Looking for some fun and unique things to do in Philly this weekend? We’ve got you covered.
Fall First Friday
This weekend holds the second Fall First Friday from East Passyunk Avenue’s Business Improvement District. The monthly activation kicked off in October and will continue this weekend on Nov. 1. The event will be held from 5 to 9 p.m. between the 1300 and 1900 blocks of East Passyunk, and it features different businesses showcasing specials and offering various activities.
Participating businesses include: A Novel Idea, Eastern Pass Tattoo Co., Frame Fatale, Headhunters Hair Design, Latchkey Records, Minimal Chaos, Occasionette, Pace Architecture and Design, Pistola’s Del Sur, Sermania Jewelry, Stogie Joe’s Tavern, Studio South Philly at Capri Dessecker Remax, The Bottle Shop, Townsend and more. A full list of offerings can be found online.
Concourse Dance Bar
This popular night-time locale recently underwent a transformation, and there’s a lot to see. The colorful venue known for housing a slide as an entrance to its dance floor and a ball pit next to one of its bars has added fresh elements to create a new option for evening activities and private events in Philadelphia.
The Ice Room (which first debuted in 2021) will continue to be on site. Some fresh features include a room filled with Slinkys, a cocktail lounge on the top floor, and a dollhouse vignette with a black-lit Mushroom Room in the back of it (complete with a six-foot mushroom statue and neon-lit plants.) A vintage photo booth will also be on-site to offer black and white photo strip mementos to take home.
1635, Back Entrance, Market St., concoursedancebar.com
‘Black Wood: Winterborn’
Gunnar Montana is known around the city as a local choreographer and performance artist, and also a Fringe Festival favorite. With this latest production, which is a sequel to last year’s ‘Black Wood,’ Montana explores the dark side of humanity, spiritualism, and mysticism.
The show brings back the heroines from last year, a coven of witches channeling their spellbinding femininity for power, and also features new scorned lovers and creatures of the night, a release notes. But the show officially begins when audience members step into the 75-seat venue (at the Latvian Society of Philadelphia) resembling a realistic dark, eerie, and cold forest, highlighted by snow and ice.
Tickets (starting at $49) can be purchased online. Discounted student tickets are available for $45, plus VIP packages and enhanced seating options are also available, beginning at $65. Audiences can also opt for a one-night-only “spooktacular” Halloween performance on Oct. 31 featuring never- before-seen additional content, a post-performance party with the cast and crew, and a swag bag full of ‘Winterborn’ merchandise.
531 N. 7th St., gunnarmontana.com
The Dermatology Specialists
With its first Philadelphia location opening this weekend, The Dermatology Specialists will commemorate the occasion with free skin cancer screenings on Friday, Nov. 1 from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. at its new Old City locale. There will also be gift bags donated by La Roche-Posay while supplies last for customers. Appointments at The Dermatology Specialists can be made by calling 215-395-SKIN or texting 646-825-6493.
225 Market St., thedermspecs.com
Uptown’s Freak Show
Every spooky season, Uptown Beer Garden transforms its venue into a different haunted world, and in 2024, the Center City locale has taken on the theme of a carnival “Freak Show.” While walking through, locals will be greeted by killer clowns, animatronic witches and fortune tellers, plus, the garden in the center will hold carnival games to try your luck. Think shooting hoops, spinning wheels, and more, and with some games, you can even win a prize.
On top of the decorations and activities taking over, Uptown has also added some newly themed food and drink options for the season. Cocktails span “The Ringleader” (White Claw Mango Vodka, White Claw Pineapple Vodka, cranberry, blackberry orange and Sprite), the “Ungourdly Good” (Espolon Tequila, Skrewball Whiskey, cold brew and Pennsylvania Dutch pumpkin crème), the “Ring Toss” (Spiced Prep Rum, apple cider, lemon, maple simple and orange bitters), “Demonic Energy” (Devil’s Reserve Watermelon Tequila, triple sec, lime and Watermelon Redbull) and more.
1500 John F Kennedy Boulevard, uptownbeer.com
