Photo courtesy of the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society: https://phsonline.org/
FunTimes Magazine: ‘Culture & Entertainment’ column, week of August 4, 2025
A Word About Weeds: Many moons ago, Anglo-Saxons in Europe referred to August as “Weod Monath” (weed or grass month), because weeds and plants grew aplenty.
Look what the hot breeze blew in. Hello, August. Make yourself at home. Sip on some lemonade. To welcome our warm friend, let’s get easy and breezy by “summering up” with these low-cost or free events, from the Caribbean Islands to Cherry Street Pier along the Delaware River.
Honoring Sadie: Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker greets Dr. Rae Alexander-Minter, daughter of the late Dr. Sadie T.M. Alexander, and Alexander’s nephew at City Hall on July 30. The occasion featured an announcement of the artist selection for a public-art sculpture of Sadie T.M. Alexander planned for installation on Thomas Paine Plaza in front of the Municipal Services Building across from City Hall. In 1927, Said T.M. Alexander was the first Black woman to gain admission to the Pennsylvania bar, launching a stellar career championing civil rights. She was one of the nation’s first Black women to earn a doctorate. Artist Vinnie Bagwell’s proposed rendering was chosen by an art committee, Dr. Alexander-Minter, and by an open public vote. It will be the city’s latest addition to one of the largest public-art collections in the United States. It will mark the second piece of artwork of a female African-American historical figure on public display in the city.
Photo by Aidan Gallo, FunTimes
Surround Yourself With ‘Story Adventures”
Thursday, August 7, 2025. Preschoolers will have a ball with a story session filled with puppets, expressive movement, dance, yoga, and instruments at Story Adventures with Thembi Palmer. Palmer is an author and educator, who grew up in Liberia. She will engage and entertain the children with her stories through props, songs, and imaginative play. The goal is to develop early literacy by promoting interactive reading and writing. The session is designed for preschoolers up to age 5, along with their caregiver. Free, 10:30 a.m. EST. Chestnut Hill Library, 8711 Germantown Ave. (Germantown Ave. & Bethlehem Pike). 215- 685-9290 or https://libwww.freelibrary.org/calendar/event/152188
Get It Down To A Science
Thursdays, August 7, 14 & 21, 2025. Kids absolutely will fall in love with Science in the Summer: Be a Health Scientist. It’s an engaging science-medical program for youth, grades 2nd to 6th. Learn what an epidemiologist does or an orthopedic doctor or a cardiologist. Enjoy hands-on fun experiments that may spark an early interest in ever-growing STEM careers. No registration required, free, 1 p.m. EST to 1:45 p.m. EST. Blanche A. Nixon/Cobbs Creek Library, 5800 Cobbs Creek Parkway (59th St. & Baltimore Ave.) 215-685-1973 or https://libwww.freelibrary.org/calendar/event/153882
A Feast From The Islands
Sunday, August 10, 2025. Eat until your heart’s content at the 3rd Annual Caribbean Food Expo. Indulge in the rich Caribbean culture. Feast on favorites like Belizean rice and beans, Baigan chokka (roasted eggplant), and the Trinidadian appetizer Pineapple Chow (pineapple, garlic, and cilantro). Enjoy island-inspired goods and the laid-back rhythms of Vybe DJs and special live performances. Free admission but pre-register; Noon to 7 p.m. EST. Chalmers Park, 29th Street and Chalmers Ave. Email: Ivphillyfoodexpo@gmail.com or https://www.frontlineticketing.com/…/Caribbeanfoodexpo25
Explore Free Life Before the Civil War
Monday, August 11 & Tuesday, August 12, 2025. This is for the teachers and scholars among us: Check out the 1838 Black Metropolis & Historical Society of Pennsylvania’s Philadelphia’s Antebellum Black Metropolis: Curriculum and Resource Workshops, which explore free Black communities in the 1700s and 1800s. The workshops chronicle life in these bustling innovative communities that led the pre-Civil War struggle for freedom “and demonstrated how the tools of democracy can be deployed to ensure a more perfect union,” according to promotional literature. Through online talks and in-person activities, explore a curriculum of historical narratives through the 1838 Black Metropolis’s website. In the in-person workshops, educators will have access to primary documents helping with teachable lessons applicable to the classroom. Walk in the actual neighborhoods where these free communities lived and contributed. Free but pre-register; 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Zoom; 2:30 p.m. EST to 5 p.m. EST in person. Historical Society of Pennsylvania, 1300 Locust St., 215-732-6200 or https://pa-history.org/ or https://hsp.org/category/topic/Philadelphia
