Philadelphia celebrates 4th of July weekend with concerts, fireworks, block parties

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- Many residents spent Saturday out and about in Philadelphia to celebrate the Fourth of July holiday weekend.

Philadelphia police also made an appearance during the festivities, but only to ensure the crowds were safe with extra patrols and reinforcements.

To kick off the day on Saturday, The Kimmel Cultural Campus in association with Wawa Welcome America and The Avenue of the Arts hosted a free festival on Broad Street.

The block party took place between Locust and Spruce streets. People lined up to watch life performers, engage in family-friendly activities, and more.

A lineup of Broadway cast appearances also showed up at the event.

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"This is a blast. I can't believe it's been so much fun and I had no idea, I mean we've done other things around here but this is like a blast. It's wonderful," said Rainey Blackwell from Collingswood, New Jersey.

"The atmosphere is fun, it's so many people of different cultures. Everybody's getting along, everybody's having fun, and you have a lot of free stuff," said Dianna Durbin from Center City.

In the evening, the celebrations ramped up with a firework show in Penn's Landing and live music to boot.

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The U.S. Army Band, Pershing's Own, held a free concert at the Great Plaza.

"I am a veteran, so you know I am very patriotic," commented Mike Tanner from West Philadelphia.

Tanner came to enjoy the festivities with his granddaughter, who was visiting for the holiday weekend.

The Rosborough family came from Saratoga Springs, New York, to see the band perform.

"The band is renowned and we love music and we love to hear them," said Rob Rosborough.

"We actually have family members who have served in the military and so it means a lot to us to see the military play," added Jinny Rosborough.

The fun doesn't end on Saturday, however. Festivities are set to continue through the weekend, leading up to a grand finale on July 4 with a fireworks display over the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

Plus, a free concert featuring Demi Lovato and Ludacris will be held on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway.