StormBowl plans to bring a free food and community festival to Center City Philadelphia on Saturday, Sept. 12, pairing family activities and food samples with no-cost space for local vendors and a post-event effort to keep customers connected to participating businesses.

The StormBowl Philadelphia Food & Community Festival is scheduled for 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. at the StormBowl Philadelphia Flagship, 1601 Market Street, with activities extending into adjoining event space. Marcus Hale of StormPeak Holdings said the event will include family activities, cooking demonstrations, music, community-resource areas and designated complimentary food samples from StormBowl’s Philadelphia Flagship and Food Truck.

Admission will not require a ticket, Hale said. StormBowl also says it will publish a guide before the event identifying which samples are free and providing allergen information where available. Participating vendors may sell their own food and products, and the company says it will distinguish those items from free offerings.

For Philadelphia families, the practical details may matter as much as the programming. Hale said the festival page will list nearby SEPTA routes and stations, parking options, an event map, hours and activity schedules before the event. StormBowl also says the grounds will have accessible entrances and routes, accessible restrooms, seating and rest areas, and room for wheelchairs and other mobility devices. Residents seeking a particular accommodation will be able to contact the festival team through the event page in advance.

StormBowl is offering free space to as many as 25 Philadelphia-area food vendors, small businesses and community organizations. According to Hale, food vendors will be chosen through an open application process that considers local ownership, appropriate food-service licensing, a connection to Philadelphia and the ability to serve the expected festival volume. The company also plans to seek a range of offerings rather than filling the event with businesses selling substantially similar products.

Hale said vendors will pay no application or vendor fee and will keep their festival sales. Applications, participation requirements, food-safety and licensing information, setup details and the Local Business Spotlight selection criteria are to be posted at StormBowl.com/PhillyFestival before applications close.

The company’s follow-up plan centers on a 30-day Local Business Spotlight for five participating Philadelphia businesses. Hale said those businesses will be selected after the festival using published criteria that include local ownership, community involvement, business readiness, where added exposure could be useful and a mix of products and services.

Selected businesses will receive promotion at participating Philadelphia-area StormBowl locations and through the company’s digital and social channels. Customers will be directed to information on where they can find or purchase from those businesses. The remaining participating vendors will not be part of the Spotlight, but StormBowl says every vendor that chooses to be listed will appear in a post-event digital directory with information about what it offers and how customers can get in touch.

That directory is expected within 48 hours after the festival and will remain promoted during the Spotlight period. For local entrepreneurs, that could provide a useful bridge between a one-day event and repeat business, provided residents have an easy way to revisit the businesses they discover.

StormBowl says the Spotlight will run through Oct. 12. The company plans to use unique promotional codes or referral identifiers to track visits or purchases tied to the campaign, while separating those results from broader online engagement. A final impact report is planned by Oct. 19 on the festival webpage and through StormBowl’s official social channels. Hale said it will report aggregate tracked referrals or redemptions, the number of businesses reporting results and the methodology used, without requiring public disclosure of private financial information.

For Philadelphia residents, the value of the festival will rest not only on a free day out, but on whether the vendor directory and follow-up campaign make it easier to support local businesses after the event ends.