IT’S ELECTRIC! FRANKLIN SQUARE TO DEBUT HOLIDAY LIGHT SHOW FOR WINTER EVENINGS IN THE SQUARE
PHILADELPHIA,
October 10, 2013 – Historic Philadelphia, Inc. announces a brand new
holiday nighttime light show to debut in Franklin Square for the 2013
holiday season. Franklin Square’s Electrical Spectacle: A Holiday Light Show
is a new tradition for the holidays sparked by Benjamin Franklin’s
imagination and will be the key to fun in Franklin Square this season.
Funded by a grant from the William Penn Foundation, the Show will bring
visitors to Franklin Square throughout November and December to
experience one of Philadelphia’s most popular public spaces. Providing
an original twist on typical holiday light shows, Franklin Square’s
Electrical Spectacle is designed specifically for the Franklin Square
space, incorporating an electric 10-foot tall kite and key, highlighting
Benjamin Franklin’s famous electricity discovery in his namesake
Square, and thousands of lights programmed to winter-themed music. Media and the public are invited to the Opening Night of Franklin Square’s Electrical Spectacle: A Holiday Light Show at 5 pm on Thursday, November 14, 2013. Benjamin Franklin will ignite the light show in grand style for this illuminating new tradition.
Celebrations Throughout the Square and Season
Winter time fun will envelop all of Franklin Square to celebrate the holiday season from November 14 – December 31, culminating in the traditional family-friendly New Year’s Eve celebration. Other additions to the season
will be holiday music playing on the Parx Liberty Carousel, warming
stations in Philly Mini Golf and seasonal fare. The centerpiece
attraction will be Franklin Square’s Electrical Spectacle: A Holiday
Light Show, the free light show that will illuminate the Square
nightly. The Square’s nighttime magic will begin at 4 pm, with the first showing of Franklin Square’s Electrical Spectacle igniting at 4:30 pm. The light show will create holiday charm in the Square on every half hour every evening (weather permitting) from November 14 – December 31, 2013. Eight shows will run each night, with the first one at 4:30 pm and final show at 8 pm.
Two different seven-minute shows will alternate throughout the
evening. Special attractions, guests, and holiday traditions including
Hannukah, Christmas, and Kwanzaa will all add to the celebration.
Promotional partners who will provide entertainment and family
activities throughout the season include Christ Church, African American
Museum in Philadelphia, National Museum of American Jewish History, and
the Arden Theatre Company. Look out for special VIPs to countdown the
Show throughout the season.
Take a festive train ride around the Square with the Lightning Bolt Holiday Express
to enjoy the sights of the season. Tickets are $5 adults/$4 children.
The Lightning Bolt Holiday Express comes to Franklin Square on Saturdays
and Sundays, November 16 - December 29 from 4 - 8 pm. Santa Claus will be in Franklin Square with free appearances on Friday, November 29, and Santa Saturdays, November 30 – December 21 from 4 - 7 pm.
B101 is the radio partner for Franklin Square’s Electrical Spectacle.
B101 Buzzbee and the B Crew will make appearances with a varying
schedule of fun to the Square including music, balloon animals, and
games. Visit historicphiladelphia.org for a complete list of all special events and activities.
Amy Needle, President and CEO of Historic Philadelphia, Inc., said, “At Historic Philadelphia, Inc., we
know that young and old from around the region have come to love
Franklin Square in the summer, fall, and spring. Thanks to the support
of the William Penn Foundation, we are expanding our operation into the
winter season and hope that guests from the entire Greater Philadelphia
region will join us for this new holiday tradition.”
Fun Facts
Franklin
Square’s Electrical Spectacle: A Holiday Light Show will boast over
50,000 lights. The display will feature a sculptural kite flying high
above the fountain reenacting Benjamin Franklin’s famous electricity
experiment. LED lights will dance to music down a custom 250-foot
sculpted kite string and hundreds of feet of holiday garlands, which
will cover the Square. The historical Franklin Square Fountain will be
incorporated into the show with programmed LEDs under water, adding a
magical flair. The displays will utilize over 10 miles of copper wire,
and a sound system that will play over 4000 watts of holiday music. The
show operates on the typical power available in a U.S. home and takes
almost two weeks to program by hand. The programmer’s mouse traveled
the equivalent of over 3 miles to set all the cues and blinks for the
Spectacle.
