Eakins Oval is an eight acre swath of public space located in front of the Philadelphia Museum of Art in downtown Philadelphia. The Oval hosts the city’s most iconic events including Welcome America’s July 4th Party, Made in America, and numerous charity runs/walks. Despite significant foot traffic through the site, Eakins Oval was critically underused for years.

In 2013, the Fairmount Park Conservancy and Philadelphia Parks & Recreation transformed Eakins Oval into ‘The Oval,’ the new ‘Park on the Parkway’ with programing and activities for people of all ages. The Oval created a thriving pedestrian environment that serves as a connector between Parkway institutions and a gathering place and destination point for residents and visitors to enjoy park amenities and engage meaningfully in arts and culture-themed programing.

In its first two seasons, programing at The Oval ran 12 hours per day, five days per week, with movie nights, live music, award-winning food trucks, yoga, bike classes and much more.