Photo courtesy of the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society
FunTimes Magazine ‘Culture + Entertainment’ column, Week of April 22, 2024
“April Is The Month Of Dreams Come True.”
—Theologian John Baillie
April is the month of many things like National Minority Health Month, Stress Awareness Month, National Walking Day, and yes, National Find a Rainbow Day (darn, we missed those walking and rainbow days observed on April 3rd). But you can still find your rainbows with these energizing upcoming free or low-cost events; they are dedicated to health, education, finance, and jazz music to mark National Jazz Appreciation Month. Getting back to National Walking Day, there’s even a jazz history tour that will cover the walking part. And don’t forget: When event-going, please take precautions, especially when in groups and indoors, with the current COVID-19 variants and other infectious health threats. Check with the event organizers about their safety protocols, and also any changes due to inclement weather.
Workshop ‘guarantees’ way to combat poverty
Wednesday, April 24, 2024. Guaranteed income is a social welfare benefit growing in popularity across the United States. It gives eligible individuals steady cash payments for a specific and limited time. The payments help recipients reach a standard of living above the poverty line, which in Philadelphia is among the highest of big cities in the United States. Learn how the benefit works and how to build political will to develop the concept. It’s all part of the latest installment of WOMEN’S WAY’s virtual series, Closing the Gender Wealth Gap: Advancing Gender Equity with Guaranteed Income. Get a deeper understanding of how guaranteed income pilots can reduce poverty and enhance the well-being of women and their families. The panel will be led by moderator Anne Price, Co-President and Founder of The Maven Collaborative. The expert panelists include Dr. Amy Castro, Associate Professor at the University of Pennsylvania, Co-Founder, of the Center for Guaranteed Income Research; Nia Coaxum, MPH, CHES — Philly Joy Bank Program Manager in the Philadelphia Department of Public Health, and William Hall, Deputy Executive Director for Policy and Programs in the City of Philadelphia’s Office of Community Empowerment and Opportunity. Free but donations accepted. Online, 4 p.m. EST. 215-985-3322 or womensway.org.
Music with strings attached
Friday, April 26, 2024. If you’re into the music of Prince, Childish, Gambino Lauryn Hill, Alicia Keyes, Sade, and Boyz II Men, then check out the easy-listening instrumental music at the Candlelight Concerts in Philadelphia by the Listeso String Quartet. Enjoy soul-stirring classics like Smooth Operator, You Don’t Know My Name, and The End of the Road. Also, strike a pose and get a keepsake photo to eternally remember your experience. Tickets only sold in advance: $45 & $50; 8:30 p.m. EST. For those 8 years or older. Those under 16 must be with an adult; the venue is ADA-compliant. Bok Bar, 8th and Mifflin Streets in South Philadelphia. feverup.com.
The city’s parent & youth fair is resourceful
Saturday, April 27, 2024. Check out The City of Philadelphia Parent & Youth Resource Fair for valuable resources about city programs, raffle giveaways, DJ music, and refreshments. City agencies and service providers will share materials, and guidance to assist children and teens. Connect to summer camps, late afternoon/evening activities, emotional support, mentoring, conflict resolution, and food support. Discover safe, engaging, and enriching summer activities for children, teens, and families. The services and resources can make a difference in the lives of Philadelphia’s youth. Free, 11 a.m. EST to 3 p.m. EST. Pennsylvania Convention Center (Exhibit Hall G), 1101 Arch St. (enter at North Broad Street). Free but registration is encouraged. 888-545-2600 or phila.gov.
Walk through Philly’s jazz history
Saturday, April 27, 2024. Celebrate Philadelphia’s treasure trove of jazz history on a tour of Philly jazz places and people. Learn about the lives and music of Philadelphians John Coltrane, Jimmy Smith, Benny Golson, and Lee Morgan — all legends in the 20th-century jazz scene. The walking tour, Exploring the Philly Jazz Legacy, highlights the actual jazz spots and stories from Philly’s hot heyday in the 1950s and 1960s through the present. Check out jazz meccas like the Earle Theatre at 11th and Market Streets and the various clubs on South Broad Street, a major club strip. Tour guide Jack McCarthy, an author and music historian, will keep you in tune with the city’s rich and innovative jazz contributions by Coltrane and company. The tour is part of the Hidden City Philadelphia educational project. $25, or pay what you can; 1 p.m. EST to 3 p.m. EST. Meet at 12th and Market Streets (northeast corner). E-mail: ashea@hiddencityphila.org, allevents.in or creativephl.org.
‘Jazz Up, Down and Around,’ Philly-style
Saturday, April 27, 2024. From the first lick, the Jazz Up, Down and Around: Celebrating Philadelphia’s Concrete Jazz concert will highlight “the many directions jazz takes through musical narratives.” Arpeggio Jazz Ensemble and Abstract Truth will perform the cool pioneering Philly sound ranging from swing, bebop, hard bop, modal, and avant-garde. The program will honor the city’s rich jazz heritage and feature the music of Philadelphia jazz legends including Lee Morgan, Hank Mobley, John Coltrane, and Pat Martino. Created by bassist Warren Oree in 1979, the Arpeggio Jazz Ensemble performs original and standard compositions. Abstract Truth blends jazz with R&B, soul, Latin sounds, gospel, and blues. Free, 5 p.m. EST to 9 p.m. EST. LifeLine Music Coalition, 1906 Rittenhouse Sq. 215-421-3688 or lifelinemusic@comcast.net or creativephl.org.
Sheep shearing, anyone?
Saturday, April 27, 2024. Celebrate the spirit of April’s Earth Day (which was April 22nd) at Pennypack’s annual Sheep Shearing Day at Fox Chase Farm. That’s right, you read it right: Sheep shearing! Enjoy sheep shearing and blacksmith demonstrations. Check out the uses for wool, candle dipping, crafts, wool spinning, hayrides, fiber arts, and music. Experience the natural link between nature & agriculture through demos, tastings, and workshops. Learn about the heritage of Fox Chase Farm, which dates back to 1762 and is on the National Register of Historic Places. $5 per person (cash only); free: kids under age 2, noon to 4 p.m. EST. Fox Chase Farm, 8500 Pine Rd. 215-685-0470 or pec@phila.gov or foxchasefarm.org.
Facetime me!
Sunday, April 28, 2024.Save this day for some overdue “me time” of pampering and self-care in the “ultimate wellness and skincare experience” at theHeyday Skincare Rittenhouse X Restore Hyper Wellness Pop-Up Event. Revitalize with a skin consultation, facial, cleansing, exfoliation, and personalized skin treatment. Indulge in IVs or other wellness services by professional aestheticians. Inquire about pricing; from 10 a.m. EST to 3 p.m. EST. Restore Hyper Wellness, 1229 Chestnut St. 215-982-2637 or restore.com.
U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield
U.S. Ambassador to hold a world-class discussion
Tuesday, April 30, 2024. The World Affairs Council of Philadelphia will host an engaging discussion on global diplomacy and international relations with Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield, United States Ambassador to the United Nations. Thomas-Greenfield has enjoyed an esteemed 35-year career in U.S. Foreign Studies. She served as Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs, Ambassador to Liberia, and other world affairs roles. She retired from the State Department in 2017. She led the Africa Practice at Albright Stonebridge Group and served as the Distinguished Resident Fellow in African Studies at Georgetown University. She was nominated to her current post by President Joe Biden and confirmed in the U.S. Senate in 2021. $70 adults, $20 students, noon to 1:30 p.m. EST. The Liberty View at Independence Visitor Center, 599 Market St. E-mail: info@wacphila.org, 215-561-4700 or wacphila.org.
