



This city knows beer.

Philadelphia’s excellent craft brew scene is celebrated on deep draft lists, with huge beer festivals and by all beer lovers in the City of Brotherly Love.

These days, that craft brew scene extends outdoors, too, with an ever-growing concentration of awesome beer gardens where eating and drinking alfresco is always on tap. Truly, Philadelphia can certainly be recognized as a proper outdoor-drinking destination.

It’s time to raise a glass to this city’s brilliant beer garden scene.



Introducing the Visit Philly Beer Garden Series



This June, come out and toast summer at the Visit Philly Beer Garden Series, a new weekly happy-hour series visiting a rotating beer garden across the city every Friday all summer long.

Launching on Friday, June 6 at Morgan’s Pier, and visiting a single beer garden each Friday, the pop-up happy hours will run from 4 to 7 p.m. and include specials on food and local craft beer, as well fun and games led by the Visit Philly team.

We couldn’t be more excited to spend the summer spending time at the city’s wealth of beer gardens. Imbibing alfresco is one of our favorite things to do in the summer in Philadelphia, and beer gardens account for some of this city’s best outdoor bars.

Really, what’s better than a happy-hour beer in hand, snacks at the ready on Friday afternoon, under the summer sun? See you out there, folks.



The Participating Beer Gardens



While Philadelphia has numerous awesome spots for outdoor beers, the Visit Philly Beer Garden Series will be visiting the biggest and brightest of Philly’s beer garden scene.

Here are the Visit Philly Beer Garden Series participating venues for this summer:

• Morgan’s Pier: Penn’s Landing, 221 N. Columbus Boulevard. Easily one of Philly’s best waterfront spots, Morgan’s Pier has reopened for the season along the Delaware River. The beer garden series kicks off here on Friday, June 6 on the final Friday of Philly Beer Week. Don’t miss it.

• Frankford Hall: Fishtown, 1210 Frankford Avenue. Now in its fourth summer, Stephen Starr’s Frankford Hall helped get all of this beer garden action started a few years back with litres of draft beer, awesome food, fire pits and more than 200 outdoor seats. So, it is only fitting that Frankford Hall is one of the first stops for the Visit Philly Beer Garden Series.

• PHS Pop-Up Garden: South Street, 1438-46 South Street. The PHS Pop-Up Garden on Broad Street was the biggest addition to Philly’s beer garden scene last summer. We’re happy to report that the PHS Pop-Up Garden is back for 2014 (!! — stay tuned for more info) and this year’s installment will pop up at 15th and South streets, next to the Jamaican Jerk Hut. And the Visit Philly Beer Garden Series will definitely be there.

• Spruce Street Harbor Park: Penn’s Landing, Columbus Boulevard and Spruce Streets. You heard it here first: the all new Spruce Street Harbor Park is going to be the crucial addition to Philadelphia’s alfresco scene this summer. And although not technically a beer garden, the floating restaurant and the adjoining waterfront park with a wave lawn and hammock garden (!) are going to be a perfect match for the Visit Philly Beer Garden Series. Bonus: The first Visit Philly happy hour falls on opening weekend, Friday, June 27.

• The Oval: Logan Square, 2601 Benjamin Franklin Parkway. Last summer, The Oval took the Parkway by storm with food trucks, games, movie nights, a beer garden and more. This year it’s back for more with beer gardens scheduled for multiple days throughout The Oval’s run. The Visit Philly Beer Garden Series is along for the ride.

• Independence Beer Garden: Old City, 100 Independence Mall West. A beer garden across from Independence Mall? Yes, please. We can’t wait for the Visit Philly Beer Garden Series to make a stop at the aptly named Independence Beer Garden this summer. Don’t miss toasting summer within America’s most historic square mile.



The Full Schedule



Each week, the Visit Philly happy hour will pop up at one of the six participating beer gardens and run from 4 to 7 p.m. on Friday afternoons. Check out the complete Visit Philly Beer Garden Series schedule, below.



Week 1

Friday, June 6

Morgan’s Pier Week 7

Friday, July 25

Spruce Street Harbor Park Week 2

Friday, June 13

Frankford Hall Week 8

Friday, August 1

Frankford Hall Week 3

Friday, June 20

Morgan’s Pier Week 9

Friday, August 8

Independence Beer Garden Week 4

Friday, June 27

Spruce Street Harbor Park Week 10

Friday, August 15

The Oval Week 5

Friday, July 11

PHS Pop-Up Garden Week 11

Friday, August 22

Independence Beer Garden Week 6

Friday, July 18

The Oval Week 12

Friday, August 29

Morgan’s Pier

Stay tuned right here for more on what we know will be the best new way to start a summer weekend in Philadelphia. Note: The Visit Philly Beer Garden Series will skip Friday, July 4 and all dates are subject to change.



The Visit Philly Beer Garden Series

12 Weeks. 6 Beer Gardens. Endless Good Times.





(Top photo by J. Fusco for Visit Philadelphia)