JULY 2018

Outdoor Pools Are Open!

As of today, nearly all of our 70+ indoor and outdoor pools have opened for the summer season! Please check in with your neighborhood pool for days and times of open swim, family swim, and adult swim, as well as swim lessons and swim team activities.

Find a pool near you.

15 Fun Things to Do in Philly Parks and Rec Centers This Summer

There is so much to do in Philly parks and recreation centers this summer. Whether you’re looking to relax or work up a sweat, there is an activity for everyone, including:

• Watch an outdoor movie.
• Listen to live music.
• Do some yoga.

Check out our FULL list of top 15 picks for this summer.

Baxter Trail Open on Weekends

Now through Labor Day weekend, the Baxter Trail will be open on Saturdays and Sundays from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. The trail is approximately two miles long, and connects Pennypack on the Delaware Park to Pleasant Hill Park. The Baxter Trail will be a part of the Circuit Trails and the East Coast Greenway.

Learn more about the Baxter Trail.

Picnicking Dos and Don’ts

Everyone is welcome to enjoy Philadelphia parks and recreation centers! One great way to do so is to have a picnic or barbecue with friends and family. In order to keep these spaces safe and clean, Philadelphia Parks & Recreation and the Philadelphia Police Department enforce rules for parks, playgrounds, and recreation centers.

Follow our simple picnicking dos and don’ts tips to stay safe and enjoy yourself.

The Oval+

The Oval+ returns to the Benjamin Franklin Parkway on July 20! This year’s season of the Oval+ will run from July 20 to August 19, with the family-friendly theme of “More PARK, More PLAY.”

Check back for updates at theovalphl.org.

Farmers’ Markets Have Returned!

Philadelphia’s parks and playgrounds host farmers’ markets throughout the spring and summer! Search for a farmers’ market in your neighborhood to enjoy fresh, local, healthy foods.

Find a farmers’ market in your neighborhood.

Check Out Our Trails Map!

Want to hit the trails this summer? Our new, interactive map can help! Search, explore, and navigate through PPR trails with our trails web map.

Wheel Fun Night Rides

This summer, night rides are available at Wheel Fun’s Boathouse Row location! Rentals include headlights and tail lights on the surrey cycle, as well as lights wrapped around the uprights and the spokes of the front. Enjoy the fun of these surreys without the daytime crowds.

Headed to FDR Park? Wheel Fun Rentals offers fun and easy ways to explore the park by bike or boat.

Check out Wheel Fun at Boathouse Row or FDR Park.

Job Opportunities

• Workforce Development Program Manager(Full-time, exempt): Work collaboratively in the design, development, implementation and management of the Community Apprenticeship Program. This includes participant recruitment and selection, program administration, curriculum/courseware development, training delivery, career and workplace readiness, career pathway alignment, job placement assistance, and stakeholder engagement.
• The Oval+ Production Coordinators (July-August 2018): Assist in the management and scheduling of public programming, activities, and amenities at The Oval +.
• Seasonal Driver (July-April 2018): The Carousel House needs a seasonal driver to transport participants and maintain vehicles assigned to the recreation center. A valid PA Commercial Drivers License with passenger endorsement is required.

Remember to check our Employment page regularly for new seasonal positions as they become available.

Unity Cup News: World Cup Watch Party, 2018 Schedule & More

As the 2018 Philadelphia International Unity Cup gets closer, there are many announcements and updates to share, including:

• A June 30 World Cup Watch Party at the Dell Music Center-- join us!
• The 2018 tournament schedule
• Parade of Nations banner project events
• The Unity Youth League celebrated a successful spring season. 

Stay updated on the Unity Cup at Unitycup.phila.gov.

Recent Groundbreakings and Ribbon Cuttings

This spring and summer, Philadelphia Parks & Recreation has hosted groundbreakings and ribbon cuttings across the city to celebrate new or renovated parks, playgrounds, and public spaces, including:

• Waterloo Playground
• The Rail Park
• Centennial Commons
• May Myers Playground
• Wissinoming Park
• and MORE!

Having trouble keeping up? Here’s a summary of the celebrations, renovations, and planned improvements.

Philly Wildlife: Spotting Reptiles and Amphibians

The sounds and sights of reptiles and amphibians are a sign that summer is here. If you’d like to find critters this summer, there are tips on where to focus your efforts to best spot them.

Read more about finding reptiles and amphibians this summer.

Spring Arts Show at City Hall

Check out what Parks & Rec’s artists created this school year! From now through August 3, artwork from various Philadelphia Parks & Recreation sites will be on display at City Hall. Visit the second and fourth floors of City Hall to see the hard work that our children and staff put into their visual arts projects.

Learn more about Art in City Hall.

Farm Philly Updates

Farm Philly supports over 60 urban agriculture projects on Philadelphia Parks & Recreation land, including orchards, vegetable and fruit production, youth education gardens, inter-generational gardens, community gardens, and market farms. After a busy spring, Farm Philly staff shared updates on their work at Bartram’s Garden, the Emily Street Growing Homes Garden, the Carousel House CSA, and the Community Propagation Program!

Check out what Farm Philly has been up to.

ReadyPhila Alerts

ReadyPhiladelphia is the City of Philadelphia’s notification system that provides you with emergency information, ranging from severe weather advisories, to SEPTA delays, to special event street closures. To sign up, text ReadyPhila to 888-777, or select your notification preferences on the ReadyPhiladelphia website.

Learn more at www.phila.gov/ReadyPhila.

Stewardship Updates

Whole Foods Volunteers Clean Up Tip Top Playground
25 Whole Foods employees joined Stewardship staff and Friends of Tip Top Playground for a fantastic service day at Fishtown's Tip Top Playground. The group spent the full morning removing 30 bags of weeds, leaves, and other organic debris from the park, and five bags of trash from the surrounding sidewalks.

Read more about the service event at Tip Top and see pictures.

Philadelphia Zoo Volunteers Clean Up Lemon Hill
Last month, the Philadelphia Zoo continued a longtime partnership with PPR to bring more native trees and shrubs to Fairmount Park. A team of 15 volunteers joined Stewardship staff to restore a section of forest on Lemon Hill. Learn more about the Philadelphia Zoo service event.

Want to volunteer with a group? Find out how.

Baseball, Softball, and Something More

Over 1,200 summer campers from Philadelphia Parks & Recreation  day camps attended an afternoon Phillies game last summer. Transportation for the camps to Citizens Bank Park, and the opportunity for campers to "run the bases" after the game, was provided by the Junior Baseball Federation (the "JBF") as part of the JBF's efforts to promote youth engagement in baseball and softball.

Wednesday, July 25 is Camp Day at the Phillies this year, and the JBF will, once again, be making tickets and transportation available for PPR summer day camps. Our ability to provide children with this experience is dependent on the sale of ticket vouchers for regular season Phillies game at Citizens Bank Park. This year, the Phillies have identified five regular-season games as JBF Benefit games, and we welcome your support of our efforts.

Learn more about this year's Junior Baseball Federation benefit games and how you can help.

Neighborhood News

Northwest Philly

• Gustine Rec Center hosted a Camp Philly parent meeting in June, as well as a meal for the Hope Afloat Dragon Boat Team.
• The Star Players had a very successful show with their recent production of “A Night at the Movies.”

North Philly

• Advisory Council members and staff at Penrose Playground hosted an event with a group of teenagers to observe Iftar, a religious observances of Ramadan.