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The Philadelphia Citizen’s Ideas We Should Steal Festival® presented by Comcast NBCUniversal, returns for its seventh year on November 14 and 15, 2024. We scoured the country for the changemakers and innovators whose transformative ideas could fuel much-needed progress in our city. The mission: to share powerful ways we can work together to create a city that meets today’s particular challenges and opportunities, so that all Philadelphians can thrive. Passes are available now. Secure your spot!

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One of the founding tenets of The Philadelphia Citizen is to get people the resources they need to become better, more engaged citizens of their city.

We hope to do that in our Good Citizenship Toolkit, which includes a host of ways to get involved in Philadelphia — whether you want to contact your City Councilmember about improving our nonprofit ecosystem, get those experiencing homelessness the goods they need, or simply go out to dinner somewhere where you know your money is going toward a greater good.

Find an issue that’s important to you in the list below, and get started on your journey of A-plus citizenship.

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Election Day Freebies, Deals and Fun

Already voted? Celebrate yo-self with a free beer or two, discounted tickets, gratis bike rides, complimentary snacks and free parties all across Philly

Election Day Freebies, Deals and Fun

Already voted? Celebrate yo-self with a free beer or two, discounted tickets, gratis bike rides, complimentary snacks and free parties all across Philly

Congratulations! You survived election — or at least campaign — season. You’ve voted before or on November 5, Election Day! Now, reap your rewards.

Like … free beer! And spicy bao buns — just for showing your “I Voted” sticker. Also look out for pop-up parties — DJ Jazzy Jeff and De La Soul in West Philly — a morning Hamilton celebration on Broad Street (and discounted tickets).

Check out all the free and discounted stuff you deserve for doing your civic duty. Go, democracy!

Free beer, watch parties

A free Mainstay Beer at FHM Hospitality venues, for showing them you voted.
A Mainstay Beer.

 

Use your “I Voted” sticker or other proof that you did your civic duty to earn yourself a Mainstay Independent beer at eight — 8! — FHM watering holes:

These include day-to-night Center CIty spots Harper’s Garden (31 S. 18th Street) and Rosy’s Taco Bar (2220 Walnut Street). Also: 4pm til late venues Juno (1033 Spring Garden Street), Rosy’s Taco Bar East (624 S. 6th Street) and Walnut Garden (1708 Walnut Street). Sports-y bar Craft Hall (901 N. Delaware Avenue) and Lucy’s (1720 Chestnut Street) offer beer and an election watch party. 

Love City Brewing in Callowhill (1023 Hamilton Street) will pour you 10 ounces of what’s on tap, just for wearing your “I Voted” sticker or asking nicely, from 4 to 11pm. Also, they’ll be following election results and news on TV.

If you want your free beer with a side of mini golf, wear that sticker to Libertee Grounds (1600 W. Girard Avenue) for a Libertee Lager. (You’ll still need to pay $10 to play nine holes, $18 to play all 18.)

Hamilton and De La Soul, plus discounted tickets

Hamilton national tour. Photo by Joan Marcus.

 

Joy to the Polls strikes again, this time, pairing up for a morning bash with free Brood Coffee, live DJs spinning the Hamilton score and performers — all outside the historic Academy of Music (240 S. Broad Street) from 7 to 8am. Later in the morning, Ensemble Arts is offering $24 off Hamilton tix if you purchase them after 10am on November 5.

At some point in the day, De La Soul joins DJ Jazzy Jeff at a top-secret West Philly polling place for a pop-up concert. You gotta RSVP to get invited.

 

Free bike rides

Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker, an African American woman wearing a bike helmet, peach-color top and black leggings, rides a blue Indego bike with members of the Philadelphia Bicycle Coalition in Center City Philadelphia.
Mayor Parker (center) rides an Indego bike with the Bicycle Coalition.

 

Indego, the blue Philly bike shares, is offering two free 30-minute rides on November 5 on regular (not electric) bikes, for voters who aren’t already using an Indego pass. The function is called “Single Ride,” and you just enter the code VOTE2024 on their website to secure your two gratis trips.

Patriotic burgers, specials on pitchers, wings, cocktails, guac, etc.

Margaritas at El Camino Real.
Margaritas at El Camino Real.

 

Voters get half off a margarita and half off guacamole from 11am until way, way after the polls close at El Camino Real in Northern Liberties (1040 N. 2nd Street).

Not really a discount, but popular-since-1860 McGillin’s Olde Ale House (1310 Drury Street) is topping ground beef circles with bleu cheese, roasted red peppers and caramelized onions and calling them “Red, White & Bleu Burgers” from 11am on Election Day. Like on any Tuesday night, after 5pm, wings are 50 cents each and Bud Light pitchers cost $9.

From 4 to 10pm, The Twisted Tail on Headhouse Square (509 S. 2nd Street), is charging $7 for painkillers (the cocktail, not the prescription). There’s live folk music by David Falcone from 6 to 10pm. 

Center City’s Patchwork (1620 Chancellor Street) is taking $2 off house wines and beers from 4 to 9pm.

Free food

SouthGate bao.

 

SouthGate (1801 Lombard Street) will be offering anyone who shows up wearing an “I Voted” sticker yet another choice to make on Election Day. Treat yo-self without paying a dime for a spicy pork boa or spicy cucumber banchan. (Either way, you win.) Open 4 to 9pm.

MORE FUN THINGS TO DO, ELECTION DAY AND EVERY DAY

Photo by M. Fischetti for Visit Philadelphia

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