Philadelphia and the Countryside - Press Room

When it comes to celebrating America’s birthday, nobody rocks it like Philadelphia, America’s birthplace, and 2012 will be no exception thanks to a calendar filled with festive happenings before, during and after the Fourth of July. This year’s revelry includes patriotic ceremonies; a hometown-style parade that features a salute to the U.S. military; the nation’s largest free outdoor Independence Day concert starring The Roots, Queen Latifah, Joe Jonas, Common and Daryl Hall; dazzling displays of pyrotechnics; historic storytelling; outdoor movies; and much more.

With the value-packed Philly Overnight® Hotel Package, visitors can join in America’s birthday blowout without blowing the

This is a Wawa Welcome America! press release.

Whether it is July 4, 1776 or July 4, 2012, Philadelphia is the only place to celebrate America’s birthday. People of all ages are invited to the City of Brotherly Love to make lifetime memories at Wawa Welcome America! -- the nation’s largest, free 4th of July festival -- from June 25 to July 4, 2012. With 10 patriotic days packed with free, family fun, Philadelphia rolls out the “red, white and blue” carpet to area natives and visitors from the Greater Philadelphia region and across the nation.
A detailed event schedule

The Calendar of Events is organized as follows:

May 2012
June 2012
July 2012
August 2012
September 2012
October 2012
November 2012
December 2012
January 2013
February 2013
March 2013
April 2013
Ongoing Activities

MAY 2012

Through May 1, 2012
THE PHILADELPHIA ANTIQUES SHOW. During this annual event, dealers from across the U.S. offer the finest examples of period furniture, folk and fine art, ceramics, porcelain, silver, jewelry and textiles at the Pennsylvania Convention Center. (610) 902-2109, philaantiques.com

Through May 6, 2012
VAN GOGH UP CLOSE. The Philadelphia Museum of Art presents some of the most daring and innovative works

Visitors to Philadelphia can choose from an assortment of options to explore the region, including those of the air, automotive, audio, culinary, self-guided and water-based varieties. And the sightseeing fun doesn’t stop when the sun goes down. Those who come out at night can join tours that feature behind-the-scenes action and even spirits from beyond. Here’s a selection of tours available throughout the region:

History Lessons By Day & Night:

• The Constitutional Walking Tour of Philadelphia – Visitors get an up-close look at history during this 75-minute walking tour to more than 20 sites. The tour runs daily from

In Philadelphia and The Countryside®, more and more people—especially those with children—have developed an interest in understanding where their food comes from and finding ways to get involved in the local food scene. Whether they want to buy fresh food for their family, get a taste of new local flavors or teach their kids that milk comes from a cow not a carton, a growing number of visitors and locals are finding answers through agritourism—agricultural activities on or sponsored by farms.

Here’s a look at some of the region’s family-friendly offerings:

Easy Pickins:

• Active Acres Farm, located just north

Historical Sites & Attractions:

• Wannabe sailors can spend the night in the nation’s most decorated battleship, the Battleship New Jersey, and take tours of the officers’ and crew’s mess halls, communications center and high-tech command center. 62 Battleship Place, Camden, (856) 966-1652, battleshipnewjersey.org
• America’s most famous flag maker greets guests in her interactive 18^th-century upholstery shop at the Betsy Ross House. Visitors learn about Betsy’s life and legend from the lady herself. Summer brings a free Once Upon A Nation storytelling bench in the courtyard and the annual Flag Festival. Also, every morning at 10:00 a.m. in

New Museums Add Even More Cultural Cred
This summer, the Barnes Foundation’s Philadelphia campus marks its first full season on the culturally rich Benjamin Franklin Parkway. Home to one of the world’s greatest collections of Impressionist, Post-Impressionist and early Modern paintings, the Barnes Foundation’s new building combines the vision of original owner Dr. Albert Barnes with a contemporary and green execution. In view of the Barnes, the Rodin Museum will reopen this summer after a major renovation and welcome visitors to stand in awe of The Thinker, The Kiss and The Gates of Hell, plus wander around the beautiful outdoor

When it comes to visiting Philadelphia, some of the best things to see and do are free—or close to it. For families and budget travelers eager to explore the region, that’s great news. Check out the city’s many low-cost or no-cost attractions, including historic Independence Hall, free student recitals at the Curtis Institute of Music, the hi-tech production line of Herr’s Potato Chip Factory and the always-colorful Mummers Museum.

