As we close out the calendar year, we are reflecting on the top 25 moments of 2025! Today, we’re highlighting (in no particular order) our favorite milestones and moments from public programs and events held in Philadelphia parks.
Programs are a core part of our mission; people are at the heart of everything we do. This year, Fairmount Park Conservancy’s programs supported deeper connections with our parks, promoted healthy activity for residents of all ages, and championed the power of engaged park advocates and volunteers.
A record-setting Love Your Park year
Every spring and fall, the Conservancy partners with Philadelphia Parks & Recreation and Park Friends Groups to organize a city-wide park cleanup called Love Your Park. This year, a record 4,040 volunteers planted 344 trees and 10,260 flower bulbs, removed 1,307 bags of trash, and collected 3,981 bags of leaves and organic debris for composting.
A long-running program since 2012, Love Your Park is about more than cleaning up parks. It’s about celebrating community, caring for our environment, and making connections with our neighbors.
Go birds! Fleets and flocks arrive in FDR Park
The Conservancy celebrated the birds of FDR Park — both the real ones and the ones you can paddle! This summer, we launched eight new heron paddle boats in Edgewood Lake, inspired by the beautiful wading birds that thrive in the park’s restored wetlands. On community boating days, park visitors can borrow the boats at no cost! With input from the community, we selected new names for the boats: Franklin, Marshmallow, Harry, Founding Feathers, Blueberry, Ronnie, Wingdings, and Paddleton.
Whether watching great blue herons in the wetlands or paddling their boat counterparts on the lake, visitors can enjoy the park’s unique connection to wildlife.
Park programs with something for everyone
Throughout 2025, the Conservancy offered free and low-cost programs designed to bring people together and encourage Philadelphians to enjoy their parks in new ways.
New this year, many Conservancy programs followed a regular monthly schedule, making these opportunities easier for participants to plan for and remember. From Second Saturday hikes to Wellness Wednesday meditations, the Conservancy and partners had something for everyone! In total, over 8,700 people attended the 81 program events that the Conservancy organized. Sixty percent of programs were completely free, and 70% of our program partners are minority and women-owned businesses.
Celebrating culture and connection at la Gran Fiesta do los Muertos
In celebration of Day of the Dead, the Conservancy hosted the fourth annual Gran Fiesta de los Muertos at FDR Park in early November. This long-running annual tradition for the community featured artist César Viveros’s powerful altar installation along with traditional dance, music, face painting, and local vendors. The event invited visitors of all ages to experience the rich cultural heritage of this beloved Mexican holiday in the heart of South Philadelphia.
Supporting a new community hub at The Yard on Coltrane Street
2025 was the first full year of programming at The Yard, a community space operated by Strawberry Mansion CDC just across the street from East Fairmount Park. Fairmount Park Conservancy was proud to partner with the CDC to bolster The Yard’s launch by hosting outdoor movie screenings and expanding its regular park-based yoga programs to offer a series of chair yoga classes at the Yard!
We Walk PHL maintains momentum!
After expanding by 50% in 2024, the popular citywide We Walk PHL program kept up the pace throughout 2025, offering 28 locations for free weekly group walks in the spring and fall. To complement the walk seasons, partners hosted pop-up walks and wellness events in the winter and summer too! In November, We Walk PHL wrapped up the year with an end-of-season “We Walk, We Dance, We Bike, We Boat” celebration with several recreational activities in FDR Park.
Since launching in 2017, We Walk PHL has logged over 3,000 walks. Check out the 7,000-member We Walk PHL Facebook group for the latest events, plus fun and encouraging community.
¡Bailando en la plaza nueva!
In 2025, we celebrated the fifth year of ¡Bailar en FDR!, a free public event combining salsa lessons with an evening of social dancing in FDR Park. Open to novice and experienced dancers alike, this free event is held several times throughout the year and is one of the Conservancy’s most popular public programs thanks to our incredible partners DJ Valentin and Dance Philly.
In August we held a special edition of ¡Bailar en FDR!, moving the party from its traditional spot in the park boathouse to the brand-new Gateway Plaza, providing easier access from nearby public transit and offering new ambiance under the plaza’s tree canopy. With over 600 registrations, this event set a new record for participation! The celebration also highlighted the many functions of the Gateway Plaza, which serves as a welcoming pedestrian entryway to the park and is a great space to gather, relax, and connect with others.
Walking to honor William Still’s 204th birthday
The Conservancy and UGR3DAY Underground Railroad Experiences hosted a 3.5-mile hike in West Fairmount Park honoring William Still’s 204th birthday and the freedom seekers who once traveled these grounds. Since 2021, this annual tradition has invited attendees to walk through history together with immersive storytelling at historic sites and reflective community conversation. New to this year, the Conservancy also hosted a virtual screening of North to Freedom featuring UGR3DAY founder Dionne Patterson, giving participants additional context in the days leading up to the hike.
Park Friends bring neighborhood parks to life
For more than 32 years, volunteer-led community groups have organized activities, clean-ups, and plantings to keep our city’s neighborhood parks vibrant, safe, and welcoming. Today, more than 140 Park Friends groups make up Philadelphia’s Park Friends Network, which the Conservancy and Parks & Recreation support year-round through an annual mini-grants program that funds specific Park Friends activities and projects.
This year, many Park Friends used their mini-grants to purchase essential maintenance supplies – from shears and loppers to trash grabbers, hand saws, and even a new tool shed! The grants also supported a wide range of community events, including yoga, jazz performances, DJ sets, kids’ concerts, educational and wellness programming, and 30 outdoor movie nights.
What’s next and how to get involved
As you’re reading this, our Programs staff are busy getting ready for another full year of events, volunteer opportunities, and free and fun activities in Philadelphia parks. You can expect all of our annual favorites, plus some new additions to the calendar!
Programs like Love Your Park and We Walk PHL are supported by Fairmount Park Conservancy through the Fair Play Campaign. Learn more and get involved at fairplayphilly.org!
