Franklin Square turns 17 in 2023, and to celebrate its birthday, the historic venue will be offering free family fun during the day on Sunday, July 30.
The venue was first created as the city’s original green space by William Penn in 1682, Historic Philadelphia Inc. then renovated Franklin Square in 2006 into the destination that it is today—which currently holds the venue’s fountain and fountain shows, Philly-themed mini golf, a carousel and currently, the Philadelphia Chinese Lantern Festival.
To celebrate the birthday festivities, families and Philadelphians can head to the Square from 10 a.m. to noon, to check out all of the free activities which spans birthday hat and bag decorating, temporary tattoos, candy giveaways, a scavenger hunt, and Once Upon A Nation storytelling.
As a release states, a festive party in Franklin Square’s Pavilion will also be set up to “show off the best place to celebrate any occasion” with pizza from Santucci’s Original Square Pizza (while supplies last), free family-friendly fun from J-Dogs Catering & Amusements and a special “Happy Birthday” song with Benjamin Franklin and TastyKakes® Butterscotch Krimpets. And if visitors like what they see, they can inquire about hosting their own celebrations in the space.
Additionally, on Franklin Square’s Birthday, the first 100 guests will receive a free ride on the Parx Liberty Carousel, or visitors can complete the free Chinese Lantern Festival Scavenger Hunt to win a free ticket to ride.
At 11 a.m., visitors can then head over to Once Upon A Nation Storytelling Bench sponsored by Visit Philadelphia (one of the six award-winning storytelling benches around the city) where specially-trained, uniformed storytellers tell short 3-to-5-minute stories while sharing the secrets of Philadelphia’s and America’s history where some of these stories actually happened.
The party in the pavilion will kick off at 11:15 a.m., and then, the celebration concludes with the Franklin Square Fountain Show at noon. The 185-year-old historic Rendell Family Fountain typically plays every 30 minutes and switches songs for every performance. As the release puts it, this free performance allows guests can to ultimately enjoy choreographed “performances,” that showcase the historic infrastructure of the country’s oldest continuously operating fountain.
While walking around Franklin Square on the 30th, guests will also get a sneak peek of the Chinese Lantern Festival (which is a ticketed experience in the evenings, when the lights fully go on) if they haven’t yet had the chance yet to make it out.
In total, this year’s Chinese Lantern Festival features 34 lantern groupings with more than 1,500 individual lighted sculptures including a 100-foot long sea dragon, plus the fan favorite 164-foot long fire-breathing dragon—which has become one of the most notable attractions of the event, especially when it puffs out “smoke.”
While Philadelphians walk around the venue, there is something new to discover virtually at every corner from detailed lanterns, ones that move, ones that set the stage for a story, and even groupings that are interactive. For one, visitors can find out their fortune with just the push of a button, or, talk into a tree and a parrot will speak what you said right back to you.
For more information on how to celebrate Franklin Square’s 17th birthday and for all Historic Philadelphia, Inc. event information, visit historicphiladelphia.org
