The absolutely gorgeous fall weather just keeps on coming. AND it's another weekend full of fall festivals(!). Look forward to the Harry Potter Festival, Bloktoberfest, Awesome Fest, the 215 Festival, the Philadelphia Film Festival, Brooklyn Flea's Fall Fest and much, much more. (Photo by J. Fusco for GPTMC)
This insane stretch of amazing fall weather we’re having continues this weekend and we are not complaining. If you are in need of some plans for how to take advantage this weekend, well, we’ve got you covered. No, really.
There are dozens of festivals and blockbuster events on tap this weekend — from fest’s celebrating fall’s bounty to a Harry Potter festival to beer-fueled celebrations, there’s truly something for everyone.
Tonight, don’t miss Center City’s first-ever drive-in movie theater presented by the Awesome Fest and Enterprise CarShare. Head to Eakins Oval for a double-feature screening of King Kong vs. Godzilla and Pacific Rim. Take note, tickets for cars are now sold out, but folks are still welcome to attend the screening sans a car. Ride your bike or walk over for free access to the drive-in movie night.
Tomorrow, Bloktoberfest takes over four blocks of South Street West and brings beer, food trucks, games and live music to the mix. Keep a look out for Uwishunu and Visit Philly, we’ll be on site handing out free mini-Instagram prints to those who Instagram and tag their photos with the hashtags #Bloktoberfest and #GraduateHospital. Look for our booth at 15th and South streets.
Also, the hotly-anticipated Harry Potter Festival in Chestnut Hill kicks off tonight with an opening ceremony, costume party, pub crawl and more. The magic-centric festivities run through tomorrow.
On Sunday, Brooklyn Flea Philly hosts a fall festival complete with a Terrain pop-up shop, craft beer, pumpkin decorating and lots of shopping.
And that’s only the tip of the iceberg, read on for our top picks for this weekend.
Friday, October 18
Top Pick: Harry Potter Festival in Chestnut Hill (Fri, Sat)
Top Pick: The Awesome Fest’s Drive-In Movie Series Presents King Kong vs. Godzilla & Pacific Rim at Eakins Oval — Tickets for cars are sold out, but bicyclists and pedestrians are still welcome to attend for free!
Top Pick: Young Professionals Night at The Barnes Foundation
Top Pick: Design Philadelphia Closing Party — A Fundraiser for the Rail Park
Top Pick: The Philadelphia Film Festival (Fri, Sat, Sun)
Top Pick: The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society Presents Pheast
Top Pick: Terror Behind the Walls at Eastern State Penitentiary (Fri, Sat, Sun)
Top Pick: Philly Photo Day 2013
Art After 5 at the Philadelphia Museum of Art
South Philadelphia Tap Room’s 10-Year Anniversary (Fri, Sat, Sun)
Peek-A-Boo Halloween Revue at the Trocadero Theatre
Moon-Viewing Weekend at Shofuso Japanese House and Garden (Fri, Sat)
The Pennsylvania Ballet Presents Jewels
Terror Film Festival at the Ethical Society of Philadelphia (Fri, Sat)
Friday Night DJ at Distrito
Wild Flowers: Paintings and Drawings by Peter Paone at the Woodmere Art Museum (Fri, Sat, Sun)
Market East Art Series (Fri, Sat)
The Philadelphia Orchestra Presents Pines of Rome at the Kimmel Center
Living Social Beer Festival at The Piazza at Schmidt’s (Fri, Sat)
KAWS at the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts (Fri, Sat, Sun)
The Malcolm X Steles at the Philadelphia Museum of Art (Fri, Sat, Sun)
Institute of Contemporary Art’s Birthday Party
The DesignPhiladelphia Festival — Closing Day!
Made in Philadelphia at the Rosenbach Museum and Library
Fall Sidewalk Sale at the Book Corner (Fri, Sat)
Dinosaurs Unearthed At The Academy Of Natural Sciences (Fri, Sat, Sun)
Saturday, October 19
Top Pick: Bloktoberfest — Takes Over Four Blocks of South Street, 12-8 p.m.
