How we’re watching the PFS Drive-In at the Navy Yard
The Philadelphia Film Society has announced the PFS Drive-In at the Navy Yard. This drive-in movie theater will operate daily from August through October. The screenings will take place on the scenic Delaware Riverfront at the Navy Yard, just off the intersection of League Island Boulevard and Admiral Peary Way. For tickets, a full list of movies and details, visit Filmadelphia.org. Here are some of the highlights.
Get Out
This 3-year-old classic horror movie from Jordan Peele is definitely worth another look. This box office hit is a look at probably the worst-case scenario of the first “meet the parents” encounter when dating. It won the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay.
Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon
Has it really been 20 years since this movie hit the big screen? We’re getting old. Anyway, Ang Lee’s classic remains a movie that we could watch over and over. It won a boatload of awards and was a huge hit at the box office as well.
Fast and Furious
Buckle up for thrills when a host of films from the Fast and Furious franchise hit the screen. You get the idea: Lost of fast cars, lots of furious people, Vin Diesel, The Rock. You’ll get your money’s worth of action when you see one or all of these movies.
Free Community Screenings
The Monday Free Community Screenings, presented by PFS and ReelBlack ReelBlack, focus on groundbreaking films from black female filmmakers. Films include “Night Catches Us” from Tanya Hamilton, “Love and Basketball” by Gina Prince-Bythewood and “The Watermelon Woman” from Cheryl Dunye.
Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse
This 2018 flick delivers like all Spider-Man movies do. Winner of the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature Film, teenager Miles Morales meets Peter Parker and battles bad guys. It’s a must-see for any Spider-Man fans.
Some things to note
Tickets for the Drive-In are $12, $8 for PFS members, $7 for children 12 and under. Online sales only. The PFS Drive-In will strictly adhere to city-approved safety guidelines for drive-ins, which, along with ticketing and pricing information, can be found at Filmadelphia.org/Drive-In. Attendees are required to remain in their vehicles at all times unless using the restroom. When outside the vehicle, attendees are required to wear a mask and practice social distancing.
How we’re listening to WXPN’s Woodstock Week
WXPN is partially through its Woodstock Week, where all 33 performances from the 1969 festival can be heard. That said, there are still a lot of great performances to be heard over the coming days. Here’s what we’re looking forward to, but check out xpn.org for all of the details.
Thursday, Aug. 13
- 8:45am: CSNY (Crosby, Stills, Nash, Young)
- 11am: Blood Sweat & Tears
- 12:30pm: Mountain
- 4:30pm: Johnny Winter
- 10pm: Bert Sommer
Friday, Aug. 14
- 6am: Jefferson Airplane
- Noon: Joe Cocker
- 6pm: Sly & the Family Stone
Saturday, Aug. 15
10am – 5pm:
- Swami / Sha Na Na
- Sweetwater
- Quill
- Country Joe McDonald
- Keef Hartley Band
- Country Joe & The Fish
- Ten Years After
Sunday, Aug. 16
OK, they saved the best for last. Check-in from 1-3 p.m. on Sunday to hear the maestro himself, Jimi Hendrix.
Even more
Additional Woodstock-related features throughout the week include: A “Highs in the 60s” musical focus in the 6pm hour through Thursday, Aug.13. Also, hear music from Woodstock ‘94 & ‘99 on Friday’s “What’s the Frequency” with John Vettese on Friday, Aug. 14. And there’s a new on-demand online interview with Andy Zax, American music historian who in 2019 released “Woodstock – Back to the Garden: The Definitive 50th Anniversary Archive,” a Grammy-nominated] 38-disc, 36-hour boxed set containing a near-complete reconstruction of Woodstock.
Special events and more we’re checking out
Some places are reopening. Some events are still getting pushed back. Some venues are holding special activities. Here’s a quick look at a few of the items we found this week.
Bootcamp at The Bourse
The Bourse, Philadelphia’s modern artisanal food hall on Independence Mall, is teaming up with a local fitness instructor for Bootcamp at The Bourse, a seven week-long workout series on the patio every Saturday from Aug. 15 to Sept. 26. The classes will be led by Jackie of JaxFitness from 9-10am every Saturday for the remainder of the summer outside on The Bourse’s patio overlooking Independence Mall. Tickets are $10 and include the 60-minute class along with a Bloody Mary or mimosa from Grubhouse. 111 S. Independence Mall E. | theboursephilly.com
Eagles Cruise
The Philadelphia Eagles and First Class Cruises have announced that the Inaugural Philadelphia Eagles Fan Cruise – originally scheduled for March 21-28, 2021 – has been postponed to March 20-27, 2022. The seven-night Caribbean excursion will still sail the open seas aboard the Anthem of the Seas cruise vessel, departing from Cape Liberty, NJ, and stopping at all three originally scheduled Caribbean islands: Port Canaveral, CocoCay and Nassau. Eagles Fan Cruise guests will experience Eagles-themed events and activities, parties, meet-and-greets with current players and team legends, photo opportunities and much more. Visit www.PhiladelphiaEaglesCruise.com for details.
Horwitz-Wasserman Holocaust Memorial Plaza
Want to get out of the house in a safe way? Visit the Horwitz-Wasserman Holocaust Memorial Plaza, located on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway at the corner of 16th and Arch Street. In the nice summer weather, the outdoor plaza also allows visitors to remain socially distant while learning important, timely civic lessons about the dangers of bigotry. The entirely free, outdoor plaza has a range of educational elements that include famous anecdotes from historical figures, pieces of the railroad that led to the Treblinka Death Camp, and Philly’s famous “Monument to the Six Million Jewish Martyrs.” Visit philaholocaustmemorial.org for more information.
