Daylight Appreciation Day
June 20, 2019
Today, June 21, is National Daylight Appreciation Day! Happy #DaylightAppreciationDay to everyone.
We think riding SEPTA allows you more of a chance to appreciate daylight anyway, since you don't have to spend any of your daylight hours cursing other cars or fighting to merge. Riding SEPTA already lets you appreciate your daylight by getting extra steps, having free time during your commute to read that book or knit that scarf. But with the first day of summer today (yay!), there are plenty of other warm-weather ways to celebrate daylight in and around Philly.
Like did you know that Bartram's Gardens is now a Perks Partner? Now, you can get $2 off tours at this National Historic Landmark located along the banks of the Schuylkill River in Philadelphia when you present your valid SEPTA TrailPass, TransPass, One Day Independence Pass, SEPTA Key or SEPTA Employee ID. Tours are approximately 45 minutes long and offered Thursday through Sunday, from April 1 through the first weekend in December. Tickets can be purchased in our Welcome Center. The Route 36 Trolley takes you right there!
There are two great ways to celebrate daylight at Dilworth Park this weekend. Tonight is Friday Night Live. Thanks to 99.3 WMMR, from 5p-8p Dilworth Park will host live tunes, seasonal cocktails, with plenty of food options at the Air Grille and Dilworth Park Café. Then all weekend (until Sunday) Dilworth Park hosts their the annual All-American Cookout. This year’s fiesta features local DJs, live music, games, a beer garden and all of the barbecue you can eat. The best part about these parties if that you don't need a designated driver; SEPTA can get you to and from the action, and you have so many options. Hop the Market-Frankford Line or Trolley Routes 10, 11, 13, 34 & 36 to 15th Street, the Broad Street Line to City Hall, Bus Routes 2, 17, 33, 38, 44, 48, 124 or 125 or Regional Rail to Suburban Station.
If you'd like to celebrate daylight with less of a party, more of love-fest with nature, then head to the Wissahickon. The "Wiss" offers over 57 miles of luscious trails for jogging, hiking, dog-walking, and even horse-back riding. The Wissahickon has its own stop along the Manayunk/Norristown Regional Rail Line, or you can catch Bus Routes 1, 9, 27, 35, 38, 61, 62, 65, 124, 125, and R. If you don't need to get that far off of the beaten path, you can venture along the canals on the Towpath in Manayunk.
Speaking of Manayunk - no better way to celebrate daylight than heading to the Manayunk Arts Fest this weekend. This festival hosts upwards of 200,000 attendees every year to Manayunk’s historic Main Street for two-days of arts, crafts, music, food and more. The party begins Saturday, 6/22 at 11a and continues until 7p. If you miss it Saturday, take advantage of Sunday's daylight; the festival will wrap around 6p. Just hop Regional Rail to Manayunk's station along the Manayunk/Norristown Line.
Prefer to spend daylight with some wildlife? Head to the Philadelphia Zoo, it's their Summer Ale Festival on Saturday, 6/22. If you're 21+, enjoy seasonal beers in combination with food truck fare, all while checking in on Philly's family of birds, great apes, big cats, and other wildlife. If you're coming from a bit farther away, great news: the Zoo is providing a free shuttle from 30th Street Station! Get there on Regional Rail, the Market-Frankford Line, Bus Routes 9, 30, 31, 44, 62, 124, 125, LUCY or Trolley Routes 10, 11, 13, 34, 36.
Last but never least - baseball. While Friday's Phillies game falls a bit out of our wonderful daylight hours, Saturday's 4:05p game will catch plenty of rays, and Sundays 1:05p Phillies start time will require lots of sunscreen. No need to waste those precious daylight hours behind the wheel in game-day traffic. Just hop the SEPTA Broad Street Line south to NRG Station (last stop). Avoid the line - don't forget your SEPTA Key! If you're in the market for new Phillies gear, check out this Perk!
There are so many great ways to get in on the appreciation and celebrate daylight in style, and with great company, and without the stress of parking and traffic. Kick back and enjoy the sunshine and let SEPTA get you wherever you're looking to go. If you're unsure of which route is for you, visit our Trip Planner and let us do the leg-work.
Happy riding, happy trails, and happy daylight!
