11 Things To Do in Philly This Weekend: Grand Opening Of Spruce Street Harbor Park, Alfresco Movies Galore, NHL Fan Festivities, and More
Get our weekly picks of what to do this weekend and the latest on Philly's arts and entertainment scene.
Spruce Street Harbor Park Opening Weekend
It's about time: Spruce Street Harbor Park is celebrating its opening weekend, beginning this Friday, June 27th. With a boardwalk, urban beach, floating barges, a restaurant and bar by the Garces Group, a hammock lounge, fountains, misting areas, and lily pad gardens, the pop-up park is sure to be the city's go-to destination this summer. The waterside oasis—running through August—will be open to the public seven days a week. Guests will be able to enjoy all of the usual summertime festivities hosted by the Great Plaza at Penn's Landing, like concerts, festivals, and movies, in addition to the new amenities of the park, almost completely free of charge. For the grand opening this weekend, the park will provide family-friendly entertainment from morning until night, including a DJ, face painting, crafts, balloon artists, dancers, and more. Additional information about the park and scheduled events is available here. Friday, June 27th-Sunday, June 29th, Spruce Street Harbor Park, 401 S. Columbus Blvd.
The 2014 NHL Draft Fan Fest
Tickets for the NHL draft may no longer be available, but super fans can still get in on the off-season hockey action this weekend. The Philadelphia Flyers, the NHL, and Xfinity Live! Philadelphia will host a completely free Fan Fest during both days of the draft, June 27th-28th. Puck fans are invited to Xfinity Live! Friday and Saturday for hockey-themed festivities, live DJ's, exclusive draft merchandise, and plenty of food and beverages. There will be tons of family-friendly activities for the littlest hockey fans, including face painting, an obstacle course and bungee run, a giant slide, arcade games, and a bounce house. There will also be a full-size hockey rink onsite if you're interested in pickup play or trying your luck at skill challenges. If you missed out on draft tickets, you can still join thousands of fans to celebrate the beginning of new NHL careers, and your love of our very own Fly Guys, of course. Oh, and if you're still itching to get inside the stadium, you can sign up for possible late ticket releases here. Friday, June 27th: 3-6:30 p.m., Saturday, June 28th: 8 a.m.-2 p.m., Xfinity Live! Philadelphia, 1100 Pattison Ave.
"States of Mind": An Exhibit by Ella Kolanowska
The Bazemore Gallery presents the opening night of "States of Mind": An Exhibit by Ella Kolanowska this Saturday, June 28th. Kolanowska's unique work, on display through August 2nd, explores internal and external beings. Her artwork will also be featured on ABC's upcoming show, How To Get Away With Murder. Light bites and refreshments will be served throughout the reception. For more information about Kolanowska and her work, click here. Saturday, June 28th, 4-8 p.m., The Bazemore Gallery, 4339 Main Street.
Art Splash at Philadelphia Museum of Art
Philadelphia Museum of Art's popular kid-centric program Art Splash is back for its second year, beginning this Friday. All summer long kids are invited to the museum, where a different influential artist will be highlighted each week through tours, treasure hunts, games, music, and crafts. This week, the spotlight is on Vincent Van Gogh's masterpiece, Sunflowers.The art-inspired fun will begin with a dance party at PMA's Art After 5 event on Friday evening. A full list of this summer's Art Splash events is available here. Friday, June 27th - Sunday, June 29th, $10 for adults and free for children under 12, Philadelphia Museum of Art, 2600 Benjamin Franklin Parkway.
Family Movie Night in Hawthorne Park
Need Friday evening plans for the kids? Head down to Hawthorne Park for a free screening of Disney's animated hit, Frozen. There will be snacks and activities beginning at 7 p.m., and the movie will hit the big screen at sundown (around 8:30 p.m.). For more information about upcoming family-friendly flicks at the park, click here. Friday, June 27th, 7 p.m., Hawthorne Park, 12th and Catharine Streets.
Moonlight Movies in Mt. Airy
This summer, Mt. Airy is bringing you back-to-back free outdoor movie screenings, every Friday and Saturday evening. Moonlight Movies in Mt. Airy will feature blockbusters, classics, and children's favorites each weekend. This weekend, you can catch Tim Burton's cult classic Beetlejuice on Friday, or Now You See Me on Saturday. Movies begin promptly at 8:30 p.m., and guests are invited to bring lawn chairs and blankets. A full list of upcoming movies is available here. Friday, June 27th, 8:30 p.m., Lovett Library Park, 6945 Germantown Avenue, and Saturday, June 28th, 8:30 p.m., Trolley Car Diner, 7619 Germantown Avenue.
Mates of State and Pine Barons at Underground Arts
Underground Arts and Bonfire present: An Intimate Seated Evening with Mates of State and Pine Barons (pictured) this Friday night. You'll go for the catchy indie pop sounds of popular husband-and-wife duo Kori Gardner and Jason Hammel, but you'll leave talking about the hauntingly gritty vocals and contagious guitar riffs belonging to Pine Barons. Tickets are available here. Friday, June 27th, 8 p.m., $20, Underground Arts, 1200 Callowhill Street.
Clap Your Hands Say Yeah at Johnny Brenda's
From 7 Shows To See This Week: In 2005, indie rock group CYHSY proved that fame can still be attained without a record label or press agency. Their self-titled, self-produced album gained the attention of prominent music websites and blogs, and the rest was history. Lead singer Alec Ounsworth also gives CYHSY a Philly connection — while the other band members reside in Brooklyn, Ounsworth remains in Philly, and has released collaborations with Philly's Dr. Dog and Mazarin. Friday, June 27th, 9:30 p.m., $16, Johnny' Brenda's, 1201 Frankford Avenue.
40th Street Summer Series
University City is joining the list of spots throughout the city offering live entertainment this summer. The 40th Street Summer Series will host internationally-acclaimed ensembles to play several free outdoor concerts, beginning this Saturday, June 28th. This weekend's show will feature the percussion-based beats of two local favorites, Spoken Hand Percussion Orchestra and Music Over Matter. There will be jugglers, face painting, and balloon artists for the little ones, and Ben & Jerry's will be passing out complimentary ice cream samples (!) during the performance. The neighborhood is home to Distrito and HipCityVeg, among others, incase you get hungry. A list of the upcoming concerts is available here. Saturdays: June 28th, July 26th, August 30th, September 27th, 6 p.m., University City, 40th and Walnut Streets.
Bill Maher at the Academy of Music
Bill Maher, stand-up comedian and host of HBO's Real Time, is bringing his politically incorrect humor to the Academy of Music this Saturday night. Maher—known for his blend of unflinching honesty, cheeky humor, and sharp wit—will be roasting political parties and poking fun at pop culture headlines all night long. To get your laugh on, tickets are available online. Saturday, June 28th, 8 p.m., $35-79, Academy of Music, Broad and Locust Streets.
Positive Force: More Than A Witness at Liberty Lands Park
The Awesome Fest presents a free screening at Liberty Lands Park this Saturday as part of the fest's 2014 summer film lineup. Positive Force: More Than A Witness takes viewers back to Washington D.C. in 1985, and the summer that changed punk rock. The screening will begin at 9 p.m., and director Robin Bell will be in attendance. Stay tuned for more upcoming Awesome Fest events that we dig (Wizard of Oz synced with Dark Side of the Moon, anyone?). More information is available here. Saturday, June 28th, 9 p.m., Liberty Lands Park.
