October 31, 2011
From Linvilla Orchards' PumpkinLand to Eastern State Penitentiary's Terror Behind the Walls to a special Halloween-themed performance of Act II Playhouse's 'Irma Vep' tonight, there's something for everyone to celebrate the spookiest day of the year.
(Photo credits, clockwise from top left: courtesy Linvilla Orchards, Sesame Place, Eastern State Penitentiary and Laurel Hill Cemetery)
Happy Halloween, Philadelphia!
Check out our guide to where to celebrate today and tonight, if you didn’t get your tricking and treating out of your system this past weekend.
And don’t forget you can still enter our Terror Behind the Walls & London Grill giveaway, through Wednesday, November 2.
Halloween in Philadelphia Itinerary [Visit Philly]
October 31, 2011
“If ever there was a showcase for actors who have all the tools in the kit and then some, this is it,” says Harriet Power, director of Act II Playhouse’s latest offering, The Mystery of Irma Vep, which opened Friday night to a full house and a ton of laughs.
The outrageous play, by Charles Ludlam, is a two-man show that spoofs various genres from penny dreadfuls (British 19th-Century lurid serial stories that cost a penny) to Alfred Hitchcock to classic horror movies to Shakespeare to Poe.
Set in Mandercrest, Lord Edgar Hillcrest’s mansion on the moors, it is the first night home for his new bride, Lady Enid, who without ado notices something sinister about the Lord’s late wife, Irma Vep (“which is ‘vampire’ anagrammatized,” Lady Enid realizes).
The two men who make up the cast play a total of eight characters, including men and women, mummies and werewolves.
The hilarious and spooky show is a whirlwind of 20 costume changes. The seasoned actors skillfully handle an array of accents and challenging physical comedy, as well as play instruments, sing and do somersaults to boot.
The Mystery of Irma Vep runs through November 20, with a special Halloween performance tonight, October 31, at 7 p.m. While most theaters are dark on Monday nights, Act II is encouraging audience members to come out and dress in costume for this special Halloween performance. The cast will award prizes to the best costumes.
Tickets are available online.
The Mystery of Irma Vep
Where: Act II Playhouse, 56 East Butler Avenue, Ambler
When: Now through November 20
Cost: $27-$33, $12 for students
More info: www.act2.org
October 31, 2011
The Today Show was in town last week to film a segment at Eastern State Penitentiary with the crew from the the SyFy Channel’s popular show Ghost Hunters. The two-part segment aired over the weekend.
Lester Holt and crew first checked out the penitentiary in the daylight and then returned for a spooky after-hours tour of the cells decked out with proper ghost hunting equipment.
Were there any ghost sightings? Watch the clip below to find out.
Part two of the visit is embedded below.
Happy Halloween!
Today Show Visits Eastern State Penitentiary For Halloween [MSNBC]
October 28, 2011
Enjoy this fall weekend in Philadelphia, whether you're celebrating Halloween, cheering on the rowers at the Schuylkill regatta or simply delighting in the autumn foliage. (Photo by J. Smith for GPTMC)
Happy Halloween weekend! We have a thorough guide of all the spooktacular happenings from Friday through Monday nights.
Aside from holiday shenanigans, there’s lots to do starting now until it’s time to report to work on Monday. Film screenings galore, huge music headliners, gorgeous fall foliage and more.
Check out all our top picks, below:
Friday, October 28
World Cafe 20th Anniversary Weekend (Fri, Sat, Sun)
Costume Emergency! at NextFab Studio
Art After 5 at the Philadelphia Museum of Art: Halloween edition
“Invasion Of The Body Snatchers” Free Screening at Race Street Pier
Philadelphia Film Festival’s Being Elmo: A Puppeteer’s Journey at the Prince Music Theater
YSC of Greater Philadelphia’s “In Living Pink” fundraiser
“XO: Cognac and Beyond” at The Wine School of Philadelphia
20th Annual Philadelphia Film Festival (Fri, Sat, Sun)
Saturday, October 29
Thomas Eakins Head of the Schuylkill Regatta (Sat, Sun)
2011 Philly Bike Expo (Sat, Sun)
Chrysanthemum Festival at Longwood Gardens — Opening Day!
