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Enjoy a crisp fall day from one of the city's best vantage points, atop Fairmount Park. (Photo courtesy Laurel Hill)

Autumn is the perfect time of year to get outside and enjoy the Philadelphia scenery.

It’s not humid, it’s not snowing, the air is crisp and the whole city is brighter and more colorful (thanks in part to the area foliage). One of the best places to enjoy those brilliant colors is at Laurel Hill Cemetery, situated above Kelly Drive, atop Fairmount Park.

Luckily, Laurel Hill Cemetery is hosting a Fall Family Day this Sunday, October 23, starting at 1 p.m. In addition to enjoying the spectacular view of the Schuylkill River and the city, visitors will be treated to pumpkin painting, apple bobbing, scavenger hunts, arts and crafts and Halloween games. Children are encouraged to show off their Halloween costumes.

Admission is just $20 for a family of four (and $5 for each additional person).

Also, while you’re there, check out the Mural Arts Program’s latest mural Peace Like a River, conceived and painted by local artist Dennis Haugh. Mural Arts will be hosting a dedication ceremony (open to the public) at 1 p.m.

For more info on Laurel Hill’s Halloween happenings, click here.

Fall Family Day at Laurel Hill Cemetery
Where: Laurel Hill Cemetery, 3822 Ridge Avenue
When: Sunday, October 23, starting at 1 p.m.
Cost: $20 for a family of 4 ($5 for each additional member).
More info: www.thelaurelhillcemetery.org

 
What lurks in the shadows of the Penn Museum?

Well, if you watch the video above, you may start to think ghosts do.

The Museum’s Young Friends are hosting a very cool event this weekend, what they’re calling “a once-in-a-lifetime paranormal investigation of the galleries and their ghostly inhabitants.”

The Free Spirit Paranormal Investigators will attempt to shed some light on what lurks in the dark as they introduce visitors to their investigation techniques and equipment before taking the Young Friends on an investigation of the Museum.

Spooky stuff.

We See Dead People
Where: Penn Museum
When: Saturday, October 22, 6 p.m.
Cost: $5-$10
More info: penn.museum

We’re going to go ahead and classify this as epic.

On Wednesday, November 2 beginning at 6 p.m., Southern food master chef Erin O’Shea of Percy Street Barbecue will celebrate Louisiana’s annual Pecan Festival with an all-you-can-eat-and-drink-blow-out.

For $50, you can gorge on New Orleans-inspired food and bottomless Louisiana-brewed Abita beer and Dixie cocktails, rock out to live music and celebrate the crowning of “The Percy Pecan Queen,” just as the Louisianans do. Only better, because it’s in Philly.

At this “good old-fashioned barn burner,” as O’Shea referred to it, music comes courtesy of the Percy Street Stompers, featuring members of the West Philadelphia Orchestra.

Fare to chow down on includes Smoked Brisket Po’ Boys, Spicy Corn Pudding, Fried Oyster Baskets, Shrimp Remoulade and Sweet Potato Pie.

Attention female attendees: compete to be crowned Pecan Queen by being the woman to drink an Abita Pecan Harvest beer the fastest. You’ll win one of O’Shea’s famous pecan pies, plus bragging rights.

We repeat: epic.

Percy Street Barbecue Pecan Harvest Festival
Where: 900 South Street
When: Wednesday, November 2, beginning at 6 p.m.
Cost: $50
More info: www.percystreet.com

It's going to be a beautiful crisp fall weekend in Philadelphia. We'll see you out there. (Photo by R. Kennedy for GPTMC)

Sun is in the cards for our weekend weather, and there’s no shortage of ways to enjoy it. As we’ve been trying to impart, fall in Philadelphia is rife with events, activities, festivals and yearly-anticipated traditions (read: Terror Behind the Walls) so get out there!

