We’ve got some exciting news! Philadelphia has set a new visitation record with 42 million visitors in 2016, 88%of which visited for a leisure purpose! This will mark the seventh consecutive year for record visitation toPhiladelphia. Thank you to Visit Philly, the Philadelphia Visitors Bureau, the Philadelphia Convention Center andYOU, for helping attract millions of new and repeat visitors to Philly with the incredible festivals, conventions,races and events that our great City hosts each year!

Our office prides itself on our ability to assist you with your special event needs, and we’d love to hear yourfeedback on how we are doing. Please check out our survey and let us know:https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/JNHXYSN

Philly is hot right now, and in the summer months it’s only going to get hotter with even more outdoor festivalsand events. Check out our calendar and stay on top of upcoming activities and events–including the annual FeteDay celebration on Elfreth’s Alley! Spend the afternoon on the nation’s oldest residential street and get a rareglimpse into many of the 18th-century private homes of residents, while enjoying crafts, music and colonialgames. The largest African-American Cultural celebration in the country, Odunde Festival, returns June 11��,inviting neighbors and friends to relish in the African-American food, music and overall cultural experience.Manayunk’s 28�� Annual Arts Festival unites over 300 artists to showcase their work along historic Main Streetin Manayunk for two days, inviting collectors, buyers, and designers to explore the beauty and talent of thetri-state artists.

These are just three of the many art, cultural and festive events taking place this month in Philly.You can browse our complete online events calendar for more details of what’s to come!

Elfreth’s Alley Annual Fete Day Celebration via Elfreth’s Alley Association

What Comes Next?

By: Olivia Gillison

How do you follow such great events like the NFL Draft, the Democratic

National Convention, or the World Meeting of Families Convention and

Papal Visit? There is no doubt that the past three years have been above

and beyond the yearly standards of Wawa Welcome America Fourth of

July celebration or even the Labor Day weekend Made in America music

festival. Which brings me to ask, “what comes next?”

Philadelphia has been named one of the International Festival & Event

Association's World Festival and Event City for the past three years, and

*fingers crossed* we hope to win again this year. But what is it about

Philly events that keep bringing you back, time and time again? We would

like to think it is all about how smoothly our office runs when working

with event planners to produce these events, but deep down we know

the real reason is you. You are the reason that Philly is great. You are the

reason why Philly celebrates small community block parties or

acknowledges whole neighborhoods with festivals. You are the reason

this newsletter exists! So I’m taking the opportunity to ask you, “what

comes next?” What event have you been waiting for? What type of event

do you want to see? Philly thrives off of your creativity and passion to

make your dreams happen. Philadelphia has so much to offer in terms

of venues and locations. Just think, someone like you is planning the 2018

Philadelphia International Festival of the Arts right now as you read this.

So my question remains the same, “what comes next?” Here in our office we

are patiently waiting for the next big event to come from you. Will it be a parade

of boats down the Delaware River? Or maybe it will be a city-wide carnival. All

we know is that our jobs are filled with excitement every day knowing that you

are the key to Philadelphia’s next big hit.

My oh my did May fly by! We’ve had a great month of

outdoor festivals, including Rittenhouse Row Spring

Festival. We’ve also seen our share of outdoor athletic

events–kicking off the month with the annual Broad

Street Run 10-miler and the Dad Vail Regatta the

following weekend. LOVE Your Park Week reminded us

just how important our park systems

are to our communities!

As Seen in the Streets

The Long & Short of May

Photo by: M. Sabb

Photo by: N. Faragalli

Photo by: N. Faragalli

The photos on this page highlight some of the biggest

events that took place in May. Pictured above is Philly’s

very own Swoop along with racers from the Xfinity Series

Pocono Raceway! For one day, they took over Center City

showcasing burnouts, pit stop skills, and meeting the

fans! The photo to the left is just a glimpse of the quirky

Kensington Kinetic Derby & Arts Festival, where

neighbors are invited to create their own handmade

unique derby car. Beneath that are the infamous cannolis

from Isgro’s Bakery, one of the many delectable treats

available at the 9�� Street Italian Market Festival. Last, is

the official toast marking the beginning of this season’s

Parks on Tap Series, featuring Mayor Kenney and Parks

and Recreation Commissioner Kathryn Ott Lovell.

