With the holidays in the rearview, it’s time to get back to what passes for “normal” these days. We’ve rounded up a few events you won’t want to miss.
MLK Weekend Celebration at AAMP
The African American Museum in Philadelphia and Citizens Charitable Foundation invites audiences to join them for a full weekend of enriching, fun, inspirational, family-friendly activities celebrating the life and legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. This year’s celebration includes MLK morning programming for youth and family, a special virtual screening of Shuja Moore’s webseries “Walkies,” a reading by Philadelphia Poet Laureate Trapeta Mayson, virtual tours of their latest exhibition “Rendering Justice,” and a special MLK keynote with “Marking Time” author Nicole Fleetwood. From Jan. 16 at 10am to Jan. 18 at 5pm. aampmuseum.org
https://www.aampmuseum.org/calendar.html
David Meade Walker: A Retrospective
Da Vinci Art Alliance will host a retrospective of work by late artist David Meade Walker in Gallery 1 Jan. 7-24. Organized by David Meade Walker’s sister, Sharon Walker Eisenhour, this collection of work surveys the life and mediums that defined the artist. “David Meade Walker (1948-2012): A Retrospective” will be on view physically at Da Vinci Art Alliance by appointment and as a recorded video tour on the Da Vinci Art Alliance website. On-view in-person: Jan. 7-24 by appointment. Virtual Opening Reception: Jan. 10, 2:45pm on Zoom. davinciartalliance.org
Pea Soup To-Go Virtual Dinner
The American Swedish Historical Museum is offering a to-go Pea Soup dinner on Jan. 30 at 6pm that you can enjoy from your own home with an added virtual dining experience. A special guest will open the evening with a welcome address and then participants will be assigned to breakout rooms for a small group dining experience. The dinner package includes one quart of Pea Soup, a wedge of Prästost XO Swedish cheese, a package of WASA Crispbread, and spicy Swedish mustard. To-go dinner packages will be for two people and available for $35 for members and $40 for non-members. Meals will be available for pick-up on Jan. 28 and 29 from 10am-4pm and the 30 from noon-4pm. Pre-registration is required and closes on Jan. 25. Register at americanswedish.org.
https://www.americanswedish.org/events/virtual-pea-soup-dinner
Stand Pup Comedy Online
Presented by Pitman Revitalization Corp, “Dogs, Cats, and Comedians – It’s Stand Pup Comedy Online!” stars adoptable pets, funny humans and you! See Fred Stoller from “Seinfeld” and “Everybody Loves Raymond,” Laurie Kilmartin and Brian Kiley from “Conan,” Taquita Love from “Funny or Die,” and Orlando Leyba from HBO. The host is Richy Leis from “TMZ Live,” MTV and VH1. Philly groups benefiting from the show include the Morris Animal Refuge, Saved Me Adoption Center and Street Tails Animal Rescue. Tuesday, Jan. 26, 8–9pm. $20. Online. eventbrite.com
Preservation and the Public Realm
Presented by Design Advocacy Group, Ashley Hahn, writer on preservation and public space, will lead a conversation on the role of historic public spaces in old cities. She will explore the question of how the historic public realm can support a more just built environment. Hahn is a writer and researcher working at the intersection of public life, public space and public history. She is the former managing editor of PlanPhilly and serves as the volunteer organizer for Jane’s Walk in Philadelphia, a global festival of public walks celebrating the legacy of Jane Jacobs. Thursday, Jan. 14, 10-11:30am. Free. Online. eventbrite.com
Online events – in case the weather’s bad or you just feel like staying in
It’s January, so the weather could turn rough any time. And, of course, there’s this COVID thing. So we went to eventbrite.com to find a few fun things to do while stuck online at home. Check out the website for even more activities.
Exploring Philadelphia’s Built Environment
Presented by the Historical Society of Pennsylvania, join Elizabeth Milroy, author of “The Grid and the River: Philadelphia’s Green Places, 1682-1876,” online for a tour of some unique resources for researching the history of Philadelphia’s architecture and urban spaces. Several of HSP’s collections will be highlighted, including the David Johnson Kennedy watercolors collection and the Jane Campbell Scrapbook Collection, among others. Wednesday, Jan. 13, 6:30-8pm. Free to $10.
The See You At Home Concert
The See You At Home Concert is a livestream concert experience featuring Eclectica Division’s rostered artists of Philadelphia musicians and bands in indie and alternative rock. Streaming live exclusively for ticket holders. Featured artists include Bel, Panic Sets In and Sara Henya. Saturday, Jan. 16, 7-9pm. $5-$17.
Medieval Life Spotlight: Early Music
Join vocalist and instrumentalist Adam Ward to explore the sounds and contexts of music from the Medieval period. Hear early songs for peace and protest, communication and communion. Curator Dot Porter will finish the program with a show and tell of relevant manuscripts from Philadelphia collections. This program is inspired by the Free Library of Philadelphia’s Medieval Life exhibit. Monday, Jan. 25, 5:30-6:45pm. Free. Online.
Book Launch: The Effort
Presented by Shakespeare & Co. Bookstore and Café, join Philadelphia author Claire Holroyde in conversation with writer Scott Hines for the launch of her debut novel, “The Effort.” What would happen to Earth’s 7 billion inhabitants if a comet threatened to hit the planet? The Effort, an international counteraction team including scientists, scholars and engineers, must fight together with the passengers of a polar icebreaker to neutralize the greatest threat the world has ever seen (preferably before mass hysteria hits or world leaders declare World War III) or come to terms with the annihilation of humanity itself. Thursday, Jan. 21, 6:30pm. Free. Online.
The Birthplace of America
Presented by Virtualtrips, on this patriotic journey, you’ll see Independence Hall where the founding fathers discussed, debated and ultimately signed two important documents: the Declaration of Independence and the United States Constitution. You’ll find out why the U.S. Post Office in this historic district doesn’t fly the American flag. Plus much more. Saturday, Jan. 9, 6 pm. Free. Online.
Want to know what’s ahead in 2021? Here you go
The start of a new year means it’s time to dust off the crystal ball and predict what lies ahead for us all. So here, with some help from the internet and ample adult beverages, are our (somewhat) bold picks for 2021.
A zombie apocalypse
Several online sites cited this prediction from Nostradamus, who, for a dude who lived in the 1500s, has a pretty good record for getting things right. Let’s hope he missed the mark on this one because we’re pretty sure this is the one that could actually make 2020 look pretty good in comparison.
Most Philly sports will suck
We know this isn’t an especially bold take, but, face it, things are grim around here when it comes to the major sports. The Eagles ended the season a mess, so 2021 already looks bad for them. The Sixers are outgunned in the East, and the Phillies still (still!) need a bullpen. The lone hope – the Flyers. Our gut tells us they might surprise some folks this year.
Safe-injection sites will be a thing again
Remember the hot debate topic in Philly immediately before everyone got caught up with COVID? Safe-injection sites. Yep, the debate over not only locations, but also their legality was on everyone’s mind. Eventually, the COVID situation will be resolved – and then the debate over these sites will return.
Homicides will go down
Philadelphia experienced almost 500 homicides in 2020. That number has to go down this year, right? Maybe (probably) this is just wishful thinking more than a prediction, but, at some point and by some means – getting criminals off the streets, people just coming to their senses – Philadelphians just have to stop killing each other. We hope, anyway.
What do you think?
Do you have any predictions for the city in 2021? What do you think it will look like next year at this time? We want to share your thoughts with everyone else. Send your 2021 predictions to voices@philadelphiaweekly.com, and we’ll publish some of the better ones in a future edition.
