Rittenhouse Row Spring Festival returns to Philadelphia after 4-year hiatus

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- After a four-year hiatus, a treasured Philadelphia event is finally returning to Center City on Saturday.

The Rittenhouse Row Spring Festival is back and ready to celebrate the city and its small businesses.

Organizers say to come hungry, ready to shop, and ready to be pampered.

Rittenhouse Row is in the midst of a renaissance, and the retailers are ready to show it off with quite the party.

"The city is amazing," says Paige Jaffe, an executive board member for Rittenhouse Row. "Our residential population continues to grow. Our retail life is stronger than ever. People are out and about, it's wonderful."

This Saturday, the streets around Rittenhouse Square will be filled with local vendors, from restaurants to shops to fitness, wellness, and cultural institutions.

"We'll take over Walnut Street specifically through 15th to about 19th," Jaffe says. "You can dine, have some drinks, and there will be children's activities."

El Merkury will also be there with its new churro bike.

"We're going to be making churros to order and then filling them," says El Merkury's owner, Sofia Deleon. "We will also have some drinks. I'm excited."

Deleon is also a member of the Sisterly Love Collective, an alliance of local women business owners and makers.

"I think having a space at the festival with all of our different members is going to be great," Deleon says. "We are all going to be selling our goodies."

The brand new location of Rescue Spa just opened in December, right on Rittenhouse Square.

"We're going to have a booth set up and skincare consultations and gift cards, goodie bags, and beauty advice," says spa owner Danuta Mieloch.

"People can come up and enjoy champagne," Mieloch added.

Mieloch wanted to create a respite from the city's hustle and bustle, right in the center of it.

"I really appreciate the beauty of Philadelphia," Mieloch says. "We have to just come out and celebrate.

The Rittenhouse Row Spring Festival is Saturday from 12 p.m. to 5 p.m.