Photo by Biova Nakou from Pexels
FunTimes Magazine ‘Culture & Entertainment’ column, Week of July 3, 2023
July is just in, so it’s time to go out! The theme of this week’s column is ‘pop-up.’ The summer breeze is blowing in many seasonal events. Low-cost or free adventures are popping up here, there and everywhere, all over the area. And it’s a good opportunity to pop in at the pop-ups.
Toy Story & other kids’ films are on course of their own
July 6, 2023 to October 1, 2023. It’s time to putt and play. Pixar Putt, a national effort, is coming to Penn’s Landing in Philly with its pop-up mini-golf course. Pixar Putt, co-presented by Rockefeller Studios and TEG Life Like Touring, showcases an outdoor 18-hole course inspired by the stories and characters of Disney and Pixar’s films. See images from Toy Story, The Incredibles, Monsters, Inc., Finding Nemo, Coco, A Bug’s Life, Wall-E, Soul and Inside Out. It’s all part of the local series Summer Fest at Penn’s Landing. Enjoy special festivities on July 6th at the grand-opening ceremony. Mondays to Fridays, from noon to 10 p.m. (last entry at 8:30 p.m.) and Saturdays and Sundays, from noon to 10 p.m. (last entry at 8:30 p.m.). Pixar Putt After Dark will feature evening sessions for guests 18+ Thursdays through Saturdays, from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. $24.75 (children) to $26.75 (adults); military family discounts. Great Plaza at Penn’s Landing, 101 S. Christopher Columbus Blvd., pixarputt.com/philadelphia/.
Stars on the big screen…
July 7, 2023 through October 2023. Catch the stars in the evening summer skies and a fun movie at a film series hosted by the City of Philadelphia. And, hey, BYOB: Bring Your Own Blanket. The movie schedule includes blockbusters and kids’ flicks at more than 30 Philly public parks. The movie nights are hosted by Park Friends Groups with Philadelphia Parks & Recreation and Fairmount Park Conservancy. On July 7, experience the magic of Shazam! Fury of the Gods at Triangle Park, 1836 N. 54th St., and on July 15, get wrapped up in Mummies at Cliveden Park, 6415 Musgrave St. in East Fairmount Park. myphillypark.org.
Solomon Temple
Art mixes with music
July 7, 2023. Enjoy an evening of art and live music at the First Friday at the Barnes mixer. Groove to Philly singer-songwriter Solomon Temple whose powerful soulful sound channels the best of gospel and jazz. If Sam Cooke, Aretha Franklin and Nina Simone had a musical offspring, Temple would be the result. Also, peruse the collection galleries and William Edmondson: A Monumental Vision. Free but seating is limited. Cocktails and light fare for purchase, 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. (live music sets: 6:30 p.m. & 7:45 p.m.). 2025 Benjamin Franklin Parkway, 215-278-1000 or barnesfoundation.org.
Create amaze-ing labyrinths
July 8, 2023. Learn all about the healing power of labyrinths. Create a temporary labyrinth in the park, and then walk the completed labyrinth — a transformational experience that can reduce stress and increase your emotional health and healing. Led by Athena Dugan, of the international Labyrinth Society, this workshop in South Philly’s Franklin D. Roosevelt Park covers the history and techniques of labyrinth making. The ancient art of creating a labyrinth goes back to more than 5,000 years go. The labyrinth is a circuitous design leading walkers into the center and back out again to the entrance. Enjoy this Saturday in the park with food, drinks and the nearby Parks on Tap. Pay what you can, 4 p.m. to 6:30 p.m., FDR Park Boathouse, 1500 Pattison Ave. myphillypark.org.
Get a kick out of this pop-up festival
July 7 to July 9, 2023. A soccer tournament with a festival flare is a good way to describe the Icarus Cup hosted by soccer-apparel company Icarus Football. The 80-team soccer tourney will bring an Icarus popup shop, games, freestyle soccer juggling from @foreignculture, a beer garden by @tworobbers, food trucks featuring Tabachoy, Char, Hummingbird Island and Pom Pom, live music and a DJ. On the field, the tournament will showcase 1,000 players in seven divisions, including three open divisions of varying skill levels — two for women/non-binary players and two mixed divisions. Every team will wear custom jerseys. Times vary, free for the public. Drexel University Vidas Athletic Complex. 4300 Powelton Ave., West Philadelphia. IcarusCup.com.
Poet LindoYes!
Poetry & mental-health info. in gumball machines
July 8, 2023. It’s a cool mix of activism and artistry. Check out open-mic poetry, musical performances and a film at the Poetry & Popcorn: Gumball Machine Short Film, hosted by West Philly’s rising poet and spoken-word artist, LindoYes! (real name: Lindo Jones). The artist-activist is celebrating the one-year anniversary of his creative concept, the poetry gumball machine project. LindoYes! has installed three old-school mechanical gumball machines citywide. The machines contain plastic pods with an original poem and information about mental-health, a pressing devastating issue in communities. Free food, poems, music, hand-crafted buttons and information about local mental health and social services, 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. Philadelphia Liberation Center, 147 W. Susquehanna Ave., 215-436-8164 or https://www.eventbrite.com.
Kalela Williams
Exploring diverse voices and viewpoints in history
America’s freedom was celebrated loudly with the thunderous joy of fireworks this past Tuesday in Philadelphia, but the lessons and challenges of emancipation are the focus year-round at the Museum of the American Revolution. Check out Meet the Revolution, an ongoing series of costumed American history programs examining the voices, viewpoints, experiences and diverse people of the Revolutionary era. One such voice is expressed through interpreter Hannah Wallace. She tells the story of three generations of women from the influential Forten family including Charlotte Vandine Forten. Her narrative connects Charlotte, her daughters Margaretta, Sarah, Louisa and Harriet as well as her granddaughter, Charlotte L. Forten, who travelled to South Carolina during the Civil War to teach newly freed people. 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily. Tickets purchased online: $21, adults; $13, kids, ages 6 to 17 (free for children under 5). Museum of the American Revolution,101 S. Third St., 215-253-6731 or amrevmuseum.org.
