FunTimes Magazine Culture + Entertainment column, week of May 12, 2025.
“Me in April: I’ll get in shape for summer! Me in May: Where’s the ice cream?”
-Unknown (quote from quickquery.net)
May is having a moment. That’s not surprising. It’s the bridge from winter to summer. But it has another distinction. It’s the month of events. Lots of events. Here’s a taste of the sweet nectar of May — a few free or low-cost entertaining choices and destinations focusing on art, nature walks, Afrodance, wine, and jazz. And don’t forget: When event-going, consider taking precautions, especially when among groups and while indoors, with the risk of COVID-19 variants and other infectious health concerns.
Jazz & Wine Hit High Notes
Saturday, May 17, 2025. Vibe to live jazz by the Lovette Hines Legacy Ensemble. Sip fine wine and freshly micro-brewed beer out on the terrace at Jazz and Wine Under the Moon. Enjoy delicious hors d’oeuvres and drinks while mingling with professionals as part of a fundraiser for community youth mentoring programs. $28.52 per ticket, 6 p.m. EST to 9 p.m. EST. Science Center, 3675 Market St. allevents.in
How to Navigate Doing ‘The Side Hustle’
Friday, May 16, 2025. This special virtual presentation is for those of you and there are many of you — who burn the midnight oil, moonlighting in extra jobs. Take a pause in your busy schedule and spend lunch with host FunTimes. Check out our upcoming enlightening virtual event “5 to 9: Why We Do The Side Hustle.” Let’s discuss what drives us to lead a life and career dominated by multiple jobs, especially in these pre-recessionary times. Do we do it for profit or passion? Find out, as local expert side hustlers Tiffany Spraggins, Shekhinah B., and event host Lavonne Nichols weigh in with their hard-earned expertise and experience about the side hustle playbook. Panelist Spraggins is the Director of the Power Up Your Business Program at Community College of Philadelphia. Shekhinah B. is the Executive Director of The Women’s Coalition for Empowerment, Inc. and author of The Art Economic Empowerment Workbook & Take Charge. Host Nichols is a certified life coach, a multi-media professional, a singer, the author of Uncaged, a self-help empowerment resource, and the founder of Say Something Good LLC, which supports women’s healing journeys. So, if you’re gigging it, we’re digging it. Free, noon to 1 p.m. EST. Join FunTimes on Instagram Live. Email: info@funtimesmagazine.com, funtimesmagazine.com
A Mindful Talk & Walk
Sunday, May 18, 2025. If you need a place to meet, walk, talk, exercise in nature, and bond through sisterhood, then try the popular Sis Walks & Talks. It promises to be a rejuvenating community self-care experience for women 18 and older. Connect, reflect, and grow together physically, mentally, and spiritually. Stroll along a scenic trail at Bartram’s Garden while engaging in supportive and meaningful conversations. Snacks and water were provided. Individual tickets: $5; 3 p.m. EST to 5 p.m. EST. Bartram’s Garden, 5400 Lindbergh Blvd. eventbrite.com
Upbeat Afrobeats
Fridays, May 16 & 23, 2025. It’s about the three M’s — movement, mindfulness, and meditation — at the Afrvbz Presents Afrodance & Medication community dance class. Fall in love with the dynamic rhythms of afrobeat, followed by an invigorating group mediation to “find your inner rhythm and peace.” Experience the healing power of Afrodance. Pay on a sliding scale, $10 to $20; tickets Include admission, a raffle ticket making you eligible for a prize, and free admission for a friend or family member. 6:30 p.m. EST to 8 p.m. EST, Calvary Church, 801 S. 48th St. Email: rasaq@dancingclassroomsphilly.org or https://blacksoulsummer.com/afrvbz/ or universitycity.org
Making A World Splash
Week of Sunday, May 18 to Saturday, May 24, 2025. Global Philadelphia Association is sending a message to the world: Philly is a perfect 10. The nonprofit will celebrate the city’s 10th anniversary as the first World Heritage City in the United States, a prestigious status it was awarded in 2015. Philadelphia is one of 330 World Heritage Cities selected worldwide as part of this diplomacy program. A World Heritage City helps to boost global pride, patriotism, recognition, and international tourism. To mark this milestone, Global Philadelphia will be presenting World Heritage Week, a series of lectures, tours, and activities highlighting Philadelphia’s melting pot of international communities. David L. Cohen, described as a leader who reflects the spirit of Philadelphia’s World Heritage status, will be recognized for his achievements as a difference-maker in the public and private sectors as a former chief of staff for City of Philadelphia Mayor Edward Rendell, U.S. ambassador, and Comcast executive. Inquire about prices; event times vary. Global Philadelphia Association. Two Logan Square, 100-120 N. 18th St. (Suite 530), 215-563-2482 or www.GlobalPhiladelphia.org
Winning the Battle of Production, 1943, by Hugo Gellert (1892-1985).
