The Pop-Up Beach on Broad Will Return for Philly Free Streets

The pop-up beach at the intersection of North Broad and Master streets | Photograph by Gina Tomaine

The beach on Broad is (almost) back.

Philly Free Streets — the one day a year when the city shuts down a major road to all vehicular traffic — will return for the fourth time ever on August 3rd. And with it, we’ll see our favorite pop-up beach on North Broad Street.

The Beach on Broad will be set up on the lawn of the Leon H. Sullivan Human Services Center, which is located at the intersection of North Broad and Master streets. There will be sand – in the form of a big sandbox — and beach games and other activities. You can visit on August 3rd (starting at 8 a.m.) as well as on August 4th (starting at 11 a.m.).

Philly Free Streets will take over North Broad (for the second year in a row) between 8 a.m. and 1 p.m. on August 3rd. The street will be closed to cars between Arch Street and Germantown Avenue. Instead, people will have the opportunity to walk, bike, roller skate, jog or play along the four-mile portion of the  north-south route, which will have no formal start or stop.

Mayor Jim Kenney announced Philly Free Streets highlights on Monday. Programming includes some familiar features — like the Beach — as well as some new additions. Here are highlights of the events on August 3rd, broken down by intersection.

At Arch Street:

• 2018 Philly Free Streets ribbon cutting and press conference at 8 a.m.
• Indego bike corral service
• “Pay As You Wish” admission at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
• Free water from Lenfest Plaza (under the paintbrush) from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
• PAFA Walking Tour: “A Walk Along the Parkway” from 2 p.m. to 3:30 p.m. ($15 or free for PAFA members)

Above Vine Street:

• Free 30-minute workouts — at 8 a.m., 9 a.m. and 10 a.m. — provided by CHARGE Performance and Wellness (all fitness levels welcome)

At Callowhill Street:

• Plant Your Own Succulent station
• Philly Free Streets rest area, featuring children’s book readings by Philly-born author John Butler and an exhibit for “Then & Now: Black History on North Broad Street”

At 440 N. Broad Street (School District of Philadelphia headquarters):

• Mayor Jim Kenney will begin his annual power walk — heading north — at 9 a.m.

At Fairmount Avenue:

• Mural Arts Philadelphia will host “Murals on the Move,” featuring family-friendly make-and-take art activities.

At Master Street:

• The Beach on North Broad
• A Phillie Phanatic appearance between 11 a.m. and noon

At Sullivan Progress Plaza, below Oxford Street:

• A performance by Philly Girls Jump, featuring interactive jump roping, between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m.

At Cecil B. Moore Street:

• A Philly Free Streets rest area, featuring fresh and free tap water provided by the Philadelphia Water Department

At Montgomery Avenue:

• Temple University’s offer Camp T, a one-day street summer camp open to the community, featuring programming in art dance, sustainability and wellness

At Diamond Street:

• Poet Sonia Sanchez will be serenaded by youth rapper and playwright Dice Raw at 8:30 a.m. State Sen. Sharif Street and City Council President Darrell L. Clarke will present Sanchez and muralist James Dupree with awards for their contributions to the art industry.

At Susquehanna Avenue:

• A Philly Free Streets rest area, featuring free bicycle safety checks and minor adjustments by Cycles PHL

At Uptown Theater, between Susquehanna Avenue and Dauphin Street:

• Historic Uptown will offer “Old School” dance lessons, including the Cha-Cha, the Bop, Salsa, and the Strand, featuring musician and dancer Alfie Pollitt, between 11 a.m. and 12 p.m. as well as a dance contest between noon and 1 p.m.

South of Lehigh Avenue:

• The Philadelphia City Commissioners Office will provide a hands on, interactive experience with the city’s new voting system

At the Zion Baptist Church at Venango Street:

• Painting with a Twist
• Free manicures
• Free face painting

At Erie and Germantown avenues:

• A pop-up picnic area

At the Butler Street stage:

• “Slay like Bey!” dance classes by fitness instructor Alexis Rose at 9 a.m.
• Exercises with GirlTrek organizer Lee Scottlorde at 10 a.m.
• Performance by the gospel choir of Zion Baptist Church at noon