With two parades and a 5K on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, expect road closures in the Philly area this weekend
The Delco 10 Miler will also close roads to vehicles on Sunday
This weekend, people participating in the Philadelphia Ratha Yatra festival, an annual Puerto Rican Day parade, and a 5K race to raise money for children with cancer will take their turns on Benjamin Franklin Parkway.
As a result, the city plans to close the thoroughfare, and a few other streets, according to the Office of the City Representative and Special Events. SEPTA service will also see some schedule changes.
And some roads will be closed in Delaware County for an event on Sunday.
Whether you’re planning to drive, take a bus, or walk around town this weekend, here’s what you need to know.
Saturday
Members of Philadelphia’s Hindu community are set to hold their largest annual event, the Philadelphia Ratha Yatra festival and Parade of Chariots.
The parade route is scheduled to begin at 16th Street and Ben Franklin Parkway around “a mighty flower-decorated chariot pulled by the participants,” according to the event website. A festival at Eakins Oval promises vegan and vegetarian food, cultural programs, yoga, and other attractions.
To accommodate the event, the city will close Benjamin Franklin Parkway between 16th and 17th Streets from 6 a.m. to 1 p.m.
The parkway from 17th to Logan Circle, the north side of Logan Circle and the parkway from 19th Street to Eakins Oval will be closed “on a rolling basis” from noon to 2 p.m.
Sunday
Registration for the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia Parkway 5K Run & Walk is scheduled to start at 7 a.m., followed by an opening ceremony and a 5K run at 8:30.
The city plans to close Eakins Oval from 3 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
Both sides of Benjamin Franklin Parkway from Eakins Oval to Logan Circle will be closed from 6:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
Both sides of Kelly Drive from Eakins Oval to S. Brewery Hill Drive will be closed from 7 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
A second event, Concilio’s Annual Puerto Rican Day Parade, is set to kick off at noon at Eakins Oval. The “celebration of Latino culture in the heart of the City’s streets” promises music, poetry, and dance, according to the event website. Previous years’ parades have drawn around 1,500 participants with about 5,000 people attending the festival.
From 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., 2100 to 2200 Benjamin Franklin Parkway will be closed. From noon to 3:30 p.m., the parkway will be closed from 22nd Street to Logan Circle.
SEPTA service affected
On Saturday, bus routes 2, 7, 32, 33, 38, 43, 48, and 49 will be detoured from their regular routes from 5 a.m. to about 1 p.m.
On Sunday, bus routes 2, 7, 32, 33, 38, 43, 48, and 49 will see detours from 5:30 a.m. until approximately 5 p.m.
SEPTA encourages riders to view its website to get updates.
Delco 10 Miler Route
The inaugural Delco 10 Miler starts at 8 a.m. Sunday on Providence Road/Route 252 near Rose Tree Park in Upper Providence and finishes at Subaru Park in Chester.
= Water stop
Delco 10 Miler
Registration is sold out for Delaware County’s inaugural 10 mile race on Sunday, which begins at Rose Tree Park in Upper Providence Township and ends at Subaru Park in Chester.
Roads will begin closing at 7:30 a.m. around the starting line at Rose Tree Park, including Providence Road and the nearby exit ramps from the Route 1 Bypass. The course will be closed to vehicles at the start of the race.
More than 1,200 people are expected to run the race.