Enjoy Philadelphia over this long holiday weekend with our top picks for events this Memorial Day holiday. (Photos clockwise from left G. Widman for GPTMC; Longwood Gardens; NCAA; Philadelphia Museum of Art)

Whose ready for a lovely long weekend?

On account of the holiday weekend, we’re going to be heading out a little early today, but we wouldn’t leave without offering up our Memorial Day weekend edition of Weekend Picks.

This weekend brings a wealth of phenomenal festivals, events, exhibitions, performances and more to occupy you throughout the unofficial first weekend of summer.

From the start of the incredible Hidden City Festival to the NCAA Men’s Lacrosse Championships, there are blockbuster happenings fit for all.

So head out there and enjoy the city. We wish you a marvelous Memorial Day holiday!

Check out our top picks for Friday, Saturday, Sunday and Monday, below.
 

Friday, May 24

 
Top Pick: Hidden City Festival (Fri, Sat, Sun)

Top Pick: The Trestle Inn’s Friday Nite Backyard BBQ

Top Pick: The Amistad at the Independence Seaport Museum (Fri, Sat, Sun, Mon)

Venus in Fur at the Suzanne Roberts Theatre (Fri, Sat, Sun) — Opening Day!

Art After 5: An Evening of Fado at the Philadelphia Museum of Art

Hidden City Festival presents the Shivtei Yeshuron Ezras Israel Festival Opening Party

Bus Stop Boutique’s Jumble Sale

Ellsworth Kelly: Sculpture on the Wall at the Barnes Foundation (Fri, Sat, Sun, Mon)

Art Sanctuary’s Celebration of Black Writing (Fri, Sat, Sun, Mon)

Paranormal Friday at Fort Mifflin

All-American Weekend at Cavanaugh’s River Deck

Full Moon Cruise Aboard the Spirit of Philadelphia

The Art of Golf at the Philadelphia Museum of Art (Fri, Sat, Sun, Mon)

Fiat Lux Exhibition at the Print Center

Come See About Me at the African American Museum of Philadelphia (Fri, Sat, Sun)

Changing Scenes: Points of View in Contemporary Media Art at the Fabric Workshop and Museum (Fri, Sat, Sun)
 

Saturday, May 25

 
Top Pick: 2013 NCAA Men’s Lacrosse Championships (Sat, Sun, Mon)

Top Pick: Hidden City Festival 2013 Block Party

Top Pick: Fireworks and Fountains at Longwood Gardens

Top Pick: Our Top Picks for Memorial Day Celebrations

Morris Arboretum’s Garden Railway Opening Day

El Zol Fest at Penn’s Landing

Devon Horse Show and Country Fair — Opening Weekend! (Fri, Sat, Sun)

40th Street Summer Series Presents Brooklyn Qawwali Party

Philadelphia International Tango Festival (Fri, Sat, Sun, Mon)

A Little Night Music at the Arden Theatre (Fri, Sat, Sun)

PHAIR Open Air Market

Alfa Romeo Demonstration Day at Simeone Automotive Museum

Fit and Fun Family Festival at Camden Children’s Garden

Drawn To Dinosaurs at the Academy of Natural Sciences (Fri, Sat, Sun, Mon)

112th Annual Student Exhibition at PAFA (Fri, Sat, Sun)

Great and Mighty Things at the Philadelphia Museum of Art (Fri, Sat, Sun, Mon)
 

Sunday, May 26

 
Top Pick: Memorial Day Weekend at Chaddsford Winery (Fri, Sat, Sun, Mon)

Top Pick: Our Top Picks for Brunch in Philadelphia

Our Top Picks for Sunday Suppers

Memorial Day Parade, Service and Reception at Laurel Hill Cemetery

Three Potato Four Yard Sale (Sat, Sun)

Bootycandy at the Wilma Theater (Fri, Sat, Sun)

Penn Jersey Roller Derby Presents Derby-Q

Battle of the Bands at World Cafe Live

Beyond Swastika and Jim Crow: Jewish Refugee Scholars At Black Colleges at the National Museum of American Jewish History (Fri, Sat, Sun)

Heroes at St. Stephen’s Theater (Fri, Sat, Sun)

38th Annual Bucks County Designer House and Gardens Tour

Tugboats: The Art of Dave Boone at the Independence Seaport Museum (Fri, Sat, Sun, Mon)

Turning Points at the Mercer Museum (Fri, Sat, Sun, Mon)

CandyCoated Wonderland at the Philadelphia Museum of Arts (Fri, Sat, Sun, Mon)

Mighty Mike at the Adventure Aquarium

Memorial Day Weekend at Franklin Square
 

Monday, May 27 — Happy Memorial Day!

