Tasting summer in Chestnut Hill, thriving drive-ins, and Bowie meets yoga in this week’s ‘Things To Do’

Museums return, dining out in Chestnut Hill, drive-in movies and music

Listen 5:19
The Park Bench, 1946, by Horace Pippin (American, 1888–1946) (Courtesy of the Philadelphia Museum of Art)

The Park Bench, 1946, by Horace Pippin (American, 1888–1946) (Courtesy of the Philadelphia Museum of Art)

This week, there are a host of reopenings, from restaurants and entertainment venues in New Jersey on Friday, to the resumption of indoor dining and performance venues in Philadelphia. But those openings come with a caveat – social distancing, capacity limits and masks are still required. Many smaller performance venues are postponing any shows until spring of next year and not all restaurants will reopen, so check online before making plans to go out. Many venues, including restaurants, require advance ticketing or reservations for the indefinite future.

Drive-in to the dark side

Despite the green light given to reopen live performance venues and movie theaters, expect drive-in concerts and movies to continue at least while weather permits. Citizen Bank’s Live-In Drive-In features Grateful Dead tribute band Dark Star Orchestra on Saturday, Sept. 5 and Sunday, Sept. 6, comedian Michael Blackson. Check The Philadelphia Film Society’s website for upcoming screenings at their pop-up drive-in at Philadelphia’s Navy Yard, as well as their virtual offerings. There are still tickets to the Philly Drive-In in Fairmont Park near the Mann Music Center, which offers kid-friendly movies through September (with new movies opening up on Sept. 10.) All tickets are free. And at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center in Oaks, Pa., there are drive-in movie nights scheduled through Sept. 13.

Jurassic drive

The Jurassic age comes to Wells Fargo as Jurassic Quest has moved from the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center in Oaks, Pa. to the Wells Fargo Center. This year it also pivoted to become a drive-through event. Tickets for Jurassic Quest Drive-Thru come with at-home dinosaur-themed craft packs, and you can download the guided audio tour for free. If you pay more, you can bring a car that fits up to 12 people, but the vehicle must fit certain size restrictions. Over 80 ‘dinosaurs’ are on the tour, which lasts approximately an hour. Online tickets are discounted and, given that it’s close to selling out, recommended.

Jurassic Quest Drive-Thru
Sep. 4-13
Wells Fargo Center
3601 S. Broad St.
$25 – $80

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Eating on the hill

Chestnut Hill is going forward with its Restaurant Week. The tony neighborhood and its restaurants will offer dining in every capacity over nine days – indoors, outdoors, curbside pickup, delivery and takeout during the week. Menus range from prix fixe to à la carte, and include breakfast, lunch and dinner. Participating eateries include CinCin, El Poquito, McNally’s Tavern and Thai Kuu, representing the range of cuisines in the area.

Chestnut Hill “A Taste of Summer” Restaurant Week 
Germantown Ave.
Sept. 4 -13
various prices

Art and revolution

The Philadelphia Museum of Art reopens to the public on Sunday, Sept. 6, though the Perelman Museum, Rodin Museum and the historic homes will continue to be closed indefinitely. Currently on display in the museum are exhibits on Horace Pippin, South Asian artists, Italian artist Marisa Merz and more. There are new policies, including restrictions on food and drink, social distancing and masks for anyone over 2 are required and only one museum entrance is open. Advance tickets are recommended. The Museum of the American Revolution reopened Wednesday with similar COVID-19 restrictions. Kids visiting through the Labor Day weekend can participate in a scavenger hunt and take home a crafts kit that includes a fox-and-geese activity sheet. Note: The Revolution Place Discovery Center and Battlefield Theater are still closed.

Philadelphia Museum of Art
2600 Benjamin Franklin Pkwy.
$12 – $25
every Wednesday night and first Sunday of the month is pay-what-you-wish.

Museum of the American Revolution
101 S. 3rd St.
$13 – $21, any day ticket $25.

Shopping odd

Looking for an unusual virtual experience? Look no further than Market of the Macabre hosted by the Laurel Hill Cemetery. They will be offering oddities, antiques, and assorted handmade items of the unique variety during their weekend sale. Artisans including Antisocial Jewelry Company, Death Couture, Gutter Glam, Grim Philly, Twisted Philly and Mockingbird Lane Artistries will join Philly stalwarts Hidden City Philadelphia, the Mütter Museum, the Philadelphia Film Society and Eastern State Penitentiary in the marketplace. Once you RSVP, you’ll receive an email with the pertinent information to participate.

Market of the Macabre online 
Saturday, Sept. 5 and Sunday, Sept. 6 from 9 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Laurel Hill Cemetery is open for a Macabre Mini-Tour on Saturday, Sept. 5 from noon – 4:45 p.m.

Stretching with Bowie

The iconic David Bowie died four years ago but he remains a favorite in the Philadelphia area, remembered each year with a celebratory week around his January birthday. (Fingers crossed it still happens in 2021, even if virtually.) Until then, Bowie fans who are also yoga aficionados can combine their interests via BOWGA, a Bowie-themed yoga class happening every Thursday at Wood Street Green Space in Old City. The outdoor event will follow social-distancing protocols including participants bringing their own yoga mats and PPE. We don’t know if requests can be made, but we’re sure they’ll cover an assortment of Bowie classics.

BOWGA class
Wood Street Green Space Wood St. between 4th and 5th
every Thursday through Sept. 24, 7:30 p.m.
donation requested

Looking ahead

Here are some events coming up in the next few weeks you may want to check and/or reserve your tickets for. The Fringe Festival is mostly virtual this year with some outdoors events and it goes on from Sept. 10 – Oct. 4. People’s Light in Malvern, Pa. is hosting Sunday afternoon drive-in concerts through Oct. 18, and the Philadelphia Environmental Film Festival is happening virtually from Sept. 23-27 but festival passes go on sale on Sept. 4.

Remembering a King

Our hearts were broken when the news that Chadwick Boseman had passed was announced last Friday. While the world will remember him best as the wise and humble King T’Challa of Wakanda in 2018’s “Black Panther,” or as Jackie Robinson in “42” if you have some time over the holiday weekend, Boseman shined in other films as well. To be honest, he was often better than the films themselves. If I had to choose 5, I’d choose “Da 5 Bloods,” (2020, Netflix) “Draft Day” (2013, on-demand), “21 Bridges” (2019, on-demand, filmed in Philadelphia) “Get on Up” (2014, on demand) and “Message to a King” (2017) all films that represent various stages of Boseman’s too-short career. It’s inconceivable that Boseman was able not just to make 7 films after a Stage 3 colon cancer diagnosis, but do every press run with humor, humility, grace and his big, engaging laugh. RIP King, you will be so missed. If you haven’t seen his Howard University commencement speech, it’s worth a watch as well. He was a graduate of the historically Black university.

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.

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