Philly finishes its July 4th concert and fireworks after a lengthy storm delay; city celebrated nation's 250th in extreme heat

An unscheduled and dramatic light and sound show — this one produced by nature — interrupted Philadelphia’s July Fourth extravaganza Saturday night, forcing crowds to evacuate the Parkway three hours before the man-made fireworks show was scheduled to start.

People were told to leave the area and seek shelter midway through the One Philly: Unity Concert for America. But city officials were not quite ready to call it a semiquncentennial — a year in the planning — and two hours later the city announced the event would resume with a shortened schedule and the fireworks finale. This time, the manmade kind.

Forecasters had been warning for the last two days that potent thunderstorms were possible Saturday night, as so often happens when a heat wave begins to break down.

Kathy Sledge was followed by the full complement of the State Property crew, which meant not only Beanie Sigel and Philly Freeway, but also Peedi Crakk and Chris and Neff, the duo formerly known as Yung Gunz, who provided the high point of their Roots backed set with their ageless rap classic “Can’t Stop, Won’t Stop.”

“I’m loving the energy tonight, I’m glad we came back,” said the next guest, Meek Mill. “I was headed out of town, and I had to double back.”

With the Roots backing him, and Questlove in particular locked in, it was at the once the most tightly disciplined and casually free wheeling Meek performance I’ve ever seen.

Just before 2:30 a.m., Will Smith had no shortage of energy. The same was the case for the several hundred people flanking the stage, heads encircled with cigarette smoke. 

But for those on the outskirts, less engaged in the performance and seemingly more eager for a fireworks show, staying awake was a battle. Toddlers curled up in scrollers and on chairs to get a little shuteye before the lights lit up the sky and adults yawned and sat on curbs.

Minutes later, at long last red, white and blue fireworks illuminated the sky as “The Star-Spangled Banner” played over the speakers.

After Meek Mill wrapped up his set around 2 a.m. the ever-patient audience began to grow anxious for the fireworks display.

“Fireworks!” some shouted from the left of the stage repeatedly. 

But sentiment changed when Will Smith stepped onstage in a slightly askew Phillies hat and glossy jersey unbuttoned.

The July Fourth party carried over into July 5. 

After a three hour plus rain and lightning delay on Saturday night, the One Philly: United for America concert for the nation’s 250th birthday finally resumed on Sunday morning. 

Shortly before midnight, the Benjamin Franklin Parkway grounds that had been evacuated earlier in the evening due to severe weather were re-opened and thousands of die hard concert goers made their way to the front of the stage.

At around 12:45 p.m., Mayor Cherelle L. Parker took the stage in a patriotic red dressed and addressed the crowd. 

“Thank you for coming back,” she said, a fierce and determined look in her eye as she prepared to salvage her big summer deliverable. 

“This is Philadelphia,” she exclaimed. “Ain't no party like a Philly block party cause a Philly block party don't stop.”

About 15 minutes past midnight, rows of people as far as the eye could see came walking down the Parkway toward the stage filling the concert area back in.

DJ Aktive got the crowd reenergized with Miley Cyrus’s “Party in the USA” and Boys II Men’s “Motownphilly” as people made their way over the mud-laden grounds onto the concrete areas to surround the stage.

The Roots and fireworks were forthcoming, a screen announced in front of the stage.

Hundreds of people lined Pennsylvania Avenue sitting on ledges and standing in crowds patiently waiting for the concert to restart about five minutes before The Roots were scheduled to hit the stage after the storm delay. 

Once the gates opened, a crush of concertgoers rushed in until the police took noticed and pushed the crowd out and toward the formal entryways.

Throngs of people gathered around the entry tents awaiting their chance to reenter.

The show goes on.

City officials announced just before 11:30 p.m. that the Unity Concert will resume — more than two hours after severe weather commandeered the stage.

The Roots — and possibly a special guest, city officials told The Inquirer — are set to perform, followed by a grand fireworks finale. Organizers were encouraging people to head back to the Parkway.

The One Philly: Unity Concert for America on the Benjamin Franklin Parway has been "paused" due to severe weather, and next steps will be communicated as soon as possible, city officials said in a statement.

“Our foremost concern is for the safety of our guests, the crews, the artists, and all staff supporting this event. We will decide to resume when we are confident that it is safe to do so,” Managing Director Adam K. Thiel said. "We are continuing to closely monitor weather conditions and developments and are in coordination with all departments and partners through our Emergency Operations Center."

Concert attendees were advised to leave the area of the concert and move to protected areas such as Suburban Station at 16th Street and John F. Kennedy Boulevard. 

