Photo by Tola Adetunji from Pexels
FunTimes Magazine ‘Culture & Entertainment’ column, Week of July 24, 2023
July is the perfect month that lovingly screams: Sloooow down!
Before racing into the second half of the year, it’s a good time to recharge your soul through recreation and celebration. Here are a few ways to assist with that rejuvenating endeavor.
Start off the weekend on the waterfront
July 28, 2023. T.G.I.F. Kick off your weekend with a summer evening of music, dancing, performances, food vendors and drink specials on the Delaware River. It’s part of After Work Sessions at the Waterfront 2023 where you can see guest performers, DJ debuts and giveaways. The event is hosted by Shekhinah B., of The Women’s Coalition for Empowerment, Inc. along with the Delaware Waterfront Corporation. Free, 7:30 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. EST. Spruce Street Harbor Park, 301 S. Columbus Blvd., Info@TheWCE.org, 708-792-3462 or https://after-work-sessions.eventbrite.com/.
$tepping up for the future
July 30, 2023. Who’s the next Philadelphia Inquirer editor Acel Moore, Philadelphia Daily News columnist Chuck Stone or CBS TV reporter Trudy Haynes? We may find out some day, thanks to the Philadelphia Association of Black Journalists (PABJ). The talented trade group will host 2023 Scholarship Fundraiser to support Black journalism students and help pave the inspiring road to a career in communications. All event proceeds will go to PABJ’s scholarship fund. This mixer will give you a chance to meet the area’s best and brightest in the professional press world. Open bar sponsored by Tito’s Handmade Vodka and hors d’oeuvres catered by the incredible FringeArts. $100, 1 p.m. to 4 p.m., EST. Fringe Arts building, 140 N. Columbus Blvd.,thepabj.org.
The Untold: Films by Black movie-makers
August 2, 2023. Wednesday is a nice change-of-a-pace day to see a great movie. Invisible Beauty may do the trick! It’s a stirring account of Bethann Hardison, a former model, agent and activist, directed by Hardison and Frederic Tcheng. Enjoy this “original intimate exploration of a life well lived and shine a light on an untold chapter in the fight for diversity and representation.” It’s part of the 12th edition of the BlackStar Film Festival, which highlights the unique visual and storytelling perspectives reflecting the African diaspora. 5 p.m. EST. $18. Screenings also available online. Kimmel Center (Perelman Theater), 215-790-5800 or kimmelculturalcampus.org. For a full movie schedule at various local venues: blackstarfest.org.
A lesson in being clean and green
July 26-28, 2023. Yes! And… Collaborative Arts 7th Annual Summer Sort of Thing is sort of a mouthful for a group’s name. But you can’t forget it! And its The Clean Green Machine musical production on the outdoor summer stage is just as memorable. The clever theater project teaches grade-school kids and kids of all ages about the environment and solutions to improve communities. It focuses on energy, how it is made and how our energy choices impact the environment. The promotional material explains: “Join us as we take on the impossible job of managing the universe without an instruction book in…The Clean Green Machine!” B.Y.O.B. = Bring Your Own Blanket. Free but a $5 suggested donation; 5:30 p.m. to 6 p.m. EST. Holman Field, 21 W. Washington Ln. in Germantown. E-mail: info@yesandcamp.org; 215-278-4264 or https://www.yesandcamp.org/events.
A concert band with a brassy, flashy style
August 4, 2023.Don’t dare doze off. Brace your ears for bold, brilliant and loud! We’re talking about The West Philadelphia Orchestra, which surely will pump up the volume at Parkway Presents: Fridays at the Oval, a summer series highlighting Philly’s super-rich cultural scene. And, oh yes, bring your dancing shoes. West Philadelphia Orchestra is a dynamic dance-inspiring brass band fond of the lively Eastern European styles of Romani brass “orkestars” and “fanfares.” Food and drink offered at Oval vendors (outside alcoholic drinks not permitted) Main stage at Eakins Oval, 23rd and The Benjamin Franklin Parkway, Free, 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. EST. E-mail: info@parkwaycouncil.org, 215-763-3427 or parkwaycouncilfoundation.org.