Our top picks for how to spend your weekend, below:

Friday, October 21

Our guide to Halloween festivities weekends throughout October

The 20th Annual Philadelphia Film Festival (Fri, Sat, Sun)

Rock N Roll Teasarama: A Tribute to Bettie Page at Johnny Brenda’s

Three Sirens Boutique Open House

World Cafe 20th Anniversary Tribute Concert with Ani DiFranco

Philadelphia Theatre Company’s Red with Haley Joel Osment

2011 TASTE Philadelphia Festival of Food, Wine, and Spirits (Fri, Sat, Sun)

Fall Philosophy Festival at Lantern Theater Company (Fri, Sat, Sun)

Story reading of The Greatest Pumpkin Ever and pumpkin painting at Woodmere’s Owl’s Eye Maze

High Fidelity at Arts Bank Theater (Fri, Sat)

Cyndi Lauper & Dr. John “From Memphis to Mardi Gras” at the Keswick Theatre

West Philly Produce Carrot Mob

Art After 5 at the Philadelphia Museum of Art

1812 Productions’ Mistakes Were Made

August: Osage County at the Arden Theatre

Saturday, October 22

Lang Lang Live Concert and Cinemacast Event With The Philadelphia Orchestra

Urban Topiary Community Celebration & Fundraiser **DesignPhiladelphia

“Streets Department Presents” at PhilaMOCA

The Count’s Halloween Spooktacular at Sesame Place (Sat, Sun)

Bugs … Outside the Box: Discover the Art Within Science at The Academy of Natural Sciences — Opening Day!

Honey Tasting at Milk and Honey Market with Urban Aparies

Murals and Meals with Le Bec Fin

Let Me Tell You About A Dream I Had at Philadelphia Art Alliance

here. at Pennsylvania Academy Of The Fine Arts — Opening Day!

Scaredy Cats 2: The Shriek-quel at Voyeur

Boo Bash Costume Party on the Moshulu

Whole Foods Market AppleFest

Drexel’s Asylum: Inside the Closed World of Stated Mental Hospitals

We See Dead People at the Penn Museum

Sunday, October 23

Phaberge Egg Hunt and Mural Arts Walking Tour **DesignPhiladelphia

Great Meatball Match-Up at the American Swedish Historical Museum

American National Rugby League 2013 Rugby League World Cup qualifier: USA vs Jamaica

2th Annual Peoplehood Parade and Festival

Zouk party at Rum Bar

Old City Windows 2011 — Closing Day! **DesignPhiladelphia

Morris Arboretum Presents Bloomfield Farm Day

Voyage of the Living Dead on the Battleship New Jersey

Aspects of Love at the Walnut Street Theatre — Closing Day!

Fighting for Democracy: Who is the “We” in “We the People”? at the National Constitution Center

Lantern Theater Company’s New Jerusalem

Terror Behind the Walls

17 Swedish Designers at the American Swedish Historical Museum

Mummies of the World at the Franklin Institute

Zaha Hadid: Form in Motion at the Perelman Building

Mixing Metaphors: The Aesthetic, the Social and the Political in African American Art

Rembrandt and the Face of Jesus at the Philadelphia Museum of Art

Rock Of Ages at the Merriam Theater — Closing Day!

Quilt Art: International Expressions at the Michener Museum

CSI: The Experience at The Franklin Institute

Fall Family Day at Laurel Hill Cemetery

Cinephiles will have their hands full for the next two weeks as the Philadelphia Film Festival celebrates its 20th anniversary with more than 150 films from around the globe.

Whether you want to get a sneak peek at the latest features starring A-list superstars or experience intimate works from local filmmakers, there are films for all tastes and preferences.

To help you navigate the next two-weeks, we’ve put together a few of our top picks, below:

Spotlight Screenings

• The Descendants: Closing out the festival is latest film from director Alexander Payne (Sideways) starring George Clooney as a man who uncovers life-altering secrets while his wife is on her deathbed.

• Anonymous: A captivating political thriller about a controversy surrounding the authorship of Shakespeare’s play directed by Roland Emmerich.

• The Artist: A suburb silent film in classic black-and-white that was the darling of the Cannes Film Festival with its reinvention of the timeless tale of an actor’s rise and fall during the gold age of Hollywood.

• Butter: An ensemble cast, including Jennifer Garner and Hugh Jackman, stars in this dark, politically incorrect satire that examines the hostile nature of competitive world of butter carving in a Midwest Town.

