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Food, Fun, Family And Famous Faces Take Over The Parkway

By Matt Rivers, Dan Wing

PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - Thousands of people packed the Ben Franklin Parkway Friday for the Wawa Welcome America Philly 4th of July Jam and Fireworks show.

Navigating traffic in Center City was a little tricky, but people like Keisha from South Philadelphia say it's well worth any hassle:

"It's a great time, very respectful people. Food's great!"

The parkway turned into a red, white and blue sea even Ben Franklin would be proud of:

Alexa and Danielle made their way from the suburbs, and said they were mainly there for the music:

"It's pretty awesome. Every year there's an amazing turnout on the parkway and this year is no different," this woman told CBS3 Eyewitness News.

As the sun set, the music tuned up. Alexa and Danielle made their way from the suburbs, and tell KYW Newsradio they were mainly there for the music:

"Nicki Minaj!" Danielle said.

"I was looking forward to Ariana (Grande), but she's not coming now," says Alexa.

The weather started out a bit sketchy Friday, but by the afternoon, it was nothing but golden sunshine, making Philadelphia the place to be.

With the exception of a few instances, it was a mostly trouble-free day. From horses to bikes to plain old foot patrols, security was a #1 priority throughout the day.

And, of course, everybody was excited for the showstopper - the fireworks!

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