The Ben Franklin Parkway was busy with people preparing for the arrival of Pope Francis.
PHILADELPHIA -- Lou Ferrero, a volunteer at Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul who calls himself a "lifer" at the church, was busy Friday night prepping the outside of the cathedral for Pope Francis's visit today.
He was not the only one anticipating the Pontiff's arrival. Pilgrims were taking in the atmosphere all along the Ben Franklin Parkway as they strolled from City Hall to Logan Circle, stopping to snap a few pictures and occasionally asking police officers questions.
Members of Saint Joseph's and Michael Parish in Union City sang as they danced in a circle around musicians playing a guitar and drum at the intersection of 20th street and the Ben Franklin Parkway while 10-year-old Nicholas Ercole was playing soccer a few blocks away on Green Street.
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The usually busy thoroughfare was eerily quiet without cars, allowing pedestrians to walk the street, something Nicholas's mother Courtney Ercole said she has never seen as she watched her son play in the street.
As a ball traveled down to the next intersection, she said she normally would be worried for her son's safety, but not on this day.
The pope leaves New York City early this morning and flies to Philadelphia's Atlantic Aviation at 9:30 a.m. for a whirlwind 36-hour weekend of festivities.
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The parkway, or "Francis Fairgrounds," opens at 6 a.m. Saturday for the day's events, which include the pope's arrival at the cathedral for mass at 10:30 a.m.
The Festival of Families on the parkway begins at noon. After speaking at Independence Hall at 4:45 p.m. Saturday, the pope is scheduled to return to the parkway for a parade through the fairgrounds so festival-goers -- even those without tickets to the section west of Logan Circle -- can catch a a glimpse of the pope.
His weekend will wrap up with Mass on the parkway on Sunday at 4 p.m. where upwards of 1 million people are expected to attend.
Tim Hawk may be reached at thawk@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @photogthawk. Find the South Jersey Times on Facebook.