Saturdays just got more interesting.
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Hezekiah Walker performs during McDonald's Gospelfest 2013 at the Prudential Center on Saturday, May 11, 2013 in Newark, NJ. (Photo by Charles Sykes/Invision/AP)
There’s a festival for everyone this weekend — from the ‘burbs to the heart of Philadelphia. OURfest celebrates “National Coming Out Day” next week with a parade and fair, while the Southeast Asian Water Festival highlights the food and culture of the people who lived alongside the Mekong River. In New Jersey, the 21st annual Collingswood Book Festival boasts an array of authors, including Angelo Cataldi, whose book “Loud” comes out in November. And in the First State, former Eagle and two-time Superbowl champ Malcolm Jenkins presents his new memoir, “What Winners Never Tell You.” Music’s John Mayer and comedy’s Jerry Seinfeld bring their respective talents to town. Plus, praise is at the forefront of the annual, free McDonald’s Celebration Inspiration Gospel Tour concert at The Mann.
New Jersey | Delaware | Special Events | Arts & Culture | Outdoors | Comedy | Music
Fall and books go together like biscuits and hot tea. You can likely combine them all at the Collingswood Book Festival, which brings authors and readers to the South Jersey town. Appearances by Angelo Cataldi and others, including memoirists, biographers, and young adult authors, are scheduled.
Two-time Super Bowl champion Malcolm Jenkins played safety for 13 seasons in the NFL. He brought the Eagles and the New Orleans Saints their only Super Bowl victories before retiring in 2022. Since then, he’s penned a memoir, “What Winners Won’t Tell You,” that covers his upbringing, career, and divorce from his wife, Morissa, with whom he shares two daughters. He’ll discuss it all during an appearance at the Wilmington Public Library.
Galaei is hosting the inaugural OURFest, a celebration of next week’s National Coming Out Day. The three-day event encompasses Saturday’s parade, which begins at 5th and Market streets at 4 p.m., and Sunday’s National Coming Out Festival and Resource Fair. The fair includes food trucks and community/LGBTQIA organizations on-site, as well as programming and performances designed to educate, uplift, and empower the queer community.
Join the men of ManUpPHL, including founder, WURD Radio host, and Philadelphia Inquirer columnist Solomon Jones, for An Evening Of Jazz with the Arpeggio Jazz Ensemble. The event helps support the anti-gun violence work of the organization, which includes mentoring, stipends counseling, and employment opportunities for boys and men at risk.
It’s all in the stars at Elfreth’s Alley’s First Friday event, Historic Astronomy and the Night Sky. Guides will discuss the history of astronomy and what tools early astronomers used. They will also demonstrate best photography practices for shooting at night. As part of the event, Elfreth’s Alley Museum tours are free.
The annual festival of all things design, DesignPhiladelphia runs through next weekend and features everything from architecture to interactive installations and fashion. Panel discussions and networking events are planned, along with a community paint day and a free kid’s fest — soap design is even covered!
Chestnut Hill is one of the prettiest neighborhoods in the city — so they’re rightfully showcasing its beauty at two special events. On Friday, they kick off with Night of Lights, their annual lighted display of eight storefront locations and historical buildings on Germantown Avenue. Then, on Sunday, Chestnut Hill hosts Fall for the Arts, which will turn the avenue into an arts and crafts marketplace closed to traffic for the duration of the event.
FDR Park is already home to the Southeast Asian Market, created by immigrants who once shared communities alongside the Mekong River. At the Southeast Asian Water Festival, attendees will find food for purchase from diverse cuisines, see a dragon boat display with Khmer Naga, and have the chance to enjoy free boating.
Everyone gets a festival this weekend as the array of festivals scheduled should please any food and drink enthusiast — no matter their preferred cuisine. Roxborough is the site for Saturday’s Roxtoberfest, which includes a pet costume contest. Also on Saturday, in the ‘burbs, are the Kennett Brewfest, with over 80 participating breweries, the Ambler Oktoberfest, and Paoli’s Oktoberfest Main Line. And in Philly, the Kimchi Festival at Love Park offers Korean cuisine and cooking demos, the Harvest Festival at Reading Terminal offers seasonal fare from the Market’s purveyors, and the Philly Wine Fest welcomes dozens of local, regional, and national wineries to Live! Casino. If you’re not overwhelmed just by reading this list, the Old City Fest rounds out the weekend on Sunday by taking over portions of 3rd and Arch streets for live music, food, and a magician.
