13 Things to Do in Philly This Weekend
Get our weekly picks of what to do this weekend and the latest on Philly's arts and entertainment scene.
Philadelphia Independent Film Festival Opening Weekend
It's the first weekend of the Philadelphia Independent Film Festival. The Friday night opening celebration features six films playing at the University of the Arts, many of which are making their Philadelphia-area premiere at the festival. Don't miss The Tailor’s Apprentice as director Jeff Lehman will be in attendance. Opens Friday, April 17th, various times, $10 per screening, various locations
Pecha Kucha Night
Innovators from around the globe will gather at Philly's Rogues Gallery for an evening of Pecha Kucha presentations during Philly Tech Week. If you don't know, a Pecha Kucha (Japanese for chit-chat) is a pithy presentation style in which the presenter talks through 20 slides that are shown for 20 seconds each. It's sort of like a TED talk, but quick and straight-to the point. The organizer, global software developer ThoughtWorks, has culled a pretty impressive list of speakers, including Bruce Duncan, who is known for developing humanoid robot Bina48; British artist and hacker Andrew McWilliams; and Chief Dot Connector for the art collective United States Department of Arts and Culture, Liz Maxwell. Should be a fun night of learning, drinking and mingling with fascinating minds. Saturday, April 18th, 8:20 pm to midnight, Rogues Gallery, 11 South 21st Street.
More Philly Tech Week Must-Dos
We round up one cool event to do each day of Philly Tech Week, which kicks off Friday night and wraps up on Saturday, April 25th. Find the full list, which includes spots to play giant Connect Four, where to hobnob with robots and more, here.
Philadanco Presents Having Our Say
Philadanco! makes a triumphant return to the Kimmel Center stage this weekend with their presentation of Having Our Say. The company, which was founded in 1970, is known for breaking barriers between cultural and artistic divides in dance. No doubt, audience members expect a unique and breathtaking experience from this company of simply amazing performers. Opens Friday, April 17th, various times, $29-46, Kimmel Center, 300 South Broad Street
RUBBERBANDance Group at Annenberg Center
The RUBBERBANDance Group takes over the Annenberg Center's Zellerbach Theatre this weekend in a return engagement to Philly. The dance troupe presents Empirical Quotient, a full-length work that explores human relationships with respect to time and identity. A hybrid between hip-hop and classical dance, this is one performance that is hard to classify. Through April 18th, various times, $20-60, Annenberg Center, 3680 Walnut Street
The Color Purple With Jennifer Holliday
We recently chatted with Broadway icon Jennifer Holliday about her upcoming performances as Sophia in the well-loved musical The Color Purple, playing the Merriam Theatre this weekend. This soaring musical is a crowd favorite, filled with countless heartwarming songs. Leave it to Ms. Holliday to bring down the house with a rendition of the ballad "Hell No." Opens Friday, April 17th, various times, $48.50-50.50, Merriam Theatre, 250 South Broad Street
Namas Day Philly
This all-day yoga celebration on Saturday will surely give both your body and your mind an outstanding workout. Join over a dozen local and internationally recognized yoga and holistic health personalities as they present workshops, classes, and seminars for all levels of yogis. Clearly, this is one event that will bring out your inner guru! Saturday, April 18th, 8 am to 5 pm, $40-125, WHYY, 150 North 6th Street
The Philly Mart
Over 30 vendors will be on hand selling funky wares at this Saturday's Philly Mart in Manayunk. Guests can expect a whimsical assortment of original art, crafts, clothing, vintage goods, antiques, photography, jewelry, housewares, personal care items, and food. Clearly, hit the ATM before you show up and wear your most comfortable shopping shoes! Saturday, April 18th, 11 am to 5 pm, free, Venice Island Performing Arts and Recreation Center, 7 Lock Street
Sprung! Bar Crawl
There's an all-day happy hour this Saturday on South Street West. Join in on the Sprung! springtime pub stroll which features deals at some of Philly's favorite bars, including Grace Tavern, Jet Wine Bar, Doobie's, Bob and Barbara's, and more. Besides great deals on beers and ales, many of the pubs will have special nibbles for purchase. Saturday, April 18th, 1 pm to 7 pm, $5, various locations
Springfest Live! at Xfinity Live!
This craft beer and music festival at Xfinity Live! on Saturday will surely have something for just about everyone. Try unlimited samplings of over 150 beers and listen to live bands all day. There will be contests, games, food trucks, and local music to keep the party rolling throughout the event. Saturday, April 18th, 2 pm to 7 pm, $20-45, Xfinity Live!, 1100 Pattison Avenue
Philly Youth Poetry Movement Grand Slam Finals
Twelve of the city's top youth poets will speak it out this Saturday as the Philly Youth Poetry Movement presents their Grand Slam Finals. Each of the spoken word artists, who range in age from 13 to 19, will compete for spots to represent Philly at this year's Brave New Voices International Poetry Festival in Atlanta. Saturday, April 18th, 5:30 pm to 9:00 pm, $7-15, Suzanne Roberts Theatre, 480 South Broad Street
Amir ElSaffar and The Two Rivers Ensemble
Highly in-demand trumpeter Amir ElSaffar ties his Iraqi heritage with modern jazz. The result is quite a unique sound that is all his own. He'll be bringing his Two Rivers Ensemble to the Kimmel Center's SEI Innovation Studio for a set on Saturday evening that is sure to not only be a perfect way to close out your week, but a soulful way to embrace jazz. Saturday, April 18th, 8 pm, $23, Kimmel Center, 300 South Broad Street
Flight Market at Lincoln Financial Field
Think of this as an Eagles-themed Night Market–except it happens during the day. Flight Market invades Lincoln Financial Field this Sunday, and there's bound to be something to satisfy everyone's appetite: Over 50 food trucks will be on hand, plus 60 antique dealers, Eagles cheerleaders, live bands, and entertainment for the little ones. Sunday, April 19th, 11 am to 3 pm, $15, Lincoln Financial Field, 1 Lincoln Financial Field Way
Submit Your Event
Have an event you'd like featured in an upcoming "Things to Do" post? Send information at least two weeks in advance to Bryan Buttler at bbuttler@phillymag.com.