The super popular Harry Potter Festival returns to Chestnut Hill with butter beer, a pub crawl, games and even a Quidditch tournament, October 18-19. (Image courtesy Chestnut Hill Business Association)
Top Pick: Harry Potter Festival in Chestnut Hill (Fri, Sat)
Top Pick: Philadelphia Open Studio Tours
Top Pick: Fall Family Fun Day at Sister Cities Park
Top Pick: Lobster Month at Route 6
Top Pick: The 215 Festival (Fri, Sat, Sun)
Top Pick: Pumpkin Days at Tyler Arboretum (Sat, Sun)
The 76ers Free Open Practice at the Palestra
Fall Festival at Schuylkill River Park
Léger: Modern Art And The Metropolis at the Philadelphia Museum of Art (Fri, Sat, Sun)
Boo at the Zoo (Sat, Sun)
Northern Liberties Zombie Crawl
Society Hill Vintage Flea Market
The Unflinching Eye: Works of the Tiberino Family Circle at the African American Museum in Philadelphia (Fri, Sat, Sun)
Manayunk Brewing Company Turns 17 (Fri, Sat)
Hijinks with the Sphinx at the Penn Museum
PHAIR Open-Air Market
CLAWS: A Spooky Creature Feature at the Wagner Free Institute of Science
More picks for Saturday and Sunday, below.
Pennypacker Mills All Hallow’s Eve Fall Festival
Capture The Moment: The Pulitzer Prize Photographs at the National Constitution Center (Fri, Sat, Sun)
World Reggae Concert at the Philadelphia Clef Club
Through the Looking Lens and Drawing Room at the American Philosophical Society Museum (Fri, Sat, Sun)
Mural Arts’ South of South Walking Tour
Pumpkinfest at the Moravian Tile Works
Sunday, October 20
Top Pick: Party in Paris at the Philadelphia Museum of Art
Top Pick: Brooklyn Flea Philly Fall Flea Fest — With A Special Terrain Pop-Up Shop
Top Pick: Stock up on apples, sweet potatoes and more of fall’s bounty — Farmers’ Markets of Fall
Top Pick: The 215 Festival Closing Party at the Philadelphia Art Alliance
Top Pick: Mimosa, anyone? Our neighborhood-based guide to brunch
Top Pick: Grab an outdoor bite this Sunday afternoon — our guide to restaurants and bars with heat lamps or fire pits
Top Pick: The Snowy Day and the Art of Ezra Jack Keats at the National Museum of American Jewish History (Fri, Sat, Sun) — Closing Day!
Top Pick: AIDS Walk Philly
Morris Arboretum Bloomfield Farm Day and Scarecrow Walk
Sunday Brunch, Bubbles and Barnes
Emma at St. Stephen’s Theater (Fri, Sat, Sun)
Philadelphia Shell Show and Festival (Sat, Sun)
Global Philly 2013 (Fri, Sat, Sun)
Abby Cadabby’s Fairy Pumpkin Party at Sesame Place (Sat, Sun)
4000 Miles at the Suzanne Roberts Theatre (Fri, Sat, Sun)
CandyCoated Wonderland at the Philadelphia Museum of Art (Fri, Sat, Sun)
Animina: A Race Street Pier Sound Walk (Fri, Sat, Sun)
Black Bodies in Propaganda: The Art of the War Poster at the Penn Museum (Fri, Sat, Sun)
An Evening with Michael Kupperman at PhilaMOCA
The Way of Chopsticks at The Philadelphia Art Alliance (Fri, Sat, Sun)
The Music You Remember and Luckiest Kid at the Second Stage at The Adrienne (Fri, Sat, Sun)
Finding Infinity at the Bridgette Mayer Gallery (Fri, Sat, Sun)