Philadelphia and the Countryside - Press Room

Gay and lesbian travelers looking to extend their summer fun into autumn need look no further than Philadelphia in 2009 and beyond. With a handful of new restaurants, bars, clubs, events and hotels to complement Philadelphia’s cherished and historical gay-friendly heritage, Philadelphia is the place to Get Your History Straight

Consider yourself warned: Dracula is taking over Philadelphia this Halloween season, along with Edgar Allan Poe, a Sphinx and other thrill-ebrities who will wreak delightfully scary havoc with ghoulish events and ghostly attractions throughout the region. Dracula events range from kid-friendly treats at Sesame Place during The Count’s Halloween Spooktacular

It’s the time of year when visitors wander the cobblestone streets of Historic Philadelphia and ask the question, are they or aren’t they…haunted. Halloween offers lots of “Poe-tential” for literary encounters with spooky characters, as well as family-friendly ghosts and goblins who some think still inhabit the centuries-old neighborhood.

Halloween

Art lovers, garden enthusiasts, film connoisseurs and sports fans keep coming back year after year for festivals, sporting events, art shows, parades and cultural events in Philadelphia. Here’s what’s going on in the region in 2010*:

January:

• Thousands of decorative strutters kick off the New Year by marching up

As summer’s high temperatures subside and leaves turn red, orange and yellow, Philadelphia and The Countryside® welcomes autumn with special exhibitions, Halloween haunts and all-ages annual events. Princess Diana, Jim Henson, Henri Matisse, George Washington Carver and Barkley L. Hendricks lead the lineup, which also includes Body Worlds 2 at

Art lovers, garden enthusiasts, film connoisseurs and sports fans keep coming back year after year for festivals, sporting events, art shows, parades and cultural events in Philadelphia. Here’s what’s going on in the region in 2009:

January 2009:

• Thousands of decorative strutters kick off the New Year by marching

Philadelphia is the place for families and adults to be in October, thanks to Halloween happenings taking place throughout the region that culminate with an appearance by American icon Elvira “Mistress of the Dark” on October 31, 2008. The Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation (GPTMC) is helping the region reap

Ghosts and goblins are nothing new to Philadelphia and The Countryside®, an area known for historic sites, Colonial-era graveyards and centuries-old buildings, some dating back to pre-Revolutionary War times. What many people don’t know is that many of the original residents of Historic Philadelphia never left town. The area is

Professional actors, state-of-the art computer technology and Hollywood-quality special effects combine to convert Philadelphia and The Countryside® into one of the world’s scariest Halloween destinations for families, couples and singles. But what adds a deeper and more authentic layer to the just-for-fun sites that thrill hundreds of thousands of visitors

MAY 2009

May 3, 2009
BLUE CROSS 30TH ANNUAL BROAD STREET RUN. The largest and one of the fastest 10-milers in the nation goes from North Philadelphia down the length of Broad Street to The Navy Yard to raise money for the American Cancer Society. (215) 683-3594, broadstreetrun.com

May 8-9,

The Calendar of Events is organized as follows:

November 2009
December 2009
January 2010
February 2010
March 2010
April 2010
May 2010
June 2010
July 2010
August 2010
September 2010
October 2010
Ongoing Activities

NOVEMBER 2009

Through November 1, 2009
HAUNTED POE. This theatrical work unites literature, history and theater

Journalists are taking notice of Philadelphia as a hot urban destination, as evidenced by the many accolades bestowed on the city in September and October 2008. Here’s a look at what some national magazines and a Web site had to say:

• Business Facilities chose Philadelphia as one of seven destinations

Home to dozens of authentic haunted attractions, Philadelphia is showing off its fun side this Halloween with the queen of horror films, Elvira “Mistress of the Dark,” appearing at several events on Friday, October 31, 2008. The vampy, campy, good-time ghoul will kick off Halloween weekend at the Edgar Allan

One new museum, four scenic drives and seven annual events give visitors a dozen reasons to visit Philadelphia this fall.The opening of the Please Touch Museum in its new Fairmount Park location is a great reason for families to make a trip. For couples who need a push to start

Openings:

