2021 DesignPhiladelphia Festival

The Center for Architecture and Design is excited to present the 2021 DesignPhiladelphia Festival sponsored by Thomas Jefferson University at Cherry Street Pier from October 6 through October 17, 2021.

Cherry Street Pier will serve as the hub for installations and exhibitions, as well as the site of the hybrid, Livestream and in-person KickOff Party on Wednesday, October 6 from 6:30 to 8:00 pm.

The festival will follow the City of Philadelphia and the Center for Disease Control’s guidelines and restrictions:

DesignPhiladelphia KickOff Party sponsored by Parallel Edge
Wednesday, October 6, 6 pm to 9pm
The hybrid KickOff Party will launch the festival on October 6, 2021, at 6:30 pm as an in-person event at Cherry Street Pier, with a Livestream portion of the event in anticipation of capacity.

Best in Emerging Design Competition
October 6 through October 17
This design competition invites regional designers and design companies to submit innovative, high-quality products that have a positive impact on daily life. The competition shines a spotlight on Philadelphia’s design excellence and provides a platform for designers and companies whose solutions are ready to scale. Finalists of the competition will be on display at Cherry Street Pier throughout the duration of the Festival. The winning design solution will be announced at the start of the Festival and will receive a cash prize of $5,000.

Learn more special event programming happening throughout the city at www.designphiladelphia.org.

Learn about our safety enhancements before your next visit.

Review our parking and directions information before your next visit. 

Enjoy our concessions during your visit.

Delaware River Trail Construction: Construction for the exciting Delaware River Trail is happening along Columbus Boulevard. The project is making headway and will result in a stunning multi-use trail that will increase accessibility to the Waterfront. The trail is scheduled for completion in Fall 2021.