Oval+ pop-up park and new Barnes canopy open this week

Philly’s annual Parkway pop-up park, “Oval+” is opening Friday—and this year, the Barnes Foundation is hopping on board with an interactive installation dubbed “The Canopy.”

The Canopy at the Barnes, designed by Philly firm Shiftspace, features an orange mesh canopy draped between the trees lining the Parkway. It hangs above cafe-style seating, inflatable furniture, and tons of games including bocce ball, according to a statement from the Barnes Foundation.

The whole installation participates in—and complements—the larger Oval+ pop-up park that’s now in its sixth year, and which sits at Eakins Oval and runs along the northern section of the Parkway, from 20th Street to Art Museum Drive.

Fairmount Park Conservancy

“We are thrilled to participate in The Oval+—the city’s much-anticipated summer pop-up along the Benjamin Franklin Parkway—with the Canopy at the Barnes,” Thom Collins, executive director and president of the Barnes said in the statement, calling The Oval+, “a wonderful way to celebrate the summer season.”

““The Canopy at the Barnes will offer a shady spot to relax, listen to music, and connect with friends and family this summer,” he added.

The Oval+ shuts down traffic on the northern section of the parkway in order to make way for walkers, riders, and art enthusiasts. It includes interactive exhibits for kids—like an 800 square-foot sandbox and a misting pavilion—and mural art installations.

The pop-up park’s theme this year is “More Park, More Play” and it features an Arts and Culture day every Thursday, which the Barnes plans to participate in with live music from the Philadelphia Jazz Project. Both the Canopy and the Oval+ open Friday morning and stay open for a month, until August 19.

• Oval+ returns with plans to expand on Parkway [Curbed Philly]