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Philly 360° is giving away two pairs of tickets to Usher’s O.M.G. concert with fellow R&B singer Trey Songz, taking place at the Wells Fargo Center on December 16th.

There are two ways to win tickets to the star-studded show, either fill out the entry form at Philly360.com or follow Philly 360 on Twitter and answer their Usher-centric tweets with the hastag #UsherPhilly360.

The two grand prize winners will receive a pair of tickets to the concert on December 16th.

The contest begins today and runs through December 6th. Visit Philly360.com for more information.

Enter to Win Tickets to the Usher and Trey Songz Concert on December 16th [Philly 360]

Beginning at midnight on November 19th, the Franklin Institute’s Tuttleman IMAX Theater will be screening the first installment of the seventh, and final, Harry Potter movie: Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.

Harry Potter diehards take note: it’s the only site in the city to offer the film in IMAX format, which boasts crystal-clear imagery and the most powerful digital audio. How else to experience the beginning of the end of the Hogwarts saga?

Based on the novel by J. K. Rowling, the movie follows Harry Potter and his cohort on a quest to find and destroy his enemy Lord Voldemort’s secret to immortality — the Horcruxes. Meanwhile, the long-feared war between the good and dark forces within the wizarding world has begun.

Plus, starting this week, Potterheads can win movie passes, T-shirts and other wizard memorabilia on the Franklin Institute’s Facebook page.

Tickets are $12 for members and $14 for non-members.

The Franklin Institute
222 N. 20th Street
www2.fi.edu

From the May 2010 Meet the Cheesemaker happy hour (photo by M. McClellan)

We’ve dished about the Meet the Cheesemaker happy hours at the Fair Food Farmstand before. The concept is simple. They invite some of the best cheesemakers from around the region, and we all stand around, eating cheese, sampling beer and talking about how it was all made. Happily, there are several of these fun afternoon tasting sessions coming up in the next month.

On November 19 cheesemakers Jay and Emily Montgomery from Calkins Creamery in the Poconos will be slicing and chatting at 4 p.m.. They’ll have their funky raw cow milk brie (it’s called Noble Road) and a beer washed small round named Cowtipper. The Foodery will be pouring Hops from the Hood, a special from Philadelphia Brewing Company brewed with local Greensgrow Farm hops. This beer is a very limited brew, so make sure to get a sip while the getting is good.

On December 10 local cheese evangelist Madame Fromage will be teaming up with the Farmstand for a Yuletide Cheeseplate Celebration. Festivities begin promptly at 6 p.m. Come taste, learn and explore some of Madame Fromage’s favorite holiday cheeses.

December 17 brings local cheese vets Birchrun Hills into town from bucolic Chester County. The Miller family have been hand crafting some of Philadelphia’s favorite delicious and ever-so-slightly wacky cheese for many a year now. They include the creamy and dreamy Birchrun Blue, the ripe and very ready Fat Cat and the petite washed-rind Red Cat. Victory Brews will be poured.

Fair Food Farmstand
Reading Terminal Market
12th and Arch Streets, Philadelphia, PA
readingterminalmarket.org

Hillary Bor and Ian Moroney, owners of South Street’s Pumpkin empire, do an amazing job of offering an array of special events for their dining community. Between weekly mini-festivals that each feature a different seasonal ingredient to local beer tastings, they’ve got plenty of fun (and delicious) happenings to fill your social calendar.

Tomorrow night, they’re hosting Chef Matthew Ridgway for a special six-course tasting menu. The courses will included specially prepared smoked duck eggs, foie gras, marinated mackeral, kumquat sorbet and much more. This dinner is available Tuesday, November 16 from 6-10 p.m. It costs $70 per person. Call 215-545-4448 to make a reservation.

One of the nine vintage Coca-Cola ads on display at the National Constitution Center (Photo courtesy of the NCC)

Visitors to the Art of the American Soldier exhibit at the National Constitution Center can catch an adjacent display of World War II-era poster size advertisements for Coca-Cola, featuring U.S. soldiers, sailors and aviators enjoying Coke on duty and at home.

The mini showcase, entitled “Taste of Home,” emphasizes that Coke was more than just a drink for servicemen and women stationed abroad. In fact, during the war, company president Robert Woodruff ordered that “every man in uniform gets a bottle of Coca-Cola for 5 cents, wherever he is, and whatever it costs the company.”

The ads are part of The Philadelphia Coca-Cola Bottling Company’s sponsorship of the highly-acclaimed Art of the American Soldier exhibition. They will be on display in the Center’s Delegates’ Café hallway through January 10th.  This area of the museum is free and open to the public.

Art of the American Soldier
Through January 10th
www.constitutioncenter.org/artoftheamericansoldier

National Constitution Center
Independence Mall
525 Arch Street
(215) 409-6600
www.constitutioncenter.org

"The Thinker" Statue outside the Rodin Museum on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway (Photo by Jason Smith for GPTMC)

Happy Birthday to one of our favorite French sculptors!

Share your own celebratory greetings at the Rodin Museum on the Ben Franklin Parkway (yes, it’s still open despite the ongoing makeover).

