Drake, Vegan Restaurant Week, Boardwalk Classic Car Show, and other events around Philadelphia, Sept. 14-20
Mexican Independence Day, Vegan Restaurant Week, Boardwalk Classic Car Show, and other events around Philadelphia, Sept. 14-20.
FESTIVAL
Mexican Independence Day
Dance to live music, chow down on tacos, shop for colorful crafts, and more at Philly's annual grand Mexican Independence Day celebration on Sunday. The afternoon of entertainment concludes with a fireworks show over the Delaware River waterfront at 8 p.m. — Grace Dickinson
2 to 8 p.m. Sunday, Penn's Landing, 101 Columbus Blvd., free, delawareriverwaterfront.com
DIY WORKSHOP
Soap Making with Polish & Lather with Art Star
Learn how to make your own soap with Angelina Stewart of local soap company Polish & Lather on Saturday. The afternoon workshop will walk you through the basics of the "cold process" technique, enabling you to create four different bars to take home. — G.D.
1 to 4 p.m. Saturday, Art Star Gallery and Boutique, 623 N, 2nd St., $65, artstarphilly.com
ART
Julia & Isaiah Zagar’s Eye’s Gallery 50th Anniversary Celebration
Eye's Gallery, founded by Julia Zagar along with her husband, prominent mosaic artist Isaiah Zagar, is celebrating its 50th anniversary with a retrospective exhibition called Spirit of Place. This Friday, head to the colorful shop — filled with handcrafted merchandise from around the world — for an opening party filled with live entertainment, refreshments, and giveaways to enjoy while viewing the eclectic exhibition. — G.D.
5 to 8 p.m. Friday, Eyes Gallery, 402 South St., free, eyesgallery.com
FOOD
Philly Vegan Restaurant Week
Philly's very first plant-based restaurant week kicks off this Sunday. Book a reservation at your choice of 15 restaurants to enjoy a three-course, vegan meal priced at $35 (or $45 at select spots). More than a dozen participating restaurants will also offer special menu items — like artichoke crab cakes, tofu poke bowl, and vegan cheeseburger empanadas — throughout the week, with a portion of the proceeds to be donated to local nonprofit the Peace Advocacy Network. — G.D.
Sept. 16-22, location and prices vary per restaurant, phillyvrw.com
PEACE DAY
Peace Day Philly
This Monday kicks off the 8th year of programming for Peace Day Philly, the local initiative for the United Nations International Day of Peace. Following this year's global theme, "The Right to Peace — The Universal Declaration of Human Rights at 70," participating organizations across the city will host an array of free events including workshops and panel discussions, along with a yoga class, film screening, and live concert featuring musicians from the Philadelphia Orchestra. — G.D.
Sept. 17-21, various locations across the city, peacedayphilly.org/events
PARKOUR
Philly National Jam
Parkour makes a sport of overcoming obstacles in urban settings using a combination of jumping, running, and climbing. Athletes launch across cement and steel and navigate tricky courses, and can join up for a two-day-long "jam" session hosted by a local gym. Meet up at Penn's Landing Saturday to stretch your muscles, compete, and begin a weekend of fun. — Thea Applebaum Licht
Noon Saturday to 1 p.m. Sunday, Pinnacle Parkour Academy, 3500 Scotts Lane, Suite C-1. $25 online. 855-776-7275, https://www.ppkphilly.com/.
FRINGE
Of Arms and the Man
The Crossing choir, an award-winning group of 24 vocalists with conductor Donald Nally, explores the sprawling, enduring themes of the epic poem the Aeneid in this FringeArts performance. Music from 12 composers on the topics of war, nationalism, and the people caught in conflict, will be brought to life. — T.A.L.
8 to 10 p.m. Sunday, FringeArts, 140 N. Christopher Columbus Blvd. $27.30 members, $39 general, $15 students, ages 25 and under. 215-413-9006, https://fringearts.com/.
The Museum Workout
This FringeArts program brings together a fun, energizing workout and one of the premier collections of art in the United States for a new kind of art-gallery exploration. The exercise program at the Art Museum will follow a guided tour of art and traverse the museum's rooms, bringing with it an accompanying soundtrack and narration. Be sure to bring your own athletic gear! — T.A.L.
6 to 7 p.m. and 7 to 8 p.m. Friday, multiple times on Saturday and Sunday, Philadelphia Museum of Art, 2600 Benjamin Franklin Pkwy. $24 members, $35 general, $15 students, ages 25 and under. 215-763-8100, http://www.philamuseum.org/.
FILM
Plant This Movie at Farm for the City
Neighborhood Gardens Trust is set to host a free movie night on Thursday at Center City's newest urban garden space, Farm for the City. Settle in among the kale plants and tomato vines to watch Plant This Movie, a film that explores urban farming around the world. — G.D.
7 to 9 p.m. Thursday, Farm for the City, 1401 JFK Blvd, free, phsonline.org/events
CARS
25th annual Boardwalk Classic Car Show at Wildwoods Boardwalk
Cruise on down to the Wildwoods Boardwalk to find hundreds of restored classic cars on display starting on Thursday. An awards ceremony will unfold inside the Wildwoods Convention Center on Sept. 23, when prizes will be awarded to those who make the "Top 40" and the grand winner of "Best in Show." — G.D.
10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sept. 20-23, Wildwoods Boardwalk, 4501 Boardwalk, Wildwood, N.J., free, wildwoodmotoreventsnj.com
THEATER
An Evening with President Kennedy: What if JFK Had Survived Dallas?
