SoLow Fest, Solstice, and Hot Air Balloons – Your Week June 21- 27, 2018

With summer in full swing, here are our picks for the last full week of June.

Hot air balloons take flight at the Chester County Balloon Festival (Credit: Gregory Cazillo)

Hot air balloons take flight at the Chester County Balloon Festival (Credit: Gregory Cazillo)

June 21: Celebrate the longest day of the year with a do-it-yourself music festival taking place in more than 700 cities around the world. Make Music Philly means free concerts around the city Thursday, including lunchtime jazz in Dilworth Park and a ukulele meetup on South Street. See the full map here.

June 21: Appreciate the effects of the solstice on the Schuylkill’s tide at Bartram’s Garden. They’ve got illuminated rowboats — built by Philadelphia middle-schoolers — that you can take out on the water for free. Onshore activities include a workshop to make your own sundial.

June 21 – 24: SoLow Fest continues this weekend with intimate theater performances, many in unusual spaces including a grocery store, attic, and someone’s kitchen.

June 22 – 24: With hot air balloon rides, remote control plane demos and paragliding shows, the Chester County Balloon Festival promises plenty for aviators young and old.

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June 23: The annual New Jersey Beer Festival takes place this weekend aboard the Battleship New Jersey. You can sample brews from around the Garden State and take a tour of the historic ship.

June 23: The Inflatable Run is like a 5k meets American Ninja Warriors meets a bouncy castle. Competitors race around a mile-long track of inflatable obstacles. The event also features a massive water balloon fight, go-carts, and other activities for spectators. Great for families.

June 24: Mountain biking can be a bit of a macho sport. The WTF Beginner Mountain Biking Ride aims to help women, trans, and gender-nonconforming folks try it out, safely and with support.

June 24: If your yoga routine has gotten stale, this weekend offers two opportunities to mix it up: partner yoga on standup paddleboards, and yoga with dogs (they’re all up for adoption). Plus check out our roundup of other ways to shake up your workouts this summer.

June 24, July 29, Aug. 26: Be a tourist in your own city with the Double-Decker Music Series, which brings live bands onto double-decker buses for a twilight tour and concert. BYOB.

June 27: Every Wednesday throughout the summer, Media, Pennsylvania, shuts down State Street for Dining Under the Stars, which brings local restaurants out into the open air.

June 27: Learn about local history through vintage signage on a tour of Neon Philadelphia, hosted by Len Davidson, a neon sign maker and collector. You can also catch tours of Wildwood, New Jersey’s iconic neon signage all summer long with the Doo Wop Preservation League.


This article is part of a new effort recommending things to do in the Philly region. Tell us what you think.

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