Guide to summer festivals in Philadelphia

Local nonprofit Philly Loves Beer hosts this annual 10-day event to spotlight Philadelphia as the best damn beer-drinking city in the country. Loads of beer bars and breweries get on board to host events that include tastings, happy hours, parties, game nights, burlesque performances, street festivals and so, so much more. Stay tuned for more information about the 2018 event, which begins the Friday after Memorial Day.

Established filmmakers and newcomers alike participate in this only festival in the region that solely celebrates Latin American movies. The event returns for the seventh year in 2018 and will include feature films and shorts in a variety of genres, all presented in English or with subtitles. In addition to screenings, attendees can partake in discussions, workshops, meet-and-greets with actors and directors, and other special events.

FringeArts and Circadium School of Contemporary Circus’s first-ever circus arts festival extends into June, with shows by some of the area’s best jugglers, aerialists, wirewalkers and acrobats. The fest also includes performances by four internationally renowned circus artists from the Montreal-based Barcode Circus Company, and guests can partake in free “test flight” workshops led by the Philadelphia School of Circus Arts to try some big-top-inspired feats of their own.

The Philadelphia Chinese Lantern Festival moves into its second month at Franklin Square. The spectacle features dozens of handcrafted lanterns that light up after the sun sets, including cute panda bears riding on silky seesaws and a massive, 200-foot dragon that snakes its way across the park. Alslo look out for a sparkling fairy tree, collection of endangered species, a walk-through great white shark tunnel and an elephant exhibit that guests can power themselves by pedaling a bicycle. There’s also an itinerary of complementary events, such as Chinese acrobatic performers and handicraft workshops led by Chinese folk artists. The Dragon Beer Garden gives guests a chance to sip on beer, wine and cocktails and munch on Chinese-inspired nibbles as they wander through the display.

Philadelphia hip-hop group the Roots bring their musical picnic back to the Delaware River waterfront this year, setting up multiple stages around Festival Pier. Headliners for 2018 include the Roots, who will take part in a special jam session with festival host Dave Chappelle and TBA special guests. Other acts taking the mainstage include Lil Uzi Vert, 2 Chainz, Brandy, Rapsody and more. 

Some of the city’s best restaurants and culinary artists throw down each year at the Philly Burger Brawl, competing for bragging rights about who makes the city’s best burger. Last year’s winners included Village Whiskey, The Union Tap and Revolution Taco, and this year, country singer Chase Rice is set to perform live. Held at XFINITY Live!, the carnivore-friendly party benefits literacy programs in the city’s underserved schools.

French brasserie La Peg hosts weekly alfresco film screenings at its Haas Biergarten every Wednesday through August. The event features flicks with a different theme each month. In June, look out for high school movies like Mean Girls and Can’t Hardly Wait; July is 90s action flicks, such as Con Air and Men in Black; and movies like Wet Hot American Summer and The Parent Trap round out the summer-camp theme in August. All screenings are free, though you can purchase food and drinks from the bar. Each film comes with its own speciality cocktail for $10, and the food menu is picnic-inspired.

Bargain hunters know that the Baltimore Avenue Dollar Stroll is a can’t-miss event for deals that feel more like steals. From 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. along Baltimore Avenue between 43rd and 52nd streets, local businesses lower the price tag to just $1 on items ranging from pet supplies to gourmet bites. More than just a chance to score discounts, the Dollar Stroll brings the local community together in West Philadelphia with live music and family-friendly entertainment.

This over-the-top spectacle smack in the middle of Broad Street closes out the Philadelphia International Festival of the Arts (PIFA), but you don’t have to be a theater and arts snob to have a blast here. The event closes down six blocks along the Avenue of the Arts for eight full hours so attendees can ride carnival rides, grab lunch from a variety of food vendors and catch dozens of performances—from live music to circus arts and more.

Even Google Maps recognizes Philadelphia’s Gayborhood, and that’s exactly where the Pride Parade begins. From there, the colorful procession of drag queen- and muscle dude-clad floats, marching bands and performance troupes makes its way to Penn’s Landing, where the always-colorful festival includes live music, food, drinks, vendor booths and more. While most of the excitement happens on Sunday, events throughout the weekend celebrate the LGBT community in the City of Brotherly Love and Sisterly Affection. This year marks the Philadelphia Pride Parade’s 30th anniversary.

When the weather heats up and the sun goes down, the Great Plaza at Penn’s Landing hosts its Screenings Under the Stars outdoor movie series. Families, friends and cinephiles show up with blankets to picnic and watch films ranging from new releases to classic hits. Showings are held once a week in July and August, giving audiences the chance to enjoy the warm summer nights along the banks of the Delaware River. Admission is free.

If there’s one reason to stay in Philadelphia over the Fourth of July, it’s the Wawa Welcome America Party on the Parkway. The annual hoopla shuts down five blocks of the stately thoroughfare, making room for several entertainment stages, family-friendly activity zones, food trucks and outdoor drinking areas. That night, Miami rapper Pitbull headlines a concert with opener Heather Headley before a massive fireworks show over the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

Kids and parents alike love the Philadelphia Zoo’s Rock ’n’ Roar summer concert series. Guests bring picnic blankets and snacks, stake out a spot on the Impala Lawn and settle in for a dose of family-friendly fun and musical entertainment. In case of rain, the event moves to the Treehouse, but dancing is highly encouraged no matter the venue.

