19 Things to Do in Philly This Weekend
See Silken Veils at the Fringe Festival. Photo by Nick Shoob
FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 16
Silken Veils @ Studio X
We’re in weekend two of Philadelphia’s 20th Fringe Festival. Among the many standouts: Leila Ghaznavi and Pantea Productions bring us this show about women and family in the Middle East, incorporating Rumi poetry, puppets, shadows and animation. It runs through September 18th.
Libations with Leidy @ Wagner Free Institute of Science
The Wagner is hosting an open house inside the museum and in the yard themed around Joseph Leidy, a 19th-century scientist who was into paleontology, parasitology and anatomy and used to lead the institute’s educational programs. Check out the collection, de-stress with adult coloring, join a museum scavenger hunt, and sip local brews from Yards, Flying Fish and St. Benjamin. The event is free but you need a $10 wristband to drink.
Rory Scovel @ Punchline Philly
Comedian Rory Scovel, who’s performed on Conan O’Brien’s talk show, Conan, along with a bunch of podcasts and comedy festivals, is at Punchline Friday and Saturday.
Cat-A-Strophe @ The Papermill Theater
The Fringe Festival runs the gamut of genres, including this comedy from Samuel Beckett’s Fail Better Productions described as a farcical satire: “Side effects may include squirming in your seat, tears of laughter and a pressing need to go to the bathroom.” You can see it through September 25th.
BlackStar @ The Barnes
This evening at the Barnes has two parts: Come early for a talk and short film led by Jamyla and Pierre Bennu, and then stick around for the party with Kyp Malone and DJ Ultraviolet.
Stupid Fucking Bird @ Arden Theatre Company
The Arden opens its 29th season with co-founder Aaron Posner’s award-winning Stupid Fucking Bird, a loose adaptation of Chekhov’s The Seagull.
Fall Fest @ Spruce Street Harbor Park
Spruce Street Harbor Park is leaving summer far behind with this weekend-long fall festival, complete with pumpkin carving and other autumnal arts and crafts, pumpkin food and, yes, pumpkin beer.
Fall into Art: Creative Africa @ Perelman Building at the Philadelphia Museum of Art
Join the Young Friends of the Philadelphia Museum of Art at a fundraising party tied to the close of the Creative Africa exhibit.
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 17
Brauhaus Schmitz’s annual South Street Oktoberfest is Saturday. Photo provided
South Street Oktoberfest @ Brauhaus Schmitz
There will be beer, beer and more beer, plus German food, music and dancers, as Brauhaus Schmitz’s annual Oktoberfest takes over the 700 block of South Street.
Grand Re-Opening All-Day Music Festival @ The Fire
The name of the event sums this one up pretty well. The fest will be outdoors, with several bands and beer, food and craft vendors.
Imagine Science Film Festival @ International House
Parts three and four of the Imagine Science Film Festival are on Saturday, with the film shorts falling into the categories “The Phenomenology of Ghosts,” at 5 p.m., and “Observer Effects,” at 7 p.m.
Dance on the Falls Bridge @ Falls Bridge
Support the East Falls Development Corporation by partying on a bridge, with music from The Sofa Kings (I get it) and unlimited beer and wine.
The Sincerity Project @ Plays & Players Theatre
Team Sunshine Performance Corporation brings us a piece of this “24-year performance experiment” as part of the Fringe Festival. It closes September 18th.
I Wonder What Else Could Be Different Around Here @ Institute of Contemporary Art
Philadelphia’s poet laureate, Yolanda Wisher, and her band, the Afroeaters, join other poets and musicians at the ICA for an evening of blues and verse tied to the new exhibit The Freedom Principle: Experiments in Art and Music, 1965 to Now. The event is the closing celebration for PHILALALIA, a small press and handmade poetry and book arts festival from Temple’s Tyler School of Art.
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 18
Selah Sue plays Boot & Saddle on Sunday. Photo from Selah Sue/Facebook
Selah Sue @ Boot & Saddle
Belgium musician Selah Sue jumps between genres, calling herself a “soul/funk fusion singer-songwriter,” with some reggae woven in for good measure. She brings her tour for the album Reason to the intimate Boot & Saddle.
Eugène Ionesco’s The Chairs @ Walnut Street Theatre: Studio 5
The Idiopathic Ridiculopathy Consortium goes for a classic with Ionesco’s absurdist The Chairs. It runs all Fringe Festival.
Radio 104.5 Summer Block Party @ Festival Pier at Penn’s Landing
You guys, no one told Radio 104.5 summer is over. This final installment of the outdoor concert series features Chvrches, Miike Snow, Iration and The Griswolds.
Fall StrEAT Food Festival @ Manayunk
Head to Main Street in Manayunk to EAT from more than 50 food trucks.
The Kidz Bop Kids @ BB&T Pavilion
“Sung by kids for kids” is the tagline of this popular pop cover group. They’re sweetly addictive: Just check out their YouTube channel.
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