Happy Juneteenth, Philadelphia! There’s plenty of things to do this week, both indoors and out. Parks on Tap is still on, plus the wine garden in Center City’s Collins Park, opera at Dilworth, Batman performed by the Philadelphia Orchestra at The Mann, and a block party in Old City.
There’s a huge Juneteenth celebration at the African American Museum, and the Chinese Lantern Festival kicks off this week. We also have major fundraisers to benefit Franklin Square, first responders and Change Our Future.
There are plenty of theater and museum exhibits ongoing to keep you cool while you enjoy Philly’s artistic and cultural contributions, plus Pride is still loud and out, so enjoy it while it lasts!
Is that not enough? Thinking of things to do further head? Check out our year-round calendar about how to be a good citizen.
Fundraisers for good causes, Batman with the Philadelphia Orchestra, Juneteenth celebrations, opera in the park, wine in the park, Old City Eats, and the Chinese Lantern Festival!
THINGS TO DO THIS WEEK IN PHILLY
SPEND THE EVENING IN FRANKLIN SQUARE. On June 18 from 6 to 10pm, Historic Philadelphia’s annual fundraiser at Franklin Square raises funds for the park’s maintenance and free programming. This year, An Evening in Franklin Square serves as the preview for the Chinese Lantern Festival and includes cocktails, dessert, dancing and choreographed fountain shows. $250+. 200 N. 6th Street
CELEBRATE JUNETEENTH AT THE AFRICAN AMERICAN MUSEUM. On the official holiday, the African American Museum in Philadelphia (AAMP) activates inside and out, June 19 from 10am to 4pm. This year’s theme: “Rhythms of Liberation.” The all-free celebration lets families and friends browse a marketplace, make art, line dance, dine at food trucks and get lucky at giveaways. The whole event is free, including admission to the museum itself and the exhibition Imprint: Dox Thrash: Black Life, and American Culture. Free. 701 Arch Street
ENJOY BEER IN THE PARK. Parks on Tap comes to Lemon Hill Mansion June 19 through June 23 from 4 to 10pm. The roving beer (and cocktail and food) garden provides a great excuse to bring your kids to happy hour. Free admission. Lemon Hill Drive
GET FANCY; DRINK WINE IN THE PARK. John F. Collins Park, in collaboration with Chaddsford Winery, hosts a Wine Garden in the Park June 20 from 5 to 9pm. Sip on wine cocktails, wines by the glass, and to-go bottles alongside the chill, jazzy stylings of John “Sax” Williams. Guests are encouraged to bring takeout from the local restaurants, but snacks will be available for purchase onsite. Pay as you go. 1707 Chestnut Street
GO TO A BLOCK PARTY TO RAISE MONEY FOR FIRST RESPONDERS. Kyle Schwarber’s Block Party returns on June 19 from 6:30 to 9:30pm to Yards Brewing. Enjoy music, great neighborhood food and a silent and live auction featuring experiences, sports memorabilia and more. 21 and over only. $250+. 500 Spring Garden Street
STUFF YOUR FACE IN OLD CITY. On June 20 from 5 to 9pm, the Old City Eats Block Party brings local eateries and bars together for al fresco dining along S. 2nd Street in Old City. Sample seasonal snacks, beer, cocktails, and wine along with music and fun activities. Pay as you go. 2nd Street between Market and Chestnut
SEE AN OPERA IN DILWORTH PARK. Center City District’s “Arts on Center Stage” series continues with Opera Philadelphia performing a free, live concert just outside City Hall on June 20 from 6 to 7pm. Get a preview of the upcoming 50th season with an aria and duet from Mozart’s Don Giovanni, a chorus from Joseph Bologne’s The Anonymous Lover, and a song from Philadelphia-born composer Missy Mazzoli’s first opera Songs from the Uproar, Free. 1 S. 15th Street
DON’T MISS THE ANNUAL CHINESE LANTERN FESTIVAL. Celebrate the Year of the Dragon in Franklin Square at the Chinese Lantern Festival. View astounding illuminated displays, authentic Chinese food, cultural performances, a fountain show and the iconic 200-foot-long dragon. The festivities begin June 20 and run through August 18. Timed tickets are required on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays. $16-$28. 200 N. 6th Street
EXPERIENCE BATMAN IN CONCERT. The Philadelphia Orchestra celebrates the 35th anniversary of Tim Burton’s 1989 take on the Caped Crusader on June 20 at 8pm with Batman in Concert, a performance of Danny Elfman’s thrilling, Grammy-nominated score live as the iconic film plays under the stars at The Mann. Doors open at 6, bring a picnic dinner! $28-$93. 5201 Parkside Avenue
