Asian street food market

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The Sunday Cambodian street food market was thriving on Labor Day weekend, including this vendor offering shrimp spring rolls, lobster balls, and a big variety of other fried items.
The street food market spreads among the trees near Picnic Area 11 at FDR Park.

Rittenhouse Square, looking bare

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Rittenhouse Square, late on an early August morning. Despite the bare benches in this photo, the park is a premier public space and bustles even in the time of covid. On weekends and evenings in particular, the lawns are filled with people getting outdoors and social distancing.

FDR skatepark

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Skatepark at FDR Park, Philadelphia
One of the city’s hidden gems is a skateboard park tucked beneath Interstate 95 on the edge of FDR park in far South Philly. It’s gritty, and renowned among boarders.
The highway noise can be intense, but the skateboarders tune it out. The highway provides a roof, which means you can skate even in foul weather. The road circling FDR was recently repaved and you no longer need a 4-wheeler to get past the skate area.

March for Our Lives

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Philadelphia joined scores of other cities across the United States on March 24, 2018, in marching against gun violence and on behalf of gun control. Several thousand took part during the procession from Independence Mall to Penn’s Landing, many carrying homemade signs. The mood was serious and determined, a contrast to some other large demonstrations in recent years that had serious messages but also had a festive atmosphere. 

March for Our Lives demonstrators against gun violence moving south on Front Street toward their rally point at Penn’s Landing on Saturday, March 24, 2018.

St. Pat’s Parade, Phillystyle

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Thousands marched in Philadelphia’s St. Patrick’s parade on Sunday, March 11, and thousands more watched from the sidewalk as the emerald array did its best–and largely succeeded–convincing all within earshot that they were Irish, regardless of heritage. Besides the pipers and drummers and dancers, many of the floats had musicians performing Irish-inspired tunes with guitars, accordions, and other instruments. One solo guitarist may have gotten the biggest roar of approval when he launched into the Super Bowl-winning Eagles fight song, possibly the first time the St. Pat’s parade crowd has ever joined in with E-A-G-L-E-S.

This band atop a float included a toast to the dearly departed in one of their songs.