Wawa Welcome America Fest To Be Held Digitally Amid Coronavirus

PHILADELPHIA — Wawa's Welcome America festival is a major annual event in Philadelphia. But with the coronavirus pandemic, organizers had to make some changes to the arts, culture, education, history and performance event.

The 2020 Wawa Welcome America festival will be delivered virtually in wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

This year, Wawa Welcome America will offer at-home experiences in the spirit of celebration that Philadelphians have come to know and love over the past 28 years. All aspects of the festival will take place digitally.

While organizers are still planning the entire event, they did confirm a concert will take place.

The concert will be held at an indoor location on July 4 in conjunction with Live Nation. Members of the public will not be able to attend the concert in person.

The concert will be broadcast in English and Spanish on NBC10 and TeleXitos, Telemundo62’s multicast network, for viewers to watch from their homes.

There is no word on the potential of a fireworks display for the festival.

"Our team remains committed, now more than ever, to creating an experience that gives our City something to celebrate," said Michael DelBene, President and CEO, Welcome America, Inc. "It is a challenging time, and while we may not be able to gather in our City's great public spaces this year, we are eager to celebrate in a new way through interactive, virtual experiences. We are grateful to the City and to our incredible sponsors and partners for their support, which will allow us to continue this storied tradition in a new, exciting way."

Organizers said some fan favorite programs and events will return, while others will not. However, organizers are working on new features of the event that have not been revealed.

More details will be released in June.

"The City of Philadelphia is proud to support the Welcome America team in their commitment to delivering a virtual festival this year,” said Mayor Jim Kenney. "With the health and safety of our community top of mind, we are confident that this virtual event will continue to create new opportunities to bring our community together in celebration of America’s Birthday. Philadelphia is a strong City of strong traditions, and I am excited to see this important tradition continue."