• Jeff, Who Lives at Home: Jason Segel stars in this sincere comedy about family, desting and finding one’s place in the universe from filmmaking brothers Jay and Mark Duplass (Cyrus).

• My Week With Marilyn: This biopic starring Michelle Williams takes a behind-the-curtain look at the relationship between Laurence Olivier and Marilyn Monroe.

• Shame: Winner of the Best Actor prize at the Venice Film Festival, Shame tells the story of a man who is forced to confront his own extreme sexual compulsions.

Local Flavor

• The Collector: An in-depth a look at the influential and complicated life of Dr. Albert Barnes, whose passion for art and education has left a lasting legacy on the region.

• Joe Frazier: When the Smoke Clears: Discover the struggles and accomplishments of Philadelphia’s most well-known, heavyweight boxing icon during this inspiring documentary.

• Race to the Bottom of the Earth: Follow Philadelphia-based explorer Todd Carmichaels on his attempt to be the first American to trek from Antarctica to the South Pole, alone.

• The Real Rocky: Get a glimpse into the life of former heavyweight boxer Chuck Wepner, whose experiences coincidentally mirrored those of fictional Philadelphia-icon Rocky Balboa.

20th Annual Philadelphia Film Festival
When: Through November 2
Where: Locations vary
Cost: Individual screenings start at $12
More info: www.filmadelphia.org

Highlighting how the experience of “place” saturates the work of 25 artists from six regions across the country, PAFA’s fall exhibition, appropriately named “here.,” seeks to redefine “regionalism” in contemporary art.

On view October 22 through December 31, the exhibition highlights the fact that “place” is not simply the geographical locality where we live, but also the subject matter of lived experience.

This theme runs through the artworks of the featured artists who hail from cities as diverse as Philadelphia, Detroit, Cincinnati and Phoenix. Together, their work opens a broader discussion about what regionalism can mean to American art and society in a global age.

Check out a full list list of featured artists here.

There’s an opening reception featuring light refreshments tonight, Friday, October 21, 6:30-8:30 p.m.; get advance tickets ($10) here.

here. at PAFA
When: October 22- December 31
Where: Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, 128 N. Broad Street
Cost: General admission $15, Seniors (60+) and Students $12, Groups of 6 or more $12
More info: www.pafa.org

Climb inside a Tyrannosaurus rex skull, try on horns and claws and dig for fossils, all for free on Wednesday, October 26.
(Photo by Will Klein courtesy ANSP)

The Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia (ANSP) and Drexel University will host Academy/Drexel Affiliation Day on Wednesday, October 26.

Free and fun for the public, the Open House day offers completely free museum admission and activities to celebrate the completion of an affiliation agreement between the Academy and Drexel. The historic affiliation promotes learning, discovery and civic engagement in the natural and environmental sciences.

Founded in 1812, ANSP is the oldest continually operating museum of its kind in the Western Hemisphere. Researchers worldwide utilize the museum’s more than 17 million specimens for biodiversity studies. ANSP and Drexel each have major international scientific research and education cred; together, they’re a powerhouse.

During Affiliation Day, kids can pose for pictures with “Mario” the Dragon and the Academy’s Triceratops mascot, make dinosaur and dragon puppets, meet scientists at a dozen activity tables, enjoy face painting and much more.

Check out the full list of activities here.

Academy/Drexel Affiliation Day
When: Wednesday, October 26, 10 a.m.-4:30 p.m.
Where: 1900 Benjamin Franklin Parkway
Cost: Free
More info: www.ansp.org

If you've never been to The Fountain, the Monday Night Chef Series is a great opportunity to sample its delectable cuisine. (Photo courtesy Four Seasons)

The Four Seasons Philadelphia’s Fountain Restaurant continues its popular Monday Night Chef Series this Monday, October 24 with the whole hog.

That is, the dinner is all about the pig. It’s called Porkology 101, and Executive Chef Rafael Gonzalez will serve up a versatile three-course menu influenced by his world travels and experiences working in restaurants around the globe.

