Delaware River WATERFRONT

In 2026, the Delaware River Waterfront will come alive with art, music, and stories that celebrate Philly’s past, present, and future.

Roots of Resilience: The 2026 DRWC Flag Exhibition
 Summer 2026 | Spruce Street Harbor Park

Celebrate the stories of Philadelphia’s immigrant communities through this vibrant outdoor flag exhibition. Artists from around the world explore themes of hope, heritage, and resilience through original flag designs inspired by Philly’s historic role as a hub of immigration. Presented by DRWC, this installation uplifts voices and cultures that continue to shape the city’s identity.

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Let Freedom Ring
Summer 2026 | Cherry Street Pier

Created by artist Paul Ramírez Jonas in partnership with the Association for Public Art, Let Freedom Ring is a monumental, interactive bell tower that invites visitors to play the final note of “My Country ’Tis of Thee,” the same song sung by Marian Anderson in 1939 and echoed by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in 1963.

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Sail Through This To That
Summer 2026 | Spruce Street Harbor Park

This moving installation by artist and organizer Indira Allegra honors the lives of Ona Judge and Rem’mie Fells through a powerful display of hand-sewn sails aboard a docked schooner at Spruce Street Harbor Park. Blending art, history, and community, the project explores identity, resilience, and remembrance through textiles and storytelling.

Presented with Art Philly, the installation will also feature free public programs aboard the boat throughout the summer.

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Colmado del Futuro by Eunice Levis
June–August 2026 | Cherry Street Pier

Step inside a reimagined Caribbean bodega of the future in this immersive, mixed-reality installation by writer-director Eunice Levis. Blending Afro-Caribbean culture with cutting-edge tech, Colmado del Futuro explores how automation and AI reshape community and identity. With sound, scent, and interactive storytelling, the space blurs the line between real and virtual, offering a thought-provoking, multisensory experience for all ages.

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Wings and Water: The Space Between by GrioXArts
July 2026 | Cherry Street Pier

This powerful community art project features a reimagined American flag made of hand-embroidered bandanas stitched by local participants. Hanging from the Pier’s trusses, these textile tapestries explore freedom, identity, and belonging. Additional flags by Cherry Street Pier studio artists and a behind-the-scenes gallery round out the installation. Curated by Duwenavue Santé  Johnson and Kara Mshinda, Wings and Water invites visitors to reflect on stories often left out of history.

Fall 2026 | Citywide with programming hub at Icebox Project Space

Celebrate Philadelphia’s creative spirit during Collective Futures, a citywide arts festival uplifting independent artist-run spaces, DIY venues, and community-powered projects. Featuring 25+ grassroots organizations, the six-week celebration includes exhibitions, performances, workshops, and public programs designed to engage both local neighborhoods and national visitors.

Centered around collaboration, experimentation, and storytelling, Collective Futures highlights the power of art to bring people together, spark conversation, and celebrate voices often left out of the spotlight. From oral histories to hands-on printmaking and site-specific installations, the festival explores how collectives shape culture and civic life.

Timed with America’s 250th birthday, this powerful, people-first festival proves that Philly’s art scene isn’t just vibrant, it’s vital.