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Top Stores In Philadelphia For Fourth Of July Paraphernalia

The summer is a favorite time for many because of the longer days and mostly better weather, and certainly so if you can enjoy water activities. Life should slow down, school is out, work is lighter for many and some can even take vacations. The main holiday of the summer if the Fourth of July, and no Fourth of July party is complete without decorations and food for a classic BBQ. There are many different options from party supply stores to local gift shops in the historic section of the city, some of which offer online ordering. You can find things to wear, home and party decor, American flags and even fun themed party favors for your guests.

Dino's Party Center
1638 S. 9th St.
Philadelphia, PA 19148
(215) 467-4400
www.dinospartycenter.com

Dino's Party Center is family operated and offers personal customer service. The party supply store has a wide variety of decorations and balloons for all events and is described by patrons as a "South Philly Style Party City." Dino's has been around since 1980. Here is the place to go for lovely red, white and blue balloons and party supplies such as plates, cups, plastic wear and standard decorations.

PECO Theater Gift Shop
600 Chestnut St.
Philadelphia, PA. 19107
(215) 629-5801
www.historicphiladelphia.org

Right within the historic district, there are plenty of places to find patriotic merchandise for your Fourth of July celebration. At the Peco Theater, you can see the Lights of Liberty Show for just a few dollars. Afterwards, you can find posters, signs and other patriotic decor items or small gifts for goodie bags/party favors at your party. If you want something completely personal and special, you can strike a historic pose and get "old time photos" with a new age twist. Green screen technology and costuming allows your family to get colonial. Packages start at $22 and are offered from May through September.

Betsy Ross House Gift Shop
239 Arch St.
Philadelphia, PA 19106
www.historicphiladelphia.org

Why not take a tour of The Betsy Ross House as part of your celebration? Spend some of your time learning about one of many things that are considered patriotic. When you are done, you can go shopping for some true Philadelphian patriotic paraphernalia. Here you can find flags, glassware and other ornaments and décor for your celebration. The Betsy Ross House also has online ordering available for those who need their goodies fast -- without traveling into the city.

Related: Top Spots For Ice Cream In Philadelphia

The Market and Shops at Comcast Center
1701 John F. Kennedy Blvd.
Philadelphia, PA 19103
(215) 496-1810
www.themarketandshopsatcomcastcenter.com

The Comcast Building has over 36,000 square feet of shops and eateries. Here, you can find many items to delight your palate while shopping for your Fourth of July fest, or just to make yourself feel and look a bit more patriotic. If you are looking for things to wear like clothing or jewelry, you can check out Liberty Variety or Accents by Govberg. Liberty Variety will carry small items such as globes and other patriotic paraphernalia for party favors. When you are done with shopping, there are numerous places to eat to refuel yourself or get food taken out for your get-together.

Masquerade
1100 S. Christopher Columbus Blvd.
Philadelphia, PA 19147
(215) 952-0980

Maybe costuming is your thing, and you really want to go all out this Fourth of July. Visit Masquerade to find costumes, accessories and props for you patriotic bash. You can consider dressing as one of your favorite colonial patriots or even "Uncle Sam," or even just find some fun wigs, flags and other props.

Related: Top Summer Festivals In Philadelphia

Christina Dagnelli is a freelance writer in Philadelphia and the author of Little Squares with Colors: A Different way to look at autism. Her work on examiner can be found here Examiner.com.

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