The Lodge at Blue Cross RiverRink Winterfest

Went here with the hunny on Valentines weekend. Specifically Saturday the 13^th. It was freezing out but we both had a nice time. We skated for about an hour then headed inside to grab some food. We had a burger and fries with short rib. It was tasty but a bit overpriced
Overall it was a very nice setup for pictures and to enjoy ice skating.

I really loved the décor, atmosphere, drinks, activities, and food offerings, but Jesus… the bathrooms here were the worst I’ve ever experienced. And this is coming from someone who has used squatty toilets while traveling. Maybe it’s because it will be shutting down in March and it’s just getting worn out, but consider wearing a diaper if you’re going to stop by.

Okay so I was excited for the free beer they were advertising — its NOT free. You have to pay for beer and its slightly pricy in my opinion! I think they might have upped the prices because they were def more expensive than what some of the other reviews say. Maybe it just might be higher on weekends. And speaking of alcohol, you must try their special «cocktail» but make sure you drink it while its still hot because otherwise the pretzels get all soggy and gross in the drink.
Overall, VERY cool idea and lots of fun in groups. I enjoyed the Lodge — it is warm and cozy, but slightly uncomfortable because of the wooden picnic benches you get to sit on. Outside by the ice skating rink, there are a bunch of small fire pits to enjoy smores on! Yumy — I’ll have to try that next time I go.
The security is slightly tight. I went on a Saturday evening and all the outside private cabins were reserved. My friends and I went in just to get a quick picture and before we knew it, security was throwing us out. Seems like the place would be fun.

The lodge is a great addition to winterfest. They’re indoor and there’s a cozy feel to it. It’s family friendly but they have a selection of beers and mixed drinks. The only thing I don’t like is that they’re suppose to have two food option but one is always closed so it’s just the basic burgers or chicken fingers. However, their fries are super awesome. Lol

If you’re a basic b*tch like me, you’ll love Winterfest and all it has to offer. If you’re athletic, there is ice skating! For real b*tches there is The Lodge: an Abercrombie & Fitch vision of an Aspen ski lodge, complete with moose head printouts and doors that lead to nowhere.
For the perks: all draft beers are $ 6 and liquor drinks are $ 8, but must be mixed with something else.
Did not try the food here, but I did spy cheese fries, which looked really good.
All & all, I will return.

Cool spot to grab a drink and kick back a bit. The lodge inside was cozy with Jenga to play at most of the tables. They have a decent selection of beer of a lot of local craft styles. My girlfriend and I had a lot of fun making smores outside. The smore materials from Shane’s Confectionery were pricey, but good. The arcade needs a bit of upkeep because the pinball machine stole my money. Still, it is a nice place to relax and have a drink.

Great for all ages. The lodge next to the rink is pretty large and is generally not too crowded (went on a Saturday night when the weather was nice). The food options include distrito tacos and village burger (from Garces group), which are viable options, but pale in comparison to getting served at his sit down restaurants. I tried two different types of tacos (veggie and pollo), and was mildly disappointed by both. The nachos were a better options and we’re more filling as well. The pricing ($ 8 for two tacos or nachos) is a little steeper than the quality provided, but it’s not surprising given the fact they can get away with it. They also have a small selection of beer and wine with several options from yards brewery. Definitely is worth going to if you’re in the area.

This place gets better every year. A couple years ago, it was little more than a window to order a beer and some fried food. Now, there are fire pits, fireplaces, and little «cabins» with couches to sit with friends.
The indoor portion of the lodge is warm even when it’s cold outside, and the winter beer selection is robust, if small.
The ice skating can get a little crowded on weekends, but it’s a nice sized rink and you’ll have plenty of fun.

Due to the unseasonably warm December so far, we were nervous that the RiverRink would be closed. To our luck, it mustered up the resources to make sure that our holiday party would be a success. Even on a Wednesday evening the rink was full of people of all ages having a great time. I’d imagine that it gets fairly crowded on the weekends, so I would absolutely suggest a week night.
After skating, we rested in our cottages that were immaculately decorated for the season/​occasion. There were plush pillows and warm fleece blankets throughout. The heaters that they have in there are mighty warm too. We had light bites by Garces catering; some were typical (salsa & guacamole with chips, hummus with pita) but there were a few stand outs, such as the pineapple jicama salad and sea salt chocolate chip cookies.
While there was a bar window outside, next to the cottages, it didn’t seem like anyone was manning it. Perhaps it only opens on weekends. We went into the Lodge to get our drinks, which some people wanted more a selection. Right now they have about 6 beers on tap (mostly local) and spiked cocoa and hot apple cider (but no plain mixed drinks).

