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The Flyers Charities Carnival is Back
Now in its 46th year, the event has something for everyone, including player meet-and-greets, games, and more.
It’s that time of year again! Get ready to ride a 65-foot Ferris wheel, and challenge Philadelphia Flyers players to a round of cornhole or ladder toss. The Flyers Charities Carnival is back for its 46th year, and it’s better than ever.
“Every year we introduce new ideas to enhance the fan experience. We reflect on past years, what worked, and what didn’t. And when things work, we definitely keep it going,” Flyers Charities president, Blair Listino said. “This is a community event where it’s full of families. Kids are free, and it’s accessible. It’s one of the few events that we do that has all of our players in attendance.”
Access to current and former Flyers players is a major draw for the event: Guests can buy tickets to take photos with them or challenge them to classic carnival games. Superfans can even buy tickets to meet Coach Tortorella and a pack of adoptable pups, take a tour of the players’ locker room, and take a shot on goal.
“The Carnival is our crown jewel,” Stutman said. “It’s by far our largest-attended event and it’s really for every fan — from the fans who grew up with the Bullies to the fans who were here for the Cup finals in 2010 … It’s three, sometimes four generations of Flyers fans who are sharing in that experience.” But the main draw, Stutman said, is the ability to interact with players. “The helmets are off, fans are seeing their faces, they’re talking, and we get shown pictures with players from 30 or 40 years ago that people hold on to,” she said. “It’s all just a really fun fan vibe.”
Flyers Charities, which organizes the Carnival, has been active in the community for nearly 50 years. “The charity started by supporting local families that have been impacted by cancer, and then we have also added the goal of growing the game of hockey. These are our two core pillars of giving for the charity,” Listino said.
Throughout the year, Flyers Charities hosts other events, including a casino night with players and the chaotically fun Gritty 5K. The money raised benefits groups working with families impacted by a cancer diagnosis and growing the game of hockey throughout the area.
Passing the Puck
According to Cindy Stutman, the senior vice president of community relations and the executive director of Flyers Charities, the team’s highest priority is directing Carnival funds to groups that will put the money to good use. “We want to amplify the great work of local organizations, and make sure we’re helping people in our area. We’ve gotten a lot of great partners over the years who have helped Flyers fans and our neighbors in the area,” she said. “We’ve also been able to fund our own programs now, too — like Rink Revive and Learn to Play Scholarships. Again, all the funds we raise go to further our mission, whether it’s through internal programs or through the great work of our partner organizations and beneficiaries.”
When it comes to growing the sport, Julia Dougherty, the senior director of Flyers Charities, endeavors to find communities where hockey is less accessible. “We know the sport’s really expensive; we know that a lot of kids aren’t exposed to it, so we’ve been trying to figure out ways to invest in those communities,” she said. One strategy for investment includes supporting partners who work in youth hockey and education, including leagues for people with visual impairment and the Flyers Warriors, an organization that gives disabled veterans the opportunity to play hockey.
“We want to amplify the great work of local organizations, and make sure we’re helping people in our community.”
At the end of 2024, Flyers Charities launched Rink Revive, a program that supports local hockey communities. “Over the past couple of years, we’ve had a lot of people organically come to us to tell us about their rinks and the issues that they face, which is a lot of disrepair and just not having the right equipment,” Dougherty said. What started as a series of ad hoc investments around the Philadelphia area became a fully funded grant program. “The idea is that this program will live on. Every year we’ll start the season asking people, ‘What do you need?’” she said.
An Evolving Experience Rooted in Heritage
Listino and her team are constantly optimizing the event to create a better experience. For instance, this year, a full event map will be released online ahead of time. Fans will be able to access the map digitally and scan to see updated player schedules when they enter the building. And, the Flyers Charities team is bringing back unexpectedly popular activations, like the flea market, where you can fill a bag with Flyers merchandise, as well as mystery pucks, which are individually wrapped, limited-edition pucks signed by surprise Flyers players. “We have a really good and creative team that has been really successful at being able to read the current landscape and where we are with different things,” Stutman said, when asked about the event’s devotion to incredible fan experiences. “We care about making it the best it can be for that following year,” Stutman said.
From making the event more accessible to families with free admission for kids under the age of 12 to opening even more areas of the arena to guests, it’s clear that the Flyers Charities team has taken the multigenerational fan experience to heart. “The Carnival is something that fans, players, staff, really anybody associated with the team look forward to every year,” Stutman said. “And we’re really stewards of that tradition. To be able to continue to move it on and evolve — it is just a really cool seat for us to sit in.”
The Carnival will take place on February 23rd, from 10:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., at the Wells Fargo Center.