The Power of Art In The 1940s
Through Monday, September 1, 2025. In the 1940s, the arts bustled with new ideas in fashion, textiles, craft and design, printmaking, drawing, photography, painting, and sculpture. The exhibit Boom: Art and Design in the 1940s is a great reflection of the creative forces that emerged in the face of many restrictions and adversities in that era which was punctuated by the Second World War. Politics, science, economics, industry, the arts, and culture all were tested, but not suppressed, by the turmoil of the era. The exhibition will showcase 1940s works from the Philadelphia Museum of Art’s permanent collections. Individual tickets: $35; $33 for seniors 65+ & $19 for students (includes admission to view other museum exhibits); pay what you wish on the first Sundays of the month. Mondays: 10 a.m. EST to 5 p.m. EST, Thursdays: 10 a.m. EST to 5 p.m. EST, Fridays: 10 a.m. EST to 8:45 p.m. EST & Saturdays & Sundays: 10 a.m. EST to 5 p.m. EST. Philadelphia Museum of Art, Dorrance Galleries (Main Building), 2600 Benjamin Franklin Pkwy. 215-763-8100 or philamuseum.org
A Day Of Empowering Unity In The Community
Saturday, May 17, 2025. For a day of community and “civic revival,” head down to Cobbs Creek Park this Saturday for The 2025 Community in Action Festival, presented by Community Hero PA. The event is led by the voice of event organizer Nicole Keels-McGruder, Executive Director of Community Hero PA, a nonprofit that addresses the health and financial equity gap and empowers Black women. Join this call to action to discuss pressing issues like health disparities, voter suppression, and cost-of-living challenges. Hosted by Miss Philadelphia 2024, Tynecia Wilson, a Temple University alumnus, the Community in Action Festival focuses on civic engagement. Get access to health and wealth resources. The Building the Bloc Block Party featuring Black Voters Matter and the League of Women Voters, driving voter participation for critical upcoming elections. Get free health screenings at the Hero Health Clinic. Check out the Medicaid Enrollment Clinic for resources about health insurance coverage. But it will also be a time to relax. Have fun at the Kids Zone of African drumming, sports clinics, and inflatables. Groove to the music of DJs, stilt walkers, henna artists, and open-mic performances. The event is part of a partnership with Pennsylvania State Representative Joanna McClinton and the Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine. Free (including food); noon to 4 p.m. EST, Cobbs Creek Park, 700 Cobbs Creek Pkwy. Email: Contactus@communityheropa.org or https://communityheropa.org/actionfestival2025
Image courtesy of stories.td.com
College Fair Captures HBCU Experience
Saturday, May 17, 2025. The keywords are college, careers, and community. With more than 30,000 participants, it’s credited as one of the United States’ largest college festivals. It’s called the HBCU Festival Presented by TD Bank showcasing the rich culture and educational acumen of Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). Find out what HBCUs are all about at places like time-honored Cheyney, Morgan State, and Howard Universities. Check out an engaging college and community fair represented by 25 HBCUs and Philadelphia-area employers, trade unions, apprentice programs, organizations, and Black-owned businesses from the nearby Parkside and West Philadelphia neighborhoods. Enjoy performances by HBCU drumlines, marching bands, choirs, and cheer squads; peruse a wellness zone featuring free health resources, screenings, representatives from Jefferson Health and other health institutions; check out master classes conducted by HBCU performers for Philadelphia high school students, family activities and food trucks. Free but pre-register, 11 a.m. EST to 5 p.m. EST. The Mann Center, 5201 Parkside Ave. / Fairmount Park. 215-878-0400 or manncenter.org/hbcu or www.manncenter.org
