All rainbows lead to the Gayborhood | Things to Do

Happy Pride Month! ‘Tis the season to dress fabulously and scandalously with rainbow flair. (Allies, your ticket to Pride Month includes a donation to your favorite local nonprofit supporting queer and trans folks. You can’t wear rainbow till we see the receipts. I don’t make the rules, sorry!) Pride is fun and it’s political: Queer and trans people all over this country continue to be criminalized, despite the lovely optimism emanating from Philly’s Gayborhood this month. Corporate sponsors don’t make these terrifying laws go away, and while shooting cans of Bud Light or threatening to attack Target stores passes for entertainment value for some, these recent headlines underscore that queer and trans folks remain vulnerable in this country.

Pride can be lighthearted and full of Janelle Monae levels of sexiness, but to don the rainbow and ignore the realities of existing as LGBTQ+ people in this country is to perpetuate the harm. Keep that in mind this month (and always).

This weekend, party at the Roots Picnic, plan your Pride month around town, check out the Philadelphia Latino Film Festival, and catch the Philadelphia Orchestra’s free Pride concert.

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

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Philly Pride is this Sunday and the festival will immerse Gayborhood in a sea of rainbow flags as floats, stages, and food trucks sprawl across six stages and many themed zones. See the parade led by the cabaret group The Bearded Ladies along with folks from the Philly Dyke March and Galaei as marshals. There are family programs, a decompression zone, and even a “Bailar con Amor” dance floor. Here’s everything you need to know.

🧺 The must-see fest: The Roots Picnic is back for a three-day event this weekend with Ms. Lauryn Hill, Usher, Lil Uzi Vert, and so many more killer acts. Here is what my colleague, Inquirer’s pop music critic Dan DeLuca is most excited about. We’ve also got your guide to parking, food, and tickets.

🎻 Time for a rainbow gown: Lady Gaga, Marvel, and Tchaikovsky share the stage in the Philadelphia Orchestra’s free Pride Concert this Saturday.

🏳️‍🌈 Nails, hair, hips, heels: Planning your month-long Pride celebration? These 16 events will keep you dancing, vibing, and learning throughout June.

🌊 Dine with a view: If you’re at the Shore, try a waterfront restaurant with lovely views on a sandbar, deck, or rooftop. 🔑

💉 Spotlighting a COVID hero: Nurse Tarik Khan became a local celebrity distributing vaccines to homebound Philadelphians before the shots expired. Now he’s a state rep who just graduated with a PhD from Penn. His amazing story is now part of a new short documentary, streaming on WHYY. 🔑

🏈 The Eagles take the stage: Sportscaster Ray Didinger wrote a play about his friendship with football legend Tommy McDonald and you can see it at Bucks County Playhouse. 🔑

🚀 Space oddities: A sci-fi film about a Dominican teen and her grandmother building a rocket ship to fulfill her dying wish to go to space screens at the Barnes Foundation on Friday. It’s one of many flicks to see at The Philadelphia Latino Film Festival.

📅 My calendar picks this week: Get fresh fruit at Strawberry Fest, attend First Friday at the Barnes, and shuck oysters at Shuckfest 2023.

A new play at the Hedgerow Theatre in Rose Valley examines the world of autistic folks who are non-speaking — with a story about clowns. The Puzzle is a funny, quirky, and endearing play about two bowler-wearing clowns (award-winning clown David Shiner and Broadway actor Daniel Passer) who meet The Boy, played wonderfully by Philadelphia actor Michael Stahler. The clowns and the boy connect through repetition, storytelling, and playing, using behavior and language that playwright Juliette Dunn based on her own ways of talking to her son, who is autistic and non-speaking. The Puzzle’s run ends June 4, but the play will also be available to stream on June 16-18. Look out for my interview with the playwright, publishing soon!

🥘 From now through fall, 60 new restos are expected to open up throughout the Philly region. Food reporter Mike Klein has the scoop. 🔑

🎥 Director-actor Nardeep Khurmi’s debut film Land of Gold, now streaming on Max, was influenced by his years in Downingtown — get to know his work. 🔑

🍹 Looking for a post-work hang? Check out our regularly updated guide to the best happy hours in Philly right now.

🥾 Did you know the story about the 9,400 acres of cranberry farm once owned by a political boss that’s now a hiking gem? Get into it. 🔑

🏖️ The crackdown on teenagers continues at the Jersey Shore as officials in Ocean City aim to curb bad behavior on the beaches and boardwalk.

🍨 Learn about Philly-area chefs serving a creamy, luscious ice cream beloved by the South Asian community called kulfi.

Last week, I had a lovely evening under the stars watching Max Roach: The Drum Also Waltzes. Dozens of people gathered on lawn chairs and blankets to see this legendary jazz drummer’s story. It was a little chilly and of course some car honks added to the documentary’s soundtrack, but the crowd was lovely and super engaged. Roach played Philly frequently, and his ferocity and skill are absolutely insane to follow — I could’ve sat there watching old footage of him improvising for hours. It’s part of cinéSPEAK’s outdoor movie screening series, which will take over the Bowl at Clark Park on Friday nights this month. Looking for more outdoor movie screenings? These are some of the best upcoming events.

In the late 1960s, LGBTQ+ activists held annual demonstrations demanding civil rights and protections. They held these protests at which Philadelphia landmark location?

A) City Hall

B) Independence Hall

C) The Masonic Temple

D) Washington Square

📮 To let me know which of the above is correct, write me back.

This week, I tried making a vegan banana oatmeal cake with just a few of the correct ingredients (baking soda is not baking powder, lol) and it surprisingly turned out alright! What are you experimenting with in your kitchen these days? Let me know!