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The Oval
The Oval is a six-plus-week, eight-acre warm-weather urban oasis — Philly’s largest — located inside Eakins Oval on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway.
The reimagined public space and pop-up park — home to a huge outdoor beer garden, a selection of good eats, family-friendly activities, music and dance across genres, and copious summertime vibes — serves as a lively gathering place for locals and visitors alike for free and low-cost family fun.
Located across the street from the Philadelphia Museum of Art, the 33,000-square-foot park and green space also celebrates the work of Philadelphia-based artists, performers, musicians, entrepreneurs and community leaders.
Excellent news for fans of free summer fun (so … all of us). The Oval is extending its free Parkway programming through Labor Day with the announcement of Oval Live, a four-day end-of-the-season extravaganza (September 1 to 4, 2023).
The Oval — located across from the iconic Philadelphia Museum of Art and the famous Rocky Steps — features a number of brand-new experiences for 2023 including:
Parkway Presents
No matter your tastes in music and dance, The Oval has you covered with free outdoor celebratory performances showcasing Philly’s rich cultural scene featuring a diverse array of genres including modern Cuban music, percussive dance, aerial acrobatics, clowning and much more. Shows begin at 6:30 p.m. on select Fridays.
— Photo by Visit Philadelphia
Festival Marketplace
On select dates throughout the summer, The Oval offers a busy array of local artists, artisans, makers, crafters and more peddling their wares from art to apparel to collectibles, including special showcases from the Now + Then Marketplace and vendors supporting Hip Hop in the Park.
Family-Focused Saturdays
Saturday middays mean play time at the Oval with scores of kid-friendly activities including a pop-up playground, read-a-louds and arts and crafts sessions from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. presented by the Free Library and the Association for Public Art.
Movie Nights at The Oval
Talk about a summer blockbuster. Catch a family-friendly movie outdoors on a big screen in front of the Museum of Art. Bring your blankets and lawn chairs for free showings starting at dusk (around 8:30 p.m.) on select Friday nights throughout the summer including hits like The Super Mario Bros. Movie, Jungle Cruise and Encanto.
Parkway at The Oval
On select weekend mornings, the Parkway Council brings art, literature, athletics and more directly from some of the great institutions along the Parkway out into the open with interactive, hands-on family-friendly programs, including contributions from Moore College of Art & Design, the Association for Public Art and the Free Library of Philadelphia.
Themed Dance Parties
Get your dancin’ shoes ready and head down to The Oval select Fridays and Saturdays at 8:30 p.m. through the summer for free all-ages themed dance parties on the Parkway hosted by DJs from MilkBoy Philadelphia spinning hits from your favorite artists including Drake Night, Taylor Swift Night, Grateful Dead Night, Bad Bunny Night and more.
Quizzo Sundays
Each and every Sunday from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. throughout the summer, join host Johnny Goodtimes for the city’s best quizzo (that’s Philadelphian for pub trivia) tournaments in the Beer Garden at the Oval. Bring your teams of up to eight members and if you finish in the top two, you’ll walk away with some fantastic prizes.
Community Yoga at The Oval
Attention anyone looking for exercise, fresh air or just some inner peace: Join Yoga Habit every Sunday morning at 9:30 a.m. for an hour of outdoor yoga for all skill levels. Bring your own mat, and be sure to pre-register (with a small fee).
The Oval also offers plenty of special one-night-only events including the Let’s Rock Recess! kids festival (Sunday, July 9 and August 20, 2023) and Brazilian Night, a full evening of family-friendly Brazilian music, dance, and capoeira performances (Saturday, August 19, 2023).
Click the button for the full schedule of events for 2023.
The festival is once again anchored by Beer Garden at the Oval, a 21,000 square-foot beer garden operated by legendary Philly bar and music venue Milkboy.
The beer garden features a plethora of local craft beers on tap and plenty of comfy shaded seating, along with a small seasonal menu and sweet treats from Philly’s own Forîn Café.
In addition, The Oval will be served by a rotating selection of food trucks offering nearly every mobile treat you can hold in two hands.
A popular summer feature at The Oval is a new mural each year from the public art specialists at Mural Arts Philadelphia. But don’t look for it on any wall.
The entire footprint of The Oval is once again covered by a dynamic ground mural (don’t worry, you can walk on it!), with 2023’s edition a fun riff on the legend of Benjamin Franklin’s kite experiment — from his perspective — and Franklin’s lasting impact on the city from artist Nathaniel Lee.
The design also includes plenty of interactive elements and playground fun like giant checkerboard and hopscotch squares.
The Oval offers a slew of posted events, but you don’t need a schedule to enjoy yourself. Come on down with the gang (or on your own) anytime during regular hours for some unscheduled fun and frolic.
Challenge your family and friends to a selection of competitive yard games, let loose among the kids play structures, or just sit and relax, read a book, people watch or enjoy some snacks in the sunshine or among new shaded installations and covered seating around the park.
Looking for a souvenir? Lexquisite Visuals’ cool 360-degree photo booth is available multiple times over the summer (check schedule for details) for that perfect postable pic.
The Oval is located on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, a short walk from Center City attractions, and serviced by several SEPTA public transit routes.
In addition, a number of Indego bike share stations offer docking options near The Oval.
For more information about The Oval, check out The Oval’s official Instagram page or click below.
The only way to fully experience Philly? Stay over.
Book the Visit Philly Overnight Package and get free hotel parking and choose-your-own-adventure perks, including tickets to the Philadelphia Museum of Art, The Franklin Institute, or the National Constitution Center and the Museum of the American Revolution.
Or maybe you’d prefer to buy two Philly hotel nights and get a third night for free? Then book the new Visit Philly 3-Day Stay package.
Which will you choose?
A one-mile cultural powerhouse of museums, attractions and public parks...