Popped Festival to be held in FDR Park

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, the outdoor music festival which debuted last summer at Drexel University, will be held this June in FDR Park in South Philadelphia. On Wednesday the Fairmount Park Commission approved a request from Popped, run by

Alexis Rosenzweig

, and LiveNation, the world’s largest concert promoter, with whom Rosenzweig is partnering to book and stage the June 19-21 event.

“The Phillies are in town that weekend, it’s going to be a great couple days for South Philly,” says

Kate Wilhelm

, who runs the Fairmount Park Conservancy, the fundraising and marketing arm of the Fairmount Park Commission. “We want to do exciting things that benefit the city and the region in our parks,” she said.

The Conservancy was involved last year in trying to stage another multi-day concert in Fairmount Park. Last year, C3, a concert promotion company from Austin, Texas wanted to hold a concert festival around the Belmont Plateau, but the Commission delayed a vote on the initiative, and C3 took its plans to Voorhees, NJ, but the concert festival never happened.  This year's plans were approved in the Commission’s monthly meeting at the Horticultural Center. Wilhelm and concert promoters told the Commission they expect 15,000 concertgoers each day of the festival, which should be no problem given the easy access by public transit and by car to the 348 acre park.

Rosenzweig this afternoon declined to discuss any potential acts who have been approached for the concert festival, saying she and LiveNation plan an official announcement soon.