Family Field Day at FDR Park celebrates One Park for All

On Saturday August 3, hundreds of families visited FDR Park’s Boathouse Lawn for a Family Field Day. Inspired by the multi-sport excitement of the Summer Olympics, the Family Field Day featured sports activities for children of all ages as well as face painting, balloon sculptures, and music. Fairmount Park Conservancy hosted the event, along with partners Philadelphia Youth Sports Collaborative, Unity in the Community, What’s Up Philly, and Philadelphia Parks & Recreation.

“Our mission at the Conservancy is bringing parks to life,” said Maura McCarthy, Fairmount Park Conservancy’s CEO. “Today is a wonderful example of what that means – games, music, food, friendships and family. This is what parks are all about!”

Creating space for a multitude of youth sports is a priority for the FDR Park Plan. This once-in-a-generation project is revitalizing the historic 348-acre park to address current and future flooding while also making nature and recreation more accessible to residents. Earlier this year, the City of Philadelphia and Fairmount Park Conservancy broke ground on the “Picnic & Play” phase of the project, which will bring multisport fields, basketball courts, picnic groves and play spaces to the western section of FDR Park.

The Family Field Day offered a preview of the park’s future as a hub for recreation, community, and nature. During a brief speaking program, event partners and elected officials reflected on the exciting events and projects taking place in FDR Park, and the importance of making FDR Park “One Park for All.”

“This is what building community looks like,” said Councilmember Nina Ahmad. “This is what is going to make our city safe, our city clean, our city green – and make sure our children feel included and seen and heard.”