• Please Touch Museum and Centennial District – When it opens on October 18, 2008, the children’s museum’s new location in Fairmount Park’s Memorial Hall—a National Historic Landmark built in 1876 for the Centennial Exhibition—will boast three times more space for exhibitions and programs. Just outside the museum,

New Year’s Day is about celebrating, and there’s no better place to fete than at the Philadelphia’s Mummers Parade, a 110-year-old tradition in which 10,000 men and women dressed in colorfully lavish costumes twirl, sashay, pirouette and strut up one of the city’s main streets. An unforgettably wild ritual, the

The Christmas season really is the most wonderful time of the year in Philadelphia and The Countryside®, where families partake in old and new traditions to make happy holiday memories. Parents who remember standing in awe of the Enchanted Colonial Village at Lit Brother’s department store can take another peek

When Philadelphia throws a birthday party, everyone catches the spirit—especially leading up to and during Fourth of July weekend. In addition to the many free events that are part of the city’s annual Sunoco Welcome America! celebration, the region is jamming with dozens of events and festivals that celebrate our

NOTE: Click here for the Sunoco Welcome America! media credential form.

This is a Sunoco Welcome America! press release.

Spirited summer family fun in Philadelphia keeps marching on with the annual Sunoco Welcome America! festival. Visitors to the City of Brotherly Love and Sisterly Affection will be treated to two

This summer, Historic Philadelphia is home to brand-new attractions, activities and events, including the provocative new exhibition at The African American Museum in Philadelphia, Audacious Freedom: African Americans in Philadelphia, 1776-1876. After undergoing an extensive renovation, the city’s premier African-American museum will unveil its stunning permanent display on Juneteenth

NOTE: Click here for the Sunoco Welcome America! media credential form.

Two weekends of patriotic summer fun add up to one big party when Philadelphia welcomes residents and visitors for the 17^th annual Sunoco Welcome America! festival, celebrating the nation’s birthday in its birthplace. For two weekends, June 26-28

Long weekends are the perfect time to discover all the things to Love about Philadelphia. Those looking for a three-day escape this winter can take advantage of the popular Philly Overnight® Hotel Package, which comes with an extra incentive this season thanks to the new Love campaign. As always, the

New Year’s Eve is a night for revelry and romance, and Philadelphia offers plenty of great hotel packages at great rates for those looking to extend their night into the early hours. Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation has compiled a list of hotels that are ringing in 2009 with value-added

Those interested in seeing President-elect Barack Obama’s inauguration in Washington, DC on January 20, 2009 will be hard pressed to find a hotel room in the nation’s capital, but hotel availability is currently plentiful in Philadelphia—just two hours from DC by train and three hours by car or bus—and the

The wacky and colorful Mummers Parade along Broad Street on New Year’s Day and the breathtaking New Year’s Eve fireworks show at Penn’s Landing distinguish Philadelphia’s New Year celebration from all others. With some insider tips on where to get the best views, how to stay warm and what else

The following itinerary is available on gophila.com/holidays.

LOCATION: Center City, Penn’s Landing and the Brandywine Valley

TRANSPORTATION: Foot, taxi and car

DURATION: Two days and two nights

Crisp starry skies…cozy firelight dinners…colorful twinkling lights. The holidays are here, and all around Philadelphia, romance is in the air. Time for

The following itinerary is available on gophila.com/holidays.

LOCATION: Center City, Penn’s Landing, South Philly, Kennett Square

TRANSPORTATION: Foot, taxi or car

DURATION: Two days and two nights

Holiday time is family time, but too often, busy schedules and bustling activities have everyone running in different directions. In 2008, start

It doesn’t take a holly, jolly budget to have a holly, jolly holiday—especially in Philadelphia and The Countryside®, where even Ebenezer Scrooge would be impressed with all the budget-conscious ways to celebrate the season. Here are 25 entertaining reasons to make merry in 2008—all while keeping the tab under $25

Winter may be chillier, but Philadelphia is just getting warmed up with a dozen new reasons to explore the five-county region. This season, visitors can walk through an interactive Chronicles of Narnia exhibition at The Franklin, view Cézanne’s masterful paintings at the Philadelphia Museum of Art and pay homage to

