2023 Highlights
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.
— Photo by S. Ramones for Visit Philadelphia
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:
- The African American Museum in Philadelphia* (Monday, June 19, 2023)
- The Weitzman National Museum of American Jewish History (Friday, June 23, 2023)
- The Masonic Temple (Saturday, June 24, 2023)
- The Mütter Museum of The College of Physicians of Philadelphia* (Tuesday, June 27, 2023)
- National Constitution Center (Wednesday, June 28 & Tuesday, July 4, 2023), and
- Eastern State Penitentiary* (Monday, July 3, 2023).
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).
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)
- Gospel on Independence: a powerful and uplifting evening of gospel music commemorating the 160th anniversary of the signing of the Emancipation Proclamation (Sunday, July 2, 2023),
- Music on Independence: a musical performance from award-winning singer, songwriter and former Miss America Vanessa Williams (Monday, July 3, 2023).
— Photo by J. Fusco for Visit Philadelphia
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).
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.
— Photo by S. Ramones for Visit Philadelphia
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 Ludacris and Demi Lovato, is followed by the city’s largest fireworks display over the Philadelphia Museum of Art (Tuesday, July 4, 2023).
For more info on Wawa Welcome America, click the button below.
— Photo by J. Fusco for Visit Philadelphia