The sudden evacuation announcement caught Parkway concert goers off guard as winds and gusts full of detritus suddenly picked up.

Dozens of people took refuge at a nearby gas station.

"I've got so much dirt in my eye," said a man on the phone.

The National Weather Service has issued a warning for Philly and its neighboring Pennsylvania counties for a strong thunderstorm with a history of producing damaging winds and “frequent” cloud-to-ground lightning.

The warning is in effect until 9:30 p.m. with winds to 60 mph possible

The federal Storm Prediction Center has advised that storms may be accompanied by damaging “downburst” wind gusts.

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro and Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle L. Parker took the stage not long after country singer Jordan Davis, greeting a rather muted crowd. 

“The promise of America has always been carried forward by all of us, by people who believe in one another, and by the possibilities of tomorrow,” said Shapiro in brief remarks.

“So tonight we honor not only the past but the ideals that continue to unite us and drive us forward and we remain resolved that those ideals will endure because we choose to uphold them.”

Following Seal’s set, the crowd was treated to a pre-recorded video skit starring host Wanda Sykes and Mayor Cherelle L. Parker. The gag was that Sykes interpreted her all-access pass to mean she could take a seat behind the mayor’s desk at City Hall.

Podcaster Wallo 267 and Gillie Da Kid then came on to hype up the crowd that was mostly lounging in shaded spots on the Parkway lawn and avoiding the still-punishing early evening sun. 

They quizzed the crowd on its thoughts on the Jaylen Brown trade and assured Sixers fans that LeBron James is coming to Philly next. (We’ll see about that.) 

Ever wondered how hot it must have been for the Founding Fathers to walk around with those wigs in summer?

Some soccer fans at Philadelphia Stadium signed themselves up to a sweaty history lesson.

Nicholas Ruiz, 27, came from Southern California with his friends to Philadelphia for his bachelor party. The trip combines his two passions: history and soccer.

The One Philly: Unity Concert for America celebration of the nation’s 250th birthday got going with an international superstar opening act.

British pop-rock vocalist Seal went on at 5:45 p.m., dressed in a mustard yellow blazer, just as the sun dipped low enough to provide a sliver of shade to provide some relief for the red, white and blue crowd gathering in front of the stage. 

Seemingly unbothered by the heat, the London born singer of Nigerian and Brazilian descent remarked: “I know it’s hot, but it’s not hot enough! It’s only 105. I need it to be 110!” 

Staying cool on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway has required a bit of planning and some luck.

Princess Akowe, 39, made the trip from Camden excited to see Will Smith and Christina Aguilera.

With a smooth check-in process, Akowe was able to make it to the front of the stage but stepped away around 6 p.m. to grab some food and eat in the shade with a plan to move up towards the stage again later.

At around 5:30 p.m. the concert that had been slated to begin at 5 had yet to officially begin. Performers continued to rehearse onstage with lights and sound as attendees filled in along the grassy swaths on either side of the parkway.

Even with the assortment of misters and free water refill stations, the heat casualties have begun to mount on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, with at least three people being transported into one of the medical tents located throughout the concert's footprint.

A precise update of the number of people seeking medical attention so far was not immediately available at the City of Philadelphia Mobile Command Post. Questions were directed to the city's press office.

The decibels at Philadelphia Stadium eclipsed the blistering temperature during the pre-game show of the FIFA World Cup elimination game between Paraguay and France.

Thousands of fans from all over the world came together to, aptly for July 4, form a sea of red, white, and blue jerseys.

The colors in the stands were for the flags of the teams on the pitch, but the pre-game show was all about America. The green pitch was covered with a white tarp with blue shooting stars with red tracks. 

Near 21st and McKean Streets in South Philly, a few pieces of string were all that was needed to remind residents of the annual Fourth of July block party. 

As Monica Elder served up a sandwich and condiments to another resident, she said the block party was a tradition that goes back as far as she can remember — and she’s been here 38 years. 

Now 55, Elder has become one the leaders on the block who watch over children and preside over the festivities. 

In Point Breeze, Robin Miller and her neighbors were having a block party together for the first time as a group. Miller and another neighbor started to hang outside together until eventually the duo realized they should make an official gathering and bring everyone on the block together.

What better day to throw the block’s first party than the 250th anniversary of the United States, Miller said.

A bounce castle took over the middle of the block, where a hose was attached to the opening of the slide, and one after another, kids flew down the vinyl slide through a curtain of water into a small pool at the bottom. Another inflatable pool sat nearby where a group of young children and teens lay with just their faces sticking out of the water, cooling off.

The 250th concert is free but some attendees are feeling a bit of sticker shock when it comes to the cost of food.

