The Independence Broad Street Run on May 3rd brought out almost 40,000 runners and some acrobatic cheering fans like this scene in South Philadelphia. The 10-mler was held on Broad Street, one of the world’s longest continuous streets. Photo by Randy Giancaterino.
It has been said that May is the month of sunshine, blooming flowers, and endless possibilities. In fact, May is always a busy month. In fact, it never disappoints when it comes to entertainment. May is National Foster Care Month, Mother’s Day, Memorial Day, National Teachers’ Appreciation Week, and many more observances. Some of our events this week capture the essence of those spring celebrations. Go out and enjoy the endless possibilities!
FunTimes To Host ‘Women of Influence’ For National Foster Care Awareness Month
Friday, May 22, 2026. Mark your calendar for the Women of Influence: From Foster Care to Impact awards dinner, honoring organizations and women connected to the foster-care system. Only about half of the youth in foster care are employed by age 24. But some women connected to the foster-care system have risen beyond those odds; they have created impactful lives. The focus will be on women of color who are change-makers. Our goal is to spotlight the stories, achievements and progress of the foster-care system and those who impact it, recognizing a segment of the community often overlooked.
Award recipients will be: Dr. Nikia Owens, President and CEO of Campaign for Working Families, Inc.; Dr. Victoria Best, Executive Director & Founding CEO of Victoria Urban Outreach Tutoring Service (VUOTS); Olga Ashby-Bacon, Certified Nursing Aide, York Rehabilitation and Nursing Center and foster care giver; Progressive Life Center Philadelphia (PCL), provider of specialized foster-care services in Philadelphia and Delaware counties, and Friends of the Children Philadelphia, a crusading nonprofit that has redefined the youth-mentoring model by creating the nation’s first and only long-term professional mentoring program.
City Councilmember Jamie Gauthier will also present ceremonial citations to the recipients.
$10 per person registration fee; 5 p.m. EST to 8 p.m. EST. Mother Bethel A.M.E. Church, 419 S. 6th St. (6th and Lombard streets). Email: info@funtimesmagazine.com, funtimesmagazine.com. Visit us on social media: instagram.com/funtimesmagazine #WomenOfInfluence #FosterCareToImpact #CommunityImpact #BlackWomenLead #FunTimesMagazine.
Denise King will show who is queen at ‘Pop Ups at the Trolley Portal Garden.’
King Jazzes Up The Pop Up
Thursday, May 7, 2026. Enjoy the live jazz vibe at the season opener of Weekly Pop Ups at the Trolley Portal Garden, presented by University City District. Philly’s hometown star, Denise King, will be headlining this week; the international jazz musician’s soulful style of blues, soul and gospel has been inspired by music royalty like Sarah Vaughan, Nina Simone and Frank Sinatra.
Free admission; 5:30 p.m. EST to 7:30 p.m. EST. Trolley Portal Gardens, 40th St. and Baltimore Ave. RSVP on: https://www.facebook.com/share/1aNrtE7ntY/ or visit: www.universitycity.org or https://www.universitycity.org/vm-event/pop-ups-at-the-trolley-portal-garden-denise-king/
Saturday, May 9, 2026. Germantown United CDC in Historic Germantown will kick off Second Saturday: G-town Gatherings. From May to October, enjoy events at engaging historic spaces. This week, Vernon Park will feature family festivities, fun, and food; the Coleman Library will cut the official ribbon that morning, unveiling a custom decorative bell of art representing the Germantown community. The bell is part of the ongoing Philadelphia250 festivities to locally honor the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence in the City of Neighborhoods.
Admission will be free, noon to 4 p.m. EST. (Coleman Library bell event, 68 W. Chelten Ave: 11 a.m. EST). https://historicgermantownpa.org/slider/second-saturday/
Photo courtesy of www.phila.gov
Make Your Mark At Your Park
Saturday, May 9, to Sunday, May 17, 2026. Earth Day 2026 may be gone with the April wind, but not its spirit. Volunteer at Love Your Park Week, a nine-day celebration of Philadelphia’s public parks in partnership with Philadelphia Parks & Recreation, Fairmount Park Conservancy, and Park Friends Groups. Help spruce up any of more than 100 Philly parks by tending gardens and flower beds, caring for trees, and cleaning up for spring. May 9th opportunities include those at Beck Park, 841 S. 2nd St.; Bardascino Park, 10th and Carpenter streets, and BPTA, 3250 Chamounix Dr. (Trolley Tail).