I’m not sure if The Lodge is just the tent area or the entire space surrounding the ice skating rink? (arcade, Franklin Fountain, fire pits). I’ll say that it is.
The Lodge is basically a winter version of Philly’s summer Spruce Street Harbor Park.
The layout is spacious and separated in distinct social areas. I entered the arcade section, which includes faux patios with rocker chairs (small ones for kids maybe?). The arcade is in a tent so provides shelter from the elements. Games are overpriced but what the hell, its a pop-​up. There are three air hockey tables. The one on the right (closest to the parking lot) had a bad puck, so i wasted a $ 1 on that. Patrons in this section were more urban males.
We made our way towards the Lodge but first scoping out the ice skating rink. The speakers were kinda messed up skipping songs, etc. The rink was crowded. We skipped ice skating as we had an infant with us. The lodge itself is pretty cool. There are a few «living room» set up with faux fireplaces and has a cottage/​log cabin feel. There are picnic tables scattered with food and beer vendor in the back. The miss would be the bathroom. I understand it is a pop up, but the bathroom trailer for the men’s room was whack. They should get the ones like Independent Beer garden. Much more spacious and less grimey looking. I can’t imagine what the women’s one looks like.
Beer was not marked up too much, $ 6. The outside area is lit up with some lights and surrounded by chairs, tables, picnic tables, fire pits. It was a warm night for December (50−60s) so the firepits weren’t roaring. instead, it was smokey so the smell was a bit unpleasant.
There is also a pop-​up franklin fountain whichi thought was a nice touch. The small cabin structure is really cute too. Service was nice but a bit slow? I assume it took a while to make the coffee drinks ahead of my order of one scoop of vanilla.
The shipping containers in the rear are make shift cabin living rooms. These looked really cozy but were all occupied.
The beer garden /​Lodge area were mostly filled with Yuppies while the ice skating rink were a younger/​teen/​family oriented crowd – essentially the same crowd make up from SSHP.
Overall, i think this a really good addition to the winter nightlife scene in Philly.

Summerfest is absolutely NOT closed. The rink it set up and operational. Admission is $ 3 and skate rental is $ 10. Luckily, if you have Blue Cross insurance admission is free for you and three guests! Not only do I have Blue Cross insurance but I also have my own skates. The roller rink is now my Summer home for a free workout. My only complaint: I think they may have put the track together too quickly. There are areas that are incredibly warped and there are random dips. They also don’t cover the track so I am wondering how the floor will hold up through Summer storms. Make sure you check their website or Facebook page before and after inclement weather as they may close down for the day. Overall, I LOVE Summerfest!

The Lodge is fun. This is where you can sit down and hang out, grab those beers, spiked hot chocolates or Cider & Whiskeys. They have jenga for you to play, a curling table.
I really like their couch set ups — it’s really homey. They even have blankets for you to completely lounge out and hang out with your friends.
The cons — the hockey tables are broken, both of them. IMO, either fix them or remove them — they’re useless.
The menu is pretty delicious sounding — but a bit harder for someone that has stopped eating beef and pork. They do have a black bean burger but I wish there were more options.
Overall, cool place to hang out

The Lodge is so cool! It’s a great place to come for a few beers and hang out, but beware — it isn’t very warm in the main tent, so you’ll probably have to keep your coat on. There are a lot of benches in this place, but on weekend nights it’s hard to find a seat. They also have a few choice couches near fireplaces, but I don’t think the fireplaces actually produce any heat.
There are places to sit outside and roast marshmallows, but it’s always been too cold out when I’ve been there. There’s also a beautiful and ginormous pine tree outside that’s strung up with pretty lights. On Valentine’s Day, they had a free photo booth where my friends and I took goofy pictures of ourselves. I also came once when they had a beer tasting with brewers like Cape May. Best part is that it was also free!
The reason why I can’t give them 5 stars, though, has to do with some of the people that come here. On Vday, I left my hat and gloves on our table to hold our place for the 10 or so minutes we had to wait in line for the photo booth. When we came back to table, my hat and gloves were gone (and it was a snowy night!). There was a couple sitting at our table when we got back who weren’t very helpful in trying to look for them and seemed annoyed that we were even talking with them. Then I went to check the lost and found (because I thought that maybe a nice person had found them), but my hat and gloves had not been turned in. So some mean person took my hat and gloves. Oh well, everything else about this place is great!
PS: The Lodge closes March 1^st, so if you haven’t been yet, make sure to check it out before then!