The first course includes braised pork belly with compressed melon; house-made pate with a selection of mustards; classic clam chowder; red wine braised “BLT”; Frisée salad with poached egg and “Guanicale” and Spanish Croquettes with Romesco sauce.

Guests will also enjoy a choice of glazed cider duroc pork chop with Anson Mills grits and matsutake mushrooms OR seared candied cod with chorizo, Long Island cheese pumpkins and sherry vinaigrette. It’s as delicious as it sounds.

For dessert, enjoy Autumn Apple galette with brown butter and candied bacon ice cream.

For reservations, call (215) 963-1500.

Monday Night Chef Series Dinners at the Fountain: Porkology 101
When: Monday, October 24, 7 p.m.
Where: Four Seasons Philadelphia, 1 Logan Square
Cost: $60
More info: www.fourseasons.com

Previously: The Fountain At The Four Seasons To Host Three-Course Monday Night Staff Chef Dinners, Beginning September 12

It’s been a big month for public radio in Philadelphia. The World Cafe’s 20th anniversary has been a whirlwind of tribute concerts, exclusive on-air interviews and commemorative beer.

The celebration is coming to a close with an epic weekend concert series at the World Cafe Live, member-exclusive event with Amos Lee and some pretty fabulous swag.

Starting Friday, October 28, the weekend kicks off with a live performance by John Hiatt, The Indigo Girls and the Little Willies featuring Norah Jones, while Saturday, October 29 welcomes Feist & Dawes with a surprise guest.

The World Cafe’s anniversary month will culminate Sunday in the unveiling of a jukebox in XPN’s lobby containing the names of those that donated to Campaign for the Music.

As a premium gift to members, the World Cafe has also released a limited-edition double collectors grade 20 track vinyl album that comes complete with a digital version. The album is available to those that pledge to join WXPN and is also available for purchase at select retailers.

The extremely popular, nationally syndicated music and interview station WXPN World Café has been a staple for new music discovery by giving airtime to artists like Sheryl Crow, Coldplay and Mumford & Sons before they made it big. With more than 4,000 artist appearances, including legends like Paul McCartney, David Bowie, Joni Mitchell and more, the program is a premiere platform for contemporary music.

World Cafe 20th Anniversary Weekend
Where: World Café Live Philadelphia, 3025 Walnut Street
When: October 28-30 6 p.m.
Cost: $190 seated, $95 general admission
More info: www.xpn.org

Previously: World Café Is Celebrating Its 20th Anniversary Throughout October With Special Programs, Concerts, A Special Edition Local Beer And More

Bourdain and Ripert will share no-holds-barred fascinating and hysterical stories about their culinary experiences. Enter to win tickets below. (Photo courtesy Ticketmaster)

Master chefs Anthony Bourdain and Eric Ripert are opening up to share an evening of provocative storytelling about the truth behind the toques, November 2, 7:30 p.m. at the Merriam Theater, and we’re giving away a special prize package for you to make an amazing night out of it: one lucky uwishunu reader will win two tickets to show… AND a $100 Gift Card for dinner at 10 Arts by Eric Ripert at the Ritz Carlton Philadelphia.

At the show, you’ll get to sit in on their tell-all, and even ask them questions afterwards. Internationally acclaimed chef, author and host of Travel Channel’s No Reservations Anthony Bourdain will be joined by Eric Ripert, Bravo’s Top Chef judge and James Beard Award-winning chef of New York’s Le Bernardin and Philly’s own 10 Arts at the Ritz-Carlton.

The event is selling out all over the country, and tickets are being snatched up quickly for their Philly stop.

So we’re giving you the chance to win not just tickets to the show, but also a $100 gift card to 10 Arts so you can make an amazing night out of it.

All you have to do to win is enter below. The contest runs through Friday, October 28. Good luck!

Anthony Bourdain and Eric Ripert at the Kimmel Center
Where: Merriam Theater, 250 S. Broad Street
When: November 2, 7:30 p.m.
Cost: Tickets range from $45-55
More info: www.kimmelcenter.org

The contest period has ended. We will notify the winner soon.