This play invites audience members to imagine what might have happened if the former president had survived his assassination in Dallas. Following a look into the 1960 election and major events of his presidency, Kennedy, played by Joe Lawless, finishes out his presidential term, leaves office, embarks on a speaking tour and reflects on his career as he grows old. The production also offers a glimpse into what might have unfolded in his private life and stars Chester County's Emma Alinson as Jacqueline Kennedy.
8 p.m. Sept. 14, 15, 21 & 22, Prince Theater, 1412 Chestnut St. $37, 267-239-2941, princetheater.org
MUSIC
Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever
After two strong EPs, Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever released Hope Downs, their debut album, this year on the venerable American label SubPop. The Melbourne, Australia quintet boasts three songwriters steeped in the indie-pop of their homeland and neighboring New Zealand, bands like the Go-Betweens, the Verlaines and the Triffids. Hope Downs bristles with vigorous, interlocking guitars and catchy, zippy melodies. Never mind their regrettably awkward name, Rolling Blackouts Coastal Fever are simply exciting, and Hope Downs is one of the year's best debuts. Catch them in a small club while you can. — Steve Klinge
9:15 p.m. Friday at Johnny Brenda's, 1201 N. Frankford Ave. $13-$15. 215-739-9684, johnnybrendas.com.
Willie Nelson & Van Morrison
Last year, Willie Nelson's Outlaw Music tour landed a special guest in Hershey when the rarely touring Van Morrison joined the party for one show only in chocolate town. The northern Irish soul man, who has released three albums in the last year, including You're Driving Me crazy with Philadelphia jazz organist Joey DeFrancesco, must have enjoyed the experience, because he signed up for five Outlaw dates this year. On Friday in Scranton and Saturday in Camden, he's with Nelson, who has a new album of Sinatra songs called My Way, plus the Tedeschi Trucks Band, Particle Kid, and Lukas Nelson & the Promise of the Real. — Dan DeLuca
3 p.m. Friday at the Pavilion at Montage Mountain, 100 Montage Road, Scranton. $22-$149. 570-961-9000. montagemountainamp.com. And 2 p.m. Saturday at BB&T Pavilion, 1 Harbor Blvd., Camden. $26-$299. 856-365-1300. bbtpavilion.org.
Okkervil River
To supplement In the Rainbow Rain, which arrived this past spring, Okkervil River just released two songs, the soulful, upbeat "New Blood" and the gentle, thoughtful "Skiptracer." Like In the Rainbow Rain, they're uplifting, anchored in '70s soft rock and smooth soul. They're teasers for the second leg of the band's tour: Saturday's show is one of three U.S. dates before they leave for Europe. Okkervil River's Will Sheff has always been a word-rich writer, whether contemplating the travails of life in a "midlevel band" in 2007's rocking The Stage Names or seeking "moments of opaque-eyed, knocked-down rapture" in "External Actor" from In the Rainbow Rain. His songs tend to be allusive and layered, but they're rarely opaque. — Steve Klinge
9 p.m. Saturday at Underground Arts, 1200 Callowhill St. $25. 215-627-1332, undergroundarts.org.
Drake / Migos
For maximum surprise, Canadian rapper Drake and his former nemesis Meek Mill squashed their long-standing beef not in Philadelphia, but in Boston last weekend. Will Drake bring out Meek again when he plays two nights at the Wells Fargo Center this weekend? Or will other guests like Philly rapper Lil Uzi Vert grace the stage with Drizzy and the members of Migos in what is being branded as Aubrey & the Three Amigos tour? — D.D.
7 p.m. Saturday and Sunday at Wells Fargo Center, 3601 S. Broad St. $49.50-$179.50. 215-336-3600.
MC50
It's been half a century since the MC5, the Detroit rock revolutionaries, recorded their landmark live album Kick Out the Jams at the Grande Ballroom in Detroit. All the original band members are now dead, except for indefatigable guitarist Wayne Kramer, who is making the most of the half-century anniversary. Kramer has a new memoir called The Hard Stuff: Dope, Crime, the MC5 and My Life of Impossibilities and is touring as the MC50, which features members of Soundgarden, Faith No More, and Fugazi and is fronted by Marcus Durant of the 1990s Delaware band Zen Guerrilla. Detroit Cobras and Pinkwash open. — D.D.
8 p.m. Saturday at Union Transfer, 1026 Spring Garden St., $35-$149. 215-232-2100. utphilly.com
Hercules & Love Affair
Known for modern, hedonistic, four-on-the-floor disco with an unusually smarmy worldview and lots of nods to unrequited romanticism, Omnion, the new album from Hercules & Love Affair, seems to dip its toes into righteous spirituality while continuing to touch on sex, gender, and role play. Good. — A.D. Amorosi
8 p.m. Wednesday, The Foundry at The Fillmore Philadelphia, 25 E. Allen St. $25, thefillmorephilly.com
Sting + Shaggy
When dramatic pop composer/lilting triller Sting got together with reggae vocalist/toaster Shaggy, the first thing imagined was, perhaps, that this was another goofy career detour for a guy who had tried albums of lute music and depressing Broadway shows about industrial boating. In reality, however, their joint album, 44/876, is reminiscent of the former's time with The Police, while pushing forward into the latter's more joyful dancehall sound. Expect a long vamp on "Roxanne." — A.D.A.
8 p.m. Thursday, The Fillmore Philadelphia, 25 E. Allen St. $100.50, thefillmorephilly.com