Looking for some fun and unique things to do in Philly this weekend? We’ve got you covered.
The Barnes Foundation
There are two reasons to head to the popular cultural institution this weekend: First up on Aug. 4, First Friday will be in full swing, and this time the annual mixer will be presented in partnership with the BlackStar Film Festival, which also begins this week. The evening (which takes place from 6 to 9 p.m.), will feature music by Philly-based vocalist, songwriter, and bandleader Black Buttafly, plus access to some of the Barnes’ exhibits, light fare, cocktails and more.
Then, on Sunday, Aug, 6, the PECO Free First Sunday Family Day will take on the theme of Rhythm and Beat. The day features free admission at the Foundation, plus percussion performances, stories of music and melodies in their galleries, and plenty of family activities. Registration opens Thursday, Aug. 3, at 10 a.m.
2025 Benjamin Franklin Parkway, barnesfoundation.org
BlackStar Film Festival
From Aug. 2 to Aug. 6, the festival’s 12th edition will take place virtually as well as in-person in Philadelphia, with screenings at the Kimmel Center Cultural Campus, Lightbox Film Center, and Suzanne Roberts Theatre. There will also be panel discussions, performances, and parties at sites across the city, a release states.
2023’s participants span visionaries Madeleine Hunt-Ehrlich, Vashti Harrison, and Terence Nance, and Philadelphians can also look out for panels and talks taking place daily on the Kimmel Center Cultural Campus, with featured guests speaking on an assortment of topics including Black Muslim representation on screen; curatorial justice; intimacy and movement direction; disability justice in filmmaking; and imagining Black queer futures.
Other events and activations surrounding the BlackStar film festival include parties (such as First Friday at The Barnes Foundation) DJ sets at The Daily Jawn Stage; yoga classes; opening and closing night celebrations; and the BlackStar Bazaar featuring independent artists and creators at Suzanne Roberts Theatre. A full list of schedules, screenings, activities and more can be found online.
Fireworks at Stella of New Hope
If a trip to Bucks County sounds like the plan for the weekend, Philadelphians can head to Stella of New Hope this Friday night for a fireworks display (which begins at 9:10 p.m.). The experience can be viewed from the venue’s outdoor patio, or from the river promenade at Stella’s brand new outdoor bar.
Visitors can also hit the venue early (reservations are available for dinner) to check out a variety of different drinks and dishes at the restaurant. As a release states, highlights include a Local Heirloom Tomato Salad ($15) consisting of marinated mozzarella pearls, local corn, kalamata olive puree, toasted pine nuts, and sherry-shallot vinaigrette; Jail Island Salmon ($36) served with coconut curried black jasmine rice with shrimp, stir-fried english and sugar snap peas, ninja radish, and yuzu aioli; and Pan Roasted Day Boat Sea Scallops ($41) with curried cauliflower, beluga lentils, purple cauliflower, cilantro-macadamia nut pesto and pickled golden raisins.
50 S. Main Street, New Hope, stellanewhope.com
Belly Flop Championship 2023
From WMMR’s Preston & Steve’s, this event has gained a cult following, and will be back this Thursday, Aug. 3, from 6 to 8 p.m. The competition, which takes place at Valley Beach (the 20,000-sq.-ft. poolside club and entertainment stage at Valley Forge Casino Resort) will feature hopeful participants showing off their best flop for the chance to win a $500 cash prize. The event is free for all spectators who are 21 and over to attend.
1160 1st Ave, King of Prussia, wmmr.com
Shark Summer at the CAA
Back at the Camden Adventure Aquarium for another season, Shark Summer will be in full swing from now until Aug. 20. The annual event gives visitors the opportunity to learn more about the apex predators, and also, participate in some unique activities.
One event has been brought back by popular demand—and it involves a scuba fairy. As the release states, on average, sharks lose about 35,000 teeth in their lifetime, and as “the proud home to the largest collection of sharks in the Northeast,” the Adventure Aquarium’s Scuba Tooth Fairy will be searching for some of those gems in the venue’s 550,000-gallon Ocean Realm exhibit.
The CAA also houses a variety of sharks that Philadelphians can see, and some even up close with the venue’s popular Shark & Ray encounter. Other activities for family fun during Shark Summer included with admission span different hands-on activities like a Shark Activity sheet or ways to get creative and color your own eco-friendly shark hat. And as a release states, the Adventure Aquarium will also offer chances to chat with a Shark Expert to learn more about “the ocean’s most misunderstood creatures,” test your shark knowledge during a Shark-centric edition of the Walk the Plank game show, or catch shark-themed lights at the top of each hour in the Aquarium’s expansive Rotunda.
1 Riverside Drive, Camden, New Jersey, adventureaquarium.com
