The Franklin Square 20th Birthday celebration lands Saturday, July 25, and Historic Philadelphia, Inc. is marking the occasion with a free birthday morning for the whole family, 10am to noon. One of William Penn’s original five public squares, dating back to 1682, Franklin Square’s 20th birthday specifically marks two decades since its modern restoration — a fitting milestone to celebrate in the same year Philadelphia marks its own 250th.

A Free Birthday Morning at Franklin Square

The Franklin Square 20th Birthday celebration opens at 10am with birthday crafts, temporary tattoos, music, giant bubbles, and fitness fun with YoYo. At 10:30am, Benjamin Franklin himself shows up for a “Happy Birthday” moment, with free treats while supplies last — the clear highlight for younger kids and a genuinely good photo op. There’s also a free Chinese Lantern Festival scavenger hunt built into the morning; complete it and win a free carousel ticket. The Lantern Festival itself runs nightly in Franklin Square through August 16, so the scavenger hunt doubles as a nice reason to plan a return visit after dark.

The Fountain Show Gets a New Song, and It’s Buy-One-Get-One Carousel Day

The Franklin Square 20th Birthday morning closes at noon with the Fountain Show in the 187-year-old Rendell Family Fountain — one of the country’s oldest public fountains — repeating every 30 minutes through 2pm. For the anniversary, the rotation adds a new tenth song: “Philadelphia Freedom” by Elton John, joining a genuinely eclectic mix that already includes “Levitating” (Dua Lipa), the Rocky theme “Gonna Fly Now,” U2’s “Beautiful Day,” Louis Armstrong’s “What a Wonderful World,” Boyz II Men’s “Motownphilly,” Katy Perry’s “Firework,” “Under the Sea” from The Little Mermaid, and the Beach Boys’ “Fun, Fun, Fun.”

The Franklin Square 20th Birthday also lands on National Carousel Day, and Franklin Square is leaning all the way in: rides on the Parx Liberty Carousel — which features hometown racehorse heroes Afleet Alex and Smarty Jones among its figures — are buy-one-get-one-free until 5pm, well past the birthday celebration itself. The Franklin Square 20th Birthday doesn’t have to end at noon — grab lunch at SquareBurger, putt a round at Philly Mini Golf, and let the birthday morning turn into a full day in the park. Franklin Square opens daily at 10am, weather permitting, at 6th and Race Streets.

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Allan Lane

Philadelphia born and bred, Allan Lane is the Publisher and Editor in Chief of digital magazines. He launched his first publication, SportBikes Inc Magazine in 2010, followed by dosage MAGAZINE in 2019. Recently, Allan launched his third online publication, Club For Man. As a journalist, Allan covers fashion, lifestyle, culture, art, and motorcycles.

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