{"id":15213934,"date":"2026-07-17T15:59:45","date_gmt":"2026-07-17T19:59:45","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.inthacity.com\/news\/get-a-free-root-beer-float-at-the-franklin-fountain-this-weekend\/"},"modified":"2026-07-17T16:33:51","modified_gmt":"2026-07-17T20:33:51","slug":"get-a-free-root-beer-float-at-the-franklin-fountain-this-weekend","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.inthacity.com\/news\/get-a-free-root-beer-float-at-the-franklin-fountain-this-weekend\/","title":{"rendered":"Get a free root beer float at the Franklin Fountain this weekend"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Love Philly? So do we. Let\u2019s be friends. <\/em>Sign up for the Billy Penn newsletter today<\/em><\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n

\n

In abstract, soda and ice cream shouldn\u2019t go together. While both are delicious sugary treats perfect for a hot day, something about putting frozen cream into fizzy liquid doesn\u2019t make sense on paper. <\/p>\n

And yet, in the middle of the summer of 1874, a marble soda fountain operator named Robert Green had a vision. According to Eric Berley, owner of the Franklin Fountain, Green was at a confectionery on a hot day where he saw patrons drinking soda and eating ice cream when he had an epiphany.<\/p>\n

\u201cHe literally combined them in his brain,\u201d Berley said. \u201cHe said, \u2018Why don’t we put ice cream and soda together?\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

Like rice crispies and marshmallows or fries dipped in a milkshake, ice cream and soda just makes sense. Green debuted his new idea at the Franklin Institute’s semicentennial celebration.<\/a><\/p>\n

\u201cIt was at that fair where the first ice cream soda debuted,\u201d Berley explained. \u201cThe public was so shocked that soda and ice cream would bubble up together and create this sort of third experience.\u201d<\/p>\n

Two years later, Philadelphia hosted its big Centennial Exposition in 1876. People traveled around the country and got to try their very first ice cream float. <\/p>\n

\u201cThat’s where it blew up nationwide,\u201d Berley said. <\/p>\n

Back in the 1870s, soda flavors were often fruit-forward, like lemon, orange or strawberry. Still, it was around this time that the most iconic float flavor, root beer, was being created.<\/p>\n

\u201cRoot beer was basically being worked out in the 1870s by Charles Hires on our block on Letitia Street, which was another Philadelphia first,\u201d Berley said, \u201cIt was, of course, a Native American drink called root tea before Hires basically branded it root beer and then popularized it for soda fountains to have.\u201d<\/p>\n

The first ice cream float is getting highlighted in the city\u2019s ongoing Firstival celebration this weekend. The Franklin Fountain is hosting an ice cream party this Saturday from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. with music, fun and of course ice cream sodas. <\/p>\n

\u201cWe’ve got a live jazz band. It’s a four-piece 1920s hot jazz from Drew Nugent & The Midnight Society,\u201d Berley said. \u201cThere’s going to be free root beer floats at Franklin Fountain. There’s going to be free merch all afternoon.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Roselyn Dooley<\/a> is a local muralist, scenic artist, and designer, who painted a number one statue, for the 250 celebration.<\/p>\n

\u201cI really wanted to bring you back to a feeling of childhood enjoyment,\u201d Dooley said. \u201cI wanted to bring back some kind of colors and views of an old time parlor ice cream parlor shop, and I thought that would be fun.\u201d<\/p>\n

Berley encourages locals to come to the Franklin Fountain beyond tomorrow\u2019s Firstival and continue experimenting with different floats. <\/p>\n

\u201cEvery new ice cream float is worth trying,\u201d Berley said. \u201cI just had this honeycomb piece with the lavender soda. Great! Someone on the staff made a pineapple upside down ice cream float the other day \u2014 throwing in some pineapple topping in there. You can really have fun.\u201d<\/p>\n

Check out BP\u2019s full guide to all of this year\u2019s Firstivals below.<\/em><\/p>\n

Completed<\/h2>\n

Week 1:  Successful balloon flight in America (1793)<\/a><\/p>\n

Week 2: The Mummers parade, the nation\u2019s first folk parade (1901)<\/a><\/p>\n

