Fleming Brathwaite dances while wearing a Grenadian flag at the 39th Annual Caribbean Festival on August 17. Caribbean nations around the United States observed 191 years since the Abolition of Slavery Act was enacted in the British Empire. The celebrations signify the struggles of enslaved Africans.
Photo by Aidan Gallo, FunTimes
“Set wide the window. Let me drink the day.”
-American author Edith Wharton (1862-1937)
It has been said that summer’s not over until the last August sunset fades.
So let’s ‘drink the day’ and sip on August until the very last drop of summer’s lemonade. From old-school R&B to a Nina Simone theatrical tribute, here are a few free or low-cost events; there’s still a couple of promising sunsets left in this relaxing month.
Get It Down To A Science
Thursday, August 28, 2025. There are many forms of journalism. Science writing is an important growing art form requiring specific knowledge and skills. To that end, the Black Science Coalition and Institute (B-SCI) will host the workshop, Introduction to Science Journalism. Guest speaker Danese Kenon, managing editor of visuals at The Philadelphia Inquirer, will take a deep dive into developing science stories, the art of storytelling, the value of fact-checking, and how to conduct effective interviews. Learn about science journalism and how to confidently write about this field. Free but pre-register. 7 p.m. EST. Pen & Pencil Club, 1522 Latimer St. https://forms.gle/GainxgjQn9caHJTH9 or https://www.b-sci.org/
Catch The Heatwave
Saturday, August 30, 2025. It will be an old-school blast of R&B from the ‘80s and 90s, as WDAS radio legend Patty Jackson hosts her annual Patty Jackson’s Party in the Park concert featuring Jeffrey Osborne, After 7, and Heatwave. The hits will spin aplenty like an old jukebox with your favorite smooth grooves like “Always and Forever,” “Ready or Not,” and “On the Wings of Love.” Who’s a better event host than longtime DJ Jackson, a powerful part of the radio machine that helped make these singers famous? $60 to $110 per ticket; 8 p.m. EST. The Dell Music Center, 2400 Strawberry Mansion Rd. https://thedellmusiccenter.com/event/patty-jacksons-party-in-the-park-jeffrey-osborne-after-7-heatwave/
Laurel Hill Cemetery
History-makers At Rest
Saturday, August 30, 2025. A cemetery, of all places, can tell the stories of our history. Laurel Hill, one of the U.S.’s first rural “garden” cemeteries, is a treasure of Victorian-style funeral monuments and American history. There, in one of the nation’s first arboretums and municipal parks, are the graves of Civil War-era personalities. At Civil War Tour in South Laurel Hill, tour the cemetery and learn about the deceased like unheralded history-maker Laura Matilda Towne, an educator, abolitionist and homeopathic physician from Pittsburgh. During the Civil War, she and her friend Ellen Murray moved to South Carolina and opened the first school for freed slaves. They adopted several of those school children. They led a life of quiet but brilliant service. The school remains today as a National Historic Landmark. And Towne’s resting place at Laurel Hill is a testament to her life and times. Pre-register; Per person: $17 (ages 13 and up); kids ages 6 to 12: $8.50; free for kids 5 and under; seniors: $15 10 a.m. EST to noon. South Laurel Hill Cemetery, 3822 Ridge Ave. 215-228-8200 or https://laurelhillphl.com/event/civil-war-tour-in-south-laurel-hill/ or http://www.thelaurelhillcemetery.org/
Celebrate Black Womanhood & Nina Simone
Wednesday, September 3, 2025 & Tuesday, September 9, 2025. Jump into a journey of the immersive stage production, Kindled by Nina, an empowering tribute to the talent and activism of iconic Nina Simone, who sang to her own proverbial beat. Written and performed by Karen Moore, with guest poet Shaleena Morrell, the production takes a laser look at Simone’s inspiring music, poetry and crusading quest for civil rights through music, spoken word and storytelling. The promotional material sums up the event: “Through evocative performances and poetic expression, ‘Kindled by Nina’ weaves together themes of strength, resilience, and liberation, capturing the complexities of the Black female experience.” $25 per person; 7 p.m. EST. Louis Bluver Theater at The Drake, 302 S. Hicks St. Email: info@karendmoore.com, https://thecolourofbeautiful.black/ or https://phillyfringe.org/events/kindled-by-nina-a-four-woman-requiem-multimedia-invocation-of-black-womanhood/
Photo by Jerome McGriff courtesy of the Hero Thrill Show, Inc.
Helping Families Of Fallen Fire & Police Heroes
Wednesday, Sept 10, 2025. Enjoy super-cool performances by sizzling-hot wheels at the Hero Thrill Show Pep Rally. It will be a sneak preview of the carnival-style Thrill Show extravaganza coming up later in September. To create excitement, Center City will be pumped up at lunchtime with the dazzling daredevil maneuvers of the elite world-famous Philadelphia Police Highway Motorcycle Patrol Drill Team. The Motorcycle Drill Team will be joined by Mounted police horses, K-9 Unit, bicycles and fire engines. The police and fire departments will give a glimpse of the Hero Thrill Show that has been entertaining the wide-eyed masses for 70 years. What other event gives you a sample before you buy? The ticketed Thrill Show fundraiser is on Saturday, September 20th at the Xfinity Mobile Arena Parking Lot (formerly the Wells Fargo Center). Support the post-high school educations of the families of Philadelphia-area police and fire personnel who lost their lives in the line of duty. The Pep Rally is free, noon to 12:45 p.m. EST, on Market Street, between 18th and 19th streets (includes a staged kickoff program in front of 1818 Market St.). Tickets to the September 20th Hero Thrill Show are: $15 per person; $35 for a family package covering up to five persons; noon to 4:30 p.m. EST. 215-275-3000 or http://www.herothrillshow.org/
Photo courtesy of UNCF.org
Tools & Tips About HBCUs
Now that many high school and college students are returning to class, it may be the perfect time to learn all about the impact of HBCUs and the wealth of resources and tools to support students in the UNCF Resource Guide. Find information about scholarships and lists of notable HBCUs and alumni. It will help high school students make important decisions, secure scholarships and to navigate the college application process. UNCF is the nation’s largest private scholarship provider to minority group members. It awards more than $100 million in annual scholarships to more than 10,000 students. Free. UNCF.org or our HBCU Resource Guide.
Tia Mays was one of several women and 69 participants who graduated from the Samuel Staten Sr. Pre-Apprenticeship Program, which celebrated its Second Annual Graduation Ceremony earlier this month at the Sheet Metal Workers’ Union Hall in Philadelphia. Mays is seeking a position with Local 332 Laborers’ Union. The Samuel Staten Sr. Pre-Apprenticeship Program is one of the region’s emerging, comprehensive programs providing opportunities for pre apprenticeship training and other career pathways. It helps to fill the void of over one million unfilled skilled trades jobs nationwide. Apply online: https://www.ssspap.org, phone: 215-971-2960 or by email: info@ssspap.org
