For my 2015 Independence Day, I took to the streets of Philadelphia for the conclusion of the 8-day Wawa Welcome America festival. While I’m not one for standing around in large crowds for hours at a time, I was drawn out of my North Philadelphia neighborhood by the words “free” and “concert.” The Philly 4th of July Jam was scheduled from 7–10:30 p.m., after which there was a fireworks show over the Philadelphia Museum of Art. We pre-purchased parking a few miles away using ParkWhiz and then headed down to Center City at about 6 p.m. It didn’t take long for us to reach the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, where the event was held, which had been roped off and was packed with crowds. We found a spot to claim for the evening and settled in; then it started to rain. We had dedicated ourselves to the night, though, and didn’t allow the rain to deter us, and it soon stopped. While the concert set-up was a bit awkward and the stage could have been in numerous locations that would have allowed for better viewing points for more people, the crowd was happy to be there, and the musical acts seemed to be as well. The lineup was surprisingly good for a free concert (although I’ve learned that other years have been even better). My personal favorites were Miguel and Zella Day, but there were a mix of acts that could appeal to a variety of tastes — MKTO, Cee Lo Green, Jennifer Nettles and The Roots. The concert ran over by about an hour, which I believe made a lot of the crowd, including myself, restless. There’s only so long thousands of people can stand around listening to The Roots and Cee Lo Green give multiple encores. The fireworks show finale was worth the wait, however, and leaving the area wasn’t nearly as slow a process as I had earlier predicted. The annual event is one I can definitely see myself attending next year! — Holly Godbey, marketing & sales assistant