Five Free Ways to Celebrate Memorial Day in LOVE Park

Memorial Day weekend is the unofficial start of summer. LOVE Park is the unofficial home of free, fun Philadelphia programming. This weekend, residents and visitors can look no further than Philadelphia Parks & Recreation’s LOVE Park for free, family-friendly celebrations in the city this weekend.

Here are five free ways to have fun in LOVE Park this Memorial Day Weekend:

Get down

  • Free Dance Party with DJ Geek at LOVE Park.
  • Party with DJ GEEK for dance breaks and smoove grooves.
  • When: Friday, May 27 from 11 11 a.m. – 7 p.m.)

Splash around

At the LOVE Park fountain, or any of the 90+ spraygrounds and splash pads that will open across the City this weekend!

Find your center

  • Come relax and find your inner peace with yoga instructor, Deb Charmelus.
  • When: Saturday, May 28 at 11am at LOVE Park

Experience a piece of musical history

  • The Black Music City Showcase is hosted by The Bul Bey, and will feature performances from Samantha Rise, Kelsi Bolden, Black Canvas, and Eli Capella.
  • When: Saturday, May 28 from 11:30 a.m. – 5:15 p.m.
  • Black Music City is a series of performances that recognize and honor Philadelphia’s rich Black music history. Black Music City is a collaboration between public radio stations WRTI and WXPN and talent incubator REC Philly.

Meet friends

  • Make plans to meet a friend at LOVE Park this weekend to take advantage of free lawn games and sample a taste of Philly favorites at the last weekend of the LOVE Park Spring Marketplace! Popular local vendors like Burrito Feliz, Cloud Cups Dessert Company, and Dre’s Water Ice will on hand offering great Philly food at a reasonable price.

Celebrate spring at LOVE Park

Help support diverse local businesses in the heart of Philadelphia this spring!

Parks & Rec’s Multicultural Marketplace returns to LOVE Park this spring. The park, located at 1501 John F. Kennedy Boulevard, will host the market each weekend for six weeks. It will run from Friday, April 22 through Saturday, May 28, 2022.

Multicultural vendor marketplace

The market features vendors from the African-American and Hispanic Chambers of Commerce. These Black and Brown entrepreneurs will set up shop in repurposed shipping containers. The diverse local businesses will offer a range of goods including:

  • Apparel and accessories.
  • Health and wellness items.
  • Packaged foods.
  • Art, pottery, and more.

New vendors will rotate in each weekend, so be sure to visit more than once! The pop-up shops’ exterior sports a floral design by Philadelphia muralist Malachi Floyd, and local food trucks will be on-site selling sweet and savory bites.

Don’t forget to check out our events page to see what else LOVE Park has in store!

Fall in LOVE with Parks & Rec’s pop-up marketplace

This autumn, you’ll fall in love with LOVE Park’s pop-up marketplace.

Philadelphia Parks & Recreation welcomes residents and visitors to LOVE Park all year long.

As part of the fall festivities, Center City’s centerpiece park hosts an outdoor marketplace. The market features diverse local vendors representing the neighborhoods of Philadelphia. Family-friendly fun for folks of all ages will also be offered.

Marketplace vendors will offer a range of goods including:

  • Apparel and accessories.
  • Health and wellness items.
  • Packaged foods.
  • Art, pottery, and more.

Last fall, the Greater Philadelphia African-American and Hispanic Chambers of Commerce operated storefronts at the park. These were hosted out of repurposed shipping containers. The shops featured a rotating selection of goods from the chambers’ retail members. The exteriors of the pop-up shops sported a floral design by muralist Malachi Floyd. The work is a collaboration with Mural Arts Philadelphia.

The Pop-up Marketplace will:

  • Provide opportunities for the city’s small businesses.
  • Offer Philadelphians safe, fun opportunities to shop locally this fall.
  • Contribute to the city’s economic recovery.
  • Keep residents employed in these tough times.

Fun for the whole family

A host of activities for people of all ages will take place alongside the Marketplace. In the past we’ve hosted arts activities, live music, community yoga, and more.

Check back as we approach the season to see what this year’s Fall in LOVE Marketplace has in store!

Celebrate Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) at LOVE Park

Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead) is a tradition celebrated in Mexico on the 1st and 2nd of each November. It is a joyful time that helps people remember the deceased and honor their memory.

To honor their deceased loved ones, people build altars in their homes for Día de los Muertos. At these altars:

  • Orange and yellow flowers, especially marigolds, provide decoration.
  • People leave ofrendas, or offerings to their loved ones’ souls. These include tamales, chilis, water, tequila, and pan de muerto, a special bread.
  • Candles illuminate photos and mementos of the deceased.
  • Families read letters and poems and tell stories and jokes about the dead.

Dia de los Muertos began hundreds of years ago in Mexico and northern Central America. It is a blend of Aztec, Mayan, Toltec, and Catholic traditions. Now, people celebrate the event in many parts of the world. You can experience Dia de los Muertos locally in LOVE Park.

Past Day of the Dead celebrations in LOVE Park have featured:

  • An altar created by Mexican artist Cesar Viveros.
  • Jarocho folk music played by Los Guachinangos band.
  • Aztec dances by Calpulli kamastle Xiuhcoatl.
  • Food for sale from El Burrito Feliz.

The altar is typically on display until November 2.

Check back for detailed information on this years’ event and other fall activities at LOVE Park.