Saturdays just got more interesting.
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Legendary musician Frankie Beverly performs is final show in his hometown, Philadelphia, at the Dell Music Center July 6, 2024. (KDMorris Photography)
Philadelphia heads into Labor Day weekend with a stacked lineup of festivals and performances. Friday kicks off in South Jersey with the 20th Annual Car Show and Food Truck Festival at Glassboro Town Square. On Friday, the 153rd Annual Volksfest begins in Northeast Philly, along with the Polish American Family Festival and Country Fair in Doylestown. The three-day Yo Adrienne! Improv Festival also starts Friday at the Adrienne Theater.
On Saturday, Indonesian Fest happens at Fleischer Art Memorial, alongside family fun at “Gracie’s Corner Live” at The Fillmore. That same day, fans can catch Canadian punk icons Simple Plan at The Mann and Latin trap star Eladio Carrión at The Met. For equine lovers, the 82nd Annual Ludwig’s Corner Horse Show rides all weekend with equestrian competitions, a midway and family-friendly activities.
Delaware | New Jersey | Special Events | Arts & Culture | Food & Drink | Kids | Music
He may be one of the few pop singer-songwriters with a Sports Emmy and a Clio Award under his belt for his track “Don’t Give Up On Me,” used for an ESPN cancer awareness campaign. But you may know him best from his 2014 hit “Honey I’m Good,” which went quadruple platinum. After a five-year drought, the singer-songwriter released his latest, “Monster,” in 2024. It includes the highs and lows he experienced since his last release, from the birth of a second child to the death of his mother from breast cancer. Highlights include anthems like the title track and “Still Smiling” and more mellow fare like “Magic” and “Friends and Family.” He’ll be in Delaware on Thursday to showcase the project.
Classic car enthusiasts and foodies come together for the annual fest. If you’re a car lover, over 300 models from antique to muscle cars are paired with over 20 food trucks serving everything from Philly cheesesteaks and gourmet ice cream sandwiches to dumplings, tacos, smoothies and funnel cakes. The vendor zone includes artisan crafts, and local bands Tequila Rose and Ready to Go provide the soundtrack. Beer, wine and spirits will be available for purchase at two beer gardens, which are good places to watch the awards ceremony. It honors winners in 16 categories, along with the “best in show” Mayor’s Choice Award.
The Island Country, Indonesian Fest: Saturday’s festival hosted by Gapura, a local Indonesian nonprofit, at the Fleischer Art Memorial is the culmination of a monthlong celebration of the country’s culture.
153rd Annual Volksfest: The annual German festival is happening Saturday through Monday at Cannstatter Volksfest-Verein, a German heritage organization in Northeast Philly.
59th Annual Polish American Family Festival and Country Fair: The ticketed festival at the National Shrine of Our Lady of Czestochowa in Doylestown runs Saturday through Monday, with additional September dates planned.
Camping out is fun. But as the summer winds down, there are fewer chances to do it. So take the time now to indulge in the outdoor spirit with campfire concerts and sing-alongs, a riverside morning hike in partnership with Walk Around Philadelphia, and enjoy outdoor movie nights beneath the stars as camping comes to Cherry Street Pier. Artistic activities include friendship‑bracelet making, hands‑on fiber crafts and game nights that bring trivia, bingo and good‑old campfire fun to the pier.
This historic event dates back to 1943, when a group of local fox hunters and community members organized a modest horse show to support the Boy and Girl Scouts. Now, equestrians from across the Brandywine and Delaware valleys compete all day in multiple classes and divisions, concluding with Monday’s antique and classic car show. Beyond the rings, the fair’s midway includes pony rides, games, a beer garden and vendors offering home décor, jewelry and equine supplies. Kids and pets are welcome, with a costumed pet parade and kids’ concert. Start things off with Friday’s cocktail party, which includes a silent auction.
You don’t normally think of classical music and aerial technology in the same context, but they’re together in this show. While a candlelit string quartet performs classical favorites including Vivaldi’s “Four Seasons,” Debussy’s “The Snow Is Dancing,” and Tchaikovsky’s “Swan Lake,” hundreds of LED-equipped drones move in sync overhead, creating animated shapes like stars, flowers and abstract patterns to match the music. Per organizers and this Billy Penn article, prepare for a relaxed “picnic-style” vibe, featuring the longest projections of any drone show.
Split across two stages, the three-day festival offers back-to-back showcases, improv jams for everyone from curious newcomers to seasoned performers and creativity-boosting workshops. Performances include local favorites like Schmooty!, Improvised Columbo, Man vs. Movie and NYC’s Bird and Friends: Cosmic Unity. Independently produced by Philly improvisers Sam Miller, Dominick Arp, Renata Rabinovich and Kiran Pandey, the festival is intended to celebrate Philadelphia’s improv community and encourage newcomers to join it.
Lo-fi rock n’ roll band Golden Apples is releasing its new album “Shooting Star” with Lame-O Records on Sept. 19 and inviting you to be its art director. At Freehand Supply, artists — from novice to professional — can create an original record sleeve for the band that will actually end up in stores. You can decorate blank sleeves any way you like, and 25 of the finished pieces will be used for a limited-edition run of the album sold at five local record stores. For every record sold, $20 goes to Beyond The Bars, a nonprofit using music education to empower Philly youth.
