FunTimes Fun: Events Education, & Entertainment!
FunTimes Fun Fact: June birth flowers are the Rose and the Honeysuckle.
June is National Rose Month as well as National Daisy Month. Smell the theme. The path of rose petals are “in full bloom,” and can only lead to one fragrant place of escape — the world-famous PHS Philadelphia Flower Show and more including a myriad of free or low-cost neighborhood indoor and outdoor activities. But before venturing out, please check with the event organizers to confirm hours and inquire about their updated COVID-19 safety protocols regarding mask-wearing and proof of vaccination.
Network and make the dream work
June 17, 2022. Eat, drink and network at the Whitney M. Young Powerbroker Awards – a can’t-miss fundraiser for young professionals and community difference-makers. The event will honor community champions in education, youth development, business, housing health, justice and civic engagement in the Greater Philadelphia area. The award is named after Young, a civil rights leader and executive director of the National Urban League (1961-71). The recipients are: Robert Bruce Hill, a NExT Philadelphia member, and PA District Director for Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc.; Tomas Varela, former President, NExT Philadelphia; Leader of Inaugural bEastCon & PowerBroker Awards (2019); Kurt (Cooks) Evans, Community Activist/Founder of Down North Pizza, and Omar Sabir, City Commissioner/Philadelphia. Enjoy food, giggle juice (that’s informal for cocktails) and a golden opportunity to reconnect with peers in a fun way, while showing a commitment to philanthropy and professional development. 8 p.m. to 11 p.m., Tickets: $65 – $75, City Winery Philadelphia, 990 Filbert St. For tickets click here.
Make floral crowns and other fancy crafts at the hands-on Flower Show.
Put your petal to the metal and get down to the Flower Show
June 11-19, 2022. Get your flower power at The 2022 PHS Philadelphia Flower Show, which flourishes on 15 acres at Franklin D. Roosevelt Park in South Philly. The show blossoms every year, but the current edition includes diversity “in both exhibitor demographics and their intricate designs,” more female exhibitors, a new kids’ play space and a marketplace with more than 100 vendors offering gardening and hand-crafted items.
Take part in special tours and interactive experiences. Check out Butterflies Live!, an open-air habitat for native butterfly species. Join crafting classes led by horticultural artisans along the show’s Artisan Row. Get a behind-the-scenes view at an early morning tour, June 12-19. Let loose at the 21-plus Flowers After Hours event or those 21 and over can experience the show during a glowing party under the stars. Enjoy live music, drag performances and great food, June 18.
Get tickets online for any day: $50, adults, $35, Young Friends (ages 18-29), $25, children (ages 5-17). Date-specific tickets are discounted by $5. Special packages for families, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., 855-223-3237, Phsonline.org or Visitphilly.com
LOVE this Juneteenth event
June 17, 2022. Have a Juneteenth moment or two at the Sistahs Laying Down Hands, “a multi-artistry collective” promoting the rhythms of drums, spoken word, prose, storytelling, dance to engage the community. Take part in interactive moments like an open mic showcase. Assist with writing poetry and learn an African folk song — all in the name of recognizing and keeping African ancestry alive. Free, noon to 2 p.m., LOVE Park, 16th Street and JFK Blvd. creativephl.org or https://karensmithdrums.wixsite.com/
Help sculpt the future of trailblazer Tubman statue
June 15, 2022. Create art, sort of. Give your two cents on a new permanent public-art sculpture honoring Harriet Tubman. Sign up for a virtual meeting to help shape the development of the sculpture. Hosted by the City’s public art office – the Office of Arts, Culture and the Creative Economy — the session will include an historical recap of Tubman and her role in Philadelphia as a freedom fighter, a discussion about potential themes for the statue, the opportunity to meet commissioned artist Wesley Wofford and get information to provide input on the artwork’s design. The idea of a permanent installation was spurred by the response from Wolford’s travelling statue, “ Harriet Tubman – The Journey to Freedom,” which was on display at City Hall earlier this year. 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m., creativephl.org
Fly butterflies fly!
Ongoing. The Flower Show is in bloom in South Philly, but there needs to be some insects to land on those flowers! About a few miles away on The Parkway, explore the value and beauty of butterflies in a tropical garden filled with colorful plants and live butterflies from Central and South America, East Africa and Southeast Asia. Immerse yourself in an exhibit of 60 to 150 butterflies and 20 to 40 different species on any given day in a make-believe tropical rain forest. Butterflies are delicate and generally live for one to two weeks, and so the exhibit includes new butterflies from around the world weekly. You can see the stages of a butterfly’s life cycle. $13.95 and $17.95. (Access to this exhibit is included in general admission.), The Academy of Natural Sciences of Drexel, 1900 Ben Franklin Parkway, 215-299-1060, ansp.org
Mindful Art & Journaling for teens
June 21 to Aug. 9, 2022. What’s Art & Journaling? Teens, find out: Overwhelmed by expectations? Want to live with greater awareness and purpose? This virtual workshop is your jawn, then. Join Amber McGuigan and other teens, ages 13 to 17, to explore mindfulness practices and build community. The summer workshops are part of Mighty Writers At Home Programs to incorporate writing with mindfulness, family connection, identity and self-esteem. Free, 7 to 8 p.m. MightyWriters youth literacy nonprofit. Contact Grace Bernicker: gbernicker@mightywriters.org