If you want to be transported to a winter wonderland without hopping on a plane or settling into the car for hours, look no further than Penn’s Landing. Winterfest is here for another few weeks, and it’s got all the spiked hot chocolate and bonfires you could want at the makeshift «Lodge.»
Ok, its not quite as comfy as an actually lodge, and the large tent could probably benefit from a few additional space heaters, but whoever is responsible for design and décor deserves a round of applause. The tented lodge is huge, complete with mobile fireplaces, beer-​hall style tables, and rocking chairs with flannel blankets. We had a great time playing jenga and sipping beers, until the crowd thinned out and it got too cold. It would be nice to see an additional food window, as the line got really long when the skating session was up — but the fries we ordered were delicious, and the food in general is far better than you’d expect.
Hurry down to Winterfest before March 1^st — this is some prime Philly public space that you don’t want to miss out on.

This was easily one of my favorite things to do this winter. Both times I went, I brought my children and over those visits, we did ice skating, smo’res by the fire pit, rocked in the rocking chairs, drank beer and cocktails and enjoyed food from the food truck and indoor restaurant, and played games in the arcade.
I loved all of the variety of activity that ranged from things to do with the kids and adults. One of the weekend nights we went, there was free beer tastings and quizzo. So fun. Some of the stuff is really pricey though. I wish ice skating wasn’t so much and the $ 8 we spent for a smo’res kit was ridiculous (4 marshmallows, 1 chocolate bar, and some graham crackers). Our marshmallows were super stale too, yuck. But other than that, this place is a blast!

The lodge was pretty cool. Ice Skating, indoor tent, Distrito food stand, and free beer… What more would you want?
Upon walking into the tent with Gia M. to meet up with Ashley S. and Kathleen D. I was quite intimidated. There was a swath of people around the tent entrance. As I made my way through the crowd thinned out to my liking and our group grabbed a picnic bench.
Gia went to grab us beers and I looked around to find a beer tasting with a super long line. I wasn’t ready to jump in. Gia arrived with a double IPA for me which wasn’t boozy and quite tasty, Yum beer.
After the line thinned out we jumped in for some free beer. It took about fifteen minutes to get to the front, and the line wasn’t the best managed. People took advantage and would cut others. Also, you were apparently supposed to get a wrist band from someone to indicate your age which I wasn’t made aware of until I got to the first vendor. I was so happy that each vendor accommodated me as I presented them with my ID to get a sample. Vendors were knowledgeable and freindly. However, Cape May Brewing Company had some of the most nasty vendors. They refused to serve me and were condescending. I got over it pretty quickly as I enjoyed another Pale.
Afterwards we snapped a picture in front of the Ben Franklin.
Good times when you have a nice crowd to go with.

I’m so glad the Lodge has its own review page! I can’t stand up straight on ice skates, but this pop-​up lodge next to the rink? It’s wonderful! You can come here, drink some beer and pretend winter isn’t completely awful and gross for a couple hours.
I came here during the Brewfest event so my experience might have been different than on a regular night. The lodge was packed to the gills with people sampling away with neon green bracelets on. PS: What a great event idea? Maybe making it ticketed entry would have been better to control the crowd flow a little bit, but otherwise, thumbs up!
It’s not heated inside, but it’s not as cold as it is outside, of course. Plus, you can distract yourself by playing some fun games, like the tabletop hockey game! Fun, fun.
Beer selections and prices were great. Food? Not so much. My burger was so sad looking. It was the most pathetic burger I had seen in a long time. It was definitely not worth the price. I recommend eating ahead of time. I was still hungry after finishing it, which is saying quite a bit.
You can also head outside to a colorfully lit area where there are also perfect photo-​ops with Mr. Ben.
Yep. Big fan.

Come here and expect: a crowd, an awesome setting to enjoy a night out, craft beer and hot bevies
What I got from it: I was visiting Philly for my second time and was hoping to catch some interesting stuff during the Christmas season. Nothing like a viewing Christmas trees, families, and lights galore!
I found this listed in a «sights-​of-​the-​season» section of a tourist guide, and decided it was worth checking out since there actually wasn’t too much promoted to do during the regular December time versus the tourist-​filled schedule of events the week of and the week after Christmas. I WAS NOT DISAPPOINTED! WOW, this is so legit! They successfully built a frekin «pop-​up-​cabin-​in-​the-​woods» on the waterfront! How did they do this!!!
There are a few 80s arcade games, they offer craft beer, hot drinks with and without alcohol, diner food, and it’s super well heated! Good luck finding a spot on the luxuriously comfy couches next to the fireplace!!! Get there way early and maybe you will – I mean like on a weekday, around 5pm when everyone else is commuting.
Another awesome element they had was rocking chairs lining the outside, under heat-​lamps, WITH heavy blankets = total protection from the cold while still being outside! How cozy is this? I took a nap when it was 35 °F after some beer and lots of walking. I will always remember that nap as being one of the best experiences in Philly… how crazy great is that?! But really, it was that. GREAT.
You live in Philly? You need to come here a few times, with friends. Don’t expect fast service since there are so many people and many children. Don’t expect to get full. This is a place to hang-​out. So chill… under a canopy of warmth.

