Oceans revisited, ‘Love in the Time of Corona,’ and dog’s night out in Del. in this week’s ‘Things To Do’

This week, as we start winding down to the official end of summer (way too soon) there are a variety of events that tease the senses, from sight to touch.

It’s a dog day’s night

Delaware’s Winterthur Museum has beautiful grounds and they’re taking advantage of them to host the Music Along the Bank event next Thursday, Sept. 3. The outdoor event allows you to bring along your canine companion along with friends and family. Add a lawn chair and/or blanket and some picnic food for a concert from the Joe Hillman Band on Clenny Run Lawn. Dogs must be leashed, and food will also be available for purchase. The Winterthur Museum will be open during the event, following all COVID-19 protocols.

5105 Kennett Pike, Winterthur, Del., 19735
Thursday, Sept. 3, 5:30 p.m. – 8 p.m. $10 non-members

Ocean art

The Penn Museum has a new exhibit opening that unveils their little-seen Oceanian collection. The exhibit, which opens Friday, Aug. 28, is called Living with the Sea: Charting the Pacific and was curated by three undergraduate students at Penn. The exhibit features objects used by the people of Oceania including a Kiribati scarification tool, nose ornaments and body modification instruments from the Solomon Islands and a navigational chart used by sailors in the Marshall Islands. The exhibit is part of Penn’s undergraduate student exhibition program which helps train students for future careers in art, art history and art curation.

3260 South St., Philadelphia, PA, 19104
Tuesday – Sunday 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Advance tickets recommended, $13 – $18

Goating around

Goats are friendly creatures who enjoy people. That’s why they’re the focus of Sunday Fundays at the Awbury Arboretum. Their Philly Goat Project was launched to improve community wellness, assist in animal therapy and to prune overgrown vegetation at the farm. The added benefit is that they provide a fun afternoon outside with children who’ve been navigating the challenges and limitations of COVID-19. Staffers from the arboretum will be around from 2 – 5 p.m. to answer questions about the animals. The goats will be there to interact with visitors and maybe demonstrate some goat yoga. Mountain pose, anyone?

Awbury Arboretum Agricultural Village/Farm
6336 Ardleigh St., Philadelphia, PA 19138
2 p.m. – 5 p.m. on Sundays through Oct. 10, free
(Note: Bathrooms are closed due to COVID-19 restrictions)

Online author chat

Philly’s own Lorene Cary is an author, activist, artist and scholar. Her 1995 book, “The Price of a Child” is one of her most beloved. The Ebenezer Maxwell Mansion will host Cary for a Q&A about the period novel set in 1855 that tells the story of a Ginnie Pryor, whose journey to freedom comes with impossible choices and heartbreak. Though the mansion is still closed due to COVID-19, the event will be available via Zoom. 

The Price of a Child Lorene Cary Q&A
Saturday, Aug. 29, 1 p.m. $6
Laughin’ with Gaffigan

They may seem nostalgic but since the coronavirus has upended our recreational activities, drive-ins have made a big comeback. The Live-In Drive-In at Citizens Bank Park has proved popular with Philadelphians looking for a safer way to gather together. Comedian Jim Gaffigan is the first to headline a comedy show at the venue and he’s there on Saturday, Aug. 29 at 8 p.m. Gaffigan is known for his relatively clean, profanity-free sets and is currently starring as George Westinghouse in the video-on-demand biopic “Tesla,” with Ethan Hawke in the lead role as the pioneering scientist.

1 Citizens Bank Way, Philadelphia, PA 19148
Saturday, Aug. 29, 8 p.m. $159 – $275

Smithsonian jams

If cool music and the Smithsonian aren’t a combination that immediately comes to mind, we understand. It’s just that the stately organization, the world’s largest museum, and research complex, hasn’t showcased the eclectic musical taste of its staffers until recently. The staff of the Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage, Smithsonian Folkways, and the Smithsonian Folklife offices choose tracks for the Staff Jams playlist which is added to and updated on Spotify. Smithsonian Folkways marketing specialist Beshou Gedamu just added her picks to the list, which includes classic R&B from Philly group Harold Melvin and the Blue Notes, and songs from Erykah Badu, Mos Def, Marvin Gaye, and The Roots with Maimouna Youssef.

Love & corona

Leslie Odom Jr., made it from East Oak Lane all the way to the Broadway stage where he won a Tony for his role as Aaron Burr in “Hamilton.” The actor/singer/author is now starring in “Love in the Time of Corona,” a limited series airing on Freeform (and then on Hulu) shot partially at the actor’s Los Angeles home. His real-life wife, Nicolette Robinson, plays his onscreen wife on the series, which was shot remotely. According to the “New York Times,” cast and crew took COVID-19 tests, and actors were loaned equipment to do their own shooting and directors worked from their own quarantine locations. Also starring Rainey Qualley, Gil Bellows and L. Scott Caldwell, the four-episode series ponders love, dating and marriage during the pandemic.

Keep checking in with “Things To Do” as we continue to provide our picks for entertainment during the industry’s COVID-19 hiatus. Please consult our coronavirus updates to keep up with the latest information regionally.