Spruce Street Harbor Park Opens Earlier This Year

The multicolored lights that enchanted visitors to Spruce Street Harbor Park last summer return in even greater numbers this summer. Photo | Matt Stanley

Mark your calendars for May 6 this year. That’s when Spruce Street Harbor Park, the pop-up park that’s turned Penn’s Landing into the place to be in summer, opens for an extended season.

The three-week head start comes courtesy of Univest Corporation and its local subsidiary Valley Green Bank, who are serving as the park’s presenting sponsors for the first time.

“Thanks to great community partners like Univest and Valley Green Bank, DRWC was able to expand the season and bring back this much anticipated attraction weeks earlier,” Delaware River Waterfront Corporation President Tom Corcoran said in a news release. “Their continued support has allowed us to sustain and enhance the park with even more amenities this season.  SSHP, together with Blue Cross RiverRink Summerfest and a robust schedule of festivals and events, now activate the waterfront for residents and visitors mid-spring through early fall.”

The environment at SSHP this year will contain all the elements that drew more than 750,000 visitors to the site last summer, only bigger and bolder this time. The Oasis, with its floating barges, water gardens, colorful seating and net lounge, will return. There will be more of the enchanting lights at night, more seating, and a new waterfront hammock lounge equipped with large umbrellas, free-standing hammocks and fun games. This space can be reserved for private rentals in 2.5-hour blocks.

The shipping-container food court, of course, will also return with an expanded lineup. Foobooz has the skinny on what’s new and good this year.

The opening weekend festivities include the launch of the seasonal RiverLink ferry, the opening of the Paddle Penn’s Landing paddle-boat concession and the Art Star Craft Bazaar on May 7 and 8. Improved signage will help visitors arriving by bike, on foot or by public transit find their way to the park as well.