RockyFest week dedicated to 'Rocky' movies

PHILADELPHIA

Rocky Balboa fans are ready to go the distance — by bus, by 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 a year after the inaugural Rocky Day was held with Sylvester Stallone in attendance at the Philadelphia Museum of Art steps.

The Rocky Bus Tour served as Round 1 over the weekend before the festival truly laced up its gloves for the opening event — on Dec. 3, the 1976 release date of “Rocky” — with area elementary school students running the Rocky steps.

A second cast of the Rocky statue was unveiled on Dec. 3 at the top of the Rocky steps, where the original was featured in “Rocky III,” and will remain there through Dec. 31.

“This statue represents everything that the Rocky films stand for: resilience, heart, and the unbreakable bond between Rocky and the people of Philadelphia," Stallone said in a statement.

Rocky is feted this week with 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. The tour — with QR codes that pull up scenes from the movies at designated sites — weaves Rocky fanatics through the city and includes stops at Adrian and Paulie’s fictional graves, the Italian Market where Rocky trained, and the exterior site of Mighty Mick’s Gym.

“If no one has seen the movie,” tour guide Adam Clements said before a recent trip, “there will be spoilers.”

While Stallone and “Creed” star Michael B. Jordan have made previous promotional stops at the Rocky steps, no actors were expected to attend this year's events.

The 78-year-old Stallone did appear last year at a rain-soaked Rocky Day and credited the city for the character's success as much as anything the weathered fighter achieved on the big screen.

The 1976 film won a best picture Oscar and in 2020 finished tied for No. 2 in The AP Top 25 favorite sports movies poll.