Chuck Palahniuk at the Free Library
South Street Headhouse District Pumpkinland
Psycho-A-Go-Go at The Trestle Inn: Halloween Event and Official Grand Opening
Our Class at the Wilma Theater
Philadelphia Theatre Company’s Red with Haley Joel Osment
Bugs … Outside the Box: Discover the Art Within Science at The Academy of Natural Sciences
Let Me Tell You About A Dream I Had at Philadelphia Art Alliance
here. at Pennsylvania Academy Of The Fine Arts
Drexel’s Asylum: Inside the Closed World of Stated Mental Hospitals — Closing Day!
Mixing Metaphors: The Aesthetic, the Social and the Political in African American Art
Sunday, October 30
MLS Playoffs Game 1: Philadelphia Union vs. Houston Dynamos
Franklin Square PumpkinFest **MOVED TO RAIN DATE, OCTOBER 30
Rembrandt and the Face of Jesus at the Philadelphia Museum of Art — Closing Day!
Human Evolution: The First 200 Million Years at the Penn Museum
Linvilla Orchards Pumpkinland Festival
1812 Productions’ Mistakes Were Made — Closing Day!
August: Osage County at the Arden 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
17 Swedish Designers at the American Swedish Historical Museum
October 27, 2011
Start your Halloween weekend off right with a free screening of the 1956 classic, Invasion of the Body Snatchers, outdoors at the gorgeous Race Street Pier.
The so-called Lawn Chair Drive-in is the longest running outdoor community film series in the United States. Established in 1994, the Lawn Chair Drive-In film series has earned a reputation of being a renowned fixture of the Philadelphia art scene and one of the few film series screen movies using 16mm film and projectors.
Guests are welcome to bring chairs, blankets and picnics but no glass will be permitted. And of course, you’re encouraged to bring a friend or two to the event; the film is a spooky one.
Check out our guide to Halloween weekend in Philadelphia for suggestions on other events and activities from Friday, October 28 through Monday, October 31.
“Invasion Of The Body Snatchers” Free Screening at Race Street Pier
When: Friday, October 28, 7-9 p.m. (Cancelled if raining)
Where: Race Street Pier, Columbus Boulevard at Race Street on the Delaware River
Cost: Free
More info: www.delawareriverwaterfrontcorp.com
October 27, 2011
Traveling salesmen, circus performers, immigrants, factory and rail workers, cab drivers and downtowners have come to the southeast corner of 11th and Callowhill to cut loose for years and years. (Photos by M. Edlow for GPTMC)
With a hundred years of history under its belt, Callowhill’s Trestle Inn has reopened under new ownership as a whiskey and go-go bar.
The bar boasts a dizzying variety of whiskeys and a classic cocktail menu that does them justice.
Trestle’s draft list is similarly impressive and features several hard-to-find-on-tap brews like Ommegang 3 Philosophers Quadrupel.
Sticking with the retro theme, their fare is re-imagined comfort food from scratch. Bar snacks include deviled eggs, pigs in a blanket, pickled pigs feet and bone marrow. The menu also features a variety of salads, hearty sandwiches and the king of all nostalgic sweets, a Jell-O mold dessert.
Their grand opening event this weekend, Saturday, October 29, is a Hitchcockian celebration and Halloween blow-out complete with 60’s-clad go-go dancers, drink specials, live music and a “Most Psychotic Costume Contest.”
The party goes until last call and promises to be a crazy-good time for anyone seeking something completely different this Hallow’s Eve. Check out our other Halloween weekend suggestions here.
Psycho-A-Go-Go at The Trestle Inn: Halloween Event and Official Grand Opening
Where: The Trestle Inn, 339 North 11th Street
When: Saturday, October 29, 8 p.m.
Cost: No cover, pay as you go
More info: www.thetrestleinn.com
October 25, 2011
It’s almost time for Halloween, and attractions around the city are hosting spooktacular celebrations from the epic Terror Behind the Walls to parties at restaurants and bars to kid-friendly festivals. (Photo courtesy Eastern State)
From the colonial streets still haunted by the ghosts of America’s Founding Fathers, to Eastern State Penitentiary’s award-winning fright fest Terror Behind The Walls, Philadelphia has more than its share of things that go bump in the night.
So to celebrate the most bone-chilling weekend of the year, we’ve selected our top picks for activities and festivities Friday through Monday, October 28-31.
First off, check out our Halloween roundup of haunted houses, frightening festivals, spooky shows and terrifying tours offered all season long; and reference Visit Philly’s Halloween itinerary for even more options.
