The 2nd Street Festival returns to Northern Liberties for its 16th year on Sunday, August 2, noon to 10pm — and it remains, genuinely, Philadelphia’s largest neighborhood summer festival. Fourteen blocks of N. 2nd Street and connecting side streets, from Spring Garden to Girard, transform into a ten-hour celebration of food, drink, music, and art, drawing upwards of 50,000 people in
a typical year. Free to attend, dog-friendly, and family-friendly throughout.
The festival was founded in 2008 by three Northern Liberties business owners — Owen Kamihira of El Camino Real, William Reed of Standard Tap, and Oron Daskal of North Bowl — all three of whom remain hands-on organizers today. “It is the true grand finale for a historic summer in our city with a non-stop, ten-hour celebration of local food, beer, art and music,” said Reed. “Look for a special 250th nod this year – and lots of fun surprises.”
Daskal reflected on how far things have come: “When we started this festival, we just wanted to celebrate our neighborhood and have fun doing it. It’s amazing how much interest it draws now and how much life it brings to 2nd Street.” And Kamihira pointed to the festival’s civic purpose: “The event is important to bring attention to our neighborhood, but it also raises money for our neighborhood organizations for the services they provide for our residents and businesses.” Proceeds support both the Northern Liberties Business Improvement District and the Northern Liberties Neighborhood Association.
This year’s festival leans directly into America’s 250th, with a dedicated America 250th Themed Kids/Art Activity running noon to 5pm and a Red, White and Blue Glowing Giveaway from 8 to 10pm — a fitting nod given the festival’s own timing as what Reed calls “the grand finale” of the city’s Semiquincentennial summer.
Live Music on Two Stages
Music sits at the foundation of the 2nd Street Festival, and this year runs two full stages of Philly favorites. The Germantown Stage (2nd and Germantown, noon to 9pm) runs Todd Fausnacht & His Band, Daphne Ellen, The Size, Feaster, Alright Junior, Fullscreen, Max Swan, Party Nerves, and Moonroof. The Fairmount Stage (2nd and Fairmount) brings Jimmy Everhart (Solo), Caroline Quinn, Canyon Flower, Sandcastle, Sophie Coran, Big Club, and St. James and The Apostles, plus IMY3 and a still-TBD 2:15pm slot.
Food, Drink, and 150+ Artists Along 14 Blocks
The 2nd Street Festival’s ten beer and cocktail gardens anchor the drink side of things: 700 Club, Bourbon & Branch, Cantina Dos Segundos, El Camino Real, Jerry’s Bar, Joe & Kay, Newsroom Philly, North Bowl, Standard Tap, and Urban Village Brewing Company, with Beam Suntory and Red Bull as beverage sponsors. Beyond the gardens, 50-plus restaurants, bars, and food trucks line the footprint — standouts worth seeking out include Cousins Maine Lobster, MozzArepas, Hardy Funnel Cakes, and the Fishtown Pickle Project, alongside neighborhood regulars like Circles Thai, La Colombe, and Seiko.
More than 150 artists and crafters set up across the festival, with Art Star curating the 600 block from Fairmount to Spring Garden. Among the genuinely distinctive names worth seeking out: Claire Hewitt’s handcrafted stainless steel chainmail jewelry, Moss and Canvas’s preserved-moss landscape art, and Secret Society Woodcraft’s hand-crafted end-grain cutting boards. Family programming runs all day too — stilt walkers from 7textures starting at noon, complimentary face painting from Chelsea Does It (1–3pm), a splash zone and playground at The Piazza, and the West Powelton Drumline, the 76ers’ official drumline, performing at 5pm.
2nd Street Festival admission is free; food and drink run pay-as-you-go. More information, including an updated vendor list, is available at 2ndstfestival.org or @2ndstfestival on social. Fourteen blocks, two stages, 250-plus vendors, and one very full Sunday — the 2nd Street Festival earns its title as Philadelphia’s biggest neighborhood party.
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