From $20 cheesesteaks to $7 soft pretzels, snack breaks could add up by the time the fireworks start around midnight.

“I don't like it, it's way too high,” said Briana Farrington, 24, spooning her small cup of custard that ran her $10.

With gates open for the One Philly: Unity Concert for America, visitors are slowly trickling in and already finding ways to cool down.

Saxxton Brazier, 36, came from Southwest Philly and said she was already drenched through her shorts when she got through security. 

“I'm sweating and it looks like I peed myself but I didn't!” she said with a laugh, after running through one of the several masters placed throughout the parkway to keep attendees cool. 

Mattias Grafström was out for a run early Saturday and could already feel the celebrating around town, he said.

FIFA’s secretary general, the soccer governing body’s No. 2 in charge, made his first visit to Philadelphia Saturday during this World Cup. The soccer world will train its eyes on Philadelphia Saturday afternoon, when France, one of the tournament’s favorites, plays Paraguay in the round of 16.

The game, which starts at 5 p.m., is the finale of a daylong soccer celebration in the city. Besides the supporters of both teams making the city home for the weekend, FOX’s studio broadcast also set up shop outside Independence Hall.

Johanna Rodriguez and Michael Cunningham mixed fresh lemonade as they watched their daughter and son splash around in the above-ground swimming pool in the middle of their Jefferson Street block in the Ludlow section of Philadelphia.

The Fourth of July brings the block’s “OGs” into full force, applying for permits, coordinating who will be grill master, and erecting party tables to turn Jefferson Street into a Puerto Rican Fourth of July extravaganza, Cunningham said, gesturing to his mother-in-law, Carmen “Terry” Torres, the block captain and resident of more than 50 years.

Rodriguez said the block takes Fourth of July seriously because it's one of the only times of the year when everyone comes outside to enjoy the festivities and see each other in person. It also provides the classic July Fourth fun outside during a time when many kids are used to hanging out inside.

The federal Storm Prediction Center has issued a severe-thunderstorm watch in effect until 11 p.m. for the entire Philadelphia region.

The criterion for a “severe” storm is wind gusts of 58 mph or higher, but “downburst” winds accompanying the storms could reach 75 mph, said Mike Lee, meteorologist at the National Weather Service Office in Mount Holly.

The watch went into effect at 3:30 p.m., and Lee said the likeliest time for storms would be from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

As hundreds of people lined up outside the Liberty Bell, about 200 folks gathered in the yard next door at the President’s House Site to honor the nine people enslaved by George and Martha Washington in the 1790s.

But this year, attendees said the annual independence gathering, with its focus on freedom, truth, and remembrance, felt different.

On Friday, an appeals court gave the final legal go-ahead for President Donald Trump’s administration to install the panels it wants to replace the original slavery exhibit.

The line at Franklin Fountain continued along the side of the building, with people dotted on seats and stoops, licking ice cream cones or sipping milkshakes. It was worth it, one patron confirmed to another joining the line.

Several Mr. Softees also staked a claim by the Liberty Bell Center and reaped the benefits.

The ice cream makers at Franklin Fountain, along with Shane Confectionary, rolled out a special Liberty Bell Ice Cream Bar for America's 250. The bars were made in small, limited batches, from replica molds made with the help of Temple University's architecture school.

Adorned in red, white, and blue, people gathered in the shade at the Independence Beer Garden across from Independence Mall, escaping some of the record heat to sip beer with the World Cup displayed on a big screen.

Sandra Rahn, from Jacksonville, Fla., was taking a break from the sun to watch the game. Her pup, Matilda, was cooling off alongside her, following the Patriotic Pet Show at the Betsy Ross House.

Rahn, her husband, and Matilda arrived Wednesday to celebrate the country’s 250th, attending as many outdoor events as they could so Matilda could be part of the festivities.

A Lackawanna County man seeking to honor military veterans is set to complete a three-day run from Scranton to Philly Saturday evening.

“I’m pushing for 5 p.m., unless I get heatstroke,” Mike Kravitz said during a Saturday morning phone interview, in between breaths and while shouting “Happy Fourth” to passersby.

Kravitz said the heat has forced him to take more breaks, but that hasn’t kept him from attempting to run the 250-odd kilometers, roughly 157 miles, to Independence Hall. He said he felt called by God to encourage people to live up to their potential.

Seven people with profound ties to Philadelphia were honored Saturday in the city’s Celebration of Freedom.

The awards, created as part of Mayor Cherelle L. Parker’s effort for the Semiquincentennial, recognized those whose legacy "strengthens the city of Philadelphia,” said NBC10’s Lena Tillett, who emceed the event.

