20 Things to Do in Philly This Weekend
Manayunk is hosting an early Halloween celebration this Saturday. Photo provided
FRIDAY, OCTOBER 21
Sia @ Wells Fargo Center
The Australian singer with the hidden face brings her Nostalgic for the Present tour to Philly, with Miguel and AlunaGeorge.
Twilight in the Gardens @ Philadelphia’s Magic Gardens
It’s the last Twilight in the Gardens of the year, with fiddler Kayla Williams and bassist William Karns providing the music and South Street music store BridgeSet Sound manning the art station.
Elvis: The King’s Songbook @ Verizon Hall at the Kimmel Center
The Philly Pops take on the King to kick off their 38th season. Singers Allison Blackwell and Dave Bennett will join the orchestra in performances all weekend.
Clips Beer and Film Tour @ 23rd Street Armory
New Belgium Brewing stops in Philly with its tour of short films and small-batch beers. It’s free to get in but you pay for the beers, with all the proceeds going to the non-profit Neighborhood Bike Works.
Building Adventure @ 2001 Market Street
Watch more than 100 people, including 76ers mascot Franklin, rappel 29 stories down the side of Two Commerce Square to raise money for the Philadelphia Outward Bound School’s student scholarships. Chairs will be set up below for the spectators and Au Bon Pain and Du Jour are hosting morning and lunchtime “happy hours.”
The Rocky Horror Picture Show @ Keswick Theatre
Celebrate the 40th anniversary of The Rocky Horror Picture Show by watching the cult classic with Barry Bostwick, who played Brad Majors in the film. He’ll be telling stories from the making of the movie and taking questions after the screening.
Urinetown the Musical @ Arden’s Studio Theatre at the Hamilton Family Arts Center
11th Hour Theatre Company is putting on the Tony Award-winning Urinetown. All three performances (Friday, Saturday and Sunday) are already sold out, but you can call to get on the list for unclaimed tickets.
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 22
Saint Motel. Photo from Facebook
Saint Motel @ Union Transfer
Indie pop’s Saint Motel play Union Transfer in support of their new album, Saintmotelevision, out Friday. Fellow LA-based band Weathers will open.
Halloween in Manayunk @ Manayunk
Get a jump on Halloween with this family-friendly celebration in Manayunk, which includes a costume parade for dressed-up kids and dogs followed by carnival games, pumpkin painting and a corn maze at Venice Island. For the grown-ups, there will be live music and a beer garden at Pretzel Park. Bring your plastic pumpkin because businesses along Main Street will be giving out candy to Trick-or-Treaters.
Run4UrLife @ West Laurel Hill Cemetery
This fall festival fundraiser includes a 3K fun run/walk through the grounds of West Laurel Hill Cemetery, where “scare crews” are ready with some light frights. It’s for all ages and costumes are encouraged. The proceeds go to support MANNA, which makes and delivers meals, for free, to people battling life-threatening illnesses.
Fortune Feimster @ Punchline Philly
Comedian Fortune Feimster, from Chelsea Lately and The Mindy Project, brings her standup to Punchline.
Harry Potter Festival @ Chestnut Hill
Chestnut Hill turns into Hogsmeade for the annual Harry Potter Festival, which draws thousands of fans. For the first time, six blocks of Germantown Avenue are being closed to cars, so you can cast your spells right in the street while you drink Butterbeer, meet Dumbledore, learn Defense Against the Dark Arts, and take plenty of Instagram-ready pics.
Bones! @ Wagner Free Institute of Science
Skeletons are the focus at the Wagner’s Spooky Creature Feature, with Professor Jason Downs talking about fossils and excavations, plus a scavenger hunt and Halloween-themed crafts for the kids.
Stay Dead: An Improvised Horror Comedy @ Adrienne Theater
PHIT combines improv and horror movie troupes in this series of nine shows, running through Halloween. If you need help getting creative with improv suggestions, you can bring booze into the theater.
Goo Goo Dolls @ Harrah’s Philadelphia
The Goo Goo Dolls are going Unplugged-style with an acoustic show at Harrah’s The Block. It’s part of iHeartMedia Philadelphia’s concert to raise money for the American Association for Cancer Research.
SUNDAY, OCTOBER 23
The Head and The Heart. Photo from Facebook
The Head and The Heart @ Fillmore Philadelphia
Indie folk band The Head and The Heart are whole again and on tour for their new album, Signs of Light.
Philadelphia Film Festival @ Various Locations
The 25th Philadelphia Film Festival runs through October 30th, with more than 100 movies picked by the Philadelphia Film Society from several international film festivals, including Moonlight, Manchester by the Sea and Arrival, along with works by Philly filmmakers, documentaries, animated shorts, and more.
Air Sex Championships @ Kung Fu Necktie
Well! This is just what it sounds like. The Air Sex Championship National Tour, hosted by comedian Chris Trew, brings “pelvic storytelling” to Kung Fu Necktie. Feeling feisty? You can sign up to compete.
Fall Soup @ Industrious
Slurp some soup for a good cause at PhilaSoup and Keep Philadelphia Beautiful’s fundraising brunch. Teachers will be there to talk about projects in need of funding.
Never Again @ Ethical Humanist Society of Philadelphia
This concert premieres Polina Nazaykinskaya’s piece based on the poetry of Holocaust survivor Mirko Tuma. It will also feature Nazaykinskaya’s chamber work Haim, inspired by Holocaust survivor David Arben, who studied at the Curtis Institute of Music and played with the Philadelphia Orchestra.
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