More than 3,000 years after his death, ancient Egyptian boy pharaoh King Tutankhamun is about to rule once again: this time his empire consists of Philadelphia and The Countryside™, and his reign will last not a decade, but seven months, from February 3 through September 30, 2007. The landmark exhibition,

People come to Philadelphia year after year to create new holiday memories with the help of the region’s time-tested traditions. Parents who remember standing in awe of the Enchanted Colonial Village at Lit Brother’s department store can take another peek inside the busy bakery, the bustling village store and the

Last chance, last chance! That thought will run through a million minds as people from all 50 states make travel plans to Philadelphia to see Tutankhamun and the Golden Age of the Pharaohs, presented by Mellon Financial Corporation. And, ticketing for out-of-towners couldn’t be easier. Two un-timed, VIP tickets come

Mayor John F. Street and Sunoco Welcome America! President and CEO Clifton Davis today announced the 2007 Sunoco Welcome America! Festival. With this year’s theme, Celebrate Freedom, the festival will offer world-class patriotic and historic venues and will highlight the best in American music, food and fun from June

Really, where better to celebrate America’s birthday than in the city where it all began? New attractions throughout Independence Mall provide visitors with expanded access and unprecedented opportunities to mark the nation’s anniversary. But Sunoco Welcome America!, the week-long citywide birthday bash, is the real reason Philly’s more fun

IgoUgo travel blog, a partner of Travelocity, named Philadelphia one of  “10 US Cities with Tourism Sites to See” this month. The trip planning Web site called gophila.com, Greater Philadelphia’s official tourism Web site, “undeniably fresh” and “full of multimedia options” and went on to say, “But besides being

Philly is known for its great music and legendary artists, and summer 2008 will showcase the great sounds of the city. From a super-sized outdoor jazz festival to a Fourth of July concert that’s the stuff of “Legend,” this summer promises to be music to the ears. Here are some

Last-minute hotel booking is a New Year’s Eve norm, and gophila.com, Philadelphia’s official visitor Web site, is offering some tips on how to get the December deed done for the festive, four-day weekend, which features the New Year’s Eve fireworks show at Penn’s Landing and the beloved Mummers Parade

When it comes to celebrating America’s birthday, Philly does July 4 like nowhere else. A highlight this year will be the real-life wedding of two re-enactors who portray Benjamin Franklin and Betsy Ross. The couple will be married in front of Independence Hall with Mayor Michael A. Nutter officiating and

Fireworks:

• Each minute of a fireworks show takes approximately one hour to choreograph.
• Zambelli pyrotechnicians will spend approximately 350-400 hours on-site producing Sunoco Welcome America!’s fireworks shows on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway and at Penn’s Landing.

The Wedding: Benjamin Franklin & Betsy Ross (Ralph & Linda):

• Ralph Archbold

Philly’s own Boyz II Men formed in 1988 while the Boyz were students at the Philadelphia High School for the Creative and Performing Arts. Today, the Boyz are all grown up and sounding as good as ever.

With Nathan Morris, Shawn Stockman and Wanya Morris (no relation to Nathan) trading

In 2004, John Legend made the leap from all-star studio session man to headlining singer/songwriter/pianist/performer with his debut album Get Lifted. Driven in part by the hit singles Ordinary People and Used To Love U, Get Lifted was a critical and commercial triumph, earning Legend an astounding eight Grammy nominations.

Sunday, July 6, 2008:

11:00 a.m.-7:00 p.m.
Taste of Philadelphia
Hungry visitors can nosh their way through the weekend at the Great Plaza at Penn’s Landing, sampling cuisine from some of the city’s finest restaurants. Traditional picnic foods like burgers, corn on the cob and other Independence Day favorites

Saturday, July 5, 2008:

10:30 a.m. and 1:00 p.m.
Journey to the Center of the Earth
Lucky contest winners can attend a pre-release screening of this classic’s remake. On a special trip to Iceland, a scientist (Brendan Fraser) and his nephew get trapped in a cave. They soon discover

Friday, July 4, 2008:

