Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater, ensembleartsphilly.org
FunTimes Magazine: ‘Culture & Entertainment’ column, week of September 22, 2025
“Let’s all be nice to September.”
— Dr. Nitya Prakash, Writer & Educator
If fall has any downfall, it’s that it passes in a flash. So, the short of it is that autumn, which officially blew in on Monday, is not long. So, go out and seize the cool day! From Grammy® Award-winning jazz to Pulitzer Prize Award-winning plays, here are a few free or low-cost activities that will extend the September of your days.
At 65, Celebrating Freedom, Culture, and Community
Wednesday, October 1, 2025. FunTimes jumps at any opportunity to unite the community. In that spirit, we will host the Nigerian Independence Day Flag-raising & Awards Ceremony at Philadelphia City Hall. The event locally celebrates Nigeria’s independence from Great Britain 65 years ago. The local Nigerian community and friends will gather, as City officials proclaim October 1st “Nigeria Independence Day in Philadelphia.” Three community champions of Nigerian descent will be honored for their achievements: Dr. Brenda A. Allen, President of Lincoln University, Dr. Odiraa Nwankwor, Associate Professor of Pediatrics, and Laolu Senbanjo, a musician and multi-disciplinary artist. FunTimes will also officially kick off the Oral History Initiative, an exciting multiyear project documenting first-person accounts of the African and Caribbean diaspora in the Delaware Valley and globally. The goal is to promote reporting, classroom engagement, and public dialogue, and encourage storytellers, interviewers, sponsors, and host sites to join the community conversation. The program will include a traditional performance of Talking Drums, a special FunTimes keepsake — all followed by a reception. Free, 3 p.m. EST to 4:30 p.m. EST. Philadelphia City Hall/ North side, Broad Street and John F. Kennedy Blvd. Email: info@funtimesmagazine.com, funtimesmagazine.com
Branford Marsalis Quartet Is Jazzed
Sunday, September 28, 2025. Saxophonist Branford Marsalis, a multi-Grammy® Award-winner, blows into town and brings gifts — his longtime quartet composed of pianist Joey Calderazzo, bassist Eric Revis, and drummer Justin Faulkner. Jazzis Magazine calls the group a blend of “unapologetic artistry.” The quartet will go around the horn with a tight array of original compositions and innovative takes on jazz standards. Led by Marsalis, it will perform tunes from its new record, Belonging. Individual tickets start at $85 (Save up to $35 when buying a subscription); 7 p.m. EST. Check out a pre-performance talk with Branford Marsalis and Executive & Artistic Director of Penn Live Arts Christopher Gruits, 6 p.m. EST. Penn Live Arts, Annenberg Center/ Zellerbach Theatre, 3680 Walnut St. 215-898-3900 or https://pennlivearts.org/event/BranfordMarsalis
A Play About Starting Anew
Through Sunday, October 5, 2025. For a solid uplifting story with “humor and heart,” Primary Trust is a trusted choice. It’s directed by Philly’s own Amina Robinson and is the winner of the 2024 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. The storyline is about Kenneth from a small town in New York, who works at a bookstore that unexpectedly closes. He’s forced to reevaluate and start over facing the prospect of new relationships and challenges. The play is uplifting and runs to the core of resilience. Individual tickets: $30 to $70; Philadelphia Theatre Company at the Suzanne Roberts Theatre, 480 S. Broad St. Email: info@theatrephiladelphia.org, 215-985-0420 or https://theatrephiladelphia.org/whats-on-stage/primary-trust
Camille Gomera-Tavarez
Book This Event
Saturday, September 27, 2025. Spend part of the afternoon at a meet-and-greet and book signing with Philadelphia-based teen novelist Camille Gomera-Tavarez, whose new book is The Girl, The Ring & the Baseball Bat. Find out about the writer and exactly what those things in the book title have in common. The Afro-Dominican designer and creative designer brings plenty of credentials to the table reading. She has a BFA in Graphic Design & Creative Writing from the Maryland Institute College of Art. Her debut novel, High Spirits, is a short story collection for all ages that got rave reviews and was a Center for the Study of Multicultural Children’s Literature Best Book of 2022. Her sophomore YA novel, The Girl, the Ring, & the Baseball Bat last year earned top reviews from Kirkus and Publishers’ Weekly. Gomera-Tavarez is the founder of Plantin Magazine, an online platform for Black immigrant writers. Buy a book and get it signed by the author. Free but pre-register; noon to 1 p.m. ST; Lillian Marrero Library, 601 W. Lehigh Avenue (6th St. & Lehigh Ave.). https://libwww.freelibrary.org/programs/authorevents/?id=156263
Mix The ‘Birds,’ Burgers and Business
Sunday, September 28, 2025. The best way to get to the heart of a community is through its stomach. The PA Professional Image Alliance is hip to this. It will host a fall cookout and networking fundraiser, the Business Professionals BBQ’s Eagles Watch Party. It will be an afternoon of networking and watching “The Birds” — the two-time Super Bowl-winning Philadelphia Eagles against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. Business owners, aspiring hair stylists, corporate professionals, change-makers, and community residents can seize this opportunity to grow their networks in a ‘cas’ environment. It’ll be all about burgers, business, and balling! Organized by Antionette Morris-Turner, President of the PA Professional Image Alliance, the gathering is designed to build community engagement and careers. Over food and refreshments, make meaningful community connections. Part of the proceeds will support the Alliance’s Apprenticeship Program, training and mentoring the next generation of beauty professionals. Bake’n Bacon Philadelphia, 1148 S. 11th St. Pre-register; $10 per person. 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. EST. https://patch.com
Creative Philadelphia Art Gallery, Philadelphia City Hall
Through Friday, October 31, 2025. To celebrate Hispanic Heritage Month 2025, Creative Philadelphia and the Philadelphia City Council reached out to Philadelphia’s Hispanic community to submit artwork for an Art In City Hall public juried exhibition. The result was From 215 Con Mucho, Mucho Amor, which explores the meaning of home. Featured are the paintings, photography, jewelry, ceramics, digital art, and papier-mâché sculpture of 27 artists. The goal was to elevate the voices and contributions of Philadelphia’s Hispanic communities related to cultural identity, history, and Philadelphia life. Pressing topical issues like immigration, public safety, and housing justice were all on the artistic table to explore. The artwork was selected by local artists Gerard Silva and Khara Garcia, with assistance from Tu Huynh, Creative Philadelphia’s curator of exhibitions and programs. Hispanic Heritage Month runs through October 15th. Free, Mondays to Fridays, 10 a.m. EST to 4 p.m. EST. Two locations: Philadelphia City Hall, Creative Philadelphia Art Gallery, Rm 116 & near City Council Chambers, 4th Floor (northeast corner). 215-686-8446 or https://www.creativephl.org/exhibition/from-215-con-mucho-mucho-amor/
Photos courtesy of the Hero Thrill Show. Photos by Elliott Curson.
Tribute To Heroes On A Banner Day. It was a real hero’s welcome at the 70th Hero Thrill Show on September 20th in South Philadelphia. Former City Councilmember Janie Blackwell (left), seen here with Philadelphia Fire Commissioner Jeffrey Thompson, was the show’s Grand Marshal. It was a day of tradition, tribute, and motorcycle maneuvers, as the elite Philadelphia Police Motorcycle Highway Patrol Drill Team dazzled the crowd with its flashy, daring moves. Proceeds from the fundraiser will go towards the education of the children of families of police officers and firefighters who lost their lives in the line of duty.
