Rocky Day in Philly

The city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania will declare December 3 as “Rocky Day”, and Sylvester Stallone himself will be on hand to celebrate the occasion.

Stallone will appear at the Parkway Visitor Center at 11 a.m. m. for a special event celebrating his beloved boxing alter ego, Rocky Balboa.

The actor will inaugurate the new Rocky Shop at the visitor center after a ceremony that will make December 3 official Rocky Day, the date of the release of the first Rocky movie.

“This day is incredible for me and for the people who have welcomed Rocky into their hearts. When I am in Philadelphia and I walk up the stairs, it touches my soul like it did when I was younger. This is a very special place in a city very special… Believe me, there is no other place like this in the world,” commented Stallone.

When “Rocky” was released 47 years ago, Stallone rose to stardom and became an adopted son of Philadelphia. The film that won the Oscar for best picture and spawned five sequels starring the determined boxer, as well as the recent spin-off series “Creed.” While much of the “Rocky” franchise was filmed in Philadelphia, the first film features what remains the city’s best-known scene: Rocky running down the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art while “Gonna Fly Now” plays.