicly displayed in more than a century and has never before been displayed in a museum.
There's also a collection of rare flags that's only on display through mid-July.
To celebrate America's birthday, the Termini Brothers Bakery will decorate a five-tier cake on-site starting at 9 a.m. on the Fourth of July. They will also arrange 2,500 red, white and blue cupcakes into the shape of an American flag.
At 1 p.m., Betsy Ross will arrive with a fife-and-drum procession to lead the crowd in singing "Happy Birthday" before all of the cake and cupcakes will be distributed for free.
On the Fourth of July, families can enjoy an outdoor picnic of barbecue staples like ribs and brisket sandwiches at the quaint Peddler's Village in Bucks County. There will even be a build-your-own burger bar.
In addition, there will be live music, a watermelon eating contest and family-friendly games like balloon toss.
Jet Wine Garden on South Street is set to open on the Fourth of July, so you can be one of the first to visit the new outdoor space. Parks on Tap, the traveling beer garden, is another great place to grab a drink on July 4. The beer garden is currently at Shofuso Japanese House and Garden in Fairmount Park.
Also, here's a handy list we created for Memorial Day with a roundup of some of the city's best beer gardens.
Sunset Social, a burger joint and bar, is throwing a Fourth of July party. The venue is located at University City's Circa Green, a grassy park 12 floors above street level.
There will be a pig roast, DJ, $5 rosé lemonade snow cones, $4 beers and a screening of "Field of Dreams." Plus, the park offers a great view of the Wawa Welcome America fireworks.
From noon to 7 p.m., Wawa Welcome America's Party on the Parkway will take place. Grab some food and watch a performance on the Chill Moody Music Stage, the PA Lottery Philly Groove Stage, the Multicultural Stage or the SugarHouse Casino Freedom Stage. Check out the schedule here.
There will be a kids zone with acrobatic dunkers, bungee jumping, games, arts & crafts, storytelling and face painting, as well as a zip-line, too.
Then starting at 7 p.m., the Wawa Welcome America July 4th Concert begins. This year's headliners are Jennifer Hudson and Meghan Trainor.
Also, for the first time, the United States Army Field Band will perform live on the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art as the annual fireworks light up the sky above in red, white and blue.
Whether you're on the Parkway or at the Shore, you'll be able to catch a Fourth of July fireworks show. We created a guide to all the local shows lighting up the sky this holiday.
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