🌳Touch grass, Philly | Things To Do

It’s been a busy and challenging week! By now you’re probably experiencing some election discourse fatigue, so let this newsletter provide a little break as we look toward the weekend. For myself, I’m planning some family time to decompress.

This week’s lineup:

— Rosa Cartagena (@_RosaCartagena, Email me at thingstodo@inquirer.com)

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It’s been unseasonably warm lately, so there are still a few chances for you to explore the outdoors in and around Philly, whether you’re looking for a relaxing picnic or a challenging hike. As leaves change color across the region, find the last of the fall foliage before all the leaves fall.

🍿 Grab the popcorn: The Philadelphia Asian American Film Festival kicks off this weekend in the city while the suburbs will welcome the Delco Film Festival. It’s still festival season so find a new movie to immerse yourself at one of these four film fests.

🎹 On the keys: South African jazz legend Abdullah Ibrahim just turned 90 and the pianist — who counted Nelson Mandela as a big fan — will play at the Annenberg Center on Sunday with his trio. He’s known for his meditative sound, which you may need right now.

🎭 Head to the theater: Lynn Nottage’s historical play Intimate Apparel is at the Arden Theatre this month and it’s a beautifully designed look at 1905 Manhattan, where love letters bring a couple together sight unseen (sound familiar, Love Is Blind hive?), only for the relationship to unravel after they wed.

🏆 Clever competition: How punny are you? Test your skills at It’s Always Punny in Philadelphia, a wordplay competition at Helium Comedy Club on Friday. You can go head-to-head or just watch and (ideally) laugh along.

🍽️ Comfort food: Sometimes finding a restaurant isn’t the challenge, but getting inside one is. This weekend try a delicious spot on our new dining guide The 76 that doesn’t require a reservation.

🎸 Philly in D.C.: Hard rock band Sheer Mag delivered an electrifying set at NPR’s Tiny Desk — featuring bagpipes. See the Philly stars rock out.

📅 My calendar picks this week: Whiskey & Fine Spirits Festival, Oyster Fest, Philadelphia Veterans Parade

Your screen time is probably sky high this week, so I’d suggest unplugging and seeing a live show. Hamilton is in town at the Academy of Music this month (through Nov. 23) and when I saw it last week, it almost made me forget about the ongoing election — which seemed counterintuitive, given it’s a story about the founding fathers. If you’ve never had a chance to see it, I can confirm that it’s still a reliably incredible show, from the elaborate choreography to the rapid-fire lyricism. Plus, even playwright Lin-Manuel Miranda has admitted that Philadelphia should’ve played a bigger role in the musical, so we should take a little begrudging Philly pride in Hamilton, too.

👟 Lace up those sneakers: The 2024 Philadelphia Marathon lands in the city on Nov. 22 so whether you’re planning to run (or cheer on others), here’s everything you need to know.

🥧 Get a slice: Pumpkin, sweet potato, apple, oh my — it’s time for pie. Plan early and find the best Thanksgiving Day pies in the city.

☕ Me espresso: Cozy up with a good cup of coffee or tea at one of these six beloved coffee shops in the Philly suburbs.

🍗 Flavor town: Nashville hot chicken has taken over in parts of Northeast Philadelphia, where the food trend has led to a ton of shops opening within blocks of each other. I’ve heard it’s worth the hype.

🎥 Home again: What’s your favorite movie home? I’m obsessed with the Victorian house from Practical Magic, which wasn’t real, but some houses featured on screens have become tourist sites for movie fans.

Pop music critic Dan DeLuca breaks down the best shows coming up.

🎸 Thursday: Sarah Shook & the Disarmers play MilkBoy Philly. The North Carolina country-punk band was a standout at the Sing Us Home festival in Manayunk this spring, and they’re coming back to the city in support of their 2024 album Revelations. That same night, an indie folk artist with an almost identically named album plays Union Transfer: Leif Vollebekk, who opted for a singular rather than plural spelling in titling his new collection Revelation.

🎸 Also Thursday: Two fun Philly anniversary album celebrations of note get the weekend going. On Thursday, Johnny Showcase & Friends camp it up in tribute to the 40th anniversary of Prince’s Purple Rain at Ardmore Music Hall.

🎸 Friday: The Philadelphia Tom Petty Appreciation Society celebrates the 30th anniversary of Petty’s 1994 album Wildflowers at Johnny Brenda’s. Members of The War on Drugs, Dr. Dog, Strand of Oaks. and more are on the bill.

🎸 Saturday: Orion Sun — the stage name of singer-songwriter Tiffany Majette — is on tour behind her new gentle, becalmed soul searching album Orion, the first full length album for the Mt. Laurel-raised musician, who now lives in Los Angeles, since 2020′s Hold Space For Me. She’s at Union Transfer.

Read more music picks.

Tonight I’m headed to an early screening of Gladiator II because nothing takes my mind off things like a fantasy film about enslaved people fighting oppressive empires.