This weekend, the streets of Philly will be heating up—well, South Street is actually. On Saturday, May 6, Philadelphians can head to three different festivals in the colorful neighborhood, all of which are within walking distance.
Firstly, South Street Headhouse District will host their annual South Street Fest and on the West end of the extravaganza will be Brauhaus Schmitz’s 10th Annual Maifest. On the 600 Block of South Street, The DreamEerie and Atomic City Comics have partnered together for a Free Comic Book Day celebration, and finally, the “2nd Street Jawn + Kentucky Derby Lane” will take place at the intersection of 2nd and South Street.
Brauhaus Schmitz’s 10th Annual Maifest will feature the classic dancing around the Maypole activity, live music, face painting, flower crowns, and more, while Comic Book Day will boast costume contests, trivia, and a live DJ. The Street Jawn + Kentucky Derby Lane celebration on the other hand will highlight Bistro Romano, Bridget Foy’s, Paddy Whacks Pub, and The Twisted Tail with a canopy bar, grill tents, dozens of TVs, and a jumbotron screen in the middle of the street broadcasting the Kentucky Derby, as well as other sports games and King Charles III’s coronation.
In total, this day full of family-friendly activities spans 2nd to 8th Streets, with special festivities on every block taking place from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.
Some new additions to this year’s spring-time festival comes in the form of South Street Fest’s Artist Row sponsored by the Queen Village Neighborhood Association and Society Hill Civic Association. This particular activation is curated by Yowie, Queen & Rook Game Cafe, and the South Street Art Mar, and it features over 20 artists, with a focus on women and BIPOC makers.
Then, as a release states, as the sponsor for this year’s Kids Zone, the Philadelphia Union will be rolling out an interactive inflatable activity for children to enjoy on the 200 Block of South Street. The Kids Zone will also feature giant chess, giant Connect 4, and vendors from the Nerdy Craft Fair provided by Queen & Rook Game Cafe.
Federal Donuts is also a sponsor of the Festival, and with that responsibility came an opportunity to create a new donut, titled The South Street, and it will only be available during the festival and sold exclusively at the brand’s South Street location. Sponsor-wise, Stateside Vodka will also be on-site to sell some of their canned cocktails. And in other sweet news (but not in dessert terms,) Kimmel Cultural Campus will be offering various show-themed giveaways and enter-to-win opportunities including tickets to see ‘Beetlejuice‘, among other shows coming up in their seasons.
Another unique aspect to the festival comes at the iconic locale of Jim’s Steaks, which is currently under renovation after a fire earlier this year. While there, visitors can partake in Open Call for Open Walls: Essentially, this part of the Festival uses temporary walls outside of Jim’s as “free walls” for street artists, and all are invited to contribute to this communal art space. The inaugural artworks are five pieces by local artist Amberella, making it the perfect festival photo-op spot on top of being a creative activity.
Speaking of art, South Street Fest will be one of the last chances to view the “Keep An Open Mind” exhibition at the South Street Off Center (407 South Street). Plus, they will be handing out exclusive South Street goodies, according to the release. The release also states that the festival is a prime opportunity for guests to check out the new Eye’s Gallery location (open now at 327 South Street) and the new Yowie location (opening soon at 226 South Street).
Other vendors to look out for through the entirety of the fun down on South Street include Adorned by Aisha, Blooming Sunsets, Dye Hard Fan, Fennycraft, Full Moon Blends, Life Art, Loomen Labs, Woolly Mammoth, The Beat in Between, Static Dynamic, Repo Records, Mom-Mom’s, Love City Vet and much, much more.
For more information on all things South Street and South Street Fest, you can follow South Street Headhouse District on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, and TikTok. For additional information, Philadelphians can visit SouthStreet.com.
