From the hardwood to the oil canvas, NBA player-turned-artist Neil Anthony Edwards’ exhibit, “We Are All Fading,” at the Morton Contemporary Gallery depicts life’s fleeting nature and the value of your legacy. Check out the reflective art pieces, like the one shown here, in the exhibit’s opening reception on November 8th. Eventbrite
FunTimes Magazine: ‘Culture & Entertainment’ column, week of October 20, 2025
Leaves descending to the ground,
Orange, magenta, green & brown.
The cool crisp breezes in the air,
Autumn season must be here”
― Author-Poet Charmaine J Forde
Contemporary American poet Charmaine Forde knows it’s fall when the leaves turn. We know it’s autumn when events like hayrides, Halloween haunts, and apple festivals are aplenty. From art exhibits to “skull” scavenger hunts, these low-cost or free events will get your blood pumping in the chill of the season.
Race & Health Inequities, Now And Then
Thursday, October 23, 2025. A REFUTATION at Mother Bethel AME takes a deep dive into the writings and varying accounts that chronicle Philadelphia’s yellow fever epidemic in 1793. The poignant production, available in person or virtually, will look at race, health, and civic responsibility relevant to today’s struggles with the same alarming issues of health inequities and disparities. The production is presented by Theater of War. The event will reach back into history to include pamphlets, letters, and rebuttals by figures in early American history: Richard Allen, Absalom Jones, Matthew Carey, and Benjamin Rush. Afterwards, Artistic Director Bryan Doerries will lead an engaging discussion about these still-topical themes from many perspectives including those of nurses, caregivers, and first responders. The historic location of the event is fitting, as Mother Bethel AME Church was founded by Richard Allen in 1794, and is America’s oldest African Methodist Episcopal church. Free but pre-registration is required to attend in person or by Zoom. Free, but pre-register; 2 p.m. EST to 4:15 p.m. EST. Mother Bethel AME Church, 419 S. 6th St. 215-925-0616 For more details, click here or https://theaterofwar.com or https://www.eventbrite.com
Cindy Blackman Santana
She’s Got The Beat
Thursday, October 23, 2025. Check out Cindy Blackman Santana in concert. The innovative virtuoso drummer and bandleader covers the gamut, from jazz to rock. She has made albums with artists including Pharoah Sanders, Cassandra Wilson, Bill Laswell, and Joss Stone. She writes, records, and performs with her own bands, Cindy Blackman Santana Group and Another Lifetime, which released its critically acclaimed self-titled debut in 2010. In 2011, she joined forces with Vernon Reid, Jack Bruce, and John Medeski to form the critically acclaimed Spectrum Road, which led to an album and concert tour dedicated to the music of Tony Williams, a Miles Davis disciple and pioneer of jazz fusion; she was the drummer in Lenny Kravitz’s band, performing in many world tours. In 2016, she joined Santana full-time time touring and recording albums including Africa Speaks (2019). She performed with Chris Stapleton and Snoop Dogg on a cool cover of Phil Collins’ “In the Air Tonight, ” which can be heard on the weekly opener of ESPN’s Monday Night Football. Individual tickets: $25 to $50; 7:30 p.m. EST ( 6 PM doors open) City Winery Philadelphia, 990 Filbert St. 267-479-7373 or https://citywinery.com
She Shines Conference
She Shines Wants You!
Friday, October 31 & Saturday, November 1, 2025. Organizers of the Celebrating Sisterhood 6th Annual She Shines Conference are looking for volunteers to assist with preparations such as set-up and breakdown before the event on Friday, October 31st, from noon to 6 p.m., and on the event day — Saturday, November 1st, from 3:30 p.m. to 5 p.m. Although the conference is filled, you can get involved as a valuable volunteer. Your behind-the-scenes role will help shine a light on others for the day. She Matters is the uplifting theme of She Shines Conference at New Covenant Church of Philadelphia, 7500 Germantown Ave., in Mt. Airy on Saturday, November 1st. The top change-makers will indulge in a special day of women’s empowerment and enlightenment focusing on health and wellness – including free mammograms — safety, civic engagement, networking, spirituality, sisterhood, civic engagement, and much more. The She Shines Conference is Philadelphia’s premier annual gathering engaging women of color who are disenfranchised and underrepresented in healthcare, education, business, and in many walks of life. Through your volunteer role, help celebrate survival, strength, and sisterhood. Founded by Philadelphia breast cancer survivor Robin Shine Maddox, the She Shines Conference empowers, inspires, and uplifts women, without fail, each fall. October 31, 3:30 EST to 5 p.m. EST, and November 1, 3:30 p.m. EST to 5 p.m. EST. New Covenant Church of Philadelphia, 7500 Germantown Ave. To volunteer for the She Shines Conference, contact Robin Maddox by email: celebratingsisterhood1@gmail.com; www.sheshinesconference.com
Curl Up With This Halloween Event
Saturday, October 25, 2025. Halloween can be a hair-raising experience. Welcome, The Royal Halloween Hair Show is living proof of that. It will be all girls and curls at a spooktacular night of salon styles and fierce competition at the Kween’s Kave Beauty Parlor. Check out local artistic stylists showcasing their creative hairdos with tricky braids and bold colors and they are all inspired by ghosts, ghouls, and everything Halloweenish. Take part in a costume contest and win prizes. Enjoy the vibe with Amanda Fallon who will perform her new hit single, “Bad Gyal.” Pre-register; starting at $17.85; 5 p.m. EST to 10 p.m. EST; Kween’s Kave, Fourth District Container Village, 4862-70 Parkside Ave. https://www.eventbrite.com
Photo courtesy of Delaware River Waterfront Corporation.
Putting The Happy In Halloween
Sunday, October 26, 2025. Halloween Party with PopUpPlay at Cherry Street Pier along the Delaware River will be the happening Halloween place. Kids can join a skull scavenger hunt and dance to music by DJ Frost; they can make giant cardboard monsters, shadow puppets, a mini Halloween village, and try out hands-on play stations created by Brooklyn Robot Factory, NimbleCraft, and National Kids Gym. Free, 2 p.m. EST to 4 p.m. EST. Cherry Street Pier No. 9, 121 N. Columbus Blvd. 215-923-0818 or https://www.cherrystreetpier.com/
Going to This Jail Is Fun
Sunday, October 26, 2025. Eastern State Penitentiary Historic Site will come alive (or dead depending on your viewpoint) at Fall Festival with trick-or-treating activities like a scavenger hunt for kids and parents. Enjoy story time, hands-on activities, art making, live music, and more. The activities explore the storied history of America’s first penitentiary that opened in 1829 and once imprisoned mob boss Al Capone. Free for kids in costume and their caregivers; no reservations required; 3 p.m. EST to 5 p.m. EST. Eastern Penitentiary, 2027 Fairmount Ave. 215-236-3300 or EasternState.org
Playing In The Paint
Saturday, November 8, 2025. Former NBA player Neil Anthony Edwards went from the court to the canvas. Either way, he’s keeping the ball rolling. Check out the opening reception of his art exhibition of oil paintings, We Are All Fading, at the Morton Contemporary Gallery. The promotional material sums up the artist’s work as “a powerful canvas meditation on life’s fleeting moments and the legacies we leave behind.” In his own words, the baller-turned-artist describes the exhibit theme reflectively, noting that “though we are all fading, what remains is the mark we leave behind: our stories, our presence, and the way we touched the world. My art in this show seeks to preserve that essence before it slips away.” Free but pre-register, 6 p.m. EST to 8 p.m. EST. Morton Contemporary Gallery, 115 S. 13th St. 215-735-2800 or https://www.eventbrite.com
