Philadelphia's World Cup festival in Fairmount Park this summer is coming into focus.

Why it matters: The free party at Lemon Hill will be the spot to experience the tourney from start to finish outside the South Philly arena.

State of play: Philly's Fan Festival, among the largest in the country, will be open all 39 days of the tournament from July 11 to June 19.

• City and Philadelphia Soccer 2026 officials revealed new details on Thursday during a news conference at Lemon Hill.

What to expect:

• 👥👥 Roughly 15,000-20,000 people a day
• 📺 Massive screens to watch matches
• 🍽️ 75 food trucks
• 🛍️ Vendors with local artists
• ⚽ Soccer activities, think: pick-up games, drills, agility tests
• 🎶 Daily performances and live DJs

👀 1 teaser: Big-name artists could make an appearance at the Fan Fest with special performances.

• Further details will be released around May 1, officials said.

The big picture: Lincoln Financial Field will host six World Cup matches, including those with soccer powerhouses France and Brazil.

Context: Lemon Hill is in East Fairmount Park between Kelly Drive and the Brewerytown neighborhood.

• The site offers views of the city skyline and is roughly a half-mile walk from the Rocky Steps.

🎟️ Ticketing: To access Fan Fest, visitors must register in advance online or on site using a QR code.

• No identification will be required.

🚨 Security: Visitors will be screened before entering.

• Fan Fest will be fenced in and span roughly a million square feet.
• No outside food or drink will be permitted.
• TBD: The site's bag policy.

🚌 Transportation: The independent bus service Philly PHLASH will add a new stop at Pennsylvania and Fairmount Avenues to serve Fan Fest.

• Cost: $5, but it's free for SEPTA pass holders, seniors and kids under four
• What else: SEPTA service is limited to the Girard Avenue trolley and some bus routes. The agency is expected to add some capacity to those routes, officials said.
• Plus: An area is expected to be available for ride-share and taxi drop-offs.

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Tour de France cyclists have nothing on Philly's two-wheeled DoorDash couriers.

The big picture: Couriers traveled more than 14.5 million miles in 2025, putting Philly among the top big U.S. cities for its share of two-wheeled DoorDash deliveries, per the company's latest report.

State of play: Bikes, scooters and such are typically cleaner and quieter than cars — plus they don't contribute as much to road congestion.

• They also offer a lower cost of entry for people trying to earn a living or side-cash through gig work.

Zoom in: It's an all-out eco-friendly arms race between food delivery companies in Philly.

• This month, Uber launched its first autonomous delivery robots in Philly's Center City.

Zoom out: The number of DoorDash deliveries using two-wheeled vehicles (bikes, e-bikes, scooters, etc.) in the U.S. and Canada grew nearly four times faster than those using cars between 2024 and 2025.

By the numbers: Two-wheelers accounted for 43% of deliveries in Philly in 2025 — but we still trailed cities like San Francisco (72%), Seattle (66%) and San Jose (64%), per the report.

• High bike use among gig workers in any given city can indicate good bike infrastructure.

Stunning stat: To put in context, Philly's couriers logged the equivalent of riding in 6,590 Tour De Frances, the grueling 2,200-mile race that takes riders through the Pyrenees.

Between the lines: Two-wheeled "Dashers" can travel more efficiently and make more money than those using cars, DoorDash says.

• They spend around 15% less time traveling from offer acceptance to pickup, and make over 10% more money per hour on average.

Yes, but: Many cities are still struggling to integrate e-bikes, which can often operate at much higher speeds than their conventional counterparts.

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🤝 Breaking with Democrats, U.S. Sen. John Fetterman cast a key vote advancing President Trump's nominee for Homeland Security secretary, Sen. Markwayne Mullin, to the full Senate.

• In a post on X, Fetterman called Mullin a "friend" and credited him with having an "open mind." (NBC)

🏗️ The Chinatown Stitch got a much-needed boost: The Delaware Valley Regional Planning Commission approved shifting more than $10 million in federal funds to move the project into final design.

• The cap over the Vine Street Expressway was in peril after losing more than $150 million in federal funding last year. (Inquirer🔒)

🗣️Quote du Jour:

"I really feel like Houston really wants me. That honestly felt like the first time in my whole NFL career that somebody really wanted me as a player and as a person to come and perform for them."

-Reed Blankenship on why he left Philly for the Texans in free agency, per the Houston Chronicle.

We made it! Welcome to the first day of spring.

Why it matters: It's been a long, snowy winter, but (consistently) warmer temps are near at hand.

🌡️ Worth noting: Philly's average last spring frost is April 8, per the Midwestern Regional Climate Center.

🌇 What else: Sunsets are now happening past 7pm.

• They won't clock in past 8pm until May 8.

1 last thing to go: High temps will remain in the 60s on Saturday and Sunday despite mostly cloudy skies. Lows will stay in the 40s both nights.