 
Top Pick: Our Top Picks for Memorial Day Celebrations

Top Pick: Philadelphia Museum of Art Remains Open for Memorial Day

Spy: The Secret World of Espionage at the Franklin Institute

Memorial Day Weekend Programming at the National Constitution Center (Fri, Sat, Sun, Mon)

Shake Shack Memorial Day Weekend Specials (Fri, Sat, Sun, Mon)

Museums across the city, state and country open their doors to active duty military personnel and their family for free from Memorial Day to Labor Day. (Photo by Will Klein courtesy ANSP)

More than 2,000 museums across the country take part in a celebration of the military men and women who protect our country. The Blue Star Museums program provides active duty military personnel and their families with free admission from Memorial Day, May 27, through Labor Day, September 2 at many museums right in our backyard.

Dozens of museums in the Greater Philadelphia Area open their doors and tip their hats to active duty military personnel and their family members all summer.

Take up the opportunity to visit The Barnes Foundation which just celebrated its first birthday. Other participating museums include the Please Touch Museum, the Academy of Natural Sciences and the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

The full list of participating museums (Philadelphia and beyond; it’s in all 50 states!) is available here.

The Blue Star Museum guidelines allow up to five family members in with an active duty military person. Family members include parents, siblings, a spouse, children, grandparents, aunts, uncles, etc.

Military personnel, just be sure to bring an accepted form of ID. The full list of accepted identification cards is available here.

Blue Star Museum Collaboration
When: May 27-September 2
Where: Participating locations
Cost: Free
More info: www.nea.gov

Calling all comic book and sci-fi fans! Comic Con Philadelphia comes to the Pennsylvania Convention Center May 30-June 2. (Image courtesy Wizard World)

Where can Philadelphians and visitors rub elbows with the likes of legendary comic book creator Stan Lee, Beverly Hills 90210’s Shannon Doherty, Star Trek’s William Shatner, The Exorcist’s Linda Blair and WWE superstar John Cena?

At Philadelphia Comic Con, of course!

From May 30 to June 2, Wizard World Comic Con comes to the City of Brotherly Love.

During this super-powered event, thousands of fans of all ages will descend upon the Pennsylvania Convention Center to celebrate the best in pop-fi, pop culture, movies, graphic novels, comics, toys, video gaming, television, sci-fi, gaming, original art, collectibles, contests and more.

This event will offer four days of powerhouse programming like sci-fi speed dating and basic costuming, plus celebrity meet-and-greets with members of the casts of sci-fi cult TV hits like Charmed, Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Smallville, The Incredible Hulk and The Walking Dead.

Anticipated world premiere screenings and live musical performances will round out the weekend’s action-packed schedule.

Wizard World Philadelphia Comic Con is open for business on Thursday, May 30, 3-8 p.m.; Friday, May 31, noon-7 p.m.; Saturday, June 1, 10 a.m.-7 p.m.; and Sunday, June 2, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.

Daily tickets are available online and range from $35-$55, depending on the day. Attendees can also opt to purchase a four-day pass for $85 ($95 at the door).

All full-price attendees will receive a free copy of the Exclusive Variant Cover of The Walking Dead #1 comic, available only at Wizard World Philadelphia Comic Con. VIP tickets for specific events are available for additional charges.

Wizard World Philadelphia Comic Con
When: Thursday, May 30, 3-8 p.m.; Friday, May 31, noon-7 p.m.; Saturday, June 1, 10 a.m.-7 p.m.; and Sunday, June 2, 10 a.m.-5 p.m.
Where: Pennsylvania Convention Center, 1101 Arch Street
Cost: Tickets start at $35
More info: www.wizardworld.com

Philly Beer Week invites brew lovers and novices alike to hundreds of events, and we're here to help you find some of the best. (Photos by G. Widman for GPTMC)

Are you ready to raise a pint? Philly Beer Week, the city’s annual ode to our favorite fermented beverage, starts a week from today, Friday, May 31.

Home to dozens of craft breweries and named “the best beer-drinking city in America” by Esquire magazine, Philadelphia reigns as a brilliant beer town year round.

Once a year, though, Philly Beer Week amplifies this city’s beer-fueled greatness.

With hundreds of events over the course of 10 days, it’s tough to know just where to take your first sip.

The events kick off on May 31 with the epic Opening Tap celebration and tasting, and continue from there with brewer events, tap takeovers, beer dinners, block parties, games and competitions, beer gardens and more.

Read on for a handful of not-to-miss highlights, but remember this is only a drop in the bucket. Visit the Beer Week website for a full calendar of events and check back with us for more as the festival gets underway.

Cheers!

• Hammer of Glory Relay: The iron-clad symbol of Beer Week — the Hammer of Glory — makes its way around the city, from bar to bar, transported by everything from dog-pulled carts to a parade of pin-up girls. Trail the hammer around town to such bars as Kite & Key, Brauhaus, Grey Lodge Pub, Johnny Brenda’s, Institute Bar and Standard Tap, or hop on the free double-decker (party) bus as a day-long spectator.

