Fireworks and Free Music Close Out a $115 Million Campaign for Philly Parks

PHILADELPHIA — West Fairmount Park will glow Friday night as the Fairmount Park Conservancy closes out a five-year campaign that raised and reinvested $115 million in the city’s parks and outdoor programs.

The free Play for Parks celebration runs from 7 to 9 p.m. on Oct. 16 at the John Welsh Memorial Fountain, across from the Please Touch Museum. The night ends with a fireworks show beginning at 8:50 p.m.

West Philly rapper Chill Moody will headline with Moody’s Klubbhouse, a 90-minute set featuring a house band led by saxophonist Hiruy Tirfe and special guests from Philadelphia’s music scene, according to PhillyVoice.

Colorful lights will illuminate the historic fountain, and local vendors will sell food and drinks during the program. Admission is free, and the Conservancy encourages attendees to RSVP through myphillypark.org for event updates.

The celebration marks the completion of the Fair Play Campaign, which drew more than 2,700 donors, according to the Conservancy.

During the event, the Conservancy will present Mayor Cherelle Parker with the John K. Binswanger Park Champion Award, recognizing her support of city parks and her service on the campaign committee.

Chill Moody serves as Philadelphia’s Music Ambassador and the inaugural Community Artist in Residence at the Mann Center, and is set to release a new album this month, according to the Conservancy.

Play for Parks caps a summer of free programming across the park system. The Conservancy says the campaign’s goal all along was to get more Philadelphians using the parks the money helped improve.