Made In America Festival: What You Need To Know

PHILADELPHIA – This weekend, the Ben Franklin Parkway will host the 2017 Budweiser Made in America Music Festival. The weekend-long festival is curated by hip hop mogul Jay-Z and will affect various aspects of living in the city.

Artists will perform on five stages along the parkway on Saturday, Sept. 2 and Sunday, Sept. 3. Performances are scheduled to begin at 1 p.m. and doors will open each day at noon. Performances will run until approximately midnight on Saturday and 11:30 p.m. on Sunday.

Attendees can expect to see performances from artists such as Jay-Z (of course), The Chainsmokers, J Cole, Solange, Migos, Run The Jewels, and many more. Even some Philly-based acts, Marian Hill and PnB Rock among them, will be gracing the stage during the festival.

Give a listen to the festival's playlist online here

Tickets are available online here.

The festival will be held rain or shine. In the event of severe weather, the city suggests festival goers listen for announcements, and sign up to receive free ReadyPhiladelphia Made in America event specific emergency text alerts by texting “America” to 888-777. Visit www.phila.gov/ready and click on “Sign up for alerts” to receive additional alerts after Made in America such as SEPTA delays and service interruptions.

Most of the cultural institutions on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway will maintain normal hours of operation and, in some cases, even extend schedules during the Festival and throughout Labor Day weekend, the city said.

Road Closures:

The full extent of road closures around the festival site will begin at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 2 and remain through the duration of the event. A complete list of road closures and no parking restrictions is outlined below:

• The entire width of the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, beginning at 20th Street extending through Eakins Oval (25th Street) and behind the Philadelphia Museum of Art. The rear of the Philadelphia Museum of Art will be accessible to Museum guests via Fairmount Avenue, to Pennsylvania Avenue, to 25th Street.

• 21st Street, between Winter & Spring Garden Streets
• 22nd Street, between Race Street & Fairmount Avenue
• 23rd Street, between the Benjamin Franklin Parkway & Fairmount Avenue
• 24th Street, between Fairmount & Pennsylvania Avenues
• Spring Garden Street, between 20th Street & Benjamin Franklin Parkway, including the Spring Garden Street Tunnel.
• Spring Garden Street Bridge (The City will make every effort to keep this bridge open during Philadelphia Art Museum operating hours on Sept. 2 and Sept. 3 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., but it may be forced to close during periods of heavy pedestrian traffic)
• Kelly Drive, between 23rd Street & Fairmount Avenue
• Martin Luther King Drive, between the Falls Bridge & Benjamin Franklin Parkway
• Pennsylvania Avenue, between Hamilton & 25th Street
• 2000 block of Pennsylvania Avenue, between the Whole Foods Market and 21st Street (the eastern half of the block, from the Whole Foods Market to 20th Street, will remain open to allow access to the store)
• Park Towne Place, between 22nd & 24th Streets
• I-676 westbound off-ramp at 22nd Street (I-676 eastbound off-ramp at 23rd Street will be open)

A map of temporary closures and areas affected by the 2017 Budweiser Made in America Festival is available on the City’s website here. The map is pictured below:

All roadways will re-open prior to morning rush hour on Tuesday, Sept. 5 with traffic patterns returning to normal, the city said. Some low-impact parking and travel lane restrictions will remain in place until 11:59 p.m. on Tuesday, Sept. 5, according to the city.

Delays can be expected during the course of the event construction set-up and during festival days. Motorists are advised to avoid the area by using alternate routes, and allow for extra driving time in the areas near these festivities before and during Labor Day weekend. Please refrain from double-parking, which creates congestion, limits traffic flow and is illegal.

Below are phases of ongoing traffic restrictions that began Aug. 27 and last through Sept. 5.

• Phase 4 – 10 a.m. on August 30 – 5 a.m. on Sept. 5:
  • The inner lanes of Benjamin Franklin Parkway, between 20th Street and Eakins Oval,Cross traffic on numbered streets will be permitted
• Phase 5 – 7 p.m. on August 31 – 5 a.m. on Sept. 5:
  • 22nd Street reduced to one running lane between Pennsylvania Avenue and Benjamin Franklin Parkway
• Phase 6 – 10 a.m. September 1 – 5 a.m. Sept. 5:
  • Outer lanes of Benjamin Franklin Parkway, between 20th Street and Eakins Oval
  • 23rd Street, between Pennsylvania Avenue and Benjamin Franklin Parkway
  • 22nd Street, between Pennsylvania Avenue and Park Towne Place
  • 21st Street, between Pennsylvania Avenue and Winter Street
  • Kelly Drive outbound, from Benjamin Franklin Parkway to Fairmount Avenue
  • Outer lane of MLK Drive adjacent to Paine’s Park
  • Starting at 10 a.m. on Friday, Sept. 1, due to the closure of the outer lanes on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, traffic headed inbound (to Center City), from Spring Garden Street Bridge or Martin Luther King Drive, must exit Eakins Oval on the 24th Street ramp. Traffic headed inbound on Kelly Drive must exit Kelly Drive at Fairmount Avenue.
• Phase 7 – 10 a.m. Sept. 2 – 5 a.m. Sept. 5:
  • The full extent of road closures around the festival site will begin at 10 a.m. on Saturday, Sept. 2 and remain through the duration of the event. A complete list of road closures and no parking restrictions is outlined below:

