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Wawa Welcome America
No one does the Fourth like those who did it first.
The proof? Philadelphia’s Wawa Welcome America festival, an extended celebration of independence from June 19 to July 4, 2023.
Every summer, dozens of free and fabulous events showcase America’s birthplace with experiences across the city, including free admission to museums and attractions on select days, musical performances from local and national artists, community-centered events, Wawa Hoagie Day and more.
Programs commemorating Juneteenth and the Fourth of July as holidays that together create a more complete picture of freedom and liberty — from the nation’s founding in 1776 to the end of slavery in 1865 — are a major part of Welcome America, tracing the history of both holidays and showcasing different perspectives on what independence means in the birthplace of America.
The 16-day celebration ends on the Fourth of July with a massive free concert featuring musical mastermind Adam Blackstone, legendary rapper Ludacris and superstar singer-songwriter Demi Lovato on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway.
The two-plus-week party goes out with a bang during a stunning fireworks display over the Philadelphia Museum of Art. You won’t want to miss it.
Every year, the Wawa Welcome America festival celebrates the nation’s birthday with a multi-day party.
— Photo by S. Ramones for Visit Philadelphia
We’re talking free events for all ages throughout the city, including outdoor concerts, free museum days and fantastic fireworks.
The main event goes down on the Fourth of July, starting with the Celebration of Freedom at Independence Hall to observe the evolving history of America’s freedom. The annual July 4th Concert is a fun-filled free performance on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway. Afterward, the city’s biggest fireworks display illuminates the skies over the Philadelphia Museum of Art. (Check out our guide on top spots to watch the fireworks show.)
Wawa Welcome America continues to grow in size and meaning. Beginning in 2021, the festival expanded to run from Juneteenth to Fourth of July in recognition of the country’s independence in 1776 to the end of slavery in 1865.
This year promises to be the most inclusive celebration of American independence yet, with 16 days of free fun for the entire family, stretching from Juneteenth to the Fourth of July.
Read on for some of the biggest highlights from this year’s Wawa Welcome America festival.
Free Museum Days
More than 30 of Philly’s most-celebrated cultural institutions offer free admission on select days during the two-week celebration, including:
Click the button below for the complete guide to free museum days during Wawa Welcome America.
— Photo by A. Ricketts for Visit Philadelphia
Liberation Rising: Juneteenth Block Party at The African American Museum in Philadelphia
This Juneteenth celebration is a daylong block party outside of The African American Museum in Philadelphia, featuring performances from legendary DJ Spinderella (of Salt-N-Pepa fame), a marketplace highlighting Black-owned businesses, food trucks, hands-on activities and free admission to the museum with online registration (Monday, June 19, 2023).
Our America Now: A Celebration of World Refugee Day
LOVE Park lives up to its name during this daylong celebration spotlighting the contributions of Philly’s refugee communities and the families that welcome and support them.
The festival-like atmosphere is full of live music, storytelling, interactive art-making and free dance lessons celebrating popular dances from Ukraine, Afghanistan, Cuba, Haiti, Nicaragua and Venezuela (Tuesday, June 20, 2023).
Hispanic Fiesta & Fireworks at Penn’s Landing
Part of the PECO Multicultural Series and officially joining the Wawa Welcome America celebration for the first time in 2023, Hispanic Fiesta is an annual event celebrating Hispanic culture and heritage with two days of food, dancing, and music.
Musicians Manny Manuel and El Canario get the party started with salsa and merengue tunes before grand finale fireworks each night of the celebration (June 24 & 25, 2023).
Wawa Hoagie Day
What’s better than a free hoagie? Seven tons of free hoagies! At noon on Wednesday, June 28, 2023, competing teams of first responders, military members and other everyday heroes gather at Independence Hall to take part in the ultimate Philly showdown: a hoagie-building competition.
— Photo courtesy Wawa Welcome America
Everyone’s a winner in this friendly food fight as the teams build and distribute 25,000(!) free Wawa Shorti hoagies to residents and visitors for Wawa Hoagie Day (Wednesday, June 28, 2023). Free Live Performances at Independence Hall
Independence Hall serves as the backdrop to a number of moving live performances during the Wawa Welcome America celebration, including America the Beautiful, a salute to all veterans and active service members, featuring patriotic music from the U.S. Army Field Band & Soldiers’ Chorus (Friday, June 30, 2023)
A Patriotic Concert & Stunning Fireworks Display on the Delaware River Waterfront
In addition to the fireworks finales for the Hispanic Fiesta on June 24 & 25, 2023, fireworks light up the sky over the Delaware River following a patriotic concert at Penn’s Landing from The United States Army Band “Pershing’s Own” (Saturday, July 1, 2023). Looking for the best spots to catch a fireworks display over the Delaware River? We’ve got you covered.
Salute to America Independence Day Parade
Break out your best red, white and blue: The Fourth of July parade returns with patriotic floats, historical characters and performances from military units, marching bands, dancing groups, and more.
The parade kicks off in Old City at 2nd and Market streets at 11 a.m. before traveling west to City Hall and then North Broad Street, ending at the intersection of Arch & North Broad streets (Tuesday, July 4, 2023).
Fourth of July Concert and Fireworks on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway
This is it: the big one. Wawa Welcome America culminates in a giant, free-for-everyone party on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway on the evening of the Fourth of July.
A massive concert, headlined by superstars Adam Blackstone, Ludacris and Demi Lovato, is followed by the city’s largest fireworks display over the Philadelphia Museum of Art (Tuesday, July 4, 2023). (We’ve got the scoop on the best places to catch those July 4th fireworks.)
For more info on Wawa Welcome America, click the button below.
— Photo courtesy Elevated Angles
The Visit Philly Overnight Package — booked more than 190,000 times since 2001 — comes with free hotel parking (worth up to $100 in Center City Philadelphia), overnight hotel accommodations and choose-your-own-adventure perks.
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