Philadelphia’s Benjamin Franklin Parkway will shut down this Saturday in order to host Campus Philly’s Kick-Off festival, including a free concert from Saves the Day and Fat Joe.

The Kick-Off is an annual event designed to unite Philadelphia area college students at the beginning of the school year and promote their mission to “engage college students by providing them with better information, incentives and networking opportunities to make the most out of college life in Philly,” according to its website.

Saves the Day and Fat Joe will co-headline this year’s concert in front of the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

The Procussions, a hip-hop group that describes itself as having a “unique sound and intense focus on the ‘drum,'” was recently added to the set list. They will go on stage at 3 p.m., with Saves the Day following them st 4 p.m. and Fat Joe performing at 5:45 p.m. A second stage will feature local acts, including up-and-coming performer, taragirl.

Additional performances will include TNT Red Bull Freestyle Motocross stunt routines at 3:30 and 5:30 p.m. Franklin Paine, a local organization dedicated to providing legal and safe skate parks, will also sponsor a Skate Jam, including a trick contest.

IKEA plans to bus students from the Parkway to the South Philadelphia store location and will hold a contest for students to win the furniture from their dorm room display. The Philly Fellows, recent graduates working in Philadelphia non-profit organizations, will sponsor a career fair as well.

In conjunction with the Kick-Off festival, the annual College Day on the Parkway will take place, giving students free admission with valid college IDs to 12 museums along the Parkway, including the Philadelphia Museum of Art and the Eastern State Penitentiary.

Other sponsors will offer free promotional hand-outs along the Parkway, and food vendors will be present.

The Campus Activities Team has added a new Campus Philly committee this year to connect University students with CP’s opportunities and the city. Abbey Carr, a junior marketing major, is the Campus Philly representative, acting as a liaison between CAT and CP. The Campus Philly committee has a goal “to get Villanova into the city…to experience the arts, nightlife and sporting events,” Carr said.

Carr encourages students to attend this event, since it is not only a way to meet new college students, but also an opportunity “to enjoy a concert and get free stuff.”

Campus Philly is a non-profit organization that works with the City of Philadelphia, area colleges and private organizations to connect students to life in the Greater Philadelphia area and encourage students to stay in Philadelphia after graduation.

In addition to the Kick-Off, Campus Philly sponsors career and internship fairs and hosts a Web site, www.campusphilly.org, which features student-oriented articles, events and area listings. Students also may sign up for “The Click,” an online newsletter e-mailed to approximately 3,000 students weekly.

CAT is providing transportation to and from the Kick-Off for $5.

“This is cheaper than the R5, which is $7.50 round trip,” Carr said. “Plus the trains can get crowded when everyone gets on after the concert.”

The bus will leave Pike lot at 10 a.m. dropping students off along the Parkway. The first bus to head back to campus will leave from the same drop-off location at 4 p.m., and another bus will leave at 8 p.m. following the concert’s conclusion.

Participating students will also receive a copy of the 2006 Campus Philly “Notebook,” the Campus Philly discount tag good for special deals at select locations, including Brownie’s, a map of Philadelphia, a walking map of the Parkway area, an R5 schedule and a map of the shuttle loop provided by Phlash, a Philadelphia shuttle company, to the 12 participating museums.

Bus tickets should have been purchased ahead of time, but extra seats may still be available, according to Carr. For more information about the Kick-Off, visit 108 Dougherty, or visit campusphilly.org.