8 ways to show your Philly pride this weekend

There are a lot of reasons to be proud of Philadelphia.

The New York Times ranked the city this year third best place to visit in the world, we have a new pop-up garden opening on every corner, and the Huffington Post just shared 21 reasons we are the coolest (please - like we didn't already know).

Maybe our sports teams aren't currently the greatest, but that doesn't mean we don't have a lot to celebrate. From gay pride to black pride, we have eight ways you can celebrate your Philly pride this weekend.

Art for the Cash Poor, InLiquid's 16th annual two-day art sale and party, returns this weekend, featuring more than 100 artists, bands, an outdoor beer garden, and food trucks galore. Like its previous iterations, all works at Art for the Cash Poor are priced less than $199.

On Friday, InLiquid hosts a ticketed preview party. There, attendees can get first dibs on the art and enjoy performances by local artists Gunnar Montana and Disco Hootenanny, plus a featured installation, "Celestial Bodies," by the store the Artemisian. Funds raised from the preview go to the AIDS Fund.

Crane Arts. Information: 215-235-3405 or inliquid.org.

This weekend is your last chance to catch The Lion King at the Academy of Music before it stampedes out of town. The magnificent touring production features two cast members with local ties: Cherry Hill native Ben Lipitz and University of the Arts grad Leroy Church.

The winner of six Tony Awards, the show features a musical score by Elton John and Tim Rice, along with beautiful costumes and masks by the show's director Julie Taymor.

President Obama declared June LGBT Pride month. This year, pride returns for its 27th year to Philadelphia. While the parade and festival are meant to celebrate sexual diversity and provide visibility to our city's LGBT community, that doesn't mean allies (that's you, straight people) can't get in on the fun.

On Friday, festivities begin with an LGBT Pride Block Party on 12th Street in the heart of the Gayborhood. The block shuts down from Walnut to Spruce beginning at 6 p.m. for street dancing and revelry. Tip No. 1: Buy your wristband for Sunday's festival at a discounted price of $10 (it's usually $15).

The main parade and festival take place Sunday, Pride Day. The parade begins at 11:30 a.m. at 13th and Locust Streets and ends at the Great Plaza at Penn's Landing for the festival. Nellie Fitzpatrick, the city's newly appointed director of LGBT affairs, and Rachel Levine, Pennsylvania's acting physician general, will serve as co-grand marshals.

Tip No. 2: The best place to catch the parade debauchery is in front of Independence Mall (Sixth and Market Streets) where the judges stand is. Leaders from the LGBT community review the flamboyant and fabulous floats that pass by.

Down at Penn's Landing, everybody's favorite nanny will host the celebrations: Fran Drescher, best known for her role as Fran Fine on the hit CBS sitcom The Nanny, knows a thing or two about the gay community. Since her ex-husband Peter Marc Jacobson came out of the closet, Drescher has worked to support LGBT rights and issues. Glee's Alex Newell also is set to performs.

Need to beat the heat? Get indoors for some queer history. Stop by the National Constitution Center (525 Arch St.) for its new exhibit "Speaking Out for Equality: The Constitution, Gay Rights, and the Supreme Court."

Curated by the William Way LGBT Community Center, the exhibit guides visitors through milestones in the LGBT rights movement, profiling the ongoing debate over how much the Constitution protects gay rights. The exhibit continues through Jan. 3.

Local Instagrammer and noted ambassador of Philly Pride as community manager of the Independence Visitor Center Albert Lee is hosting a very special Bicycle Insta-meet on Saturday. Lee is partnering with bike-share program Ride Indego to give 'grammers an opportunity to show off their city love through the photo-sharing app.

At 9 a.m., registered participants will take a bike out from one of the 70 stations throughout the city to set out to snap some photos. Lee wants his band of photogs to travel to parts of the city they don't often go, beyond Center City.

At noon, the shooters will gather at the top of the steps in front of the Philadelphia Museum of Art for a group snap. The three best photos from the morning will receive not only bragging rights, but also a free weekend of unlimited riding and a limited-edition Indego tee.

The popular Peco Multicultural Series began last weekend and continues throughout the summer, with eight different events that represent our city's global cultures.

On Saturday, celebrate Islam. At 1 p.m., festivities begin with the Unity in Diversity Parade at Fifth and Market Streets. After the parade is the 22d annual Islamic Heritage Festival, which will include free giveaways, family-friendly games, live music, and speakers. A global open-market bazaar will offer a diverse array of goods for the shopaholic in us all.

Other multicultural fests include: Portuguese Festival (June 21), Hispanic Fiesta (July 11 and 12), ACANA African Festival (Aug. 2), Festival of India (Aug. 15), Caribbean Festival (Aug. 16), Mexican Independence Day Festival (Sept. 13), and Brazilian Day Philadelphia (Sept. 20). Every event occurs at the Great Plaza at Penn's Landing.

or www.delawareriverwaterfront.com.

More than 15 vendors will compete Saturday at the Fifth Annual Vendy Awards, billed as the "Oscars of street food." Vendors nominated - including Foolish Waffles, Philly Fry, and Undrgrnd Donuts - will compete for the titles of Vendy Cup/People's Choice, Rookie of the Year, and Best Dessert. Proceeds go to the Food Trust and Philadelphia Mobile Food Association.

$40 for kids 8-12. Information: 202-213 2250 or vendyawards.streetvendor.org.

Odunde, called the largest African American street festival in the country, returns Sunday for its 40th year. Founded in 1975, the festival's concept arises from the Yoruba people of Nigeria and celebrates the beginning of another year for African Americans and Africanized people around the world.

Centered at 23d and South Streets, the fest features authentic crafts, goods, and food from many African nations and the Caribbean and Brazil. Performances by hip-hop legends Chubb Rock, Special Ed, Kurtis Blow, and Kwame will take place at 5:30 p.m. on the Queen Lois Stage on South Street.

or www.odundefestival.org.

Take a stroll through Dilworth Park to experience one day in the life of our city told through the Philly Photo Day Exhibit, an open-air exhibit of photography.

On Oct. 10, the Philadelphia Photo Arts Center asked Philly residents to capture a moment of their day. The result was a collection of 1,903 pics from photographers of all ages, backgrounds, and abilities.

Until June 21, the photographs submitted will be displayed for the public. Walk through two columns of 11-inch photographs that provide a unique view of the city we all love to call our home.

Save the date: This year's Philly Photo Day is Oct. 9.

Tickets: Free. Information: 215-232-5678 or www.philaphotoarts.org.