When: Friday, May 31; tour starts at 10 a.m., arrives at Opening Tap at 6:30 p.m.
Where: Throughout the city
Cost: Pay as you go

• Opening Tap: A huge tasting celebration at the Independence Visitor Center, the annual Beer Week commencement ceremonies get started outdoors with a free celebration headlined by Mayor Nutter, as he taps a keg with the Hammer of Glory. At 7:30 p.m., the doors open on the tasting celebration inside the Independence Visitor Center. More than 35 area brewers will be on hand to pour for a crowd of thousands. Look out for limited edition brews, including the Philly Beer Week collaboration beer brewed this year by Weyerbacher’s Chris Wilson and Brussels’ De La Senne brewery. Tickets are available online.

When: Friday, May 31, 6:30-10 p.m.
Where: Independence Visitor Center, 6th and Market streets
Cost: $45; VIP, $90

• Brewed in Philly: A History of Brewing from the Collections of the Free Library of Philadelphia: In its inaugural year as the Official Library of Beer Week, the Free Library presents an exhibition on local beer history featuring historic maps, documents and images from the Free Library’s collections.

When: May 31-June 9
Where: Free Library of Philadelphia, 1901 Vine Street
Cost: Free

• International Great Beer Expo: Head south to the second massive tasting during Beer Week. Taste test more than 100 beers from 50 brewers at the fifth annual International Great Beer Expo at the Navy Yards, with proceeds benefitting the Committee to Benefit the Children. Tickets are available online, with designated driver passes for $10.

When: Saturday, June 1, 1:30 p.m.
Where: Marine Parade Grounds, Naval Shipyard
Cost: $46: VIP, $75

• Varga Bar Pints and Pinups Block Party: Now in its fourth year, the Pints and Pinups Block Party takes over 10th Street at Spruce with a DJ, dunk tank, photo booth, games, barbecue and — of course — pints and pints of craft beer. And hey ladies, the block party also includes the bar’s annual search for its calendar girls!

When: Saturday, June 1, 11 a.m.-6 p.m.
Where: Varga Bar, 10th and Spruce streets
Cost: Pay as you go

• Craft Beer Day On East Passyunk Avenue: East Passyunk in South Philly gets into Philly Beer Week spirit with a full 15-hour day of craft-beer events. Try new eats, meet brewers and quench your thirst for craft beer. Eight East Passyunk bars host events all day, from beer brunch to home brew demos to happy hours.

When: Sunday, June 2, 11 a.m.-2 a.m.
Where: East Passyunk Avenue, between Mifflin and Moore streets
Cost: Pay as you go

• Philly Beer Week Garden: Head to the historic Shambles at Headhouse Square nightly June 3-7 for the Philly Beer Week Garden to enjoy special one-offs and rare brews alfresco, plus live tunes and food from South Street Headhouse District restaurants. The Garden will be open nightly June 3-7, and admission is free, with brews and bites on a pay-as-you-go basis.

When: June 3-7, 5-9 p.m.
Where: The Shambles at Headhouse Square, 2nd and Lombard streets
Cost: Pay as you go

• Philly’s Backyard Beer Garden: At the Four Seasons Hotel, kick back with Dock Street ales during the Backyard Beer Garden. Try the exclusive new summer Beer Four All Seasons collaboration, “Crackle & Squeeze,” a cracked pepper and Meyer lemon-laced Dock Street brew made just for the Four Seasons Philadelphia. A $25 entry fee to the beer garden allows for unlimited beer tastings in a commemorative cup, but snacks are pay as you go. Tickets are available online.

When: Thursday, June 6, 5-8 p.m.
Where: Four Seasons Hotel Philadelphia, One Logan Square
Cost: $25

• Dunkel Dare at Frankford Hall: Get ready, Double Dare fans. Come out to see host Marc Summers lead a raucous German-beer-knowledge challenge for the second year of Dunkel Dare at Frankford Hall. Four breweries face off, with Great Lakes Brewing Company returning to defend the title, competing against Victory, Stoudt’s and Yards. Plus, The Franklin Institute lends a hand in replicating the challenges from the original game show.

When: Wednesday, June 5, and Thursday, June 6, 7 p.m.
Where: Frankford Hall, 1210 Frankford Avenue
Cost: Pay as you go

• Fishtown Festivale: Johnny Brenda’s, Frankford Hall and Fette Sau team up to bring beer lovers the second annual Fishtown Festivale, an outdoor daylong beer carnival with DJs, a dunk tank, fine food, dessert from Little Baby’s Ice Cream and a heady mix of classic German lagers and full-flavored craft ales.

When: Saturday, June 8, noon-8 p.m.
Where: Frankford Avenue between Girard Avenue and Shackamaxon Street
Cost: Pay as you go

• Dock Street Free Music Fest: Finish out the 10-day beer bash with a final daylong music festival. The fifth annual Dock Street Free Music Fest draws crowds to West Philadelphia with free live music all afternoon, plenty of Dock Street brews, delicious pizza and outdoor games like canjam and ladder toss. The live music lineup includes On the Water, Post Sun Times, Norwegian Arms and more.