10:00-11:00 a.m.
Independence Day Ceremony
Philadelphia’s annual commemoration of American independence is bigger and better this year on Independence Mall. Among other program items, Mayor Michael A. Nutter will be on hand to acknowledge the achievements of the Best of the Class, graduating high school

Thursday, July 3, 2008:

11:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m.
Go 4^th & Learn
Kids can time-travel through more than 300 years of Philadelphia history as a historian brings out artifacts and guides them along the world’s largest map of the city at the Atwater Kent Museum. Each child who attends

Wednesday, July 2, 2008:

10:00 a.m.-12:00 noon
Go 4^th & Learn
Kids explore the world of possibilities through storytelling, crafts and interactive performances at the Abbosford Community Center. Each child attending will receive a gift bag with a book and other goodies. 3226 McMichael Street, East Falls

2:00

Tuesday, July 1, 2008:

10:00 a.m.-12:00 noon
Go 4^th & Learn
Storytellers give kids get the scoop on Ben Franklin while they enjoy the interactive movie What’s the Big Idea, Ben Franklin? at the Free Library of Philadelphia. Each child attending will receive a gift bag with a

Monday, June 30, 2008:

10:00 a.m.-12:00 noon
Go 4^th & Learn
Kids won’t know what to do first at City Hall’s Dilworth Plaza—climb inside the helicopter, talk with William Penn or paint the colorful monster mural. Every child participating will receive a gift bag with a book

Sunday, June 29, 2008:

10:00 a.m.-12:00 noon
Go 4^th & Learn
At Franklin Square, kids can romp around, play games and hear professional storytellers regale them with entertaining stories about America’s past. Each child attending will receive a gift bag with a book and other goodies. Afterwards, parents

Saturday, June 28, 2008:

11:00 a.m.-1:00 p.m.
Go 4th & Learn
Kids play with musical instruments and learn how to scat jazz from Scat Cat at World Cafe Live. Every child participating will receive a gift bag with a book and other goodies. 3025 Walnut Street, (215) 222-1400

2:00-6:00

Whoever said less is more sure wasn’t thinking about Fourth of July in Philadelphia and The Countryside®. When it comes to celebrating America’s birthday, America’s birthplace knows that more is better. In addition to the many free events that are part of the Sunoco Welcome America! celebration, the region is

Aspiring artists can join local police officers to make their mark on Philadelphia during a giant Cops & Kids paint-in, Wednesday, July 2, 2008, 3:00-5:00 p.m. The event is part of Sunoco Welcome America!, Philadelphia’s nine-day Fourth of July festival, running June 28 through July 6.

Budding Picassos can demonstrate

Philadelphia’s nine-day Fourth of July festival, Sunoco Welcome America!, gets underway on a joyful note when Saturday Night Alive!, presented by Independence Blue Cross and co-sponsored by WDAS-FM and the CW PHILLY, hosts live gospel performances and film on the Great Plaza at Penn’s Landing on Saturday, June 28, 2008,

Step right up and watch some of the world’s strongest men dazzle with their amazing feats of strength. The Strongman Competition brings together a fierce line-up of strength competitors from around the nation for one of the kick-off events for Sunoco Welcome America!, a nine-day festival of activities celebrating America’s

Start with the anniversary of America’s birthday. Add in some of Philadelphia’s renowned and emerging performing and visual artists. Put them all together in a block party setting, and the result is Wednesday Night Out presented by the Philadelphia International Airport, a highlight of Sunoco Welcome America!’s Fourth of July

Sunoco Welcome America!, Philadelphia’s nine-day festival celebrating America’s birthday from June 28 through July 6, 2008, is throwing a Fiesta on the Parkway, featuring Latino music, dance, arts, culture, food and more. The event will spice up the Benjamin Franklin Parkway on Thursday, July 3, 2:00-8:30 p.m.

