Philadelphia Pride Festival weekend: How to avoid road closures
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Pride takes over Philadelphia this weekend with festivals, marches, block parties and celebrations.
Why it matters: The big Pride Festival and March on Sunday will bring road closures and parking restrictions from Center City to the Benjamin Franklin Parkway.
Driving the news: The festival and march are expected to draw more than 140,000 people to Philly.
👣 March: Septs off at 11am from 13th and Locust Streets, ending on the Parkway. (Free)
- Make posters for the march starting at 9:30am at St. Luke's and the Epiphany (RSVP required)
🎉 Festival: Located on the Parkway, the festival runs from noon-7pm.
- Tickets: $10+ (Ages 14 and younger must be accompanied by an adult)
- Expect hundreds of vendors, food trucks, music, drag, family-friendly activities, spaces to play kickball and volleyball, a decompression zone and a sober space.
🚧 Road closures: The following roads will close to traffic from 5am to roughly 9pm on Sunday for the festival:
- The Parkway from 20th Street to Eakins Oval, as well as cross streets
- Spring Garden Street tunnel
- Spring Garden Street Bridge (inbound)
- Kelly Drive inbound lanes will be detoured to Pennsylvania Avenue
🅿️ Parking restrictions: Those above listed streets for the festival and the march route will also become no parking zones starting at 5am on Sunday.
- Vehicles parked there will be relocated.
🚌 SEPTA: Several bus routes will be detoured starting at 4:30am on Sunday, including Routes 7, 32 and 49.
What else: Here are the top events also happening this weekend for Pride:
Friday
🏳️🌈 Massive Pride flag: Check out a 1,000-foot Pride flag unveiling on the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art.
- Time: 9am
- Plus: The giant flag then makes its way to Manayunk (11am), East Falls (12:30pm), South Street (2pm) and Gayborhood (3:30pm).
🖼️ Plant swap : The NoName Gallery in Chestnut Hill will host a Pride party plant swap, where you can bring your own clippings, decorate a pot and leave with a something new.
- Time: 6-9pm
🥳 Pride on the Pier: Head to Liberty Point for a bash that will include three stages and eight DJs on the waterfront.
- Time: 10pm-2am
- Tickets: $33.85
Saturday
✊ Dyke March: Join hundreds in the LGBTQ+ community with a rally starting at Kahn Park (Pine and 11th Streets).
- Time: 11am-2pm
🪩 Pride Bashment: Join the dance party at the Fringe Bar for a night of DJs spinning dancefall, afrobeats, reggaeton and soca tunes.
- Time: 10pm-2am
- Tickets: $33.85
👋 Open house: Attic Youth Center's annual Pride event at its facility in South Philly will feature live performances, games and food.
- Time: Noon-4pm
- Tickets: Free but registration is required