This place is awesome!
I didn’t get a chance to visit in the 2013 – 2014 season, so I was really glad when they not only brought this back, but also added more features. My husband and I ended up here two nights in a row over Christmas Break. Interestingly enough, we didn’t even skate either night!
The first night, we were by ourselves and hung out in the firepit area, while drinking spiked hot chocolate and local beers. Prices are on the higher side, but honestly, they aren’t more than you’d pay elsewhere in old city. We didn’t get a chance to eat there, but the selection seemed small and the wait was massive. I’d suggest eating elsewhere.
The second night, we met up with my husband’s cousins (he has something crazy like 20+ cousins just on his mom’s side). We had a picnic table with about 10 – 12 people and it was perfect. It’s a good place for a group because you can just buy yourself food and drinks as you go, without having to wait for a waitress and then split the bill (and all the other things that annoying about going out with a group).
If you want to skate, I’ve heard its free if you are a BlueCross insurance holder (but you have to rent skates). Not sure about the prices, but from what I remember, it’s not crazy expensive. Also, the rink is pretty big and has nice views of the water.
Overall, this is a great place for a date night, group outing with friends, or a family night. I highly recommend for a fun winter activity that won’t break the bank.

‘Tis the season. And I mean it! Winter falls dead last on my list of favorite seasons, but Blue Cross really does it right. From the heated tents to the fire pits to the skating rink, they really take the blues out of winter and kick them straight into the Delaware. I’m not sure the history of it, but I can only hope Winterfest will continue to welcome the seasonally depressed with open arms.
In arguably one of the most diverse strips of road in Philly, Winterfest presents itself as one of the city’s most up and coming traditions. It’s a serious bucketlister. Although Columbus Blvd has its share of 18-​to-​enter-​21-​to-​drink seasonal night clubs, fine dining spots, and historical attractions, the crew behind Winterfest produces a great event to rival them all.
The overall atmosphere is fantastic. The massive light displays synced with music radiate that cheery and festive holiday feel, while the tents and fire pits create a communal sense of gathering. Many view Winterfest as a relaxation destination rather than an item on a to-​do list, so it feels a bit more homely and a lot less touristy than Dilworth Plaza’s skating rink.
The rink itself opens in shifts; skaters are allotted hour and a half time slots, with the Zamboni (cool word) clearing the ice in between each shift. Mostly everyone on the ice has the same experience level, but do be on the lookout for elementary– and junior high school-​aged show offs weaving in and out of traffic. Skate rentals are $ 10, while admission to the rink is $ 3. DISCOUNT ALERT– anyone with Blue Cross insurance is entitled to free admission for them and 3 others!
The tent offers food and both alcoholic and non-​alcoholic drinks. I personally spent more time in the beer line, but hey, to each their own. Their ID’ing system is more efficient than most; someone checks IDs and gives wristbands while waiting you wait in line, and you then only need to show your band at the bar. The servers are super friendly and conversational. AND they take credit cards!
Get down here with anyone and everyone. There’s much fun to be had by all!

Brought to you my the amazing ladies of Art Star and the ingenious folks who orchestrated PHS Broad Street Garden this summer, comes the Winterfest (or here, the Lodge at the Waterfront) Cobbled together from recycling shipping containers (brilliant), strewn with festive white lights, banners, serving alcohol and delicious bites, this is the perfect scenic accompaniment to the ice rink adjacent. Adorable fire pits can keep you warm outside as you sip on an alcoholic cider, hot chocolate with absolut vanilla or a very seasonally appropriate Victory Winter Cheer — or choose to stay indoors and hang out on the bales of hay or play a little ping pong.
Super family friendly by day, and perfect holiday destination by night. For the next weekends, Fridays — Sundays into the New Year, there will be a rotating selection of vendors selling their wares (skip KOP!) — perfect for your thoughtful and unique holiday shopping pickins!