Philadelphia Organizes One-Of-A-Kind “Vax Up Philly Parade” for Sunday, August 29

UPDATE (8/21): Due to weather, the #VaxUpPhillyParade is postponed until next Sunday, August 29! Originally the parade was to be held on August 22.

So excited to partner with a number of amazing Philadelphians this week to announce a one-of-a-kind parade bringing Jefferson Health COVID-19 vaccination vans, live music, dance, and more along Broad Street to get people vax-ed up and celebrate Philly’s excitement and commitment to protecting ourselves and our communities!

That’s right, Philadelphians will take to the streets with the high-spirited Vax Up Philly Parade, a one-day-only, multi-location, effervescent community-minded event offering free vaccinations, live music, education, and more with Jefferson Health, Snacktime Philly, Radio Kismet, The Bul Bey, Worldtown Soundsystem, the Philadelphia 76ers‘ Squad 76 dance team, Conrad Benner’s Streets Dept, and others, on Sunday, August 29, starting at 11 am at FDR Park, continuing to Dilworth Park, and culminating on North Broad Street!

“Philadelphians are known for being real, direct, and down to earth. The honest truth is we need more people to be vaccinated in order to protect the people who live here from more harm. There is pride and resilience in our communities, and we need to leverage those things to encourage everyone we know to get vaccinated. We know that vaccination helps to prevent serious disease, hospitalization and death,” said Sandra E. Brooks, MD, MBA, Executive Vice President, Chief Community Health Equity Officer, Thomas Jefferson University. “We have to do this now, lest the virus wreak further havoc on the people of our city, our local businesses, and hospitals.  Do it for yourself, do it for your family, do it for all of us!” 

As for live entertainment at the Vax Up Philly Parade, attendees can expect the following: 

• Local hip hop artist The Bul Bey as event MC and performer
• The smooth sounds of local band Snacktime Philly
• High-voltage house music ensemble Worldtown Soundsystem
• Performances from the Philadelphia 76ers dance team, Squad 76

Radio Kismet will assist in crafting an elaborate, well-executed event in collaboration with Jefferson Health. Vax Up Philly is designed to raise awareness and build positivity around being vaccinated. To ramp up the amount of vaccinations in the state of Pennsylvania, this socially distanced, publicly accessible parade will promote and facilitate a massive public expression to promote more awareness around vaccinations. 

“Radio Kismet is a community minded organization that is thrilled to join in this activist-focused effort to create additional awareness about vaccinations, so that we can all move forward with our lives,” said Christopher Plant, Owner of Radio Kismet. 

Vax Up Philly Parade starts at 11am at FDR Park, located at 1500 Pattison Avenue and South Broad Street. Free and accessible vaccinations will be provided by Jefferson Mobile Community Vaccination Program at designated stops along the way. Pfizer and J&J vaccine will be offered. No insurance or ID is needed. Walk ups are welcome and children 12 years old and up are eligible for the Pfizer vaccine.

The parade route is as follows:

• 11am – 1pm: FDR Park Vaccine Clinic at the Southeast Asian Markets 
• 1:00pm: Parade Depart FDR for South Broad Street
• 2:00pm: Parade arrives at City Hall and marches around building
• 2:30 – 3:30pm: Parade Stop and Free Vaccine Clinic at Dilworth Park (15th and Market)
• 3:00pm: Press Conference at Dilworth Park with Key Speakers
• 3:30pm: Parade Depart Dilworth for North Broad Street
• 4:00pm – 5:00pm: Parade Stop and Free Vaccine Clinic at Philadelphia OIC (1231 N Broad Street)
• 5:00pm: Event End

This event is being held in accordance with current Philadelphia COVID-19 safety guidelines. Social distancing and masking is encouraged for all attendees joining the event. Masks are required to be worn within the pop-up vaccination clinics located at each parade stop.

“The Jefferson Mobile Community Vaccination team has been providing COVID-19 vaccines to residents all over Philadelphia,” said Robert S. Pugliese, PharmD, Director of Innovation Design, Jefferson; Co-Director, Mobile Community Vaccination Program, Jefferson Health. “Even though the pandemic is far from over, we wanted to come together to celebrate the triumphs we have had and send a message to everyone in Philadelphia that NOW is the time to get vaccinated more than ever!”

“Getting vaccinated and protecting yourself and your community is a beautiful thing that should be celebrated, and that’s just what we plan to do with the Vax Up Philly Parade,” said Conrad Benner, Founder of StreetsDept.com. “Excited to join so many other Philadelphians in creating this first-in-the-nation kind of action to help get that word out that we’re doing this for each other!”

Be sure to stay tuned for more information on the Vax Up Philly Parade on Streets Dept’s Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok this week! Hope to see y’all out on Sunday!

CLICK HERE to find out where to get a COVID-19 shot in Philly; for current info about COVID-19 vaccines, go to www.vaccines.gov.