Ernie Barnes’s artwork (above) will be part of the Summer Black Art Exhibition 2024 at the October Gallery Museum July 20-21
FunTimes Magazine‘Culture + Entertainment’ column, week of July 15, 2024
Fast Facts This Month: On July 20, 1969, American astronaut Neil Armstrong stepped onto the moon declaring: ”That’s one small step for man, one giant step for mankind.” Armstrong and his flight-mission mates depended on NASA’s Kathrine Johnson, an African-American scientist, to calculate the trajectories of the orbital mechanics that led the Apollo 11 mission to the moon. The math genius’ work was critical to the success of the Apollo Moon landing and launch of the Space Shuttle program.
July may be sizzling hot, but it’s cool as a cucumber when delivering entertainment. No sweat. Here are a few educational as well as engaging music-dance events to keep you jammin’ in July.
Friday Jazz Concert Is Awarding & Rewarding
Friday, July 19, 2024.B.Y.O.B. Bring Your Own Beach Chair for a night of dancing, jazz, student recognition, and community fun at the Cedar Park Neighbors Friday Nights in July & Scholarship Award Night. Celebrate West Philly’s wealth of musical talent with the classic rock band Firestorm, and check out a presentation of the 2024-2025 Gary Bronson Memorial Scholarships to post-high school undergraduate students who live in West Philadelphia. The fund is named in honor of artist and West Philly neighbor Gary Bronson, who started the scholarship. The awards will be presented during the intermission of the park concert, which is part of Cedar Park’s summer weekly jazz series. Free, 6 p.m. EST to 8 p.m. EST. Cedar Park, 50th Street, and Baltimore Avenue. cedarparkneighbors.org.
Rock Out With ‘MusicWithMe’
Fridays, July 19, 2024 & August 16, 2024. Rock to the Future’s MusicWithMe is playing its tune in North Philly. The group is running an intergenerational music program connecting kids, from second grade to high school, with their adult guardians through monthly workshops. The way the program works is that MusicWithMe invites a student from grades 2 to 12 and their adult guardian to sign up for drum and percussion classes. No music experience is required. Instruments and snacks are provided. Free but pre-register, 4 p.m. EST to 5 p.m. EST for 2nd to 5th graders; 5 p.m. EST to 6 EST for 6th to 12th graders. NoMo North, 925 N. Broad St. E-mail: info@rocktothefuture.org or register here.
Photo on exhibit by artist-filmmaker Gordon Parks.
This Fine Art Is A Show-stopper…
Saturday & Sunday, July 20-21, 2024. Check out the treasure trove of art and photography by some of the best African-American visual creators like Ellen Powell Tiberino, Jacob Lawrence, Paul Goodnight, and Faith Ringgold at the Summer Black Art Exhibition 2024, a fine art show and sale. Free art raffles with framed and unframed artwork as the prizes. Free admission, 11 a.m. EST to 7 p.m. EST. October Gallery Museum, 6353 Greene St. 215-352-3114 or octobergallery.com/events.
Magdaliz and Her Latin Ensemble CRISOL
Photo by Jesus Rincon
Circle Your Calendar For Calypso!
Saturday, July 20, 2024. Saturday in the park never sounded so chill at Pretzel Park. That’s because Magdaliz and Her Latin Ensemble CRISOL will perform folk and traditional music reflecting the easy-going rhythms of Latin America and the Caribbean. Get down and ready for some Reggae, salsa and soca. Recommendation: Bring refreshments, a chair, and your dancing shoes. Free, 6 p.m. EST to 8 p.m. EST. Hosted by Friends of Pretzel Park, 4300 Silverwood St. E-mail: mail@friendsofpretzelpark.org, 215-840-2927 or http://friendsofpretzelpark.org/.
Give It The Old College Try At Youth Camp
Monday, August 5, 2024 to Friday, August 9, 2024. High school students can polish up their skills at Mighty Writers’ College Launchpad post-high school prep camp. Youths, ages 15 to 18, can get help with preparing for the SATs/ACT, as well as writing and filling out applications, essays, and resumes. Visiting colleges and universities is part of the five-day college prep camp. Mighty Writers is a regional youth-literacy nonprofit. Breakfast and lunch will be provided. Free but sign up first. Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. EST to 2 p.m. EST. Germantown Mighty Writers program, 12 E. Church Rd. Register at: tinyurl.com/germantownsummer2024, or e-mail: bcrump@mightywriters.org or 267-239-0899 (Ext. 1).
Thembi Palmer, the queen of books.
Author Palmer Makes Reading An Adventure…
Fridays, July 19, 2024 & August 16, 2024. Book your calendar for a Free Library of Philadelphia story session called Imagine More: Story Adventures with Thembi Palmer. Kids will be inspired by Palmer, a champion of youth literacy. Children, pre-K through 4th grade, will flip out through the joy of learning at Palmer’s lively story hours. The seasoned educator-author of more than 20 years launched Imagine More: Story Adventures to provide resources for parents and caregivers to ignite the spark of reading in kids. Her interactive stories, music, and techniques of learning through play create a riveting educational experience. Free,12:30 p.m. EST. Fishtown Community Library, 1217 East Montgomery Ave. (Montgomery Avenue and Flora Street), 215-685-9990 or www.freelibrary.org.
Salsa & Bachata Dance Party steps out to a new date.
Salsa Dancing at LOVE Park
Friday, July 19, 2024. Nothing stops a good party. Siempre Salsa Philly Presents Salsa & Bachata Dance Party in LOVE Park in Center City was postponed due to inclement weather on July 12. But dance diehards can get back in step with a reboot this Friday. A dance lesson led by Dance Republic will kick off the lively night featuring some of the hippest salsa bands and Latin DJs around. For all ages and dance skill levels. Free, 7 p.m. EST to 10 p.m. EST. LOVE Park, 15th Street and JFK Blvd. E-mail: siempresalsaphilly@gmail.com, 215-910-2200 or creativephl.org.
Thursday, July 25, 2024. Many of our priorities center around family. That’s why FunTimes Magazine thought a virtual event, Exploring the Many Faces of Black Families Today, during National Black Family Month (observed in July) would be particularly interesting. And timely. The session will focus on family values, traditions, parenting styles, work-family balance, family dynamics, and traditional and unconventional families. Dr. Ellyn Jo Waller, an educator, parent, and President of the Community College of Philadelphia Foundation was just added to round out a distinguished panel of experts including Annette Deigh and Joel Austin. Deigh is a therapist and clinical supervisor at Boundary Span LLC and a member of the Alliance of Black Social Workers. She is an educator and training consultant. Austin is the founder-president and CEO of Daddy University Inc., the oldest male-parenting company in the United States. His group is an advocate and provides fathers with resources and training. Join multi-media host Lavonne Nichols for this engaging family affair. Free, noon to 1 p.m. EST. Zoom live. Register here.
Photo courtesy of the Philadelphia Parking Authority
Going To Events? Be Smart, Be Safe…
The weather in many parts of the United States and the world has soared to extreme temperatures. Can anyone say: Global Too-much Warming? Here are a few helpful safety tips from the City of Philadelphia for event-goers, as they brave the excessive temps:
Know the forecast. Humidity increases above what the actual temperature feels like. Get forecasts at the National Weather Service’s website. Get free weather alerts from the City of Philadelphia: www.phila.gov/ready. Remember to stay hydrated, wear sunscreen, sunglasses, a hat, and light, loose-fitting breathable clothing. Clean your hands after touching surfaces like door handles and railings.
