An Evening in Franklin Square

Thursday evening, Historic Philadelphia Inc. hosted the sixth annual "An Evening in Franklin Square" presented by Parx Casino. Franklin Square was transformed over the last decade into a delightful playground complete with miniature golf, merry-go-round, a Stephen Starr burger stand, picnic tables and a beautiful fountain where colorful lights bounce off the water in the evening. The gala benefited the family-friendly park and was quite the good time. The weather held out and the evening began with a cocktail party on the grounds of the park, surrounding the fountain, which included a silent auction and lots of mingling. It was then followed by dinner served by Brûlée Catering, a live auction by MC Beasley Reece, a video screening that covered the progress of the park over the years, future plans, and then attendees danced to the tunes of Jellyroll. One of the highlights occurred during the cocktail hour when guests participated in the Parx Square Derby, a carousel race, that was narrated by racing announcer Keith Jones. The chairs of the event were Randy Chapman, Eric Etkins, Marc Oppenheimer, and Carol Zacney. The honorary chairs of "An Evening in Franklin Square" were Pennsylvania Governor Tom Corbett and Philadelphia Mayor Michael A. Nutter.