👻 Philly’s essential Halloween pop-up bars and parties | Things to Do

It’s finally October so bring on the fall foliage, Halloween bars, and cider doughnuts! Time to break out those Halloween decorations. I’ve already seen skeletons and bright lights popping up around South Philly. Are you decorating for the season? Let me know how you plan to celebrate.

On another note, I’d be a bad millennial for not mentioning that today, Oct. 3, is Mean Girls Day. Cheers to all who observe, whether you watch the original classic (me), listen to the musical soundtrack (not me), or see the newer Renée Rapp film (me, again). Of course I also have to mention the local trivia: You probably know that Mean Girls creator Tina Fey grew up in Upper Darby — and she brought that killer Philly accent to Saturday Night Live — but did you know that the real Glen Coco was also from Delco? You go, Glen Coco.

Looking forward, we’re hyped for Halloween pop-up bars and spooky parties, exploring the changing leaves with our handy fall foliage map, and the Phillies playoff season.

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

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The city is ready for Halloween this month and we’ve got you covered with a look at some of the best upcoming spooky events — for adults! This weekend is Halloween drag brunch and the Nightmare Before Tinsel pop-up bar. Take a look at the boo-zy local parties we’re most excited (afraid?) to attend.

⚾ Batter up: Red October has arrived and the Phillies are ready. On Saturday and Sunday they’ll play either the Mets or Brewers at Citizens Bank Park. Whether you’re a longtime fan or on the bandwagon (no judgment!), find your favorite Phillies fashion at these local shops.

🥬 Try something new: Now in its third year, the Kimchi Festival lands at LOVE Park on Saturday with make-your-own kimchi workshops as well as a full lineup of activities showcasing Korean culture, from learning K-Pop dances to seeing traditional Korean drum performances. Don’t miss the free food tastings.

🖌️ Happy birthday: Mural Arts is ringing in its 40-year anniversary on Sunday (also at LOVE Park) with an arts festival featuring local DJs, food trucks, art workshops, artisans, and live mural painting — all free.

🎼 The sound of madness: Francis Ford Coppola’s epic film Megalopolis has quickly earned a reputation as a complete chaotic mess. Are you watching it? I’ll admit that I’ve only seen that silly clip of Adam Driver saying “So go to da cluuub.” But my colleague Peter Dobrin saw it and really enjoyed the score — which happens to be from a Philly-trained composer.

👀 Congratulate the celebs: Philly’s newest “it” couple hard launched their relationship this week. I’m obviously talking about rapper Tierra Whack and the Phanatic, who celebrated their newborn baby in her new music video for “MOOVIES.” Fantasy or reality? You tell me.

🎭 Our recs: The Fringe Festival officially ended earlier this week, but there a couple shows still to come. I teamed up with freelance theater critic Frank Schierloh for a recap of our favorite Fringe shows and a brief preview of what’s next.

📅 My calendar picks this week: Design Philadelphia, Spooky Mini Golf, Simone Biles’ Gold Over America

Meet Patrice Jetter, who calls herself “a totally cool person with a disability who could do most anything.” She’s a Special Olympics ice skater, a popular crossing guard in Hamilton Township, N.J., a disability rights activist, and an avid model train set crafter. But among the many incredible titles she claims, “wife” isn’t one of them — because she can’t marry the love of her life, Garry Wickham. That’s because disabled folks face severe limitations when it comes to pursuing partnerships: If Patrice and Garry wed, or even move in together, their essential benefits like Social Security and Medicaid would be slashed. Patrice: The Movie is a new documentary streaming on Hulu from West Philly director Ted Passon (you might remember his award-winning series Philly D.A.) that follows Patrice’s incredible life story and examines the frustrating reality facing disabled people all over the world. I had a chance to talk to Passon so look out for my story on Patrice coming soon!

🍂 Colorful views: We’re just starting to see trees changing colors this year. Keep up with the gorgeous natural beauty arriving throughout Pennsylvania with our fall foliage map.

🌹 Scene-stealer: The Golden Bachelorette season is in full swing and fans have found their new favorite star — Malvern’s own Charles Ling. His wholesome dad energy is off the charts.

📽️ Prepare your Letterboxd: The Philadelphia Film Festival just announced their star-studded lineup, including two documentaries on Philly culture, about the notorious Wing Bowl and the legendary Sigma Sound Studios. The fest runs Oct. 17-27 but you can snag your seats now.

🥊 An early holiday gift: Philadelphia’s first-ever RockyFest is officially slated for December with a weeklong celebration of the iconic franchise, featuring bus tours, film screenings, and even a marathon. Here’s what we know so far.

🐢 Time for a comeback: The future of the small but beloved Atlantic City Aquarium — which has been closed since the COVID-19 lockdown — is looking bright, with plans to reopen in coming months. That’s especially good news for Groman, the loggerhead sea turtle.

🍴 Explore nearby: Take a short trip to the very cute town of Collingswood just across the river where you can find incredible antique shops, delicious dining, karaoke, and more neighborhood fun.

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

🔥 Thursday: Bassist, songwriter, bandleader, and all around powerhouse Meshell Ndegeocello plays World Cafe Live behind her new album, No More Water: The Gospel of James Baldwin, which takes inspiration from both the author of The Fire Next Time and philosopher, poet, and civil rights activist Audre Lorde.

🎸 Also Thursday: Alabama country rock band the Red Clay Strays, whose “Wondering Why” took off on TikTok last year, is at the Fillmore behind its new Made by These Moments. And veteran alt-rock favorite Nada Surf is at Underground Arts, with rising New Zealand three-piece Office Dog opening.

🎤 Saturday: Billie Eilish returns to the Wells Fargo Center. She’s on the road in support of Hit Me Hard and Soft, her third full-length album of an anti-pop approach that subverts bubble gum expectations and is marked by impressive musical expectations. As usual, she’ll have her brother and musical coconspirator Finneas O’Connell by her side. Opening acts are Nat & Alex Wolf, known to Nickelodeon viewers for their teen pop Naked Brothers Band.

☕ Tuesday: Sabrina Carpenter, 25, who was raised in Bucks County, will bring her “Short n’ Sweet Tour” to Wells Fargo. The pop star has only broken big this year, with the runaway success of her frothy hits “Espresso” and “Please Please Please.” Both of those songs are from the impressively crafted and tightly constructed album which gave her tour its name. Yes, this is the same album that includes “Feather,” the song whose video shoot in a Brooklyn church played a role in the federal investigation into allegations of corruption of New York Mayor Eric Adams.

Read more music picks.

What’s the best Rocky movie? My favorite is still the very first, which one is yours? My coworker Mike Newall rewatched all of them (excluding the Creed series) and put together a definitive ranking of all the Rocky movies — and yes, Rocky V is dead last because that’s maybe the only thing we can all agree on. Philadelphia, I know you’ve got strong opinions on this one and I want to hear ‘em.

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This week I’m starting the new season of Love Is Blind after I already binge-watched the Kristen Bell-Adam Brody romcom series Nobody Wants This. But soon I’ll need to crossover to horror picks and I can’t wait to go down the terrifying Uzumaki spiral. Let me know what scary movies/shows you’re queuing up.