Schuylkill Banks Boardwalk Now Open
The Boardwalk is officially open! To celebrate this momentous occasion, SRDC partnered with the City on a series of festivities spread over three days, including a fun run (Oct. 1), formal ribbon cutting and dedication (Oct. 2) and community celebration (Oct. 5).
Festivities kicked off with a pre-opening fun run and walk which gave exclusive first access to the boardwalk to raise funds for maintenance on Schuylkill Banks on the evening of October 1. Runners and walkers met at the South Street Bridge stairs to the Boardwalk, where they were among the first people to traverse the full length of the Boardwalk before running up the trail and back down to Walnut Street for a celebration featuring Shake Shack custard, PBC Philadelphia Runner’s Ale and a raffle for Philadelphia Runner and Shake Shack gift cards and Schuylkill Banks Riverboat Tour Tickets.
The official ribbon cutting and dedication ceremony will kicked off at 11:30 a.m. on Thursday, October 2 near the Locust Street entrance to Schuylkill Banks. Mayor Michael Nutter, other dignitaries, community members and trail enthusiasts gathered on October 2 to officially open the newest segment of the Schuylkill River Trail, the Schuylkill Banks Boardwalk. Mayor Michael Nutter, Deputy Mayor Rina Cutler, SRDC Chairman Gerard Sweeney, FHWA Engineer George Fleagle, and Representative Chaka Fattah all spoke to the importance of this new trail segment before officially cutting the ribbon and opening the Boardwalk to the public.
On Sunday, October 5, the community donned hats and grabed parasols before enjoying an old-fashioned celebration on the Boardwalk, featuring popcorn and pretzels, cotton candy and taffy, face painting and caricature drawing, live music and games from 1:00 to 3:00 p.m. Patriot Harbor Lines offered affordable riverboat tours from the Walnut Street Dock, and the Philadelphia Fire Department was on-hand to give tours of its fire boat and put on spectacular water shows during the community celebration.
“The Schuylkill Banks Boardwalk is a visually stunning trail segment that we are confident will soon become a popular destination for regional recreation,” explained Joseph Syrnick, President and CEO of Schuylkill River Development Corporation (SRDC). “Its opening is also a major milestone in our efforts to extend the Schuylkill River Trail from Center City to Bartram’s Garden, and eventually all the way to Fort Mifflin on the Delaware.”