A precursor to next month’s jam-packed Fringe Festival, this is a monthlong, immersive, experimental festival of its own, produced by Almanac Dance Circus Theater. There are over 150 events spanning original mainstage shows, workshops, special programming and community gatherings. Preview nights, where performers promote their upcoming events cabaret-style, start Sept. 1 at the Asian Arts Initiative. Like Fringe, expect eclectic, experimental shows that include dance, play, performance art and more. Pro tip: Shows follow a no-one-left-behind policy where everyone is admitted regardless of ability to pay, and shows are pay-what-you-wish.
Suburban Philly is the latest stop in Dream Asia’s national tour, bringing together 90+ Asian food vendors serving everything from street eats to classic food from China, Korea, Japan, Thailand, Vietnam, India and beyond. There are also more than 30 New York City pop-up vendors showcasing the newest food trends from the Big Apple. Where there is food, there is shopping, and the cultural market offers crafts, fashion and art inspired by Asian traditions. If that wasn’t enough, expect to be immersed in Asian culture, including K-pop dance crews, martial arts demos, lion dances, tea ceremonies and even an interactive “Squid Game”-inspired challenge. Once inside, all food is capped at $15; desserts at $12; drinks at $10.
Inspired by their daughter in the early days of the pandemic, Arlene Gordon Hollingsworth and Javoris Hollingworth created an animated YouTube series. It took off, with guests like music stars Snoop Dogg and Big Freedia coming on the show, which is voiced by their daughter, Graceyn. In 2024, it won a NAACP Award for outstanding children’s programming. Now, the series is making its live-action stage debut with a stop in Philly as a high-energy, interactive concert experience for families. Like the series, it will feature catchy tunes, colorful visuals, and opportunities for the whole family to sing, dance and learn together.
Atlanta R&B quartet Xscape, formed by Kandi Burruss, Tameka “Tiny” Cottle and sisters LaTocha and Tamika Scott, rose to prominence in the early ‘90s under Jermaine Dupri’s So So Def Recordings label. They had platinum-selling albums like “Hummin’ Comin’ at ’Cha,” “Off the Hook=” and “Traces of My Lipstick,” generating hits including “Just Kickin’ It,” “Understanding” and “Who Can I Run To” that helped define the city’s sound. After selling 12 million records in the U.S. and earning accolades like the Lady of Soul Award at the 2022 Soul Train Awards, they’ve established themselves among the great R&B girl groups. After reuniting in 2017, they performed on The Great Xscape Tour and co-headlined the Queens of R&B Tour with SWV in 2024. Still on the road in 2025, they make a tour stop in Philly this week.
The American-born Latin trap sensation released his latest album, “DON KBRN,” in April. It showcases Carrión’s evolution in the Latin trap scene, featuring collaborations with industry heavyweights such as FNZ, Hollywood Cole and Finesse. His 2023 hit “Coco Chanel” with Bad Bunny earned him a Latin Grammy in the Best Rap/Hip Hop Song category, solidifying his status as a leading figure in Latin urban music. He’s on a 2025 North American tour coming through Philly this weekend.
Warped Tour stalwarts, the Canadian pop‑punk band formed in Montreal in 1999, building a devoted following with catchy hits like “I’m Just a Kid,” “Addicted” and “Welcome to My Life.” After a six-year break, their most recent album, “Harder Than It Looks,” released in 2022. In 2025, they contributed a new track and unreleased demos to the soundtrack of their Prime Video documentary “The Kids in the Crowd,” and released the track “Young & Dumb” with Avril Lavigne. Currently, the band is on their “Bigger Than You Think! Tour, a 19‑city North American summer run celebrating the band’s 25th anniversary. Bowling for Soup, 3OH!3 and opener LØLØ are supporting the tour. They’re in Philly on Saturday.
The tribute band celebrates the legacy of the late Frankie Beverly, the Philadelphia-born R&B, soul and funk legend who formed Maze in his hometown before being discovered by Marvin Gaye in the ‘70s. His music helped soothe generations of music fans — and our own Jalen Hurts! — with hits like “Before I Let Go,” “Joy and Pain” and “Happy Feelings,” the song Hurts played outside the locker room while embracing the Lombardi after Super Bowl LIX. The We Are One X-Perience, stopping in Philly this weekend, has emerged as a top-tier tribute ensemble, delivering high-energy renditions of Maze classics, fronted by seasoned musicians including El Warren “Spoon” Weatherspoon and lead singer Paul Bumbrey.
Released on Dec. 14, 1979, “London Calling” marked a huge evolution for The Clash. They abandoned a strict punk sensibility to blend punk, reggae, ska, rockabilly, New Orleans R&B and hard rock under the direction of producer Guy Stevens at Wessex Sound Studios. The double album shattered expectations both sonically and thematically, tackling social displacement, unemployment and youth unrest. It ultimately earned a spot on Rolling Stone’s list of the greatest albums of all time, as well as a 2007 induction into the Grammy Hall of Fame. Four bands, The Big Trip, The No Good Crowd, 2 Tones Clash and Citizen Riot, will play their own interpretations of the classic release by taking each side at Ardmore Music Hall.
Saturdays just got more interesting.
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