Parkway Presents
The Parkway Council's Parkway Presents initiative seeks to activate the Benjamin Franklin Parkway with a series of free, outdoor performances that highlight the vibrancy, diversity, and quality of Philadelphia's cultural scene.
Parkway Presents: Summer at The Oval
Gather at The Oval every Friday at 6:30 p.m. unless otherwise noted.
All performances are free to attend.
The Philadelphia Suns dazzles with traditional Chinese lion dancing and music. The Philadelphia Suns have performed the traditional Chinese Lion Dance since the group’s inception in 1972. This thousand-year-old cultural dance has been passed through generations as part of martial arts training. Traditionally performed at festive occasions such as grand openings, weddings, parties, and other special events, a lion dance is performed to scare away evil spirits.
Guachinangos gets us moving to the beat with Cumbian and Jarocho fusion music. Colombian Cumbia with a Mexican Jarocho flavor, Guachinangos brings artists from diverse cultural backgrounds together. The band fuses Mexican jarocho with Colombian cumbia and other Latin American rhythms. The band’s exciting instrumentation and electrifying stage energy invites anybody to enjoy, sing, and move to the rhythm of the music.
Please note: This performance has been re-scheduled from a previously announced date due to a weather cancellation. Project Positive brings all the moves to the Oval’s center stage! Project Positive is a Philadelphia-based dance organization that utilizes hip hop to inspire, educate, and entertain. The organization’s core value is P.E.A.C.E (Positive Energy Allows Constant Elevation), and they work to engage youth to keep them focused on their goals and off the streets.
Modero & Company performs Indonesian dance. Originally starting as a dance company, Modero & Company quickly expanded its mission to encompass other aspects of Indonesian culture, including food and fashion. Modero will be presenting a traditional Indonesian music and dance performance called Di Hati-Ku (In My Heart).
Troupe Da Da showcases West African dance and music. This performance will take place from 2 - 3:30 p.m. At a Troupe Da Da performance, you will experience authentic African dance, costumes, and singing in traditional African languages. Troupe Da Da also presents the unique African cultural performance of stilt walking and masquerade from Guinea, Liberia, and the Ivory Coast.
TAMEARTZ presents a hip hop masterclass. This TEDx talk-like masterclass explores emceeing, breaking, rapping, and graffiti art—the elements of Hip Hop culture—while showcasing them in real time. Learn and hear stories from legendary artists MC Reef The Lost Cauze, DJ Skeme Richards, B-Boy DINKSWORTH, and Hip-Hop Ambassador and Graffiti artist TAMEARTZ. Enjoy a journey through the history and stories behind the world's biggest subculture. This performance is from 6 - 7:30 p.m.
Mad Beatz Philly closes out the Oval with a percussive performance that will have you out of your seat. Mad Beatz Philly brings together professional drummers and those just learning for mentorship and performance. This drum line performance will be accompanied by a DJ to keep the vibes going!