The recognized included:

Potent storms that may come with “downburst” wind gusts up to 75 mph are possible in the Philly region Saturday evening, forecasters are warning.

The likeliest time would be in the 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. period; however, the timing and location of any storms and their durations are uncertain, said Mike Lee, meteorologist with the National Weather Service Office in Mount Holly. Blame the limits of science.

What is certain is that with so much daytime heating, the atmosphere is full of energy and moisture.

Bruno, an 18-year-old yellow Labrador Retriever, sporting big blacked-out goggles and using a baby-dog stroller to move around, immediately stole the show at the Patriotic Pet Show at the Betsy Ross House on Saturday. With his long fluffy blond hair waving in the breeze, Bruno’s confident and smug smile told the crowd everything they needed to know: This veteran was here to bring home gold.

The tiny brick-lined courtyard of the Betsy Ross House was packed shoulder to shoulder as hundreds of residents and tourists witnessed in awe the most patriotic and gorgeous pets Philadelphia has to offer on the Fourth of July. Chihuahuas draped in Eagles green, twin pups dressed as a Geno’s cheesesteak and Betsy Ross, and no one could forget the two adorable snakes, Clyde the ball python and Hoagie the corn snake, whose owners were excited to break the stigma around the friendly no-legged critters.

These contestants play for keeps, as winning the competition doesn’t just provide bragging rights, but also tickets to a Phillies game, the Chinese Lantern festival, and gift cards.

Hidden in plain sight among those braving the serpentine line to visit Independence Hall were numerous time travelers from the Revolutionary era.

Aaron Patrick traveled — like many Revolutionary War soldiers once had done — from Carlisle, Cumberland County, and donned a wool waistcoat and a black tricorn hat as he made his way through the line at Independence Square. Temperature check: About 93 degrees Fahrenheit.

“Everyone’s hot. I’m just a little warmer than most,” said Patrick.

This Fourth of July, a dozen striking Peco workers baked in the sun outside the utility's Market Street building. The group protested for better working conditions after the workers' union and the electric company failed to reach an agreement Friday.

“There is a real power imbalance,” said Melissa McCleery, a spokesperson for IBEW Local 614. “These workers work 24/7, 365 days; their work is highly skilled and dangerous most of the time. We need Peco to value them as much as the public does.”

According to McCleery, 16,000 IBEW Local 614 members will remain on strike until Peco can provide all members pensions, better benefits, and industry-standard wages.

Philly is getting three new bronze statues honoring Black women, Mayor Cherelle L. Parker announced at the National Constitution Center.

As the United States celebrates its 250th milestone, the job is not to “choose which parts of the American story to tell, it is to tell all of it,” Parker said.

As she stood before a crowded National Constitution Center, preparing to honor seven people with profound ties to Philadelphia, she highlighted that alongside the country’s triumphs, there were also costs: “the Middle Passage, the mistreatment of Indigenous peoples, the injustice of Jim Crow, and the long years of racial and economic discrimination, all the ways this country actually struggled to live up to the creed it declared.”

Whatever brutally hot designs the weather gods had in store Friday for Philadelphia’s Independence Day celebrations, by 8 p.m. the temperature fell below 90 degrees, and the music on Independence Mall arrived like a balm.

Listeners were stretched across the lawn of the mall for fairly solidly from Independence Hall to Arch St., an estimated 12,000 attendees, according to a Wawa Welcome America spokesperson. Whether drawn by the Philly Pops in tunes patriotic or stirring, or by popular actress-singer Idina Menzel, the crowd was in a mood at once celebratory and relaxed.

The weather posed no threat, at least for the first hour or so.

Military veterans from around the country gathered in Washington Square Park Saturday morning to rally against the Trump administration and what they call the “billionaire control” of the country.

Military servicemembers are often the first to feel the consequences of bad governance, said Lindsay Knapp, an attorney and former U.S. Army officer who traveled from North Carolina to join the rally.

Knapp said that, as an attorney who advocates for sexual assault survivors in the military, new policies under Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth have made it harder for women to report abuse without fear of reprisal.

Chalfont and New Britain residents began lining the sidewalks with sunshades and water squirters before 9 a.m. this morning in Bucks County.

“Don’t feel silly with an umbrella,” advised Bob Doyle, 70, a longtime resident in a folding chair and a wide-brimmed hat who’s attended this parade for over 25 years. “You need it.”

Pennsylvania Governor Josh Shapiro walked the route before the parade, talking to attendees. Maryellen Murphy, 68, said she worked with Shapiro’s dad, pediatrician Dr. Steven Shapiro, when she was a nurse at Suburban General Hospital in Montgomery County.

