Uwishunu.com

We’ve always loved the White Dog Café for combining two of our favorite things: social activism and delicious food. This year, the quaint University City haunt celebrates its 25th birthday with a series of laid-back block parties featuring dancing, dinner, drinks, live entertainment and goodwill.

The festivities kick off July 11 with the Annual Bastille Day Celebration. For $45, guests can enjoy a slice of French history, as the restaurant and surrounding courtyard are transformed into an 18th Century French courtyard. Dance below the stars, dine on delicate French fare, and enjoy a reenactment of this historic day in 1789. Reservations are required for dinner; admission for dancing only is $10.

Next, on July 25, it’s the 17th Annual Noche Latina Street Fair, complete with tasty à la carte Latin-inspired dishes, a cash bar and live salsa and meringue. Admission is $10.

On August 8, the area is transformed once more for the 22nd Annual Rum and Reggae Caribbean-Themed Street Party, with authentic Caribbean food, sweet rum cocktails and smooth tunes from Jamaican reggae legends Richard Jah Ace and Sons of Ace. Admission is $10.

Finally, on September 12, White Dog closes out the summer with its 25th Anniversary Party & the Dance of the Ripe Tomatoes, featuring a garden-fresh farm buffet, live music from folksters Jim Fogarty and the Tonebenders and an inspiring look back at White Dog’s impressive history. Dining costs $40 and reservations are required; the party is free and open to the public for dancing after 8 p.m. Proceeds will benefit the Philadelphia Fair Food Project.

White Dog Café
3420 Sansom Street, Philadelphia, PA 19104
(215) 386-9224
www.whitedogcafe.com