Volunteer activity; pre-register, cleanup start times vary: 9 a.m. EST to 10 a.m. EST. Check out a participating park near you: click here to view the list on GivePulse or https://loveyourpark.org/events/lyp-week-2026
Apply For Louis ‘Armstrong in Ghana’ Project Residency
Through Saturday, May 9, 2026. Listen up, all musicians, arrangers, composers, filmmakers, poets, choreographers, dancers, and movement artists. Apply for Armstrong Now 2026, the Louis Armstrong House Museum’s flagship residency. Artists are being recruited to engage with the archive, journals, recordings, scrapbooks, and the music legend’s personal artifacts. The focus is Armstrong in Ghana, a reflection on the trumpeter’s 1956 visit to the Gold Coast, just before independence and its resonance across diaspora, diplomacy, and sound.
Two artists-in-residence will be chosen to conduct research in the Armstrong Archives, create original work in dialogue with Armstrong’s legacy and engage with the community. Premiere your new work in the fall next to an Armstrong in Ghana exhibit. Those selected will receive a $10,000 stipend and a 10-day residency, starting in July.
For details: https://www.louisarmstronghouse.org/armstrong-now/
Do the Zumba!
Saturday, May 9, 2026. Get movin’ with Latin American/Caribbean rhythms at a dance workout, Caribbean Dance Craze. Get your heart pumping, have fun, and learn classical Latin dance all in a group training session. Led by accomplished Zumba instructor, Lattonia ‘Toni’ Robichaw, you will feel the rhythm in just a few energetic seconds. Robichaw is a member of Kaos Mas Band in the Philly Caribbean Carnival. She blends swinging Caribbean sounds into her dance classes.
Free but pre-register; 10 a.m. EST to noon, Mummers Museum, 1100 S. 2nd St. 215-336-3050 or https://www.mummersmuseum.org/festival-event/workshop-caribbean-dance-craze/
Photo by Ananda Connolly, for Art Star.
Bazaar But In A Good Way
Saturday, May 9 and Sunday, May 10, 2026. Shop for Mother’s Day gifts at the annual Art Star’s Flagship Art Star Craft Bazaar at the Cherry Street Pier, it’s always a great time. Get some bargains on quality hand-made goods at more than 80 curated craft booths. Browse for jewelry, housewares, clothing, accessories, art, prints, pottery, stained glass, stationary, bath and body products, dolls, and woodworking. The bazaar will feature Make + Take stations, where DIY lovers create their own crafts at affordable prices. Check out the pop-up food vendors, including Philly Taco, Irv’s Ice Cream, and Tokio Sushi. Get free event totes (to be distributed at 11 a.m. EST and 3 p.m. EST). Enter a free raffle and see the popular Art Star Unicorn mascot. Free, 11 a.m. EST to 5 p.m. EST. Cherry Street Pier, 121 N. Columbus Blvd. ArtStarPhilly.com.
H.E.A.L. Conference to Unite Behavioral Health Leaders
Friday, May 15, 2026. NAMI Philadelphia will host the H.E.A.L. Conference (Health, Equity, Advocacy, and Learning) for nonprofit leaders, government agencies, healthcare professionals, and educators. With the theme “Better Together,” the conference is designed to spur solutions from prevention and education to treatment and recovery during National Mental Health Awareness Month in May.
In the wake of the current mental health crisis, the H.E.A.L. Conference will assemble nonprofit leaders, health institutions, academic organizations, and government representatives committed to behavioral health outcomes. Learn practical tools and fresh perspectives; exchange ideas and share resources on services and access. Kyle Carter, CEO of NAMI Philadelphia, said: “When we work together, we don’t just improve systems, we change lives.”
The conference will feature keynote speakers and nationally-recognized contributors. Participants will engage in educational breakout sessions and have access to community resource tables. They will take part in a fireside chat and masterclass with Philadelphia radio legend Patty Jackson and Louisa Mfum-Mensah, Director of Executive Operations at the Urban Affairs Coalition.
Trapeta Mayson, CEO of COHMAR, will lead a session on managing various work-life changes. The event host will be Theresa Spencer, founder of Vintage Green Communications.
Free but pre-register, 9 a.m. EST to 2 p.m. EST. Friends Hospital, 4641 Roosevelt Blvd. Click here or https://www.eventbrite.com
