Fun things to do in Philly for 4th of July Weekend

National Liberty Museum 

On July 3rd and 4th, the whole family can spend the holiday break together with activities from the National Liberty Museum. With their People Speak Weekend, visitors who head to the new cultural space will be able to indulge in “Life, Liberty, and the Pursuit of Happiness Pop-Up Talks,” which happen every hour on the hour for 10 minutes. Through these talks, museum staff will chat about their three favorite pieces that exemplify life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Then, Philadelphians will also be able to check out “The People Speak: A Wish for US,” where visitors can drop into Liberty Theater and add a wish to their People Speak participatory project. You can leave an addressed postcard with your wish for yourself, your community, Philadelphia or the world, and the museum will put it in the mail for you. Lastly, visitors can check out “Red… White & Blue, Too!” with guest reader, Miss Brittany Lynn that will take place at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. on July 3. With this, NLM’s signature Read ‘n’ Romp story hour is back and Lynn will read her favorite book, “Red” by Michael Hall, while participants will learn what it means to have respect for ourselves and others. After the reading, children and families are invited to join Lila Liberty and NLM educators to make “Rainbow Respectacles” to remind us to treat everyone with kindness. As a special bonus and incentive to swing by, on July 3rd and 4th, Federal Donuts will also be giving away free treats to the first 50 visitors. 

321 Chestnut St., libertymuseum.org

Betsy Ross House 

The second edition of the House’s First Friday Movie Nights Under the Stars & Stripes officially returns Friday, July 2, with gates opening at 5:30 p.m. and the fun beginning when the sun goes down in the courtyard at dusk. While there, movie-goers can watch a film on the big screen (this week’s showing is “Santa Claus Conquers the Martians”) while also enjoying their own snacks and beverages, which the House encourages attendees to bring. If you come a bit earlier as well, you’re in for a treat — those who head to the Betsy Ross House will also be able to enjoy an after-hours tour of the Museum. Admission for this event, which happens annually on the First Friday of every month, is $7. In addition, on July 4th, all visitors who head to the House will receive a free mini 13-star flag and have a chance to check out the museum’s one-of-a-kind M&M’s flag made from more than 26,000 candies.

239 Arch St., historicphiladelphia.org

Delaware River Waterfront

Why not spend the long weekend down by the waterfront? There are a bevy of events returning to help motivate visitors to partake. For one, the return of yoga at Race Street Pier is back July 5, and according to the release, thanks to Independence Blue Cross (IBX), it will return with a full schedule. This year, DRWC and IBX will partner with Queen Village’s Three Queens Yoga studio to provide yoga classes three days a week with their seasoned instructors — a full schedule is online. The release also states that in addition, for First Friday on July 2 at Cherry Street Pier, various resident artists will be displaying their work in their studio spaces from 5 p.m. – 9 p.m. On another note, Family Arts Night at Cherry Street Pier will be hosted by Portside Arts Center from 6:30 p.m. – 8 p.m. For $20 per family, guests of all ages can enjoy  this one-and-a-half hour long workshop where parents and kids will collaborate on art projects and work together to create something everyone can be proud of. Friday will also mark the opening of Fleisher Art Memorial’s annual student and faculty exhibition as well as the On the Rise exhibition featuring creative designs from the rising stars of the Philadelphia chapter of the American Institute of Architects. This annual exhibition features current and past designs from the winners of the Philadelphia Emerging Architect Prize and Young Architect Prize.

delawareriverwaterfront.com

Once Upon A Nation

This program brings history to life with stories about real people and events which occurred in Philadelphia’s historic district. Professional storytellers share these stories, using scripts that are built on careful research to assure accuracy while covering a variety of topics, including some which speak to issues that connect past experiences with contemporary events and interests. Philadelphians who are looking for ways to connect the past with their own future have three opportunities to do so at Independence Square — behind Independence Hall — Franklin Square and the Betsy Ross House sponsored by the George C. and Esther Ann McFarland Foundation. The award-winning Once Upon A Nation Storytelling Benches are within Philadelphia’s Historic District, telling the riveting and true stories of our nation’s history in the places where they actually happened. Each story is timed to be about 3-to-5 minutes performed by a specially-trained, uniformed storyteller. 

multiple locations, historicphiladelphia.org

Fabrika

If you need a little excitement over the 4th of July Weekend, Fabrika will be pulling out all of the stops Sunday with their Drag Brunch when LaLa Ri of RuPaul’s Drag Race hits the stage. Hosted by award-winning drag queen Eric Jaffe, the entertainment will also feature Vinchelle, Mz. Peaches, Iris Spectre, Sapphira Cristal and Sir Donyx. Reservations can be made online. 

1108 Frankford Ave., fabrikaphilly.com