With
the brand new light show and the heated Pavilion in Franklin Square,
holiday parties in the Square will be the city’s newest hot spot for
2013. The 36-foot by 36-foot Pavilion, opened in 2012 is
climate-controlled, or in nicer weather, all of the French doors can
open to take advantage of the Square’s setting. The Pavilion can be
rented for holiday and birthday parties, corporate events, and special
events, by reaching out to historicphiladelphia.org/
New Year’s Eve
The
Franklin Square Kids’ New Year’s Eve Countdown is a family-friendly
version of the famous New Year’s Eve celebration with a dropping
“square” in lieu of the famous ball. Families are invited to enjoy
music and crafts beginning at 3 pm on December 31 in Franklin Square. The event culminates with an exciting countdown to 6 pm
with the lowering of the New Year’s Eve Square from its perch high
above SquareBurger. Guests have a great view of the Penn’s Landing 6 pm
fireworks from the Square. (FREE) The Square Drop, which started in
2010, has become a delightful family tradition which includes family fun
and fireworks. The 2-foot by 2-foot cube sits 30 feet above the ground
atop its perch on SquareBurger and is lowered during the countdown. It
contains over 1,200 lights in the colors of the Franklin Square logo.
Kids can enjoy dancing and music in the Pavilion in Franklin Square
after the fireworks, and the park will remain open until 8 pm, with the final showing of Franklin Square’s Electrical Spectacle: A Holiday Light Show. (Note, there will not be a 6 pm showing of Electrical Spectacle as the Square Drop and fireworks will happen at 6 pm. All other showings will take place as scheduled.)
SHOW DEVELOPERS AND FUNDER
The
new attraction is being produced by Historic Philadelphia, Inc., the
non-profit organization that manages and operates Franklin Square. The
display was designed by Parker 3D of Scotch Plains, New Jersey. The team
was led by creative director John Carter whose holiday window designs
have been seen in Lord and Taylor, Macy’s, and Saks Fifth Avenue among
others. Mr. Carter was named by the New York Times Magazine as
one of 30 artists most likely to change culture for his environmental
interactive sculpture. The final concept was developed in collaboration
with Parker’s 3D industrial designer Gregg Nelson and the whole Parker
team.
The
William Penn Foundation was one of the first supporters when Historic
Philadelphia, Inc. planned to renovate the Square in 2006 and has
continued to supports its growth to build attendance and grow
operations. In 2012, the William Penn Foundation gave Historic
Philadelphia a grant to create the Pavilion in Franklin Square which
doubled its birthday party and special event business. Now in 2013, the
Foundation has provided a grant to create the new Franklin Square’s
Electrical Spectacle: A Holiday Light Show.
According to Shawn McCaney, Senior Program Officer at the William Penn Foundation,
“The Foundation is very interested in new models and approaches to
activate and increase the use of existing parks and public spaces in
Philadelphia. The appeal of the Electrical Spectacle is that it helps to
make Franklin Square a year-round, all-season public space for the
enjoyment of local residents and visitors.”
The
William Penn Foundation, founded in 1945 by Otto and Phoebe Haas, works
to close the achievement gap for low-income children, ensure a
sustainable environment, foster creativity that enhances civic life, and
advance philanthropy in the Philadelphia region. With assets of nearly
$2 billion, the Foundation distributes approximately $80 million in
grants annually. Learn more about the Foundation at www.williampennfoundation.org.
Historic Philadelphia, Inc. holiday packages and gift packages are available. Visit historicphiladelphia.org
or Franklin Square’s ticket office for more information. Sponsorships
for Franklin Square’s Electrical Spectacle are still available. Contact
Historic Philadelphia, Inc.’s development office at (215) 629-5801 ext. 207.
Fun
family entertainment and a beautiful park are just steps away from the
Liberty Bell, in one of William Penn’s original five squares, and the
only one dedicated to fun. Award-winning Franklin Square, managed and operated by Historic Philadelphia, Inc.,
is a family-friendly play place located in the heart of Historic
Philadelphia, featuring Philly Mini Golf, a renovated vintage marble
fountain, playgrounds, the Parx Liberty Carousel, and the acclaimed
SquareBurger, with offerings from STARR Restaurants. After a day of
experiencing the treasures of Philadelphia’s history, putt through some
of the city’s most famous icons, take a ride on hometown racehorse
heroes Afleet Alex or Smarty Jones aboard the carousel, enjoy a rest
next to the refreshing fountain, and dine on the finest burgers and
shakes in town. Awarded Best of Philly® two times by Philadelphia
Magazine and one of the Five Coolest Playgrounds in the United States by
Yahoo! Also named Best of Four Square 2012 for Philadelphia
Entertainment and Best of Style 2013 by Philadelphia Style for “Philly’s
Best Photo Op.” The Philadelphia Inquirer recently called Franklin Square, “One of the city’s great public spaces.”
Franklin
Square is located in Historic Philadelphia at 6th & Race Streets.
Franklin Square hours for November and December are: November 1 – November 13: 10 am - 5 pm, daily, November 14 – December 31: 10 am - 8 pm, daily (closed Thanksgiving and Christmas). All hours are weather permitting. Convenient parking
for Franklin Square is available at EZ PARK, 9th & Race Street,
just blocks from Franklin Square. Historic Philadelphia, Inc. guests
enjoy an exclusive price of just $7 for up to six hours by asking for a
voucher at Franklin Square’s ticket office.
We will be posting a review of Historic Philadelphia at a later date.
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