November 28, 2023
On Sunday, the city will declare Dec. 3 as "Rocky Day" — and Rocky himself will be there to mark the occasion.
Sylvester Stallone will appear at the Parkway Visitor Center at 11 a.m. for a special event celebrating his beloved boxing alter ego, Rocky Balboa. The actor will ceremoniously open the visitor center's new Rocky Shop after a reading of the city resolution deeming Dec. 3 — the date of the original "Rocky" film's release — as Rocky Day.
"This day is an amazing day for me, and the people who have taken in Rocky into their hearts," Stallone said Monday. "When I come to Philly and stand on the steps, it touches my soul like it did when I was a child. This is a very special place in a very special city. … Believe me, there's no other place like it in the world!"
When "Rocky" was released 47 years ago, Stallone shot to superstardom — and became an adopted son of Philadelphia. The movie, which Stallone also wrote, won the Oscar for best picture and spawned five sequels featuring the determined underdog fighter as well as the recent spinoff series "Creed." While much of the "Rocky" franchise was shot in Philly, the first film features what is still the best-known city scene: Rocky running up the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art as "Gonna Fly Now" plays.
The visitor center and its new Rocky Shop are stationed adjacent to the Eakins Oval, just steps from the museum and the bronze Rocky statue. The sculpture was commissioned by Stallone for "Rocky III" and presented to the city after filming.
As for the shop, it features numerous items from the movies, including Rocky's tiger jacket, stars-and-stripes boxing trunks and yellow "Italian Stallion" boxing robe. All items are licensed through Stallone's official brand, and the actor is donating a portion of the proceeds to the restoration of the art museum's East Terrace and steps.
It's unclear if Stallone will be meeting fans beyond a few contest winners, but just to be safe, attendees should wear their finest gray sweatsuits and Converse.
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