The ODUNDE Festival is the largest African American street celebration in North America and has been a Philadelphia tradition since 1975, when it was first created by Lois Fernandez. ODUNDE is based on customs of the Yoruba people of Nigeria and celebrates the arrival of another year. It features a parade that travels to the Schuylkill River, where fruit and flowers are presented to Oshun, the Yoruba river goddess, and a market with vendors offering goods from Africa, the Caribbean and Brazil.
Getting to the Festival
The ODUNDE Festival takes place around a 15-block radius centered on the intersection of 23rd and South Streets. Bus Routes 7, 12 and 17 offer stops nearby – note that while these buses will be detoured from their usual routes, they’ll still get you to the festival location. Those arriving on Regional Rail will want to exit at Penn Medicine Station and then head eastward on South Street. You can also use plan.septa.org for real-time trip planning to and from the ODUNDE Festival.
SEPTA Bus Route Detours
Sunday, June 14 to Monday, June 15
5 am to 1 am
- Route 7
- Route 12
- Route 17
- Route 40
Convenient Ways to Pay
Credit, debit or mobile payments are accepted on all SEPTA networks (Bus, Metro and Regional Rail) at any turnstile or farebox with a simple tap on the validator.
Multi-Rider is available on all SEPTA services and allows up to 5 passengers traveling together to pay with a single contactless debit/credit card or a SEPTA Key card.
Riders are encouraged to load funds on Key cards before the event. For more information about SEPTA Key, visit www.septa.org.
SEPTA ended the sale of Key Tix on March 2. The final date that previously purchased Key Tix will be accepted is August 28.
SEPTA accepts cash for travel on bus, Metro and Regional Rail; exact fare is required for bus and Metro.
- Transit Quick Trip: Customers at Metro stations may purchase a Quick Trip ticket, from Fare Kiosks, for a single one-way ride on the
, 
, 
Trolleys and the 
. Learn more about Transit/Metro Quick Trips. - Regional Rail Quick Trip: Customers may purchase a Quick Trip ticket from Conductors aboard trains. The conductor will issue a Quick Trip, needed to exit Center City Philadelphia Stations (valid 2 hours from time of purchase). Learn more about Regional Rail Quick Trips.
PATCO riders traveling to Philadelphia from New Jersey can use their PATCO Freedom Share card for travel on SEPTA Metro and buses for $2.90 per trip. Card must be purchased from PATCO and loaded with funds in advance.
Parking Pro Tip
Download the SEPTA Park app before you head out. All SEPTA lots and garages charge for daily-use parking—this includes nights and weekends. Payment must be made using the SEPTA Park app, via text or at the kiosks. To avoid violations, please be sure you’ve paid for enough time. SEPTA allows overnight parking at most Regional Rail stations, stations, and at Fern Rock TC and 69th St TC parking lots.
The SEPTA app allows you to think ahead with an integrated trip planner, view nearby stations and routes, save your favorite routes and much more; available to download in the App Store or Google Play Store.
View alerts, advisories and detours across the system. To get the latest service news, call Customer Service at 215-580-7800 or follow SEPTA @SEPTA.