Rocky Season Brings 50th Anniversary Events to Philadelphia Through December
PHILADELPHIA — Fifty years after a down-on-his-luck boxer first ran up the Philadelphia Museum of Art steps, the city is turning the milestone into a full season of events. The citywide celebration, called Rocky Season, began Sept. 29 and runs through Dec. 3, according to organizers at the Philadelphia Visitor Center and Visit Philadelphia.
The timing connects to two anniversaries at once. Sept. 29 marked the release of Sylvester Stallone’s memoir, The Steps, and Dec. 3 is the 50th anniversary of Rocky’s national release in 1976. City Council officially designated Dec. 3 as Rocky Day in Philadelphia in a 2023 resolution, according to event listings.
October is the busiest stretch. The Rocky Philadelphia Bus returns for weekend tours from Oct. 10 through Nov. 29, departing from the Parkway Visitor Center. A special Halloween tour on Oct. 31 requires every rider to come dressed as a character from the original film, with the best costume winning a gift card, according to a recent report on the season’s schedule.
Fans who want to train like Rocky get their own events. On Oct. 24, the Meat Market Challenge takes over Filbert Street outside Reading Terminal Market from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., with visitors posing in a recreation of the famous meat-punching scene for a $20 donation benefiting the market’s pantry, according to the same report. A look-alike contest at noon awards a market gift card.
November brings the biggest crowds. The Rocky Run returns Saturday, Nov. 14, starting and finishing outside the museum at 2600 Benjamin Franklin Parkway, with organizers expecting tens of thousands of runners. Fox 29 reported that this year’s finisher medals carry special 50th-anniversary designs, including a spinning medal inspired by Rocky’s celebration atop the museum steps.
The same weekend, the National Dog Show in Oaks will feature a Rocky 50 activation with Bullmastiffs honoring Rocky’s dog Butkus, according to event reports. The classic film also returns to theaters Nov. 7 through Nov. 11, and the Peter Farrelly film I Play Rocky opens in limited release Nov. 6, according to the season schedule.
A book event rounds out the month for fans of the story behind the story. On Thursday, Nov. 12, a Q&A and book signing with Mike Sielski is scheduled, and on Nov. 13 the Rocky statue returns home for a re-dedication event, according to the listing. Fans should confirm the venue and start time on the official event schedule.
December closes the season. On Dec. 3, the Philadelphia Flyers host the New York Islanders with a Rocky 50 ticket package that includes a postgame chance to recreate Rocky and Adrian’s ice-skating date, according to event coverage. Additional events are expected to be announced in the coming weeks, according to the same report.