The eagerly anticipated Made In America festival finally comes to the Benjamin Franklin Parkway this weekend with big-name musical acts, local food and much more. (Photos by M. Edlow for GPTMC)
For its second year in a row, Philadelphia is about to be made.
The Made In America music festival is merely days away and will soon be rocking the Benjamin Franklin Parkway.
With a blockbuster music lineup curated by none other than Jay Z, this Saturday and Sunday, August 31 and September 1, welcomes more than 30 talented acts representing a wide range of genres — from underground sensations to pop music superstars — on three stages.
Nearly 60,000 festival-goers will descend on the Parkway each day to take in the tunes, grab Philly-centric fare in the food truck area, shop merchandise tents and sip brews from a bevy of beer gardens.
Below, we’ve pulled together our guide with resources to help you make the most of your festival this Labor Day weekend.
The Music
With music mogul Jay Z at the helm, the Made in America artist lineup expresses the master collaborator’s sweeping range of harmonious connections. The man known for working with musicians from Bono to Linkin Park to Lenny Kravitz has curated a truly stellar program for each day of the fest.
Each day, the doors open at noon. On Saturday, the music starts at 2 p.m. and goes all day and night until midnight. On Sunday, the music plays from 2 p.m. until 11 p.m.
The collection of performers is phenomenal — from none other than Beyoncé headlining on Saturday, August 31 to the triumphant return of Trent Reznor and the Nine Inch Nails headlining on Sunday, September 1.
Other big names to listen for include Phoenix, Calvin Harris, Queens of the Stone Age, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, Wiz Khalifa and many, many more. Check out the full lineup here.
Win Tickets To Made In America
If you don’t have your tickets yet, now is your chance to score.
We’ve teamed up with United Way of Greater Philadelphia and Southern New Jersey, Made in America’s charitable parter, to give away three pairs of tickets to the whole festival to three lucky Uwishunu readers today.
Thanks to United Way, the non-profit known for improving education, income and health throughout the region, we have four tickets to give to each winner so they can take in the festivities on both Saturday and Sunday.
So, three lucky souls can grab a friend and hit up both days of the fest.
Awesome, right? Just scroll down to the bottom of this page and fill out the form to enter. The contest runs from now until just 5 p.m. today, so enter right now. Click here for the official rules.
The winners’ tickets will be available for pickup in Center City or sent via express mail.
With more than 30 acts taking three stages over two days, the 2013 Made in America festival will certainly live up to 2012, which saw a performance by Jill Scott. (Photo by M. Edlow for GPTMC)
The Layout
The majestic Benjamin Franklin Parkway has been transformed into Made In America’s festival grounds, which reach from 22nd Street to Eakins Oval and the iconic steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art.
Three entrances make for swift access for ticket-holders. The main entrance, though, for those seeking the box office is located on 22nd Street and the Parkway. Other entrances can be found on 23rd Street and Pennsylvania Avenue and MLK Drive and 24th Street.
The festival footprint includes three main stages – appropriately named the Rocky Stage (the main stage, located at the Art Museum steps), Freedom Stage at 24th Street and Liberty Stage near Pennsylvania Avenue – and the Skate Park Stage, a nod to Philly’s skateboarding culture.
Made In America is way more than music, though. Attendees will have access to a slew of cultural vendors in the Arts and Culture Village and Guitar Village, plus feel-good information in Cause Village to support the affiliated non-profit, United Way.
Additionally, the site includes three merchandise areas, plus a pop-up Rocawear shop, several lounge areas, water stations, ATMs, charging stations, a designated food truck area (more on that below) and much more.
Wondering what you can and cannot bring along? The festival does allow items like water bottles (sealed or empty), blankets and non-professional cameras. Check here for the complete list of items not allowed inside the fest, like pets nor outside food and drink.
Note, too, that the event is rain or shine and there is no re-entry to the event on either day.
Check out the map below to see the full festival layout.
The Food and Drink
With four areas for food vending and a whopping 10 beer stands and gardens, Made in America pays homage to this country’s love of eating and drinking.
A food truck area will be located just south of Eakins Oval and is slated to include local favorites Delicias Food Truck, Hub Bub, Gozen, Lil Trents Treats, Vernalicious, Tiffan and Tashan, Garces Group, Cantina Feliz, Chickie’s and Pete’s. Plus, look out for Ben & Jerry’s, Wild Bill’s Soda, PJ Whelihan’s, Magglio’s Sausage.
The Budweiser-sponsored event naturally keeps the Bud beer flowing. In addition to standard beverage stands, the festival includes the Bud Biergarten at MLK Drive and 24th Street, as well as Bud Park in the softball fields at 22nd and the Parkway.
In the Neighborhood
With the music starting at 2 p.m. and ending well before last call, there’s plenty of time to take in the neighborhoods surrounding festival and the attractions of the Parkway.
• Before the Show: Fuel the daylong festival-going venture with a big, satisfying brunch. To help you navigate, check out our picks for brunch in Philadelphia here. From alfresco options to boozy brunches, we’ve got you covered.
• Parkway Museums: Though the Parkway will be home to Made In America for two days, the museums and attractions along the Benjamin Franklin Parkway are hardly closing up shop — with the one exception of the Rodin Museum, which will reopen Monday, September 2. While on the Parkway, visit the Philadelphia Museum of Art, The Barnes Foundation (which offers free admission on Sunday!), The Franklin Institute and the Academy of Natural Sciences. For the full list of museum opening, closing and extended hours click here.
• After the Show: For those still ready to rock once the fest ends for the evening, there are a vast number of options. Head a few blocks north of the Parkway to the Fairmount neighborhood; check out our guide to the bars and restaurants of the area here. Or, walk to the south and hit any number of bars, restaurants and clubs of Center City and nearby Rittenhouse Square. This weekend’s forecast looks amazing, so refer to our alfresco dining and beer garden guides for outdoor options.
Tickets
Tickets are close to being sold out, but are still available to the two-day fest, with single-day general admission starting at $106.70 and a two-day pass running $168.70.
Tickets can be purchased online via Ticketmaster, and a limited number of tickets are available in each tier.
Remember, Made in America is a ticketed event and will not be open to the public for free.
Getting There
If you are traveling to Philadelphia for Made In America, your best bet is to use public transportation to get to the Benjamin Franklin Parkway. NJ Transit will be operating under the normal weekend schedule and SEPTA will be adding service to the Broad Street and Market-Frankford subway lines during the two-day festival. Late-night service will also be extended on select Regional Rail lines.
Plus, the PHLASH trolley will also offer extended service until 7:30 p.m. on both Saturday and Sunday.
From food trucks to merch tents, the Made in America festival will include services for all. (Photo by M. Edlow for GPTMC)
2013 Made In America Festival
When: Saturday, August 31, 2 p.m.-midnight; Sunday, September 1, 2-11 p.m.
Where: Benjamin Franklin Parkway
Cost: Ticket prices vary
More info: www.madeinamericafest.com
**The contest period has ended. The winners will be notified soon.**