Parking restrictions:

Parking will not be permitted in the following areas during the festival:

• Pennsylvania Avenue, between 22nd Street & Fairmount Avenue (south side of street)
• Winter Street, between 20th & 22nd Streets (both sides of street)
• 20th Street, between Vine & Callowhill Streets (east side of street)
• 21st Street, between Benjamin Franklin Parkway & Race Street (both sides of street)
• 22nd Street, between Winter & Spring Garden Streets (both sides of street)
• Park Towne Place, between 22nd & 24th Streets (both sides of street)

Venue Details and Public Safety Information

The Budweiser Made in America venue features multiple entrances/exits for ticket-holders during the two-day festival. Entrances are located at 21st Street and Benjamin Franklin Parkway. Re-entry to the venue will not be permitted on either day.

The perimeter of the festival will be firmly secured and protected for maximum public safety. The enclosed event boundaries are:

• 21st Street from Pennsylvania Avenue to Park Town Place
• Pennsylvania Avenue from 20th Street to 25th Street
• The south side of Eakins Oval from Martin Luther King Drive to 24th Street
• Park Towne Place from 24th Street to 20th Street

An ADA/Accessible Entrance will be located at the Main Gates on Benjamin Franklin Parkway at North 20th Street. Festival attendees requiring accessible accommodations for guest screening and arriving via vehicle can be dropped off at 24th and Park Towne Place.

What you can and can't bring

Ticket holders will be subject to searches before gaining entry to the festival.

Attendees are strongly discouraged from carrying bags, backpacks, or satchels of any kind, as all bags are subject to search.

Bags or items should not be left unattended. In an emergency or to report a suspicious person, activity or item (a backpack, a package, a container), notify a police officer immediately or call 9-1-1. Do not try to open, move, cover or touch a suspicious item.

Here some of the items you can bring inside the festival:

• Factory-sealed plastic water bottles 1 per person up to 1 liter
• Empty plastic water containers 1 per person up to 64 ounces for re-use at water refill stations (drinking water will be available for purchase and there will be water stations for re-filling bottles)
• Empty hydration packs of any kind (backpacks, waist bands or other hydration items and inserts)
• One small non-framed backpack or bag subject to search and re-search (all searched bags will be tagged following search)
• Blankets and towels
• Umbrellas (small hand-held only)Non-professional cameras, flip-cams, camera phones
• Sunscreen, sunglasses, government issued I.D., cash/debit cards/credit cards are encouraged

And here are some of the items you can't bring:

• Weapons and contraband of any kind (regardless of permitting, e.g. Right-to-Carry permits will not be honored and weapons will be confiscated)
• Masks of any kind
• Drones (Made in America is a “No Drone Zone," meaning all drone use is prohibited, and the use of drones over groups of people or over stadiums is a violation of FAA Special Rule for Model Aircraft.)
• Fireworks or explosives
• Illegal or illicit substances of any kind
• Food and non-water beverages including alcohol taken in from the outside
• Pets (except trained service animals)
• Flyers, handbills, posters, stickers (no solicitation allowed)
• Chairs
• Glass containers
• Skateboards, motorized vehicles or scooters
• Coolers
• Professional recording devices or cameras (no detachable lenses or tripods meant for commercial use) Fluorescent plastic lights (glow sticks)
• Laser pointers
• Items that would obstruct others’ view of the stages (kites, flag poles, large signs, etc.)

Smoking is not permitted on any Parks & Recreation property including, but limited to, buildings, playgrounds, ice or skating rinks, fields or courts, pools, picnic areas, walking areas and parking lots.

Emergency services/lost and found

Take missing or lost persons to Info Booth #3 located next to the Main Merchandise Booth.

Found items can be taken to various information tents placed throughout the venue, with the primary lost and found located at Info Booth #3 located next to the Main Merchandise Booth

Alpha-numeric “Location Markers” will be posted to clearly and easily identify a location or section (by letter and number, example: CD-1) to facilitate communication in the event of an emergency.

EMS tents will be located near the main entrance between 21st and 22nd, at the north and south sides of 23rd Street and Benjamin Franklin Parkway, and near the Rocky Statue to the right of the main stage.

Restrooms

Portable facilities, including ADA-compliant units, will be available for use throughout festival grounds. Festival attendees requiring accessible accommodations for guest screening are encouraged to enter the festival at the VIP check in at 24th and Park Towne Place.

Image via Shutterstock