The first thing that comes to mind when people think of the Penn Relays are usually the races. However, there is much more to the weekend than simply what happens on the storied track of Franklin Field.
The Penn Relays Carnival, which will take place Thursday through Sunday, has played a significant part in making the event what it is.
Spectators will be able to entertain themselves with more than just relay races and pole vault contests.
According to Penn Relays Director Dave Johnson, the carnival started early on in the history of the event.
When the relays first began, there were no facilities in or around Franklin Field in which athletes could change.
"The first use of the term ['carnival'] was from the look of the dressing tents surrounding the track," Johnson said.
The carnival has since grown into a cultural and corporate event that will involve 23 sponsors, including Nike and Pepsi.
Many of these companies will set up booths within the gated Penn Relays Carnival Village, which will surround Franklin Field and span to the Levy Tennis Pavilion and the Palestra. These corporate sponsors will be able to sell their merchandise and show off their new products.
Penn Relays Director of Marketing Dan Flynn spoke of how ticket sales have been up this year. He believes this is because Penn has teamed up with New Era Tickets to open up a toll-free 24-hour ticket hotline, which will allow Penn to sell passes online to make purchasing more convenient.
Even without a relays ticket, however, visitors can still get the feel of the event by visiting the street vendors which traditionally set up shop along Walnut Street. This year, however, because of various construction projects, spaces are limited, and fans can expect fewer vendors -- who sell everything from Penn Relays gear to a wide selection of food -- than in previous years.
Flynn, the marketing director, also emphasized the significance of the relays and carnival and how they essentially take over the city that weekend. The relays are more than three days of races -- they are a culture event that draws people from all over the world.
"A lot of colleges and families will have their reunions here just because it is the Penn Relays," Flynn added. "There are some patrons who have been coming for fifty years."
Local businesses -- including World Cafe Live, which is also a corporate sponsor of the relays -- will try to capitalize on this weekend by hosting the popular Caribbean reggae band, Culture, as they they try to cater to the tastes of spectators who have come from as far away as the Caribbean.
Hotel rooms, restaurants and bars will most likely be fully booked during Penn Relays weekend. Unofficial events -- usually sponsored by student groups at Penn -- such as receptions and shows will also take place.
"The carnival represents the type of the atmosphere of the Penn Relays," Johnson, the relays' director, said.
Flynn concurred, adding that the weekend "is definitely bigger than just track and field events. ... The Penn Relays is a rite of passage for spring in Philadelphia."
