Shops at Liberty Place Block Party Kicking Off Wawa Welcome America Saturday

Eighties R&B group New Edition will be honored by Mayor Nutter at Wawa Welcome America’s kickoff event, the Liberty Block Party.

Philly’s weeklong Wawa Welcome America festival is just around the corner, and this year, for the first time in its history, it’s going to be kicked off with a summer block party. The streets around the Shops at Liberty Place will be closed down for the Liberty Block Party on Saturday, June 28th. The fete will last from noon to 10 p.m.

There will be two stages set up for the event, featuring DJs from Wired 96.5 and Radio One, and performances by local musicians and arts groups, like Andrea Nardello, Ben Kessler, Casey Alvarez, and the Philadelphia Dance Academy. Children of the ’80s will be excited to learn that Mayor Nutter will be present to pay tribute to R&B group New Edition, who will perform at the Mann Center later that night. Why New Edition, you ask? Besides the fact that they’ll already be in town, a quick response from the City says that they will be recognized for “their exceptional contributions to the entertainment industry and their influence on music here in Philadelphia over the years.”

There will be a host of food vendors set up on the streets and inside the Shops at Liberty Place, including Curbside Creamery Ice Cream, Mama’s Meatballs, and Phon’s Fresh Phood.

For more info on the event, and to find a Wawa Welcome America festival schedule, go here.