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| CONTACT: | Caroline Bean |
GPTMC |
(215) 599-7433 | caroline@gptmc.com |
PHILADELPHIA, November 7, 2002 – There’s a bounce in Philadelphia’s step this spring thanks to new events, attractions and activities that give residents and visitors new reasons to explore the region: the rebirth of the city’s storied naval shipyard, the reopening of the intriguing Christ Church Burial Ground and the return of The Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts’ second annual Summer Solstice Celebration.
The Port of Philadelphia and Camden (PPC) has recently taken delivery on $3.7 million worth of capital improvements in order to accommodate its growing cruise business and to enhance the cruise terminal at Pier 1. Twelve cruises are set to depart from Philadelphia in 2003, including the Carnival Legend’s six-day cruise to Bermuda, which departs on May 6, 2003. The Radisson Navigator and Norwegian Cruise Line Norwegian Sea are planning to make Philadelphia a one-day port of call in May, as well. Cruise passengers will be touring Philadelphia and Its Countryside and enjoying cultural and historical attractions, restaurants and shopping venues. www.cruisephilly.com
While tossing a penny through Christ Church Burial Ground’s iron gates onto Benjamin Franklin’s grave has always been a favorite activity for tourists, visitors to this historic, serene site will be allowed inside the property beginning in April 2003. After a 25-year hiatus, the Christ Church Burial Ground will open its gates to the public. The cemetery is the final resting place of 1,300 people, including some of America’s most prominent people – Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Bond and Benjamin Rush. Visitors can take a “Colonial Ramble” walking tour or use the burial ground’s archives for genealogical research. (215) 922-1695
The Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts,
a $265 million, glass-enclosed performing arts facility on Philadelphia’s Avenue
of the Arts, kicks off its summer season on Saturday,
June 21, 2002, with its second annual Summer Solstice Celebration. The
12-hour, all-night event features a variety of musical performances, poetry
readings, storytelling, dancing and more. The Center’s summer programming will
continue through July. (215) 893-1999,
www.kimmelcenter.org
The Greater Philadelphia Tourism
Marketing Corporation is a non-profit organization dedicated to generating
awareness of and visitation to Philadelphia, Bucks, Chester, Delaware and
Montgomery Counties. For more information about travel to Philadelphia, visit
www.gophila.com or call the new
Independence Visitor Center, located in Independence National Historical Park,
at
(800) 537-7676.
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Note to Editors: For story angles and photographic images of Philadelphia and its surrounding countryside, visit www.gophila.com/pressroom.