Philly Improv Theater is launching a new festival dedicated to improvised comedy. The inaugural four-day event will feature workshops and local and out-of-town talent, with an emphasis on camaraderie, diversity and funny jokes. Philly-born comedian Paul F. Tompkins (Bojack Horseman, Comedy Bang Bang) will record an episode of his Spontaneanation podcast on Saturday the 14th. Stay tuned or go here to check out more performers as they are announced and added to the schedule.

Did you know that one of the most famous scenes in all of horror-movie history was filmed in Phoenixville, Pennsylvania, right outside of Philadelphia? Each year, the Colonial Theatre commemorates The Blob by recreating one of the 1958 film’s most well-known moments: when the crowd runs screaming from the movie theater. That’s just one aspect of the three-day event, which also includes Blob-related contests, special guests, live music, food, costume parades and more. Find the full event schedule here.

Costumed performers from the Bearded Ladies cabaret troupe playfully reenact the famous storming of the Bastille by singing, dancing and tossing 2,000 Tastykakes to a crowd gathered outside the closest thing we have to the famed French fortress: Eastern State Penitentiary.

Bluegrass ditties and blueberry treats abound at this two-day summer music-and-food fest in Bucks County. Attendees get their fruity fill (and a buttload of antioxidants) with a seemingly unlimited array of blueberry-centric foods, like butter, preserves, fudge, pie, lemonade and soda. All the while, bands perform on stages located all over the shopping and dining complex.

This free monthly series brings concerts to Penn’s campus all summer long. Performers scheduled to take the stage throughout the summer include New Sound Brass, Las Cafeteras and Thee Phantom & the Illharmonic Orchestra.

The 2018 iteration of the XPoNential Music Festival features Philly rock stars the War on Drugs country artist Sturgill Simpson, the Preservation Hall Jazz Band and more.

Auto enthusiasts show off their prized cars and motorcycles and compete for trophies, while shops and restaurants along East Passyunk Avenue offer discounts and specials. The event includes live music and DJs on every block—from Broad to Dickinson Streets—along with art projects for kids, games and a crafts show.

The Shofuso Japanese House and Garden throws a daylong festival celebrating the Japanese ritual of Obon, something akin to our homecoming celebrations in the States. Enjoy live music, vendor booths selling Japanese food and gifts and a traditional “bon” dance welcoming home family, friends and the spirits of departed ancestors.

Co-produced by University City District, the University of Pennsylvania and the Rotunda, the 40th Street Summer Series brings free monthly live music concerts to Penn’s campus from May through September. This year’s festivities sees shows by New Sound Brass, Las Cafeteras and Thee Phantom & the Illharmonic Orchestra.

Hip-hop star JAY-Z’s massive Made in America music festival returns to Philadelphia Labor Day weekend. The two-day fest—now in its seventh year—takes over the Benjamin Franklin Parkway and features a lineup of local and national music acts. Performers haven’t been announced for 2018 yet, but fans of the fest know to expect around 50 stage shows by international music stars, which in the past have included J. Cole, the Chainsmokers, Solange and, as always JAY-Z, himself.

Bargain hunters know that the Baltimore Avenue Dollar Stroll is a can’t-miss event for deals that feel more like steals. From 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. along Baltimore Avenue between 43rd and 52nd streets, local businesses lower the price tag to just $1 on items ranging from pet supplies to gourmet bites. More than just a chance to score discounts, the Dollar Stroll brings the local community together in West Philadelphia with live music and family-friendly entertainment.

Kennett Square, a.k.a. “The Mushroom Capital of the World,” celebrates all things fungus-related at this two-day festival in the town that produces 65 percent of mushrooms grown in the States. The 32nd annual event takes up a whole mile of street space with parades, culinary events, kids’ entertainment, live music and 250 vendor booths where you can buy, taste and marvel at all the ’shrooms.

The 40th Street Summer Series closes out in September with a lively concert on a large green expanse on Penn’s campus. Performers scheduled to take the stage throughout the summer include New Sound Brass, Las Cafeteras and Thee Phantom & the Illharmonic Orchestra.

Oktoberfest in the burbs means a serious lineup of carbs including mac and cheese with beer sauce, potato pancakes and apple fritters—all accompanied with flowing beers and live music to boot.

This annual formal fete invites Philadelphia’s top chefs to dish out small bites and mingle with guests. Some of the best restaurants in Philadelphia show up to serve their most popular plates, giving you a chance to try a little bit of everything from hotspots like High Street on Market, Double Knot, Fork, Hungry Pigeon, Zahav and more. Besides the eating, a dance floor heats up with the sounds of a local band, and circus performers put on shows on podiums situated around the grounds. It’s quite the spectacle. All money raised benefits FringeArts and its annual programming.

What do you get when you combine sausages, craft beer and live music? The South Philly Sausage Fest! This autumn, the celebration on West Passyunk Avenue features bites from nearly a dozen restaurants, beer from just as many breweries, a handful of live bands, arts-and-crafts vendors, a kids’ play area and more.