Love From Philly fest to return as an in-person party on the Ben Franklin Parkway in June
The arts and culture celebration and benefit for Philly musicians and artists will feature Schoolly D, Cosmo Baker, Rich Medina, The Ultimates, Ursula Rucker and more at the Oval on The Parkway.
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Love From Philly, the benefit concert featuring all-Philadelphia talent that debuted as an online event in the early days of the pandemic, will return next month as a one-day in-person arts and culture celebration on the Ben Franklin Parkway.
The free show will be staged June 11 at the the Oval on the Parkway, the seasonal outdoor venue on Eakins Oval in front of the Philadelphia Museum of Art.
The lineup includes deejays Rich Medina and Cosmo Baker, pioneering gangsta rapper Schoolly D, singer Lauren Hart, Balkan brass band West Philadelphia Orchestra, classic Philly soul trio the Ultimates, hip-hop band Ill Doots, vocal groups presented by the Gospel Music Preservation Alliance, teen singer-songwriter Wallis, and up-and-coming Philly rock band The Tisburys.
The inaugural in-person Love From Philly is being launched by veteran music business impresario and Ropeadope Records founder Andy Blackman Hurwitz, who aims to turn it into an annual summer-kickoff event.
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“We want Love From Philly to be the official start of summer in an evergreen event that celebrates the rich culture of our hometown,” Hurwitz said in a statement.
The event, which kicks off at 11 a.m., will include art installations and a pop-up animation fest from the Philadelphia Independent Film Festival, which runs from June 4 to 11, as well as food trucks, a beer garden, and a Ferris wheel and carousel that will be fixtures on the Oval this summer.
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Love From Philly is a benefit for 30 Amp Circuit, the nonprofit founded by Hurwitz. The event is free and will be live streamed via Xfinity — “Just say, ‘Love From Philly,’ into your remote,” Hurwitz said — and on nugs.net, with options to donate.
Proceeds will go to health and wellness services from Philly arts community centers and 30 Amp Circuit microgrants of $333 that will go to “creative Philadelphians who keep the city funky, fresh, vibrant, and thriving.”
The original Love From Philly was staged over three days in May 2020 with a range of Philly acts, including Eric Bazilian, Freeway, Christian McBride, Arnetta Johnson, Amos Lee, and The War on Drugs. The tune that hip-hop bluesman G. Love composed called “Love From Philly” as the theme song is now his current single.