Philly Said ‘Happy New Year’ Then Tried to Blow Us Away

Описание: Started 2026 by battling the Philly tundra 🥶🎆

I headed down to the legendary Ben Franklin Parkway to ring in the New Year and see hip-hop royalty LL Cool J and DJ Jazzy Jeff live in concert.

From the second I walked in, the vibes were HIGH. People were breakdancing, doing backflips, spinning on their heads like it was 1988, and just having an all-around great time. Food trucks were lined up everywhere (shoutout to the smell of fried food carrying through 30-degree wind). And somehow I even saw Thomas Jefferson roaming the Parkway. Either that or he time-traveled specifically for LL Cool J.

The crowd before the main acts wasn’t as packed as I expected — probably because Mother Nature decided to celebrate New Year’s by turning Philly into an ice cube. There were a few openers before LL came out… and I’m not gonna lie, I had absolutely no idea who they were. But hey, they tried their best.

Before DJ Jazzy Jeff hit the stage, Cherelle Parker came out to introduce him — and yes, she spelled “Eagles” correctly this time. Progress! She even had everyone raise their ones in the air, which made me wonder… is the mayor secretly part of The Bloodline?

DJ Jazzy Jeff came out spinning straight Philly classics and had the crowd moving. Then LL Cool J closed out 2025 like a pro. Unfortunately, I had to leave before midnight because I had airport pickup duties… nothing says “Happy New Year” like being in an arrivals lane.

Fast forward to the next morning — I was back out in Center City Philadelphia for the annual Mummers Parade, which I haven’t been to in forever. Caught a few groups before the string band competition got suspended thanks to high winds. Philly said, “That’s enough celebration for you.”

Ran into the Philly Captain (because of course he’d be there), and between the wind trying to take my soul and the cold freezing my face off, that was my cue to head home.

New Year’s recap delivered… survived the elements… and we live to do it all again next year. 🎉

#phillywaldo #newyears #newyearseve #newyearsday #mummersparade #djjazzyjeff #llcoolj #stringband

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If you see Todd tell him he sucks!!!