Out and About: July
1. Sports
Recreation
Schuylkill Banks river kayak tours
Get a good look at the Schuylkill River — one that’s a little different from the view out your car window as you tear down I-76. This narrated, professionally guided kayak tour takes you from the Walnut Street dock up to the Fairmount Water Works. July 1st, 2nd, 4th, 15th, 29th. $30 for a single kayak; $45 for a tandem. 10 a.m. and noon. 888-RIV-PHIL; schuylkillbanks.org.
2. Festival
BlobFest
A slimy ode to the 1958 sci-fi classic The Blob. For two days, fans can boogie to rockabilly music, enter a costume parade and catch movie screenings. July 14th and 15th. Movie tickets $4 to $7. All events take place in or near the Colonial Theatre, 227 Bridge Street, Phoenixville.
Performance Times vary. 610-917-1228; thecolonialtheatre.com.
3. Cirque du Soleil presents Quidam
Under the grand chapiteau — a pretentious way of saying “big top” — Cirque du Soleil performs Quidam. What does Quidam mean? Who cares? There’ll be people in weird costumes flying through the air. Opens July 6th. $28-$190. Broad Street and Washington Avenue. Times vary. 800-678-5440; cirquedusoleil.com.
4. Concert
Madonna at the Wachovia Center
Like ugly buildings and politicians, Madonna has lasted long enough to become respectable. Her “Confessions” world tour stops at the Wachovia Center for two nights, and if you miss the Material Girl in Philly, you can try catching her in Atlantic City the following Sunday. July 12th and 13th. $55-$350. Wachovia Center, 3601 South Broad Street. 8 p.m. 215-336-2000; ticketmaster.com.
5. Holiday
July 4th Sunoco Sweet Sounds of
Liberty Concert
Mr. Dancing on the Ceiling himself, Lionel Richie (for you youngsters, he’s Nicole’s dad), and 2004 American Idol winner Fantasia Barrino headline the city’s take on the USA’s B-day. Fireworks, naturally, follow the show. July 4th. Free. Philadelphia Museum of Art, 26th Street and the Ben Franklin Parkway. 8:30 p.m. 215-683-2200;
americasbirthday.com.
6. Spirits
Sangria Sundays at Chaddsford Winery
A Sunday afternoon in July. Outdoors. Live music. Sangria. Need we say more? July 9th, 19th, 23rd and 30th. $7 tasting fee. Chaddsford Winery, 632 Baltimore Pike, Chadds Ford. 2 to 5 p.m. 610-388-6221; chaddsfordwinery.com.
7. Theater
The Lion King at the Kimmel Center
Gazelles, lions and giraffes wheel across the stage in this award-winning production of The Lion King. Make it dinner (or lunch) and a show, with a Lion King-themed meal in the ¬Cadence Restaurant at the Kimmel Center. There’s a cub’s menu, too. Show closed on Mondays and July 4th. $28-$138. Kimmel Center, 260 South Broad Street. Times vary. 215-731-3333; kimmelcenter.org.
8. Classical music
The Philadelphia
Orchestra at the Mann
In case you didn’t get your fill of pyrotechnics on the Fourth, check out concert pianist Joyce Yang as she joins conductor Gregory Vajda and the Orchestra for an evening of Tchaikovsky and fireworks. July 12th. $10 to $70. Mann Center for the Performing Arts, 5201 Parkside Avenue. 8 p.m. 215-893-1999; manncenter.org.
9. Movies
Summer sports movie screenings
Little (or big) kids will enjoy catching classic sports films — The Sandlot, The Natural, Little Giants, Remember the Titans, Miracle and more — Fridays and Saturdays through August 18th in Llewellyn Citizens’ Café. Free. National Constitution Center,
525 Arch Street. 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. 215-409-6600; constitution-center.org.
10. Film
Philadelphia
International Gay & Lesbian Film Festival
With premieres of 150 features, documentaries and shorts, PIGLFF is now the largest event of its kind on the East Coast. This year’s opening-night film is, appropriately enough, Another Gay Movie, direct from the Tribeca Film Festival. July 13th to 25th. Prices vary. In and around the Avenue of the Arts, Prince Music Theater, the Wilma and the Arts Bank. Times vary. 267-765-9700; phillyfests.com.