Historical Sites:

• Snuggled behind the east wing of Independence Hall is Philosophical Hall, a brick building erected in the late 1780s that was the nation’s first museum, national library and

Art lovers, garden enthusiasts, film connoisseurs and sports fans keep coming back year after year for festivals, athletic events, art shows, parades and cultural events in Philadelphia. Here’s what’s going on in the region in 2012*:

January:

• Thousands of decorative strutters kick off the New Year by marching up Broad Street in the festive day-long Mummers Parade that ends with the Fancy Brigade Finale at the Pennsylvania Convention Center. January 1, 2012. phillymummers.com

March:

• The Pennsylvania Convention Center is the site of the Philadelphia International Flower Show, the oldest and largest indoor show of its kind. The annual

The Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation (GPTMC) today announced a partnership with the Philadelphia Phillies that offers ticket holders and tour takers the chance to have their photo taken with a spectacular 10’ x 22’ 3-D work of art featuring Citizens Bank Park, the Phillie Phanatic, the Philadelphia skyline and a With Love, Philadelphia XOXO® letter. The With Love 3-D Art will be on display at the Left Field Entrance Gate at Citizens Bank Park beginning on July 8 and continuing throughout the 2011 regular season.

Phillies ticket holders can check out the artwork and pose for a free photo

Greater Philadelphia is a hot topic among the national press in 2011, with an additional 14 buzz-worthy accolades awarded to the area in the past few months for its top-notch historical attractions, dining options and sports scene. Noted as “best” and “trendsetting,” Philadelphia created applause amongst the likes of Budget Travel, forbes.com, Grub Street and many other reputable media outlets. Travelers should get out their bucket lists and add these must-dos to their Philly itineraries:

Touring Around:

1. In March, Budget Travel said that Independence Hall is one of “15 Places Your Kids Should See Before 15.”
2. The following

Eat And Drink Your Way Through Philadelphia:

1. It’s hard to say whether kids or adults have more fun at the fudge-and-candy parties at Betty’s Speakeasy. Large or intimate groups can schedule time to cut fudge, make candy, decorate cookies and gobble them up at the end of the party. Bakery owner Liz Begosh uses only organic, local and fair-trade ingredients in her sweet confections. For a slightly less messy culinary adventure, Liz also schedules private, instructional, prix-fixe dinners that explore the landscape of artisanal eating for $40 per person. 2241 Grays Ferry Avenue, (215) 735-9060, bettysfudge.com
2. Bring Belgium to

This year, Philadelphia will be more amusing than ever, with the addition of a couple familiar names to the popular Philadelphia Park Liberty Carousel at Franklin Square, the debut of a Muppet-go-round at Sesame Place and the restoration of an 100-year-old carousel at the new Please Touch Museum. Here’s what’s going round:

New In Philly Carousels:

• This spring, two of Philadelphia’s beloved horse heroes—Smarty Jones and Afleet Alex—will permanently join the other animals on the Philadelphia Park Liberty Carousel at Franklin Square, the refurbished original square in the heart of Historic Philadelphia. 6^th & Race Streets, (215) 629-4026,

This summer and beyond, Philadelphia will reveal untold chapters in the nation’s history and bring new emphasis to the undertold stories of African-Americans, allowing visitors to hear a far more accurate rendition of the United States’ early years than ever before. Not only will storytellers throughout Historic Philadelphia add new tales to their repertoire, but a self-guided Underground Railroad tour of Philadelphia will take participants from Society Hill to Germantown. Other projects in the works, including the President’s House Commemorative Site and the Octavius V. Catto memorial, will ensure that visitors have many reasons to come back to Philadelphia in

Although radically changed over the past 10 years, Historic Philadelphia continues to evolve and improve to meet the needs of modern day visitors. Major enhancements to the area will continue far into the next decade and beyond. From beautified outdoor spaces to new historic attractions and cultural institutions, Historic Philadelphia’s improvements promise to bring visitors back again and again. Here’s what’s in store:

2008:

• With the completion of the landscaping of the area surrounded by Market, Arch, 5th and 6th Streets, the Independence Visitor Center’s new outdoor café will be ready to serve hungry visitors beginning April 21, 2008.

Fans of John Adams, the seven-part television series about the second U.S. president now airing on HBO, can visit Philadelphia to see where this legendary figure made history. Not only will they have a quicker journey to the city than the Massachusetts rabble-rouser did in the late 1770s, but they’ll also enjoy modern-day conveniences that weren’t available in Adams’ day. And, of course, they’ll have the chance to stand in the same State House chamber where John Adams’ voice was the loudest in calling for a declaration of independence from England.

 "Of the nearly one million people expected to visit