Week 3: Volunteer fire company (1736)<\/a><\/p>\n

Week 4: Professional basketball league (1898)<\/a><\/p>\n

Week 5: Public Girl Scout cookie sale (1932)<\/p>\n

<\/a>Week 6: African Methodist Episcopal congregation (1794)<\/a><\/p>\n

Week 7: Abolitionist society in America<\/a> (1775)<\/p>\n

Week 8: Authentic Chinese gate built in America<\/a> (1984)<\/p>\n

Week 9: Public protest against slavery in America<\/a> (1688)<\/p>\n

Week 10: Flower Show<\/a> (1829)<\/p>\n

Week 11: Women\u2019s medical college<\/a> (1850)<\/p>\n

Week 12: Matchbook<\/a> (1892)<\/p>\n

Week 13: Medical school <\/a>(1765)<\/p>\n

Week 14: Stadium <\/a>(1895)<\/p>\n

Week 15: Circus performance <\/a>(1793) <\/p>\n

Week 16: Botanical garden<\/a> (1728)<\/p>\n

Week 17: Postmaster<\/a> (1737)<\/p>\n

Week 18: American-made piano and sousaphone <\/a>(1775 and 1893) <\/p>\n

Week 19: Mother\u2019s Day<\/a> (1908) <\/p>\n

Week 20: Hospital in America <\/a>(1751)<\/p>\n

Week 21: World\u2019s Fair on American soil<\/a> (1876) <\/p>\n

Week 22: Steamboat for passengers and freight<\/a> (1787)<\/p>\n

Week 23: American flag<\/a> (1777)<\/p>\n

Week 24: U.S. Army<\/a> (1775)<\/p>\n

Week 25: Annual Reminder demonstration<\/a> (1965)<\/p>\n

Week 26: Paper maker in America<\/a> (1690)<\/p>\n

Week 27: Bank of the United States<\/a> (1791)<\/p>\n

Week 28: Organized baseball team<\/a> (1831)<\/p>\n

Upcoming<\/h2>\n

\u2022 Ice cream soda (Oct. 1874)
July 18, Franklin Fountain, 116 Market St. <\/p>\n

\u2022 American art school (1805)
July 25, Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, 118-128 N. Broad St.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Scientific Society of Natural History (1812)
Aug. 1, at Academy of Natural Sciences, 1900 Benjamin Franklin Parkway<\/p>\n

\u2022 Zoo in America (1874)
Aug. 8, Philadelphia Zoo, 3400 W. Girard Ave.<\/p>\n

\u2022 U.S. Mint (1793)
Aug. 15 (location TBD)<\/p>\n

\u2022 Selfie (1839)
Aug. 22, Love Park, 1501 John F Kennedy Blvd.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Slinky (1943)
Aug. 29, Philadelphia Art Museum, 2600 Benjamin Franklin Parkway<\/p>\n

\u2022 Signing of the Constitution (1787)
Sept. 5, National Constitution Center, 525 Arch St.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Continental Congress (1774)
Sept. 12 at Carpenters\u2019 Hall, 320 Chestnut St.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Naming of the United States (1776)
Sept. 19, Independence Hall<\/p>\n

\u2022 Ronald McDonald House (1974)
Sept. 26, Ronald McDonald House, 3925 Chestnut St.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Penitentiary in America (1829)
Oct. 3, Eastern State Penitentiary, 2027 Fairmount Ave.<\/p>\n

\u2022 The First Peoples
Oct. 10, Penn Museum, 3260 South St.<\/p>\n

\u2022 U.S. Navy and Marine Corps (1775)
Oct. 17, Arch Street Meeting House, 320 Arch St.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Public showing of a motion picture (1870)
Oct. 24, Philadelphia Film Society, 1412 Chestnut St.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Modern detective story written (1841)
Oct. 31, Edgar Allan Poe House, 532 N. 7th St.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Thanksgiving Day parade in America (1920)
Nov. 7, Benjamin Franklin Parkway<\/p>\n

\u2022 University in America (1740)
Nov. 14, Houston Hall, The University of Pennsylvania, 3417 Spruce St.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Children\u2019s hospital in America (1855)
Nov. 21, Children\u2019s Hospital of Philadelphia, Main Building, 3401 Civic Center Blvd.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Pencil with an attached eraser (1858)
Nov. 28, National Liberty Museum, 321 Chestnut St.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Weather bureau (1870)
Dec. 5, The Franklin Institute, 222 N. 20th St.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Electronic computer (1945)
Dec. 12, The University of Pennsylvania, 3451 Walnut St.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Public lending library in America (1731)
Dec. 19, The Library Company of Philadelphia, 1314 Locust St.<\/p>\n

\u2022 Philly food firsts: Cheesesteaks (1930s), water ice (1932) and bubble gum (1928)
Dec. 26, Reading Terminal Market, 1136 Arch St.<\/p>\n

Editor\u2019s note: WHYY President and CEO Bill Marrazzo serves as chair of the board of trustees for the Independence Historical Trust.<\/em><\/p>\n

The post Get a free root beer float at the Franklin Fountain this weekend<\/a> appeared first on Billy Penn at WHYY<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Source: News \u2013 World \u2013 Philadephia \u2013 rss.app2 \u2192 manual entry<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Love Philly? So do we. Let\u2019s be friends. Sign up for the Billy Penn newsletter today. In abstract, soda and ice cream shouldn\u2019t go together. While both are delicious sugary […]
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