When: Sunday, June 9, 2-7 p.m.
Where: Dock Street http://www.dockstreetbeer.com/PBR.html
Cost: Pay as you go

The official Philly Beer Week guide has comprehensive info on the hundreds of events taking place throughout the festival.

Cheers to Philly beer!

Philly Beer Week 2013
When: May 31-June 9
Where: Locations throughout the city
Cost: Varies based on event
More info: www.phillybeerweek.org

Start your long weekend early with an alfresco dinner or happy hour, or with any one of the number of events slated for this evening. (Photo by D. Tavani for GPTMC)

The Memorial Day holiday is fast approaching, so start the long weekend early and head out tonight to enjoy dinner alfresco or a number of the events lined up for this evening.

Though storms may be in the forecast, cross your fingers and don a cocktail dress to fete the Mural Arts Program, or head out lovely Terrain at Styer’s for a twilight market and chef dinner.

Today also marks the first day of the phenomenal Hidden City Festival, so take the opportunity to digest all of the amazing events slated to take place throughout the next six weeks.

But for those who want to head indoors, plenty of festivities abound. Get tickets to see Arden Theatre’s A Little Night Music, or head to Old City for a artist talk.

Check out our top picks for tonight, below.

• Mural Arts Wall Ball and the 2013 Off-the-Wall Ball: Celebrate Philadelphia’s great murals at the annual Mural Arts Wall Ball, tonight at Vie on North Broad Street. While tickets are no longer available online, they will be available at the door. Mix and mingle with art-makers and art-enthusiasts and retired basketball star Julius “Dr. J” Erving, who is the subject of one of the city’s great murals. Enjoy live entertainment, an auction and more. The event honors numerous members of Philadelphia’s community who help make the Mural Arts Program possible. Or, if the price tag to the main event is beyond your reach, connect with mural arts-lovers at the 2013 Off-the-Wall Ball, held next door at Alla Spina. For a $40 ticket, guests will snack on Alla Spina’s tasty food and drink, meet special guest artists, Mural Arts staff and young friends while listening to the sounds of a guest DJ.

When: Thursday, May 23; Ball, 5:30-9:30 p.m.; Off-the-Wall, 8:30-11 p.m.
Where: Vie, 600 N. Broad Street; Alla Spina, 1410 Mt. Vernon Street
Cost: $200; $40

• Terrain Patio Party and Twilight Farmer’s Market: The Urban Outfitter Corporation’s latest shop, Terrain at Styer’s, hosts an outdoor extravaganza tonight in celebration of its all-new patio. The Patio Party and Twilight Farmer’s Market invites guests to enjoy alfresco shopping, live music, cocktails and farm-fresh food from any number of the local farms that are slated to be in attendance. More local vendors like Green Aisle Grocery and Paradocx Winery are also set to join the fun. Beginning at 7 p.m., a five-course tasting dinner featuring fresh and tasty ingredients is available for $60 (plus tax and gratuity per person). Reservations are required. Call 610-459-6036 to reserve your spot.

When: Thursday, May 23, 5:30-8:30 p.m.
Where: Terrain at Styer’s, 914 Baltimore Pike, Glen Mills
Cost: Pay as you go

• Hidden City Festival Opening Day: The six week long Hidden City Festival kicks off today in all of its oft-unseen architectural glory. Two events take the stage today, and dozens and dozens of events roll out in the upcoming weeks. The festival encompasses 10 projects at nine locations in neighborhoods all over the city. Events include everything from a giant knitting circle to impressive art installations.

When: May 23-June 30
Where: Various locations
Cost: $20-$70

• Guest Artist Lecture at the Clay Studio: The Clay Studio welcomes a new guest resident artist, Hong-Ling Wee tonight with a guest lecture and reception beginning at 6 p.m. Listen to Wee, an accomplished ceramicist whose work has been featured in publications and museums around the globe, share her insights at this lecture. Tonight’s event is free and open to the public.

When: Thursday, May 23, 6 p.m.
Where: The Clay Studio, 139 N. 2nd Street
Cost: Free

• A Little Night Music at the Arden Theatre: It’s the first night of the previews of A Little Night Music at the Arden Theatre. Stephen Sondheim’s classic show, which has entertained audiences since its original 1973 Broadway debut, centers around a far-from-ideal marriage, a trip to the countryside and the happenings that occur on the trip. With a musical score comprised solely of waltz music, tonight’s show is bound to be a melodic affair.

When: Thursday, May 23, 8 p.m.
Where: Arden Theatre, 40 N. 2nd Street
Cost: $15-$36

• Invasion: Diaries And Memories Of War In Iraq at Drexel University: Mere days before Memorial Day, Invasion: Diaries And Memories Of War In Iraq, arrives and leaves Drexel University’s URBN Center Lobby. Tonight is your last chance to catch the traveling exhibit curated by two men who had firsthand experiences with the Iraq War. The exhibit boasts multimedia artifacts like a video installation of a 2003 newscast about the Iraq War and photographs by Gary Knight, a photographer whose work has been featured in The New York Times, Newsweek and more. Firsthand accounts also fill the space; read pages from the war diary of Marine Lt. Timothy McLaughlin and accounts from journalist Peter Maass who traveled through Iraq.