BE FASHIONABLE FOR PHILANTHROPY. The Fourth Annual Change Our Future Sneaker Ball takes place June 20 at Vie by Cescaphe. VIP reception is at 7pm, general admission is 8pm. Put on your best formal wear and pair it with your nicest kicks to raise money for Change Our Future programs and initiatives such as the Youth Leadership Summit, Next Man Up and STEAM fusion. The evening includes live entertainment, a silent auction, gourmet hors d’oeuvres, celebratory cocktails, interactive activations and luxury sneaker vendors. $220+. 600 N. Broad Street
A Juneteenth house party, the Clay Fest, Manayunk Art Fest, and Pride parties
THINGS TO DO THIS WEEKEND IN PHILLY
ATTEND A JUNETEENTH HOUSE PARTY. In celebration of Juneteenth, Intercultural Journeys hosts The Re-Emancipation of Social Dance on June 20, 21 and 22 at 7:30pm at Christ Church Neighborhood House. Created by Raja Feather Kelly and Yolanda Wisher, The Re-Emancipation of Social Dance is an interactive dance party throughout five “living rooms” featuring five Philadelphia-based, generation-crossing, genre-defying artists that blends storytelling with choreography, performance, and multimedia. $20. 20 N. American Street Fourth Floor
GO TO A LANDMARK ARTS FESTIVAL. June 22 from 11am to 7pm and June 23 from 11am to 6pm, Manayunk Arts Festival is celebrating its 35th Anniversary. Over 300 artists are showcasing their fine arts and crafts in glass, fiber, wood and sculpture, ceramics, jewelry, photography and painting at the tri-state area’s largest outdoor juried art festival. Hundreds of thousands are expected to attend and partake in the art, food, and beverage along Main Street, which will be closed to traffic. Free. Main Street
ATTEND A PRIDE PARTY AT AN ART GALLERY. NoName Gallery hosts Chestnut Hill’s Second Annual Pride Party on June 22 from 5 to 8pm, with a portion of the proceeds to benefit the William Way Center. Free. 10 East Springfield Avenue
ONGOING EVENTS
Art exhibitions, plays, and more things to do, until you can’t anymore.
An old shipping container serves as the People’s Budget Office in LOVE Park. Photo by Rosie Simmons.
Mural Arts Philadelphia’s 2024 People’s Budget project allows residents of Philadelphia to co-create, learn, empower, and engage in the City of Philadelphia budget process. Through June 21, The People’s Budget Office will be set up in LOVE Park, serving as a resource hub and engagement space to learn about the city budget and contribute funding priorities. Hours are noon to 6pm Tuesdays and Wednesdays and noon to 4pm Saturdays. Free. 1600 Benjamin Franklin Parkway
SEE A WORLD PREMIERE 360-DEGREE PERFORMANCE. Experience Roger Q. Mason’s The Duat at the Suzanne Roberts Theatre’s theater in the round for Philadelphia Theatre Company’s 2023-24 season finale. The Duat, featuring Barrymore Award nominee (Waiting for Godot/Astragon) and Philadelphia native Frank X, chronicles a man’s journey transitioning through the Egyptian underworld and runs through June 23. $20-$73. 480 S. Broad Street
WATCH A CONTEMPORARY OPERA. The (Tony Award-winning!) Wilma Theater presents Hilma, the story of the recently discovered early 20th-century queer mystic and artist Hilma af Klint, told through a score that mixes opera, rock, pop and musical theater. Evening and matinee shows available now through June 23. $29-$80. 265 S. Broad Street
Philadelphia Marketplace at Dilworth Park
SUPPORT LOCAL BUSINESS AT THE MARKET. The Philadelphia Marketplace returns to Dilworth Park for the spring season every Friday and Saturday from noon to 6pm through June 29. The outdoor market features a rotating lineup of Philadelphia-area merchants and makers, nearly half being minority-owned businesses and more than three quaters women-owned. Shop handmade jewelry, skincare, artwork, home goods, stationery, specialty foods and more. A weekly list of vendors will be updated at dilworthpark.org. Free. 1 S. 15th Street
ROLL ON AT DILWORTH PARK’S ROLLER RINK. City Hall’s roller rink is open daily through June 30 from 11am to 8:45pm Sunday through Thursdays; 11am to 10pm Friday and Saturday. This year’s retro-inspired rink decor is courtesy of Lucky Dog Studio. The Air Grille Garden will serve up eats and adult beverages for those over 21. Timed advanced admission, private events, and skate rentals can be purchased online. $8-$16. 1 S. 15th Street
Golden Girls Mystery Theater
SEE A GOLDEN GIRLS MURDER MYSTERY. Without A Cue Productions are back with A Golden Girls Murder Mystery: The Girls Do Atlantic City at the Red Rum Theater. Shows are 5 and 8pm on Saturdays and 3pm Sundays through June 30. $35-75. 601 Walnut Street
Film posters, from top left: 12AM, Arroz, Leche y Powerball, We Can’t Breathe, A Little Family Drama, Angel Y Perla, Bajo La Tierra, a Million Dollar Cage, 24 Frames Lalla.