The National Constitution Center
The National Constitution Center reopened to the public recently with free admission for all visitors through Sept. 5. The Center’s reopening plans emphasize the safety of museum guests and staff in compliance with local and state health agencies as well as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. A full list of protocols and a guide for what visitors can expect can be found at constitutioncenter.org/safely-reopening. Visitors will be required to reserve timed tickets in advance, available online at constitutioncenter.org/tickets. The National Constitution Center be open Wednesday through Saturday from 10am to 3pm.
Philadelphia Women’s Theatre Festival
Philadelphia Women’s Theatre Festival opened its 6th annual festival, Untold Voices in Voting, on Aug. 6. The virtual festival, which takes place over Zoom, celebrates the 100th anniversary of the 19th Amendment by amplifying untold voices, particularly women of color, whose stories were left out of the narrative of the suffrage movement. Here’s some of what’s coming up: “America’s Favorite Feminist” by Keenya Jackson; “Walk the Line” by Ang Bey; and “Mrs. Satan and the Nasty Woman” by Alice Eve Cohen. Ticket info and more can be found at phillywomenstheatrefest.org.
Ars Nova Workshop
From Sept. 25 through Jan. 24, Ars Nova Workshop, in partnership with the Institute for Contemporary Art, presents “Milford Graves: A Mind-Body Deal” featuring the extraordinary life and works of the free jazz pioneer and polymath. The exhibition gathers Graves’ many-layered and multi-faceted work, exploring the practices and predilections of this extraordinary “jazz mind.” Spanning six decades and comprising over 40 works, the exhibition includes a collection of rare and never-before-seen hand-painted album covers and posters, idiosyncratic drum sets, multimedia sculptures, photographs, and costumes. Visit arsnovaworkshop.org for all of the details.
How we’re still staying busy – virtually
With many events still being held virtually, here are some of our favorites coming up soon. All of the details, ticketing info and more can be found at eventbrite.com.
Pucker Up! Sour Fest
Devil’s Den, one of the city’s best craft beer bars, along with owner and beer maven Erin Wallace, have announced the return of Pucker Up! Sour Fest with a fun, interactive and COVID-friendly tasting class held via Zoom, on Friday, Aug. 21 at 7pm. Sour beer lovers are invited to join the virtual bar and attend a guided tasting class led by Meredith Rebar, a beer expert with Home Brewed Events, as she explains some of the most sour, funky, and wild beers on the market.
Opening Conversations about Race
Swimming While White in Today’s World: Opening Conversations about Race is a two-hour workshop in which participants will learn how to start and sustain conversations about being white and embracing differences. Facilitated by the Rev. Dr. Bill Kondrath and Sarah Werkman, of Visions Inc., sponsors include the Philadelphia Theological Institute, The Diocesan Anti-Racism Commission, The Loving Presence Committee, The Philadelphia Episcopal Cathedral, and the Church of St. Martin-in-the-Fields. Wednesday, Aug. 26, 10am to noon | $15.
Recovery Process of African Americans
Recovery Process of African Americans: Seeking Wellness during COVID-19 Re-opening Phases will feature Dr. Karriem L. Salaam, who earned his medical degree from Robert Wood Johnson Medical School in 2000 and completed a residency in General Psychiatry at Temple University in Philadelphia. Dr. Salaam completed a fellowship in Child & Adolescent Psychiatry at Thomas Jefferson University and currently serves as the Medical Director of Adolescent Services at Friends Hospital in Northeast Philadelphia and as a Clinical Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at Drexel University College of Medicine in Philadelphia, from 2006 to present. Also participating will be Dr. Delane Casiano, an adult psychiatrist in Philadelphia. With specialization in cultural psychiatry and women’s mental health, she has worked with ethnically diverse populations in a multitude of health care settings. Friday, Aug. 28, noon to 7pm | Free.
Venture Cafe After Dark: Birdie Busch
Birdie Busch makes and records independent music from her home base of Philadelphia. The folk-country queen creates nuanced voice originals with her strangely subtle avant-hillbilly band of musicians and friends. Critics from American Songwriter to Village Voice have found her of kindred spirit from everyone from Syd Barrett to Eudora Welty, and seem to just keep referring to what she does as her own thing and appreciating that strange sonic swamp where it resides. Thursday, Aug. 27, 7 to 7:30pm | Free.
Philadelphia Virtual Speed Dating | Singles Event Lesbian
The perfect opportunity to find a virtual companion! All the fun and efficiency of in-person speed dating events brought to your doorstep. Why wait to hear back from potential matches on traditional apps and websites when you can meet a group of single lesbians in Philadelphia just like yourself, all from the comfort of your living room? Wednesday, Aug. 12, 8 to 10pm | $24.
How the International War Against Black People is Being Waged Locally
In the war being waged against Black people in our local communities we can have no compromise, no retreat. People must do the work to understand each other, and help local organizing communities understand the connections between the local, national and international policies of aggression against Black, Brown and working-class people, and organize proactively to protect themselves and each other. This conversation will identify these connections in Philadelphia, New York, Baltimore, the Bay Area, and Los Angeles. During the panel discussion, you will hear about the ways these policies and activities of aggression present across the regions. Sunday, Aug. 23, 4 to 7 | Free.
