Philadelphia Prepares for 2016 DNC

Philadelphia got some serious practice handling a major event with the pope’s visit. Now, the city and the Secret Service have their eyes set on their next major collaboration: the 2016 Democratic National Convention (DNC). The DNC will take place during July 25 – 28 next summer at the Wells Fargo Center. It is a major bash for Democrats, who will officially pick their nominees for president and vice president during the event. Republicans will hold their own convention a week earlier in Cleveland.

The DNC will be held at the Wells Fargo Center.

Like the papal visit, the DNC is expected to bring tens of thousands of people to Philadelphia – an estimated 35,000 to 50,000. Unlike the mild-mannered pilgrims that came to see the pope, however, the DNC is likely to draw a rowdier crowd. In fact, there’s a push to keep the city’s bars open later that week. Don’t worry about the whole city shutting down the way it did for Pope Francis, say city officials – the scope of the event is more akin to an Eagles football game.

Robert Hoback, a Secret Service spokesperson, said that the hubbub of the DNC was, based on past events, likely to be confined to one or two areas. He also said that the Secret Service’s planning for the event was about to kick into high gear. Reports say that city officials have been busy bees of planning for several months already. The Secret Service has a lot of work to do, as the Department of Homeland Security has identified the event as a potential terrorism target. If there is going to be a traffic box, say reps, it will be near the Center. There will be motorcades throughout the city, which means potential temporary street shutdowns. But, on the whole, the DNC should not wreak as much havoc as the papal visit. And besides, we have several months to go to get used to the idea!