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To do this week: Get ready for the summer solstice.

These are the summer days we’ve been waiting for. Make the most of them.

Summer days should be spent outside.
Summer days should be spent outside.Read moreJEFF FUSCO

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On the to-do list this week: There’s a lot to celebrate. We’re talking Juneteenth on Saturday (check here for our Juneteenth guide). And on Sunday, Father’s Day (we have some ways to celebrate Father’s Day) and the first day of summer. Get out there and celebrate all three.

What’s on my personal to-do list: I’m heading out to New Hope on Saturday to do some small-town exploring — I’ll definitely be strolling along the Delaware Canal Trail.

We’ve collected our best Philly tips all in one place here. Stay healthy, stay safe, and get vaccinated.

— Jillian Wilson

Know this

  1. Best brownies in Philly by Maddy Sweitzer-Lammé

  2. Best places to swim in the Poconos by Nick Vadala

  3. Where to eat (and drink) in the Poconos by Nick Vadala

  4. The Philly Pride flag, explained by Ben Deane

  5. Best breweries at the Jersey Shore by Tommy Rowan

» Ask us a question through Curious Philly: Inquirer.com/askus

Do this

Here is one highlight from our weekly events calendar:

Wawa Welcome America 🎉 (Seasonal event / in-person / multiday / free) Wawa Welcome America returns to mark Independence Day, and, for the first time, Juneteenth in Philadelphia. A number of events are slated to take place during the multi-week event, including a Juneteenth celebration promising free museum admission and performances at the African American Museum of Philadelphia, a daily festival at City Hall Courtyard featuring music, live performances, Tastykake giveaways, and more, and a June 20 screening of Philly favorite Rocky at the Art Museum steps. Wawa Welcome America events continue through July 4 when they conclude with fireworks on the Parkway and a free concert featuring Flo Rida and Bebe Rexha at the Mann Center. (Free, June 19-July 4, welcomeamerica.com)

🔎 Find more of this week’s events, and we even have a kid-friendly events calendar, too.

Drink here

At the shore, many of us stock our coolers with canned spiked seltzers and bottles of light beers. And while those drinks are good, nothing beats a fresh draft beer from one of the excellent breweries that dot the South Jersey coast. Reporter Tommy Rowan sampled beers along the coast, from Cape May to Atlantic City, and created a guide to the Jersey Shore’s best breweries. Get ready to add to your to-do, (or, to-drink) list.

  1. MudHen Brewing: In 2018, Wildwood got its first and only brewpub, and considering the result, it may not need another. MudHen Brewing Company is dog-friendly, it offers live music, and hosts corn-hole tournaments. It’s spacious and has street cred for taking over an old Harley Davidson shop. It provides an array of culinary choices from various types of cuisine and produces a plethora of craft beer options for every palate. How did Wildwood get so lucky?

  2. 7 Mile Brewing: A brewery in a strip mall does raise some questions, until you try the beer. The brewery makes a baker’s dozen of accessible crafts, and the beers get as much attention for the quirky name as for the distinct tastes: M-M-My Citiva, Whose Berliner Is It Anyway, and everyone’s favorite, Walter White, named after the Breaking Bad character. The brewery, which opened in 2016, also boasts an extremely spacious tasting room.

  3. Cape May Brewing: In business since 2011, Cape May Brewing kicked off the craft beer scene at the Jersey Shore. Ten years later, the brewery has grown into the premier, craft beer provider at the Shore. And the brewery has physically grown, adding a beer garden, “Brewtique,” and “Brewtanical Garden” to its already substantial tasting room. The brewery boasts nearly 20 taps daily, but the only downside: the Taco Shop next door is moving.

» READ MORE: Best breweries at the Jersey Shore

Celebrate Father’s Day

It’s dad’s day and it’s the first year we can celebrate safely since 2019. Meaning, it’s time to celebrate. For a dad who likes to spend time in the kitchen, we have a gift guide featuring six cooking-focused items like spices from the Fit Cook, handcrafted knives, and more.

For the non-chef dad, we have a guide to things to do in the region, including brewery visits, hikes, and beach days, along with some gifting suggestions ranging from Sixers gear (yeah, even after last night’s loss) to items for his bar cart.

» READ MORE: 2021 Father’s Day guide to Philadelphia

Life advice: honor Juneteenth

Juneteenth, the American holiday that commemorates the end of slavery, was first celebrated by newly emancipated Black Texans more than 150 years ago. President Abraham Lincoln freed Black people in the South from bondage on Jan. 1, 1863, when he signed the Emancipation Proclamation. But enslaved Americans in Texas didn’t learn they were free until more than two years later after General Robert E. Lee surrendered and the Union troops — that included hundreds of Black men — were strong enough to enforce the order that slavery was indeed over.

Many of the traditions of Juneteenth were lost decades ago, but Black Americans have begun reclaiming Juneteenth with celebratory picnics, parades, and fireworks displays. And notably, Congress passed a bill this week to make Juneteenth a national holiday, which was a long-overdue and much-needed acknowledgment.

To mark Juneteenth, a number of local groups are hosting special events in the area on June 19, including:

  1. Juneteenth Freedom Day March. Join the Philadelphia Juneteenth Parade and Festival as people march to celebrate Juneteenth’s new status as a national holiday. (Free, June 19, gathering begins at 9 a.m., march at 11 a.m., 52nd St. and Haverford Ave to 52nd and Pine/Malcolm X Park, juneteenthphilly.org)

  2. Juneteenth at the Betsy Ross House. The U.S. Colored Troops hoist the Juneteenth flag above Old City’s best-known flagmaker’s dwelling. Afterward, a Once Upon a Nation historical reenactor portrays Bishop Richard Allen, who was an educator, author, equal rights champion, and the founder of Mother Bethel A.M.E. (Free, June 19, 10 a.m.-1 p.m., 239 Arch St., historicphiladelphia.org)

  3. Juneteenth at the Kimmel Center. Thee Phantom & The Illharmonic Orchestra — think Hip-Hop meets Beethoven — shines a musical spotlight on the importance of Black history and representation. This high-energy Orchestra has sold out concert halls across the country and celebrates being the third hip-hop group to headline their own performance at Carnegie Hall. ($20, June 19, 6-8 p.m. www.kimmelculturalcampus.org)

For more of columnist Elizabeth Wellington’s Juneteenth insight, read her full story.

» READ MORE: What you need to know about Juneteenth and why we should all celebrate

Reopening resources

🤔 Is it ethical to ask if someone’s vaccinated?

🍾 Everything you need to know about Philly’s reopening

⚾ What Phillies fans can expect at a fully reopened Citizens Bank Park, from tickets to tailgating

» More at Inquirer.com/covid-tips