The fun-filled fiesta

The Super Scooper All-You-Can-Eat Ice Cream Festival returns to Penn’s Landing as part of Sunoco Welcome America!, Philadelphia’s nine-day festival celebrating America’s birthday, from June 28 through July 6, 2008. The ice cream extravaganza will take place at Walnut Street and Columbus Boulevard from Friday, July 4 through Sunday, July

Some of the city’s best chefs are bringing their culinary talents to the Great Plaza at Penn’s Landing, Columbus Boulevard at Chestnut Street, for A Taste of Philadelphia, an opportunity to feast on fine cuisine at fast food prices. The event, a joint production of Sunoco Welcome America! and the

After Fourth of July’s commemorative ceremonies on Independence Mall in Philadelphia, revelers can make their way over to the Benjamin Franklin Parkway at 2:00 p.m. for Party on the Parkway, one of many events that make up Sunoco Welcome America!’s nine-day festival celebrating America’s birthday, June 28 through July 6,

Cue the 76 trombones. It’s time for the Southwest Airlines July 4^th Parade, an entertaining tribute to Philadelphia that displays how this “City of Firsts” lives, works, plays and celebrates. The parade, which will lead into a free concert by John Legend and a spectacular fireworks display, is a

The best place to celebrate America’s birthday is the place where it all started 232 years ago—at Philadelphia’s Independence Hall. On Friday, July 4, 2008, at 10:00 a.m., Mayor Michael A. Nutter will lead the city’s Independence Day Ceremony, a commemorative event that pays tribute to the 18^th-century

Some things just belong together—like picnics, the Philly POPS and Independence Day. They all come together on Thursday, July 3, 2008 during the POPS on Independence concert, a newer tradition that has become a Sunoco Welcome America! fan favorite. The nine-day Fourth of July festival celebrates America’s birthday in America’s

This year’s Sunoco Welcome America!, Philadelphia’s nine-day festival celebrating America’s birthday, will feature not one but two spectacular, themed fireworks displays by the internationally acclaimed Zambelli Fireworks Internationale on July 4 and 5, 2008. The Independence Day show will mark the world premiere of a new patriotic anthem by Philadelphia’s

The calendar might say it is July 5, but in Philadelphia the Independence Day celebration continues all weekend with even more Sunoco Welcome America!, a nine-day festival celebrating America’s birthday. The action moves to the Great Plaza at Penn’s Landing where Boyz II Men, Philly’s own hometown music heroes and

He’s hot, he’s a hit-maker, and he’s headlining the Sunoco Welcome America! Sunoco Sweet Sounds of Liberty Concert & Fireworks extravaganza on July 4, 2008. John Legend, the University of Pennsylvania graduate and five-time Grammy Award winner, will cap off the Southwest July 4th Parade with a free concert on

Benjamin Franklin and Betsy Ross are getting married, and it’s happening in Philadelphia. In reality, Ralph Archbold, the city’s nationally recognized Ben Franklin re-enactor, fell in love with Linda Wilde, who often portrays Betsy Ross, and they decided to get married. The couple will exchange vows in a public ceremony

The nation’s birthplace is still the best place to celebrate America’s birthday. Sunoco Welcome America!, Philadelphia’s nine-day marathon of Independence Day events, kicks off on Saturday, June 28 and continues through Sunday, July 6, 2008. In between, each day is jam-packed with films, food, dancing, a parade, patriotic ceremonies and

Some of Hollywood’s biggest hits will be shown inside, outside and all around the town when Philly @ the Movies returns as part of the nine-day Sunoco Welcome America! Fourth of July festival, June 28 through July 6, 2008. The series of free flicks—two of which were filmed in the

School is out, but kids can Go 4^th & Learn during Sunoco Welcome America!, Philadelphia’s nine-day festival celebrating America’s birthday in America’s birthplace, Saturday, June 28 through Sunday, July 6, 2008. The fun, two-hour programs weave together interactive games, musical performances, storytelling and cultural activities, and each child who

To mark the 100^th anniversary of Mother’s Day, started by Philadelphia resident and West Virginia native Anna Jarvis to honor her mother Anna Marie, the Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation (GPTMC) and the Office of the City Representative are organizing the City of Motherly Love" celebration on Saturday, May

Revelers in town for Sunoco Welcome America!, Philadelphia’s annual Independence Day celebration, can enjoy two evenings of free concerts during the festival, which runs from Saturday, June 28 through Sunday, July 6. Five-time Grammy winner John Legend will take the outdoor stage at the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of