There's a two-hour wait just to get into Independence Square this morning — not Independence Hall, but rather, the park just south of the Hall.

From there, visitors still have to wait in a separate line to go through security and then another to visit Independence Hall.

"We're making history," National Park Service Ranger Willow Tuttle said of the lengthy wait. "On the day history was made."

Writing a revolutionary manifesto infused with Enlightenment ideals isn’t easy, Thomas Jefferson learned in 1776.

In drafting the Declaration of Independence, he had to endure the bane of all writers — editors.

Jefferson, one of the younger delegates to the Continental Congress, spent more than two weeks on the draft before submitting it to a five-member committee that included Benjamin Franklin and John Adams, according to a National Archives article.

The eagle, known as Indy, whose full government name is Independence (obviously), made an appearance at this morning's America's Time Capsule burial.

Visitors were able to meet and take pictures with her.

Not to be confused with the bald eagle who flies over Lincoln Financial Field ahead of Eagles games (that's Lincoln), Indy, 10, is from Auburn University's Raptor Center. She's a rehabilitated bird who now serves as an ambassador, teaching people about raptors, conservation, and the ecosystems that sustain them.

For attendee Kristine Robinson, from Turnersville, N.J., celebrating the Fourth was in honor of her mother, Katherine.

In 1976, her mother brought her to the city for the country’s then 200th birthday. She remembers standing at Independence Hall then at 6 years old.

Now, 50 years later, she felt like she was honoring the memory of both her late parents — her patriotic mother, who always brought her to the city and collected commemorative coins, and her World War II veteran father.

Phones were lifted into the air, capturing as a hefty time capsule was lowered into the ground at Independence National Historical Park on the Fourth of July.

America's Time Capsule — containing snippets from the three branches of the federal government, all 50 states, Washington, D.C., and the five U.S. territories — will rest at the park until the United States celebrates its birthday once more in 2276.

Saturday’s ceremony, held in the early morning before the extreme heat could set in, brought out the public, adorned in red, white, and blue. Indy, a bald eagle, was also in attendance.

At 1 p.m. on July 4, 1776, the temperature on what is now Independence Mall was 76 degrees by the reckoning of Thomas Jefferson, whose pursuit of weather data was in a league with his thoughts on the pursuit of happiness.

The author of the Declaration of Independence owned 20 different thermometers in his lifetime, according to the Thomas Jefferson Foundation, which operates the Monticello site in Charlottesville, and he purchased one of those in Philly on July 4. (Didn’t he have something better to do?)

He didn’t record a high for the day, or whether it was raining, but noted that the temperature was 72½ at 9 p.m., not long after sunset. (With all those clothes they wore in those days, they still must have been pretty warm.)

The nation's 250th birthday is finally here, and organizations throughout Philadelphia have planned a full itinerary of celebrations for the weekend.

For those seeking historical enrichment, live music from national headliners, or even a patriotic pet parade, look no further.

Here is a schedule of some of the activities and events happening in the city.

Fairmount residents are accustomed to annual July Fourth fireworks; it comes with the territory of living near Benjamin Franklin Parkway, where the city stages its major celebrations. With the United States’ 250th birthday, this July Fourth is no different — except that the fireworks will start closer to midnight.

“We have the whole family coming to our home, all on their way right now,” said Fairmount resident Margo DelliCarpini. “But 11:30, midnight is just too late for some families with children. I understand that it’s the Fourth of July, but the late start for fireworks is decidedly not a family-friendly decision.”

DelliCarpini will have her children and grandchildren visit to experience the Semiquincentennial in the city where the country began. But with young children in tow, parents along for the trip were hoping to have them in bed by midnight, she said. Instead, the large group is looking to catch one of the fireworks shows at Valley Forge or across Montgomery County, which start around 9 p.m.

The eve of the United States’ 250th birthday in Philadelphia was less celebration and more chagrin, as oppressive heat left swaths of tourists and revelers in an aimless search of pomp and circumstance.

On Friday, Wawa’s Salute to Independence Semiquincentennial Parade was canceled because of 100-plus-degree temperatures and a perilous heat index. It was one of numerous events called off or shortened this holiday weekend, as the scorching weather has thwarted events across the region, and potential storms could impact more.

The cancellation left scores of sweat-soaked performers, musicians, and historical reenactors in wool garb stranded near Independence Hall and around Center City. There might not have been the sort of “shews, games, sports, guns, bells, bonfires and illuminations” that John Adams prophesied in a July 3, 1776, letter to his wife, but there was still an air of importance — and some impromptu pageantry.