September is here but outdoor theatre is still alive in West Philly. Beginning Wednesday, Sept. 13, Curio Theatre Company will present a series of FREE performances of I, Peaseblossom in the Woodlands Cemetery (40th and Woodland). The play is based on Shakespeare’s “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” and is presented as part of the 2017 Fringe Festival.

Imagine if the story of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” had been told by one of Lady Titania’s fairies who has only four lines with a total of five words in the play! I, Peaseblossom is a funny and interactive play which establishes a relationship between the audience and the performer.  Continue Reading

If you’re looking for things to do this weekend check out all the events and activities happening at Bartram’s Garden.

Philadelphia Honey Festival

The annual Philadelphia Honey Fest will be held at Bartram’s on Sunday, Sept. 10, from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. and will feature myriad activities for the whole family: a children’s carnival and a couple of bee parades, honey extraction demonstrations, House and Garden tours, musical performances, beekeeper talks, story hours, and more. Local vendors and organizations will also be selling honey based products and providing demonstrations. If you get hungry there will be food trucks on site. Parks on Tap (a traveling beer garden) will also be there. And last but not least, don’t miss a special “Bee Beard” demonstration at 3 p.m.: Don Shump, owner of the Philadelphia Bee Company will create a beard of bees on his face! For more information and activity schedule, go here.  Continue Reading

This summer’s first Baltimore Avenue Dollar Stroll was held on June 15. (Photo by Ben Tran)

As the summer is coming to an end, this is a great opportunity to spend an evening outside enjoying food, drinks, treats and many other offers from local businesses, especially when every item costs $1. Baltimore Avenue Dollar Stroll returns Thursday, Sept. 7 for the second (and last) time this summer. It will be held from 5:30-8:30 p.m. between 43rd and 52nd streets.

Over 30 businesses will participate in this Dollar Stroll (see the map below), and there will also be live entertainment: Hip Hop Fundamentals will perform at 50th and Baltimore, and Red Hot Ticket, a four-piece band featuring members of the West Philadelphia Orchestra, will perform 90s hip hop favorites as they make their way
up and down Baltimore Avenue. Also, bring your kids to see jugglers in front of Milk and Honey (Baltimore and 45th), and for some face-painting and balloon art at Cedar Park.  Continue Reading

Production photo of The Birds by Conor McPherson.

Here’s some great news for Curio Theatre Company: the West Philly arts organization has been nominated in four categories for the 2017 Barrymore Awards! The nominees include Paul Kuhn, the company’s artistic director, who received a nomination in the Outstanding Scenic Design category for the 2016 production of The Birds, and Chris Sannino – also for the production of The Birds in the Outstanding Sound Design category.

The company also received nominations for the Victory Foundation Award for Outstanding Theatre Education Program, and the June and Steve Wolfson Award for an Evolving Theatre Company.  Continue Reading

Parks on Tap, a traveling beer garden concept created last summer by Philadelphia Parks & Recreation in partnership with Fairmount Park Conservancy and FCM Hospitality, is returning to Clark Park tonight and will stay through Sunday, Aug. 27. Then, it will reopen for a second week, from Wednesday, Aug. 30 – Monday, Sept. 4.

Here are the hours of operation for this and next week:

Wednesday & Thursday: 5-10 p.m.
Friday & Saturday: 1-11 p.m.
Sunday: 12-10 p.m.
Monday, Sept. 4 (Labor Day): 12-10 p.m.  Continue Reading

As many of you already know, a partial Solar Eclipse (about 75% in the Philadelphia area) will take place on Monday, Aug. 21, so if you’re into it don’t forget to go outside shortly before 2:44 p.m. to view it. If you have special Solar viewing glasses make sure to bring them as it is not recommended to look at the sun with the naked eye. If you’re really into the Solar Eclipse, you can join other sky-watchers at a Solar Eclipse viewing party.

In Philadelphia, the Franklin Institute and Seaport Museum will host Solar Eclipse viewing parties from 12 to 4 p.m. You can find more information here. There will also be a Solar Eclipse viewing party in West Philly, at the Science Center (3711 Market St.) and Innovation Plaza at 37th and Market. You can even pick up free solar glasses (first come, first served). Here’s the event flyer with more information (click to enlarge):