EXPERIENCE AN OUTSTANDING LATIN CINEMA FESTIVAL. The Philly Latino Arts & Film Festival returns for its 13th year bigger and better through July 7, showcasing over 140 Latine/x/a/o films from around the world at venues all over the city. The festival includes a new fellowship program, residency program, a 72-hour filmmaking competition, and much more. Sign up for the newsletter here. Various locations, times and ticket prices.
Rikers Quilt, 2020, Jesse Krimes. Courtesy of the artist and Jack Shainman Gallery, New York. Photo by Dan Bradica.
SEE A PROVOCATIVE ART EXHIBITION. At The Philadelphia Museum of Art from through July 15, Philadelphia-based artist Jesse Krimes’s Rikers Quilt (2020) is on display for its first institutional exhibition. Krimes produced his work in response to ongoing abuses at Rikers Island, drawing on his own experiences of incarceration and reentry into society. Museum hours are 10am to 5pm Monday, Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday, and 10am to 8:45pm on Fridays. Free-$30. 2600 Benjamin Franklin Parkway
Artist Risa Puno. Photo by Carlos Avendaño courtesy of the Fabric Workshop and Museum.
FEEL A GROUP HUG. The Fabric Workshop and Museum hosts Risa Puno’s first-ever solo exhibition, through July 21, Group Hug: Risa Puno is as visually captivating as it is interactive. Choose one of two paths in the show, and you’ll either lounge in a giant, soft, coconut shell-looking pod that transforms into a cozy armchair, or you’ll play Whack-a-Mole. Either way, you’ll learn a life lesson. Free. 1214 Arch Street
To Understand a Tree.
SEE NEW EXHIBIT AT THE MUSEUM FOR ART IN WOOD. Now through July 21, catch To Understand a Tree by interdisciplinary artist, designer and woodworker Gina Siepel. The exhibit focuses on “the dignity of a living tree, its network of eco-systemic relationships, and the ubiquity of the material of wood in design and daily life.” The museum is open Wednesday through Sunday from noon to 5 pm. Free. 141 N. 3rd Street
Courtesy of the Mütter Museum.
VISIT AN EXHIBITION ON HOMELESSNESS. Through August 5, the Mütter Museum hosts Unhoused: Personal Stories and Public Health, a special exhibition on American homelessness through the lens of public health. Museum hours are 10am to 5pm daily except Tuesday. Free-$20. 19 S. 22nd Street
TAKE THE FAMILY TO LEARN SOMETHING AT THE PARK. Through August 15, Parkway Pals at Sister Cities Park offers free educational programming for families every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday morning with the Free Library of Philadelphia, the Fabric Workshop and Museum, the Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel University, the Philadelphia Ballet, and on select days, Design Philadelphia. Sister Cities Park features the Earth Fountain and Children’s Discovery Garden and pebble-bottomed boat pond, open daily. The Sister Cities Café is also open and offers beverages, snacks and grab-and-go meals. See the full schedule of events at sistercitiespark.org. Free. 18th Street & Benjamin Franklin Parkway
SIP IN CENTER CITY. Back for its 20th anniversary, Philly’s “favorite happy hour’ Center City SIPS continues every Wednesday through August 28. Dozens of bars and restaurants are offering exclusive discounts weekly from 5 to 7pm: $7 cocktails, $6 wine, $5 beer, and half-price appetizers. Select locations will offer 15 percent off dinner after 7pm. Pay as you go.
Art of the Brick at the Franklin Institute.
EXPERIENCE LEGOS LIKE YOU NEVER HAVE BEFORE. Through September 22, the world’s largest display of LEGO art returns to the Franklin Institute. The Art of the Brick by Nathan Sawaya is a critically acclaimed collection of artworks made exclusively in plastic bricks that snap together, including original pieces and re-imagined versions of famous masterpieces, a multimedia exhibition of LEGO-infused photography by Dean Wes, and a 9,000-square-foot brick play space. Museum hours are 9:30am to 5pm daily, with evening hours to 8pm, Thursday through Saturday. $20-$43. 222 N. 20th Street
MORE GOOD THINGS TO DO IN PHILLY