June 1�� – 7��Pet Preparedness Month Kick Off Press Conference – CityHall North Apron (6/1)Rebuilding Days & Resource Fair – 6700 Bouvier St (6/2-6/3)Rittenhouse Square Fine Arts Show – Rittenhouse Square(6/2-6/4)Philly Beer Week Events – 200 S. Quince St (6/3-6/4)10�� Annual Festival at Parkwest Town Center – ParkwestTown Center (6/3)Independence Dragon Boat Regatta – Kelly Drive (6/3)APM 13�� Annual Sugar Cane Festival – 6�� and SusquehannaAve (6/3)Annual K&A Market Fest – 3100-3200 Kensington Ave (6/3)Grass Roots 5K – Start & End @ Lingelbach School (6/3)La Festa della Repubblica – 1300 Mifflin St; 1800-1900 EPassyunk Ave; 1900 S Juniper St; 1800 S 13�� St (6/4)See Chicks Run 5/10 K – Forbidden Drive (6/4)Jose Pistolas Home Brewers Showcase – 1400 Bach Place(6/5)

June 8�� – 14��1�� Annual Pride Month Kick Off Celebration and Flag RaisingCeremony – City Hall North Apron (6/8)Fun Fishing Day – Centennial Lake (6/10)Silent Philly – City Hall Courtyard (6/10)Lt. Joyce Craig Memorial Mural Dedication – Lawncrest FreeLibrary (6/10)5�� Annual Neighborhood Festival – 1200-1300 Frankford Ave(6/10)Latinas in Motion – 1200-1300 Frankford Ave (6/10)Devil’s Den Block Party – Tacony Creek Park (6/10)Odunde Festival and Parade – 23�� & South Sts. (6/11)Stogie Joes CHOP Fundraiser – 1800 Passyunk Ave (6/11)Alla Spina End of Philly Beer Week – 1400 Mt. Vernon St (6/11)Cancer Society Bike-a-Thon – Philly to Atlantic City (6/11)Oddyssey Half Marathon – Start & End @ Please TouchMuseum (6/11)Disability Flag Raising Ceremony – City Hall North Apron(6/12)Flag Day Celebration – 500 Chestnut St; 500 Arch St (6/14)2017 Little Friends Festival – Rittenhouse Square (6/14)

June 15�� – 21��Old City Eats Kick Off Festival – 100 S 2ⁿ� St (6/15)2017 Ball on the Square – Rittenhouse Square (6/15)Pride Day Kick Off Block Party – 200 S 12�� St; 200 S 13�� St;1100-1200 Locust St (6/16)Recovery Idol – Thomas Paine Plaza (6/16)

Kickback Community Festival – 1500 55�� St (6/17)Johnson House Historic Site Juneteenth Celebration –6300 Germantown Ave (6/17)Disability Pride Parade & Celebration – Start @ NationalConstitution Center; End @ Dilworth Park (6/17)Newbold CDC Blues Festival – 1900 S Bancroft St (6/17)West Philadelphia Father’s Day Block Party – 5900Haverford Ave (6/17)2017 Schuylkill Navy Regatta – Kelly Drive (6/17)Philadelphia Caribbean Carnival & Parade – ChamounixDrive (6/17)Gary Papa Father’s Day Run – Start & End @ ArtMuseum Steps (6/18)2017 LGBT Pride Day Fun Run – Start @ 13�� & LocustSt; End @ Penn’s Landing (6/18)2017 LGBT Pride Day Parade – Start @ 13�� & Locust St;End @ Penn’s Landing (6/18)

June 22ⁿ� – 30��5�� Annual Phila. City Hall IFTAR Dinner – City HallCourtyard (6/22)Frankford CDC Food Truck Festival – 4600 Paul St (6/23)Molestice – 100 N. Mole St & 1500 Cherry St (6/24)17�� Police District Block Party – 1200 Point Breeze Ave(6/24)Overbrook Park Civil Association Community Day –7500 Haverford Ave (6/24)Fillmore Philly Neighborhood Festival – Unit block ofAllen & Canal St (6/24)Councilwoman Bass Community Appreciation Festival –3000‐3200 N 22ⁿ� St (6/24)Manayunk Arts Festival – Main Street (6/24-6/25)The Color Run – Start & End @ Citizens Bank Park (6/25)Luck 13 Pub Annual Summer Block Party – 1800 S. 13thSt. (6/25)FREE Museum Day – National Constitution Center(6/29)PECO Go 4�� & Learn –Mummers Museum (6/29)Summer Mummers Concert – Mummers Museum (6/29)Wawa Hoagie Day – Independence Visitors Center(6/29)Philly @ the Movies – The Piazza at Schmidt’sCommons (6/29)Schuylkill Independence Day Regatta – Kelly Drive(6/30)Living Liberty Bell - Welcome America – IndependenceMall (6/30)FREE Museum Day – Penn Museum and Eastern StatePenitentiary (6/30)The Philadelphia Orchestra Concert – Delaware RiverWaterfront (6/30)Wawa Welcome America Fireworks – Delaware RiverWaterfront (6/30)