Art Exhibit Dives Into Women’s Hair Loss
Tuesday, August 12, 2025. Check out the opening of the exhibit Rooted in Resilience: Artistic Perspectives on Alopecia in Women — a candid and creative look at the emotional and psychological effects of hair loss. Known as alopecia, the issue impacts about 7 million people, mostly women, worldwide, sometimes disrupting their sense of self, identity, and beauty standards. It’s prevalent in women of color. Physical complications include scalp sunburn, sensitivity to temperature, loss of eyebrows, eyelashes causing eye irritation, nail pain, and autoimmune disorders. The exhibit’s promotional material notes: “Experience deep, personal, and creative explorations of this condition, reflecting both the pain and challenges of hair loss, as well as the strength and transformation that often follows.” The exhibit will run through Monday, October 6, 2025. Opening reception: Free, but registration required; 5:30 p.m. EST to 7 p.m. EST. Penn State Great Valley, 30 E. Swedesford Rd., Malvern, Pa. https://greatvalley.psu.edu/ or https://www.eventbrite.com/e/rooted-in-resilience-artistic-perspectives-on-alopecia-in-women-tickets-1309171570409?aff=oddtdtcreator
Learn To Make Organic Soap
Wednesday, August 13, 2025. Hosted by local creatives like the Cherry Street Pier resident artists and various programming partners, check out a hands-on soap-making workshop at Workshop Wednesdays at Independence Blue Cross Riverrink Summerfest. No soap on a rope here. Learn the art of wet-felting techniques using farm-sourced wool, organic almond soap, and dried wildflowers. Create fancy felted soap for use, decoration, or gifts. The workshop will be led by Cherry Street Pier Resident Artist Bonnie MacAllister, who will show you techniques in embroidery, felting, natural dyeing, and recycled textiles. Her embroidery has been widely exhibited in the U.S.. She was the recipient of a Fulbright-Hays to Ethiopia in 2009. $39.19 (includes a drink); 6 p.m. EST to 8 p.m. EST. The Lodge at Summerfest/ Studio 16, 101 South Christopher Columbus Blvd. 215-922-2FUN or
https://www.delawareriverwaterfront.com/where-to-go/independence-blue-cross-riverrink-summerfest
Photo by Goldfinger Gabby, courtesy of the Caribbean Festival
Catch A Cool Breeze At The Philadelphia Caribbean Festival
Sunday, August 17, 2025. The islands are calling. And you don’t even have to book a trip. Hustle on over to the Philadelphia Caribbean Festival for the soothing sounds of reggae, roots, international beat, soca, cool jazz, and steel-band music. Vibe to live Caribbean beats featuring the jazz of Kenny Sykes, WeUnited Band (Soca), Tabernacle Reggae Band, Riddem Nation Band (roots rock and reggae), HYCP Angels (a Haitian dance group), Bahamian Juliene Believe (soca), Haitian 198th (Kompo music). Dance like the breeze. Shop at a Caribbean marketplace for fashions, jewelry, and exotic cuisines. Kids will enjoy face-painting, bead-making, balloon animals, bean bags, and other games at the Caribbean Children’s Village. Now in its 39th year, the festival represents more than a dozen Caribbean nations including Antigua & Barbuda, Bahamas, Barbados, Dominica, Grenada, Guyana, Haiti, Jamaica, Panama, St. Kitts & Nevis, Saint Lucia, U.S. Virgin Islands, Saint Vincent & the Grenadines, Trinidad & Tobago, and Puerto Rico. The event is organized by the Caribbean Festival and Cultural Organization of Pennsylvania, Inc., and is part of the PECO Multicultural Series. Free admission, noon to 8 p.m. EST. Cherry Street Pier No. 9, 121 N. Columbus Blvd. Email: cherrystreetpier@drwc.org, 215-923-0818, or https://phillycaribbeanfestival.com/2025/ or cherrystreetpier@drwc.org. or https://globalphiladelphia.org/events/philadelphia-caribbean-festival-part-peco-multicultural-series