When: Thursday, May 23
Where: Drexel University’s URBN Center Lobby, 35th and Market Streets
Cost: Free

See whose storytelling reigns supreme at First Person Arts' Grand Slam competition, Friday, May 31. (Image courtesy First Person Arts)

Gather ’round for a night of terrific tall tales.

The culmination of anecdotes and accounts told throughout the season, First Person Arts’ Grand Slam pits winners from First Person Arts’ monthly StorySlams against one another in a championship round.

Set for Friday, May 31 at Underground Arts in the Callowhill neighborhood, the event sees its competitors vying for the title of “Best Storyteller in Philadelphia.”

Drawing on significant personal experiences, knack for embellishment and dramatic timing know-how, storytellers will try to sway the judges with their most hilarious, tearjerking or hair-raising personal tales.

As with all StorySlam events, the Grand Slam revolves around a nightly theme — this year, the theme is “power,” which ought to illicit some seriously strong stories.

The evening is hosted by Martha Cooney and R. Eric Thomas, and the lineup includes Sean Carney, Steve Clark, Donald Deeley, Kitty Hailey, Megan Hicks, Nimisha Ladva, Mike Lobis, Andrew Panebianco, Hillary Rea, Katie Samson, and Anthony Scutti.

Rather than source the audience as judge and jury — as in the monthly StorySlams — three teams of judges will decide whose story beats all. The judges panel includes Dave Heller, Peter Crimmins, and Kimberly Haas from WHYY’s Newsworks; Jim Caiola and David Salama from Beau Monde Creperie/L’Etage; and WURD’s Stephanie Renee and Erica Atwood from the Mayor’s Office.

The Grand Slam will also kick off a new partnership between First Person Arts and WHYY’s Newsworks program, which will start a monthly feature on the upcoming First Person Arts Podcast series this summer.

Tickets for the final slam of the season are $20, and available online.

Note that the event sells out every year, so buy tickets in advance to witness this excellent display of spoken word.

First Person Arts’ Grand Slam
When: Friday, May 31, doors at 7 p.m., show at 8 p.m.
Where: Underground Arts at the Wolf Building, 1200 Callowhill Street
Cost: $20
More info: www.firstpersonarts.org

Family-friendly arts and crafts, exhibitions, festivals and activities are the subject of the summer at Art Splash at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. (Photo courtesy of the Philadelphia Museum of Art)

Come one, come all to the Philadelphia Museum of Art this summer for Art Splash, a variety of family-friendly events and exhibits.

The Perelman Building hosts children and adults alike for fun, art-centric programming from June 28 to September 2.

The events center around five exhibitions that are either currently on display, or will be very soon, at the PMA: CandyCoated Wonderland, a recent exhibit that features bright, child-sized costumes created by a local artist; Design for the Modern Child, an exhibit that showcases modern toys, furniture and more from all over the world; All Dressed Up: Fashions for Children and Their Families, a collection of child and adult clothing from the 18th century to the 20th century; Witness: The Art of Jerry Pinkney an exhibit that brings the work of celebrated children’s book illustrator, Jerry Pinkney to light; and Family Portrait, an exhibition about the various ways to photograph families and how it has changed over the years.

Tours of each exhibition and exhibition-related events occur daily.

Art Splash themes change each week, but many of the same type of activities (under a varied theme) occur with each week’s programming.

From 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Friday, June 28, Saturday, June 29 and Sunday, June 30, opening weekend celebrations abound under the theme Make A Splash. The Create, Play, and Explore All Day event entertains children of all ages. Children are invited to visit the Splash Studio to create artwork of their own, play in the Art in Action Zone and visit the exhibitions. The youngest of visitors are invited to take part in the Baby Bird Playdate on Friday, June 28 when the PMA hosts age-appropriate fun for babies and toddlers (and parents).

The Red, White and Glue series of events arrive just in time for the fourth of July. Create patriotic arts and crafts all week, and on Sunday, July 7, meet illustrator Jerry Pinkney, the subject of the Witness: The Art of Jerry Pinkney exhibit, as he reads and signs some of his acclaimed books. Pinkney joins the Art Splash festivities as part of one of three pay what you wish festivals. Take note, the PMA is closed on July 4, patriotic arts and crafts, stories and events surround the date.

From July 23-28, children are invited to explore a fourteen-foot-tall cardboard cubby house created specially for the Arts Splash event as part of the theme of the week; Forts and Crawly Spaces. The week’s hands-on project then encourages children to create their own fort and crawl space. Cool!

The full listing of events and themes is available here.

Stay tuned for more arts to make a splash this summer.

