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Rocky Balboa fans went the distance—by bus, on ice skates, by 72 steps—to honor Philly’s favorite fictional fighter almost 50 years after the first movie launched the enduring series of an underdog boxer persevering despite the odds.
The city Rocky called home at last has a week dedicated to the box office heavyweight champion of the world, more than a year after the inaugural Rocky Day was held at the Philadelphia Museum of Art steps.
RockyFest officially opened on December 3, when the second cast of the Rocky statue was unveiled at the top of the Rocky steps—where the original was featured in Rocky III—and remained there through December 31.
Dozens of students ran up the steps to kick off the event.
Patricia Todisco, a visitor from New York City, said she is a huge Rocky fan. Even though it’s a fictional story, the movie has inspired her in life and deepened her love for Philadelphia as a city.
Azra Hayer traveled from England to see her daughter who’s studying in the city. She said that when foreign visitors think of Philadelphia, they think of Rocky. But she hopes the festival will show everyone that there’s a lot more to the city.
Eli Shaika runs Rowhome Coffee, a café located in the Kensington area of Philadelphia where the film was shot. He feels that the people of Philadelphia resonate with Rocky and have adopted the character’s underdog mentality.
The Philadelphia Visitors Center hatched RockyFest—which ran through December 8—in part for an overdue appreciation of the series as well as connecting locals and tourists to movie sites beyond the bronze statue.
RockyFest events include a mural unveiling, movie marathons, RockyU discussions on the enduring appeal of Stallone’s most famous character, look-alike contests and even a bus tour.
This article was provided by The Associated Press.