Boathouse Row shows off brilliant, new light combinations in relighting ceremony
PHILADELPHIA - For nearly a year Philadelphians have been missing something on their travel at night along the Schuylkill Expressway.
"I ride my bike along this path all the time, so, it was definitely a bummer to have the lights out for a while," says Kim Picard, of East Falls. It’s fitting that Picard was on her bike decked out in lights to witness its comeback, as the 6,400 LED lights shown once again Thursday night along the Schuylkill River.
The historic Boathouse Row was in the dark for nearly a year as crews worked on maintenance and upgrades.
FOX 29 got an inside look at the $2.1 million glow-up project earlier this week.
"We’ve removed those from existing lights and re-installed new lights with a more robust housing, which will give us a Boathouse Row that will be lit for many years to come," the the Fairmount Park Conservancy said.
Boathouse Row lights: What to expect when they flip the switch
Philadelphia’s iconic Boathouse Row lights return Thursday, after an entire year of going dark for maintenance and FOX 29 had a preview of the changes and upgrades.
"It’s great, it’s a Philly icon so, it’s so fun to see all the different combinations of lights that we can do, all the different holidays or organizations that want to light it up for their colors," says Picard.
The new upgrades allowing 16 million different light combinations.
"Boathouse Row, I see it all the time driving on 76 getting into the city but historic stuff you know," says Gavin Wilson, of Germantown.
It is historic, which is why Larry and Kea Grene Kendrick of West Philly wanted to take in the moment with their granddaughter.
"It’s history being made tonight and we are glad to be a part of it. All of Philadelphia is out here tonight and we are enjoying ourselves. It’s a great time to spend at Boathouse Row to be re-lit," says Larry.
"I remember when the lights went out last March 2023 and for the last year I have been riding past the expressway, it was a little bit daunting," says Kea.
Now that the lights are back for good, Kea can’t help herself from dancing with joy knowing that a symbol of Philadelphia is back shining bright.