Art Splash at the Philadelphia Museum of Art
When: June 28-September 2
Where: The Perelman Building at the Philadelphia Museum of Art, 2525 Pennsylvania Avenue
Cost: $10 for adults, free for children under 12
More info: www.philamuseum.org

The American Philosophical Society Museum hosts a free evening event celebrating its marquee exhibit Through the Looking Lens, Thursday, June 6. (Image courtesy American Philosophical Society Museum)

In conjunction with its new exhibit, Through the Looking Lens: Cornelius Varley’s Wondrous Images of Art And Science, 1800-1860 which showcases the watercolors of Cornelius Varley, a British inventor and artist, the American Philosophical Society Museum hosts Look, Draw, Make: Exhibition Open House on Thursday, June 6.

From 5:30 to 7:30 p.m., guests are invited to a free and hands-on evening of fun, music, art and a tour of the exhibition.

Cornelius Varley used tools of his own creation to inspect items for an up-close view, and then paint gorgeous watercolors.

Guests are encouraged to get in touch with their inner Varley as they watch 3D printing demos and view interactive projects from modern-day inventors, and visit The Drawing Room as it’s unveiled for the first time.

The Drawing Room is part of the Through The Looking Lens exhibit, and brings guests back in time to a typical drawing room of 19th century England where families and friends gathered to learn. The Drawing Room boasts interactive displays and hands-on activities.

Also enjoy music, food and wine on the night of the event.

Guided tours of the exhibition will be available at 5:45 and 6:45 p.m.

Reservations are required, secure your spot by Monday, May 27 by emailing museum@amphilsoc.org.

Look, Draw, Make: Exhibition Open House at the American Philosophical Society Museum
When: Thursday, June 6, 5:30-7:30 p.m.
Where: 104 S. 5th Street
Cost: Free
More info: www.apsmuseum.org

Celebrate the start of the Hidden City Festival with a block party this Saturday, May 25, at the Goldtex Building. (Image courtesy Hidden City)

The incredible Hidden City Festival officially gets underway today and runs through June 30, with 10 visionary projects exhibited at nine remarkable locations in a wide array of neighborhoods including Germantown, Frankford, South Philadelphia and University City.

This Saturday, May 25, mark the start of the fest with a formidable fete: the Hidden City Festival 2013 Block Party underneath the Reading Viaduct at the Goldtex Building in the Callowhill neighborhood.

Come out for the party on Saturday night, 7-11 p.m., to get down with entertainment from Hank & Cupcakes, City Rain, DJ Adrian Hardy, DJ Lina Luv and the New Sound Brass Band.

Stay fueled for what’s sure to be a dance party with eats from food trucks including The Dapper Dog, Spot Burgers, Kami, Hot Tea and Little Baby’s Ice Cream. Craft beer will be sold on-site, too, to keep the party going.

Want more information about the six-week festival? For a comprehensive primer on the sites and projects, check out our guide.

Tickets to the block party are $10 in advanced and $15 at the door, and are available online.

Hidden City Festival 2013 Block Party
When: Saturday, May 25, 7-11 p.m.
Where: Goldtex Building, 315 N. 12th Street
Cost: $10 in advance; $15 at the door
More info: www.hiddencityphila.org

Philadelphia Theatre Company's production of the hit play Venus in Fur opens this Friday, May 24. (Image courtesy Philadelphia Theatre Company)

With the Philadelphia Theatre Company season closer Venus in Fur, you’ll finally have the chance to fulfill every first-date-meets-job-interview fantasy you’ve ever had, by turning those pre-jitters into post-jubilation.

David Ives’ two-person comedy hit Broadway in 2011 and is set to draw you in here in Philadelphia with biting wit and provocative subject matters: masochism and power.

At the Suzanne Roberts Theatre, actors Jenni Putney and Mark Alhadeff (who was the Broadway understudy for the male lead) play out the cat-and-mouse game on stage.

Enter (stage right, naturally) fledgling actress Vanda — full of neediness, desperation and other acting pitfalls — who auditions for the lead role in a play adapted from an erotic novel.

She is the embodiment of the director Thomas’ worst nightmare until real-life events take a novel twist and seduction and domination become the name of the game.

Strap yourself in for a night of electric emotion.

Tickets to the Tony Award-nominated play are available online.

Venus in Fur
When: May 24-June 23
Where: Suzanne Roberts Theatre, 480 S. Broad Street
Cost: $46
More info: www.philadelphiatheatrecompany.org

The Hidden City Festival exposes nine oft-forgotten sites in Philadelphia with incredible art installations, performances and events over the next six weeks. (Photo at bottom left by Joseph E.B. Elliott; all others by Peter Woodall)

Starting tomorrow, let the Hidden City Festival be your guide on a treasure hunt to discover incredible site-specific art installations within nine of Philadelphia’s oft-forgotten architectural gems.

Running for the next six weeks, May 23-June 30, 10 projects by visionary artists will be exhibited at nine locations in a wide array of neighborhoods including Center City, Germantown, Frankford, South Philadelphia and University City.