On Sunday, Bartram’s Garden hosts the 13th annual Indigenous People’s Day Celebration in conjunction with Ollin Yoliztli Calmecac, an organization celebrating the Indigenous cultures of Mexico. In other celebrations, the Museum of the American Revolution offers special programming Friday through Monday during its annual Indigenous People’s Weekend, and on Monday, Native Americans gather for the national celebration of Indigenous People’s Day to honor the Taíno, the original inhabitants of Puerto Rico and parts of the Caribbean, and the Lenni-Lenape, the original inhabitants of the area that includes Pennsylvania, Delaware, New Jersey, and New York.
Swarthmore College is celebrating the 50th anniversary of hip-hop with three events over the next few weeks. On Friday, the Cooper Series opens with a conversation and performance from Chuck D., the co-founder and frontman of Public Enemy, along with rap pioneers KRS One and Wise Intelligent.
Note: This event is currently sold out, however, there is a waitlist for free tickets. Tickets to the following events with hip-hop dance performers and rapper Talib Kweli are not open for registration yet.
In this latest incarnation of the popular Philly Story Fest, journalists from WHYY, WURD Radio, AL DÍA, The Philadelphia Citizen, The Philadelphia Inquirer, Spotlight PA, and Root Quarterly tell their stories to give the audience a behind-the-scenes look at how news is reported.
In “The Prom,” when four Broadway stars looking to restore their tarnished reputations hear about a high school student denied her prom because of a same-sex relationship, they decide to come to her aid in predictably dramatic fashion. It’s at Media Theater in a limited run through the end of the month.
Through the words of history reenactors and storytellers, the Battle of Germantown will be recreated in this weekend’s Revolutionary Germantown Festival. It’s the 246th anniversary of the pivotal event in the American Revolution and will take place over several venues, including Cliveden. The sites will offer tours and other educational activities. The Museum of the American Revolution will display its replica of George Washington’s tent, which served as his war headquarters during the conflict.
The movie biopic “Elvis” earned its star Austin Butler an Oscar nomination, but telling the Memphis-born icon’s story as a musical would only make sense. The Walnut Street Theatre opens its 2023-24 season with “Elvis: A Musical Revolution,” the stage version of the story of Elvis Presley’s life and music.
The Philadelphia Ballet’s artistic director, Angel Corella, puts his stamp on the classic ballet, “Carmen,” with music by Bizet. In Corella’s world premiere version, he fuses traditional Spanish dance with classical ballet for a contemporary spin. It should be noted that this is described as a performance for mature audiences and parental discretion is advised. So, it appears Corella’s take accentuates the sensual elements of the original work.
The Bucks County Bicycle Club hosts its 42nd annual Covered Bridges Ride, which sounds like one of the most scenic rides in the region. There are several course options, from the family-paced 20-mile ride to one suited to road warriors at 65 miles. Though start times are staggered, each ride ends with a Grande Finale picnic. Proceeds benefit the club and local charities.
“Seinfeld” was part of the cultural zeitgeist throughout its nine-season run from 1989-1998. It made its star Jerry Seinfeld rich and even spawned somewhat of a spinoff when “Seinfeld” co-creator Larry David starred in his own popular eponymous HBO show. Seinfeld has kept a much lower profile in the years since, except for his “Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee” Netflix show. Now, he’s in Philly for two stand-up shows at The Met.
Make a joyful noise at The Mann Center where the McDonald’s Inspiration Celebration Gospel Tour is happening Friday. Gospel artists including Bishop Hezekiah Walker, Anthony Brown and Group TherAPy, Mike Teezy, The Walls Group, and Sir the Baptist will perform, with Lonnie Hunter as the host.
Cue the violins. Francisco Fullana will be playing (mostly) Mendelssohn, including “A Midsummer Night’s Dream Overture” and the Violin Concerto in E minor at the Chamber Orchestra of Philadelphia’s season opener at the Kimmel Center.
After a two-decade career, John Mayer has gotten this guitar thing down. So he’s taking it on the road for his “Solo” tour, where he’ll play his biggest hits on the biggest stages, but all acoustic. The tour has gotten some great reviews so far, and Mayer, once considered the bad boy of singer/songwriters, appears to have mellowed with time. He’ll check into the Wells Fargo Center on Saturday night.
The Rolling Stones tribute band Brown Sugar, named after the famed Stones song, is actually brown, as the band’s lead singer is a Black woman. Sure, it’s an unusual choice as most tribute bands tend to follow the racial makeup of the original artist (although there is a Prince tribute singer who is white!), but lead singer Pauline Houston McCall sells it. Brown Sugar is at City Winery on Friday night.
Saturdays just got more interesting.
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