Top photo: Front of the new museum; Bottom photos: Museum interiors

The south-east corner of 5th and Market Streets has been under construction for months now. Finally, this weekend that intersection of the city will be looking shiny and new for the grand opening of the National Museum of American Jewish History.

The grand opening events are sold out, save the Young Friends Gala which is taking place the evening of Saturday, November 13. Tickets were highly prized for the Opening Gala, as both Bette Midler and Jerry Seinfeld will be appearing.

For the rest of us, the museum will open its doors to the public on Friday, November 26th. Mark your calendars and make a point of spending some of your Black Friday at this new museum, as it truly is remarkable. We’ll have a more complete preview for you a little closer to their general opening, to show off some of what you’ll get to see then. To tide you over, make sure to take a peek at this set of pictures, which we took on Wednesday, at the press preview.

National Museum of American Jewish History
101 South Independence Mall East, Philadelphia
215-923-3811
nmajh.org

In honor of the 150th anniversary of the first Japanese delegation’s tour of the U.S., the Penn Museum is celebrating Japan’s culture and heritage this Sunday, November 14th from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m.

The festival, “Celebrate Japan!”, is sponsored by PECO and will include martial arts demonstrations, Taiko drumming, a display of the museum’s samurai armor collection, presentations on calligraphy and origami, a kimono display and dressing lecture, and traditional kabuki face painting.

Guests can also enjoy Japanese lunch entrees at the Pepper Mill Café, and Japanese arts, crafts, games and books at the Museum Shop and Pyramid Shop for Children.

The event is is free with museum admission  ($10 general admission; $7 senior citizens [65+]; $6 students [with ID] and children [6 to 17]; free for children under 6, members, and PennCard holders).

“Celebrate Japan!” Day at Penn Museum
Sunday, November 14th
1 p.m.-4p.m.

Penn Museum
3620 South Street
(215) 898-4000
www.penn.museum

The National Museum of American Jewish History holds its star-studded grand opening this weekend. (Image courtesy NMAJH)

The Philadelphia region will be bustling with activity this weekend beginning with the highly anticipated grand opening of the National Museum of American Jewish History.

Don’t miss any of the many food and drink events being held this weekend, including the Stout and Chowder Festival, Turkey Tastings at Chaddsford Winery, the return of the Craft Beer Express and Bluegrass, BBQ and Beer at Percy Street Barbecue.

And music lovers are covered with live music and DJ-nights throughout the city and Philly 360°’s Inside the Studio event at Warmdaddy’s with Philadelphia super-producers Carvin & Ivan.

Check out more of top picks for the weekend below:

Friday

Grand Opening of the National Museum of American Jewish History

First Person Festival Continues

Art of the American Soldier at the National Constitution Center

Art After 5: Tessa Souter at the Philadelphia Museum of Art

U.S. Mr. Gay Competition

Saturday

Every Family Party at the Philadelphia Museum of Art

Stout and Chowder Festival at Independence Seaport Museum

Second Saturdays in New Hope

The Cleopatra Exhibition at the Franklin Institute

Fall Foliage at Longwood Gardens

Eastern State Penitentiary — Behind the Scenes Tour: Film Locations

Turkey Tastings at Chaddsford Winery

Craft Beer Express — Fall Edition

Sunday

34th Annual Craft Show at the Philadelphia Museum of Art

Bluegrass, BBQ and Beer at Percy Street Barbecue

Celebrate Japan! — World Culture Day at the Penn Museum

Philly 360° Presents: Inside the Studio with Carvin & Ivan

The 17th Annual Philadelphia Marathon is coming on November 21st. (Photo by M. Kennedy for GPTMC)

Philadelphia will welcome more than 20,000 runners and 50,000 spectators for the 2010 Philadelphia Marathon Race Weekend, November 19th through 21st. The weekend kicks off at noon on Friday with a free Health & Fitness Expo at the Pennsylvania Convention Center, featuring more than 70 running apparel and health vendors. The expo is open until 9 p.m. on Friday, and from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. on Saturday.

The festivities continue Saturday with the Kids Fun Run, starting at 22nd Street & the Benjamin Franklin Parkway near the Philadelphia Museum of Art at 10:30 a.m. The Kids Fun Run is a short, non-competitive event for future marathon hopefuls, ages 4-12.

On Sunday, an all-time record number of athletes are expected to compete in the Philadelphia Marathon, Half Marathon (both at 7 a.m.), Wheelchair and, new this year, Handcycle (6:55 a.m.) races. The Philadelphia Museum of Art provides a stunning backdrop for both the start and finish.

Landmark signs, strategically placed on the course, will signify sites such as Boathouse Row, the Philadelphia Zoo and Please Touch Museum. The races end with a much-deserved gratis soft pretzel at the finish-line hospitality tent.

The course also features more than 20 Cheer Zones, some including hot chocolate and pretzels, located near cafes offering discounts and specials for runners’ family and friends. Throughout the weekend, competitors and cheerers-on alike will get a taste of Philadelphia’s culture, history and hospitality.

Philadelphia Marathon
November 19th-21st
www.philadelphiamarathon.com