The ambitious, multifaceted festival — now in its second turn after a successful 2009 event — exemplifies a flourishing new breed of art, “social practice art,” which pushes the creative scope beyond painting, sculpting or installing in favor of creating mindful exhibitions, spurring social initiatives and sponsoring forward-thinking dialogues.

Each of the nine festival sites not only spotlight under-appreciated destinations, but also activate the spaces with progressive artists and curious audiences. That mix is intended to spark visitor interaction.

So be prepared — better yet, get excited! — to participate in thought-provoking dialogue, join a knitting circle or have a spot of tea while taking in the awe-inspiring sights at each of the nine locations.

Let your curiosity get the better of you and venture out to take part in this incredible and innovative event.

Read on for our guide, organized by city region, to the nine sites, tickets and events of the Hidden City Festival. For even more information and event times, check out the complete festival calendar online.

Tickets and Donations

 
Festival passes are available online, and ticketing options include a single-day pass for $20, a weekend pass for $40 or an all-festival pass for $70.

Hidden City members receive a 25-percent discount off of festivals passes, discounts on all Hidden City tours and invitations to members-only Hidden City happenings and events. Memberships start at just $25 a year. To become a member, register here.

To support a project individually, funding and financial donations for this year’s festival are being crowdsourced via Hidden City’s website. Check out the projects support status online, and give back if you’d like to make a contribution.

Inspired to get involved and go behind the scenes? The festival still needs volunteers to help with ticketing, ushering and prepping at sites. Learn more here.

What To Know Before You Go

 
All festival sites require a festival pass (see ticketing info above) and are open May 23 through June 30, Thursday to Sunday, noon to 7 p.m.

The Hidden City Festival sites are located in neighborhoods throughout the city, and all are accessible by public transit with the exception of Fort Mifflin.

As many of the sites are intentionally well off the beaten path, though, we recommend mapping out your destination before you go. An interactive map of the nine festival sites is available here.

In West Philadelphia

 
• Hawthorne Hall: Known for installations of epic scale, Rabid Hands Art Collective is well practiced at taking over abandoned spaces and installing widely varying, site-specific performance and visual works.

In Society Of Pythagoras, the collective overtakes a deserted clubhouse and theater in the Powelton neighborhood of West Philadelphia and invites audiences inside to join a secret society. After pledging an oath, expect an immersive experience with interactive sounds, sights and performances.

In Fairmount and Old City

 
• Kelly Natatorium: Adjacent to the Fairmount Water Works Interpretive Center, artist collective Camp Little Hope has constructed Bibotorium in the Kelly Natatorium, a cavernous space that once housed an aquarium and a public swimming pool, but has long been closed to the public.

Visitors will be welcomed into an educational saloon, wherein the five-person collective has created a research-based installation of three water-filtering boats examining three possible futures for water usage in Philadelphia. Throughout the festival, the installation will evolve and festival goers are invited to discuss their visions over Third World-inspired tea service.

• John Grass Wood Turning Company: In Wood Shop, visitors will enjoy a firsthand view of art-making and explore Philadelphia’s history as a center of manufacturing at the John Grass Wood Turning Company in Old City, which was founded in 1863 and closed in 2003.

See handcrafted woodworking created throughout the company’s 160-year history, found lathe-turned products transformed by artist Joe McTeague and a mobile pop-up modern wood-turning operation run by artisans from The Center For Art In Wood. Docent-led tours depart from the site on Friday and Saturday afternoons throughout the festival.

• Athenaeum of Philadelphia: Inspired by the incredible literary collection of the Athenaeum of Philadelphia — and specifically a single tome analyzing the paint colors of the Edgar Allan Poe house, but containing no images — artist Ruth Scott Blackson presents Through The Pale Door.

For her project, Scott Blackson is creating three complementary books in response to the 1984 Poe paint analysis, each book referencing a different room in the Poe house. Based in literary research of Poe’s works, Scott Blackson aims to recreate the colors described in the source book and hopes to introduce a new element to the canon of works on Edgar Allan Poe.

In addition to an open house and artist presentation on June 13 at 5:30 p.m., Philadelphia-based Poe authority and writer Edward G. Pettit is set to speak on May 30 at 5:30 p.m. and literary and public historian Hilary Iris Lowe will speak on June 6 at 5:30 p.m.

For more on the Hidden City Festival in South and North Philadelphia, see below.

In South Philadelphia and Beyond

 
• Shivtei Yeshuron-Ezras Israel: Within a 100-year-old storefront synagogue, two festival projects take shape. In ADMK Knit Lab, textile designer Andrew Dahlgren invites visitors to join him in remembering early Jewish immigrant textile workers by lending a hand in the knitting of a gigantic sweater.

Throughout the festival, Dahlgren will host at Knit Lab on Thursday, Friday and Sunday from 1 to 6 p.m. Stop in to try your hand at operating the artist’s contemporary knitting machinery, then look out for the finished sweater to yarn-bomb the synagogue during the final week of the festival.

