3rd Annual Hip Hop Olympics in West Philly May 23rd. Photo by Tim Greene.
FunTimes Magazine Culture + Entertainment column, week of May 19, 2025.
“May is the most beautiful month of the year, a month alive with warm color. The flowers and trees are in full bloom, and even the sun joins this rhapsody by emitting warmer rays.”
— Author Lillian Berliner
May leads the universe in national observances. There’s a day, week, or month for moms, Memorial Day, strawberries, gardening, brothers, asparagus, craft beer, wine, and even Star Wars. Mark the month with your favorite celebration. Enjoy this edition of entertaining activities, from World Heritage Week to hip-hop, art, and cinema. 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.
Raising Awareness & A Worldly Flag
Thursday, May 22, 2025. Philadelphia is known as a “city of “firsts.” That’s one of many reasons FunTimes is a media event partner with the City of Philadelphia and the Global Philadelphia Association for the World Heritage City Day Flag Raising Ceremony at City Hall. Join us to celebrate Philadelphia’s designation as the first World Heritage City in the United States. The event promotes the birthplace of the nation’s rich seminal cultural heritage and global connections.The ceremony will feature the raising of the Organization of World Heritage Cities’ flag, cultural performances, and remarks by local political and community leaders. It will be a moment to reflect on Philadelphia’s place in the world and its commitment to preserving its cultural heritage. Free but registration is encouraged; noon to 1 p.m. EST. Philadelphia City Hall (north apron), Broad Street, and John F. Kennedy Blvd. Email: info@globalphiladelphia.org, 215-563-2482 or https://globalphiladelphia.org/events/world-heritage-city-day-flag-raising-ceremony or eventbrite.com
“Magic Oil,” by Alexander R. El
Older Means More Creative
Thursday, May 22, 2025. Journalist-activist Betty Friedan once said: “Aging is not lost youth but a new stage of opportunity and strength.” The Celebrate Arts & Aging exhibit in South Philadelphia proves that for sure. Check out the show’s opening reception highlighting paintings, drawings, prints, and photographs by artists who are 55 and older. This inspiring exhibit marks the national Older Americans Month observed in May, and features 125 original works. The artists’ reception is free, from 2 p.m. EST to 4 p.m. EST. The exhibition also is free, and runs through Friday, May 30 weekdays, from 10 a.m. EST to 5 p.m. EST. The collection also has been compiled into a virtual show. South Philadelphia Older Adult Center, 1430 E. Passyunk Ave. Email: michael.drzik@pcaCares.org. 215-685-1697 or https://www.pcacares.org/news/call-for-artists-pcas-2025-celebrate-arts-aging-show/
Photo by Tim Greene
Get Locked In…
Friday, May 23, 2024. Locking, Popping, Krumping, Free-styling. Check out the dopest moves around at the 3rd Annual Hip Hop Olympics. Third to 12th graders can show off their cool skills and go for gold at the Ten Elements of Hip Hop competition that brings together the community through dance and rap. Enjoy the music that became a movement. Get lost in the tight, exaggerated, and improvisational styles and techniques that inspired a generational organic art form. Oba Sankofa, a dedicated educator, will host the event. Free but pre-register; 5:30 p.m. EST to 8:30 p.m. EST.West Philadelphia Container District 4862 Parkside Ave. 267-281-8941 or https://www.thahiphopolympics.com/
Seduction In Senegal
Saturday, May 24, 2025. Get seduced at the KARMEN GEÏ Screening hosted by the Philadelphia Film Society, described as “a provocative reimagining of Bizet’s Carmen, set in Senegal, where the charismatic Karmen schemes, seduces, and defies authority to revive her stake in the underground smuggling world.” Sounds intriguing. Actors Djeïnaba Diop Gaï, Stephanie Biddle, Magaye Adama Niang, and Thierno Ndiaye Doss bring the characters to life. It’s part of the Philadelphia Film Society’s Echoes of the Land: Chronicles of West Africa series. Individual tickets: $11.50 (kids) to $15.50 (adults); 4:30 p.m. EST to 7 p.m. EST. Film Society East 2., 1412 Chestnut St. 267-239-2941 or https://filmadelphia.org/movies/karmen-gei/
Photo courtesy of globalphiladelphia.org
Going Back in History
Saturday, May 24, 2025. AFRICATOWN History Lecture Series is an afternoon that will be all about the Black experience. Immerse yourself in the cultural unity of African heritage through lectures presented by historians, scholars, and community leaders who share their insights about the invaluable contributions of African culture. The event is part of World Heritage Week spotlighting Philadelphia’s richly diverse cultural history and its status as a World Heritage City. Free, 2 p.m. EST to 4 p.m. EST. ACANA, 5530 Chester Ave. Email: info@globalphiladelphia.org, 215-563-2482 or www.globalphiladelphia.org
Be A Peace-maker
Saturday, May 24, 2025. Learn strategies to build inner peace and how to become an active promoter of peace in your community at Peace Day Philly’s Creative Peacebuilding Workshop. The conversation will feature peace-making skills, working with media, the crucial role of youth in peace-building, conflict resolution, peer-to-peer mediation, and the principles of human security in the United Nations. Participants will include Vanessa Bassil, of the Media Association for Peace; Atom Mkhitaryan, of the World Armenian, Atom Mkhitaryan, of the World Armenian Youth Network, Fadi Abi Allam, of Permanent Peace Movement, and Dr. Deven Patel, of the University of Pennsylvania; Lisa Parker, Founder & President of Peace Day Philly, and UN Peace Ambassador Peter Jam, author and psychologist. The peace-building educational event is organized by Peace Day Philly, a United Nations-affiliated nonprofit championing peace, justice, and anti-racism. Peacemakers get a Peace Day Philly certificate signifying participation in this community forum. Free but pre-register; 10 a.m. EST to 12:30 p.m. EST. Philadelphia Ethical Society,1906 S. Rittenhouse Square. Email: contact@peacedayphilly.org, 215-688-6127 or https://www.peacedayphilly.org/event/creative-peacebuilding-workshop/
Let Your Imagination Run Wild!
Saturday, May 24, 2025. Kids have a ball at the Grand Opening of The Questioneers: Read. Question. Think. PLAY! Traveling exhibit. Inspired by Andrea Beaty and David Roberts’ Questioneer’s top-selling children’s book series, the exhibit explores science, technology, engineering, art, math, and perseverance. Solve everyday mysteries and look at the world critically. Let your imagination soar with the book’s characters. Fly with Rosie in her Cheese Copter. Sit in Ada’s thinking chair. Lead a movement with Sofia while playing a game in Sofia’s Citizen’s Park. The show runs through Wednesday, August 27 (museum is closed Tuesdays). Pre-register; individual tickets: $22. 9 a.m. EST to 4:30 p.m. EST. Please Touch Museum / Memorial Hall, 4231 Avenue of the Republic in East Fairmount Park. Email: info@pleasetouchmuseum.org, 215-581-3181 or https://www.pleasetouchmuseum.org
