Wawa Welcome America: Road Closures, SEPTA, and Everything Else You Need to Know

Photo by L. Berckey for Visit Philadelphia

Wawa Welcome America kicked off on Saturday with free museum admission, an ice cream festival, a concert, and (of course) fireworks at the Great Plaza at Penn’s Landing.

Events will continue through this Thursday, the Fourth of July. There will be more fireworks (on Monday and Thursday), more concerts (Thursday’s headliners are Jennifer Hudson and Meghan Trainor), movies, picnics, Wawa’s famous seven-ton hoagie-making bonanza, and much, much more. (For a full guide to festival events, click here.) And needless to say, there will also be road closures to accommodate the fun.

Below, you’ll find everything you need to know about Wawa Welcome America festival logistics — including not just road closures but also where to find things like porta-potties, water stations, and more.

Road Closures

The following are scheduled road closures for Wawa Welcome America, per the city’s Office of Special Events.

Monday

For the U.S. Army Field Band Concert:

• Chestnut/Market Street Viaduct, from Front and Chestnut streets to 2nd and Market Streets, will be closed from 4 p.m. to 11 p.m.

Tuesday

For the Philly POPS on Independence performance (stage construction; event on Wednesday):

• Chestnut Street, between 5th and 6th streets, will be closed from 8 a.m. to 10 p.m.

For Wawa Hoagie Day:

• Arch Street, between 5th and 6th streets, will be closed from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.

For the Kimmel Center’s Great American Party on the Plaza:

• Spruce Street, between Broad and 15th streets, will be closed from 12 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
• The westernmost travel lane of Broad Street (southbound side), between Locust and Pine streets, will be closed from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m.

Wednesday

For the PECO Go 4th Lunch and Learn with the Fire Department:

• Arch Street, between 3rd and 4th streets, will be closed from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m.

For the POPS on Independence performance:

• Chestnut Street, between 5th and 6th streets, will be closed from approximately 9 a.m. on July 3rd through 7 p.m. on July 4th
• 6th Street, between Market and Chestnut streets, will be closed from approximately 9 a.m. on July 3rd through 3 p.m. on July 4th

For the Party on the Parkway (stage construction; event on Thursday):

• Inner lanes of the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, between 20th Street and Eakins Oval, will be closed beginning at 9:30 a.m.
• Inner westbound lanes of the Benjamin Franklin Parkway will reopen between 3:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. for evening rush hour
• Inner lanes of Benjamin Franklin Parkway will close completely (both directions) at 6:30 p.m. through event breakdown on July 4th

Thursday

For the Independence Day Parade:

• Chestnut Street, between 5th and 6th Streets, until 7 p.m.
• 6th Street, between Market and Chestnut Streets, until 3 p.m.
• 3rd Street, between Arch and Walnut Streets, from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m.
• 4th Street, between Arch and Walnut Streets, from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m.
• 5th Street, between Arch and Walnut Streets, from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m.
• Chestnut Street, from Front Street to 7th Street, from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m.
• Chestnut Street, from 7th Street to 10th Street, from 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.

For the Party on the Parkway, from 4 .m. on July 4th to 5 a.m. on July 5th:

• Benjamin Franklin Parkway from 18th Street to Eakins Oval (all lanes)
• Eakins Oval (all lanes)
• Kelly Drive between Eakins Oval and Fairmount Avenue (Kelly Drive inbound closed at Fountain Green Drive beginning at approximately 5 p.m.)
• Rear of Art Museum – Anne d’Harnoncourt Drive
• 2000-2100 Winter Street
• MLK Drive from Falls Bridge to Eakins Oval
• Spring Garden Street between Pennsylvania Avenue and 31st Street
• 23rd Street between Pennsylvania Avenue and Eakins Oval

From 4 a.m. on July 4th to 2 a.m. on July 5th:

• 1800-1900 Vine Street
• I-676 Off-Ramp at 22nd Street
• I-676 On-Ramp at 22nd Street
• I-76 eastbound Off-Ramp at Spring Garden Street
• Spring Garden Tunnel
• Park Towne Place between 22nd Street and 24th Street
• 22nd Street between Winter Street and Pennsylvania Avenue (local access maintained for Park Towne residents via complex driveway on 22nd Street)
• 21st Street between Winter Street and Pennsylvania Avenue
• 20th Street between Arch Street and Pennsylvania Avenue
• 19th Street between Callowhill Street and Cherry Street

From 1 p.m. on July 4th to 1 p.m. on July 5th:

• All roads from Arch Street to Spring Garden Street, 18th Street to 22nd Street (local access maintained for residents)
• All roads from Arch Street to Fairmount Avenue, 22nd Street to Corinthian Street (local access maintained for residents)
• 16th and 17th Streets, between Arch Street and Spring Garden Street  (if conditions warrant)
• 1600-1700 Benjamin Franklin Parkway (if conditions warrant)

From 5 p.m. on July 4th to 1 a.m. on July 5th:

• Kelly Drive from Fairmount Avenue to Fountain Green Drive
• Lemon Hill Drive
• Sedgley Drive
• Waterworks Drive
• Poplar Drive

Transportation

Regional Rail
Regional Rail will operate on Sunday schedule on Thursday. You can find Sunday schedules for each rail line right here. Trains will also be added to schedule service (or held later than regularly scheduled) on most lines for those leaving Center City after the fireworks and concert on Thursday.

Bus Routes
The following bus routes will be detoured between 5 a.m. on Thursday and 1 a.m. on Friday: 7, 9, 17, 21, 32, 33, 38, 42, 43, 44 and 48.

CCT
Due to road closures, SEPTA’s CCT will have two designated pick-up and drop-off points near the Parkway between 7 p.m. on Wednesday and 5 a.m. on Friday: 2299 Arch Street and 560 North 20th Street.

Taxis, Uber and Lyft
Taxis and ride-share companies will have two drop-off points: 2100-2200 Spring Garden Street and 1900-2000 Arch Street.

Parking

The Philadelphia Parking Authority offers helpful tips on where to park for Thursday’s concert and fireworks display. Check out its website for a list of nearby garage rates and information on MeterUp, the city’s parking app. (Though if you plan to use the latter, be aware that attempting to find street parking near the event will likely give you a massive headache.)

Event Entrances

The Fourth of July fireworks and concert are free to enter — but you’ll have to do so at one of the following locations:

• Logan Circle (north and south sides, just west of 19th Street)
• 20th Street and Benjamin Franklin Parkway (north and south sides)
• 21st Street and Benjamin Franklin Parkway (north and south sides)
• 23rd Street and Pennsylvania Avenue
• Spring Garden and MLK Drive (bottom of the ramp at Eakins Oval)

Permitted (and Prohibited) Items

Large bags and backpacks will be subject to search at each of the event entrances.

Things you can bring inside include:

• Picnic goods (including small personal coolers)
• Pets on leashes
• Chairs and blankets

Things you can’t bring inside include:

• Weapons and contraband of any kind
• Fireworks, firecrackers, sparklers or explosives
• Illegal substances
• Flyers, handbills, posters or stickers
• Drones

Amenities

Want to know where you can find water stations, jumbotrons, porta-potties and more? The city built an interactive map for that, and you can find it right here.