In addition to the visual arts project, Philadelphia’s nonprofit jazz and experimental music presenters Ars Nova Workshop host Radical Jewish Music: A Concert Series and associated programming at the synagogue.

The music, part of John Zorn’s Masada Book Two-The Book of Angels commemorates Zorn’s 60th birthday and features the ensemble work of Mycale and Abraxas, and solo cellist Erik Friedlander. In addition to the concerts, return for a lecture on oral history, Sunday, May 26 at 10 a.m. and the documentary Punk Jews on June 20 at 7 p.m.

• Fort Mifflin: South of Center City, near the Philadelphia International Airport, local artists Ben Neiditz and Zach Webber have created Ruins at High Battery, a pop-up settlement on the Delaware River at a historic Revolutionary War site.

Crafted from scavenged and salvaged materials, the installation of makeshift structures intends to call to mind the shacks, shantytowns and informal settlements that have populated the riverfront since the 18th century, and also to take a look towards impromptu housing of the future.

Meet the artists and help gather driftwood and washed-up materials during the project’s open houses, slated for Sundays, 2-4 p.m. through June 16. On June 8, meet in Rittenhouse Square at 11 a.m. to join in a 10-mile bike ride to the site. Finally, at 2 p.m. on May 26 and June 16, trek through the marshlands surrounding the installation with botanical arts team We The Weeds.

In Germantown and North Philadelphia

 
• Germantown Town Hall: In northwest Philadelphia, Germantown Town Hall transforms into Germantown City Hall under the eye of Oakland-based artist Jacob Wick in partnership with Germantown collaborative the Think Tank that has yet to be named. Vacant since 1997, Germantown Town Hall never actually served as a town hall for Germantown, but will now welcome the public to the space with a performance and meeting area, a reading room/lending library and an office/copy center.

Wick and the Think Tank that has yet to be named will be in residency in Germantown for the duration of the festival, presenting programming and engaging in research on the community’s sense of identity, its infrastructure and its hopes for the future.

In addition to its daily hours, on-site events already on the calendar include a weekly City Hall Meeting on an Independent Germantown, Saturdays at 3 p.m., and an Independent Germantown flagmaking workshop, which is available any time during the run of the festival on a drop-in basis.

• Frankford Historical Society: Record label, events producer and online journal Data Garden set up shop in the basement museum and performance space of the Frankford Historical Society for A/V Archaeology, a project that is both art installation and performance.

Creating an A/V archive, Data Garden employs modern and outdated audio tech to produce a wired sound installation that will allow the public to “play” and mix the sound of the historic museum and its artifacts.

Musical performances are set for May 31, when Heritage Electronics performs on early electronic instruments. Then, on June 15, see Contemporary Archives make music from media in digital archives.

• Globe Dye Works: In a former yarn-dying factory in North Philadelphia, renowned visual artists the Dufala Brothers (Steven and Billy Blaise Dufala) have created an installation dubbed Oil & Water, which examines the historic use of factory space and the trajectory of industrial infrastructure.

The artists employ the existing bones of the crumbling industrial space, and re-imagine the space to build what might have been with faux ductwork and other industrial components.

At 1 p.m. on opening day, Thursday, May 23 and on June 30, the artists will be on hand to offer an overview of the project, give away project secrets and answer any burning questions.

Stay tuned for more Hidden City Festival secrets to be revealed as the festival continues.

Hidden City Festival 2013
When: May 23-June 30
Where: Various locations
Cost: $20-$70
More info: www.hiddencityphila.org

The Baltimore Avenue Dollar Stroll welcomes more $1 vendors than ever at its June event, Thursday, June 13. (Photo by J. Fusco for GPTMC)

University City District’s highly anticipated Baltimore Avenue Dollar Stroll makes a grand return this summer with more vendors than ever before.

This year, a whopping 35 businesses are set to offer dollar food, drinks and other goodies.

West Philadelphia favorites like Dock Street Brewery, Milk and Honey Market, Mariposa Food Co-op, The Gold Standard Cafe and newcomer Little Baby’s Ice Cream will all be on hand to suppply attendees with super deals.

Get excited, seven-ounce beers from Dock Street Brewery will be available for a mere 100 pennies!

Stroll the avenue to find a cluster of food trucks offering dollar deals, too. Jimmies Cupcake Company, Lil Dan’s Food Truck, Sunflower Truck Stop and Sweet Box Cupcakes are slated to take part in the frugal festivities.

Entertainment abounds at the dollar stroll. Live music, fire artists and other street performers will fill the avenue as well.

The festivities don’t end there, though, as Clark Park hosts its weekly Farmers Market from 3 to 7 p.m. filled with farm-fresh food and food trucks.

The first Baltimore Avenue Dollar Stroll is on Thursday, June 13 from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. With a second stroll scheduled for September 12.

Baltimore Avenue Dollar Stroll
When: Thursday, June 13, 5:30-8:30 p.m.
Where: Between 42nd and 50th Streets on Baltimore Avenue
Cost: Pay as you go
More info: www.universitycity.org