Philadelphia and the Countryside - Press Room

Explore the gophila.com Visitor Site

Releases: Expanded View

May 14 2009

Sheryl Crow Headlines July 4 Concert In Philadelphia

Mayor Nutter Launches Sunoco Welcome America! Festival With Concert Headliner Announcements, Parade Routes Updates

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 consecutive weekends of free, family-friendly activities to ring in our nation’s birthday in grand style, including the culinary delights of the Taste of Philadelphia June 26 - 28 and the grand finale July 4 concert and fireworks on Benjamin Franklin Parkway.

On Saturday, July 4, platinum-selling, Grammy Award-winning artist Sheryl Crow takes the stage. The July 4 concert will be followed by a dazzling fireworks show made even more dramatic by a stage-lit Art Museum backdrop. Crowds gathered at the Great Plaza on Penn’s
Landing for the annual Taste of Philadelphia culinary sampling event will be treated to live entertainment throughout the weekend.

“The Sunoco Welcome America! festival is a summertime institution here in the city of
Philadelphia,” said Mayor Nutter. “It’s free, it’s great for every member of the family, and this year we’ve made changes that allow us to realize cost savings without cutting back on the visitor experience,” he continued. “Having Sheryl Crow with us for 2009 will guarantee big crowds for our final festival night.”

The 2009 festival design will provide an enhanced experience for visitors. The grand finale stage has been moved to Eakins Oval, a shift that will allow spectacular views of the concert and ensuing fireworks from any vantage point on Benjamin Franklin Parkway. Additionally, the Independence Day Parade has been relocated to Historic Philadelphia for the first time in 18 years and will feature a tapestry of parade elements from around the nation, including Radio Disney recording artist Joey Page, Philadelphia’s own Lauren Hart, marching bands, drum and bugle corps, re-enactment organizations, antique cars, fire departments, cultural organizations, active military, floats and more.

Sponsors for the Sunoco Welcome America! festival’s 2009 season include title sponsor Sunoco, media sponsor WPVI/6ABC, Southwest Airlines, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia International Airport and Ford. “Fundraising efforts for Sunoco Welcome America! are ongoing and we are committed to keeping this event free to the public,” said Melanie Johnson, City Representative and Executive Director of the festival. “Thanks to our sponsors, the festival is self-funded and is a tremendous economic engine for the city.”

Following the Taste of Philadelphia weekend, the fun continues during the week of June 29, including “Go 4th and Learn” activities for children of all ages, Philly @ the Movies screenings of cinematic favorites, This We Believe (in conjunction with the Philadelphia Mural Arts Program) and the 11th annual All-You-Can-Eat-Super-Scooper Ice Cream Festival at Penn’s Landing, benefitting the Joshua Kahan Fund which fights to cure pediatric leukemia.

Brand-new features for the 2009 Sunoco Welcome America! festival include the Patriot Pass, which offers discounts throughout the city at a wide range of retailers, and the “Freedom Is” essay contest, which invites middle schoolers to represent the 13 original American colonies by submitting essays about the meaning of freedom. Winners will be invited to participate in the Independence Day Ceremony at Independence Hall on the morning of July 4.

Sunoco Welcome America! is a multi-day festival that celebrates America’s birthday in America’s birthplace and is produced by Welcome America, Inc. For more information, please visit www.welcomeamerica.com.

Contact(s):
  • Bookmark
  • E-mail

Attached Media

Fourth of July Fireworks

Fourth of July Fireworks

Fireworks blazing over the Philadelphia Museum of Art are a Fourth of July tradition during Philadelphia's multi-day Sunoco Welcome America! celebration. Timed perfectly with exhilarating live music, the fireworks paint the skies over the Benjamin Franklin Parkway....

Credit: Photo by G. Widman for GPTMC

Tags: Events, Family-friendly, Holidays, Summer

Fourth of July Concert, Sunoco Welcome America

Fourth of July Concert, Sunoco Welcome America

Some of the top names in music have performed at the annual Fourth of July concert at Penn’s Landing. The event, which draws huge crowds every year, is a favorite during Sunoco Welcome America!, Philadelphia’s multi-day Independence Day celebration....

Credit: Photo by J. Smith for GPTMC

Tags: Events, Family-friendly, Holidays, Music, Summer

Taste of Philadelphia, Sunoco Welcome America

Taste of Philadelphia, Sunoco Welcome America

Some of the city’s best chefs bring their culinary talents to Penn’s Landing for A Taste of Philadelphia, part of the Sunoco Welcome America! festival celebrating Fourth of July. An opportunity to feast on fine cuisine at fast food prices, the event gives hungry attendants a chance to sample traditional...

Credit: Photo by J. Smith for GPTMC

Tags: Events, Family-friendly, Holidays, Icons, Summer