The Ultimate Pope in Philly Style and Survival Guide

In case you haven’t heard: The Pope is coming to Philly this weekend. Surprise! Whether you’re flipping over transportation or where to find that commemorative Pope-holding-a-cheesesteak-and-Rocky-boxing-glove-bobblehead, we’ve got you covered with this ultimate Popepocalypse survival guide, which covers some of the lesser-talked-about issues (what sort of shoes to wear?!) that we here at Shoppist find very, very important. 

• Introducing the top ten amazingly weird Pope memorabilia items you need in your life to forever remember the weekend His Holiness graced our city.

• In that same vein, what’s better than a papal weekend baby onesie? You say ‘nothing’, and I raise you one papal weekend baby onesie made by a local artist whose doppelgänger is Pope Francis.

• While you’re on your shopping grind, be sure you know which stores will be open during the Pope’s visit, as many businesses are set to close their doors.

• Yep, someone made Pope soap that’s actually infused with holy water. That’s right, holy suds. (Sadly these are no longer available, but you can buy other Pope soap here.)

• Looking for a commemorative Pope in Philly item that’s not cheesy, super strange, or even remotely holy? You’re not alone! We found the coolest Pope shirt you’ll actually want to wear beyond this weekend.

• As far as what to wear to the festivities, we know it can be hard to strike the right balance between conservative and cute. Look no further than this etiquette guide on what to wear to meet the Pope (even if your ‘meeting’ happens from a million feet away on the parkway).

• Your main papal-weekend style rules: Get fancy; get fanatical; get excited. And when all else fails, look to the Obama girls for appropriate outfit inspiration.

• Whether you’re trying to squeeze the most out of your visit or simply avoid the parkway at all costs, check out this list of top 20 activities to do during the Pope’s visit. [Ticket]

• You best believe theres a papal drink special or two happening in the city, so indulge in a little food and spirits for less. Go on, I’m sure Francis approves. Also be sure to search Twitter’s #OpenInPHL for restaurants and businesses that are braving the traffic to serve you. [F8b8z]

• And now to the details that are causing so. Much. Panic. Here’s all the public transit, blockade, towing, and scheduling information you would ever need to know this weekend. [News+Opinion]