Summer Kickoff at Spruce Street Harbor Park

From May 22 to September 27, Spruce Street Harbor Park will once again be open to the public, offering free entertainment, great food, and fun summer vibes for Philadelphians of all ages.

Tons of hammocks hang from trees lined with colorful lights, and kayaks, canoes, and swan boats are available to rent by the hour before the sun sets.

Worried you’ll work up a hunger with all that hammock-laying, people watching, and sun-soaking? Well you’re in luck, because the food at Spruce Street Harbor will blow your lunch or dinner expectations right out of the water.

You can pick up a hot bag of hot-fresh mini donuts from Federal Donuts– re-christened as “Port Fednuts“, in true maritime spirit– or bite into their first ever fried chicken sandwich.

Yes, you read that right! Fried. Chicken. Sandwich. Each piece of juicy chicken is fried in a fragrant buttermilk-ranch coating before getting stuffed inside a pillowy potato roll. Salty dill pickle chips, creamy American cheese, and spicy Rooster Sauce? Don’t mind if we do.

Chef Jose Garces offers his take on Chinese-Peruvian food at Chifa. Pork belly bao buns coated in a sweet hoisin glaze, and crispy ginger-garlic chicken wings make for a perfect waterside snack. The thin cold sesame noodles are just the thing to take the heat off of a swelteringly hot evening.

But if there’s one this you order from Chifa, go for the char siu BBQ spareribs. They’re generously portioned, meltingly tender, and topped with crisp slices of pickled daikon and carrot. You don’t want to miss these bad boys.

Franklin Fountain offers a variety of desserts, and you can pick up traditional carnival food like Italian sausages and fries from Froman’s.

And of course, no evening on the water would be complete without a cold drink to help wash it all down. Thankfully a variety of wines and craft beers are available for sale. You can’t take them out of the park, but who would want to leave the fresh river air and comfy adirondack chairs anyway?

The park is open daily from 11:00am to 11:00pm, with extended hours until 1:00am on weekends. Food vendors’ hours vary– so check out the details before you go by visiting Spruce Street Harbor Park’s website.