As for Halloween weekend proper, our top picks for how to celebrate, below:
Restaurants and Bars
• “Heroween” Celebration at City Tap House: Saturday, October 29. Enjoy the ghoulish atmosphere of the City Tap House at the 1st annual Heroween event to benefit the Philadelphia Ronald McDonald House. Featuring DJ, dancing, raffles and a Halloween fashion show. There will be prizes for best costume, best team costume and highest fundraiser. A $10 donation will be collected at the door.
• Mischief and Martinis at Hotel Palomar: Friday, October 28, 8-11 p.m. The Young Friends of the Foundation for Breast and Prostate Health (FBPH) are hosting “Mischief and Martinis” from 8-11 p.m., where guests will enjoy cocktails, hors d’oeuvres and a silent auction. Tickets are $75 a person, with 100% of the proceeds going to the FBPH. An exclusive after party will follow at Tryst, downstairs at Le Bec-Fin.
• Halloween Thrills at Varga Bar: Saturday, October 29, 9 p.m. Think 80′s movie costume party, Flying Fish brewmaster Casey Hughes birthday bash, specials on Great Lakes beer and whiskey and DJ all night.
• 4th Annual Ghosts + Goblins Halloween Party at Manayunk Brewery: Saturday, October 29, 8 p.m. Tickets range from $8-$22.50 (with some proceeds going to P.A.W.S.) and costumes are encouraged. If you’re one of the best of the best, you’ll get the chance to be voted on by the crowd just after midnight to win one of three prizes valued in total over $1,000!
• Halloween, Tryst Le Bar Style: Monday, October 31, doors open at 5 p.m., contest begins at 9 p.m. Join Tryst, downstairs at Le Bec-Fin, for an elegant night of Halloween festivities, including all night drink specials and a Costume Contest, the winner of which will take home a $100 gift card.
• Hollywood Halloween Costume Bash at South Philly Bar & Grill: Friday, October 28. There will be a celebrity look-a-like contest, music and video by DJ Perry Angelozzi, plus great specials. $50 gift certificate goes to the 1st place male and 1st place female. Best costume wins an iPod shuffle!
Dozens more options, below.
October 25, 2011
Families visit Delaware County’s 300-acre Linvilla Orchards all year long to pick their own in-season fruits and vegetables. Around Halloween, Linvilla hosts Pumpkinland, a festival that includes hayrides, a jack o’ lantern exhibit, face painting, pony rides, costume parade and plenty of pumpkins. (Photo by R. Kennedy for GPTMC)
Now through November 6, Linvilla Orchards in Delaware County is hosting their annual Pumpkinland Harvest Festival.
Perfect for all ages, Pumpkinland has endless activities for children and a farm market with seasonal items for adults.
Every day, the festival has live music, straw bale and corn mazes, a costume shop, endless amounts of pumpkins, caramel apple stands and much more. Visitors can also purchase tickets for hayrides, train rides and pony rides.
Upcoming events at Pumpkinland include a jack-o-lantern exhibit designed and carved by Linvilla staff on view until October 30, all-you-can-carry pumpkins for $19.99 on October 30, and face painting all day until 5 p.m. on Halloween night.
Luckily, if you forget to pick up snacks for Halloween, the food market is open until 6 p.m. on Halloween as well.
Stop by Linvilla Orchards for a festive and wicked time for your entire family; and check out our coverage on other Halloween happenings here.
Linvilla Orchards Pumpkinland Festival
When: Now-November 6; Sunday-Thursday, 8 a.m.-8 p.m., Friday and Saturday, 8 a.m.-9 p.m.
Where: 137 W. Knowlton Road, Media
Cost: Pay as you go
More info: www.linvilla.com
October 21, 2011
Franklin Square is a kid's fantasy land throughout the year, but no more so than during the fall when mini golf turns spooky-themed, the grass lawn becomes a pumpkin patch and the leaves are gorgeous shades of crimson and gold. (Photo courtesy Franklin Square)
UPDATE: PumpkinFest moved to Sunday, October 30 due to predicted inclement weather.
The air is getting brisker, the leaves are changing colors and it’s time for PumpkinFest at Franklin Square.
Head out and enjoy the festivities next Saturday, October 29, as the beloved park plays host to Halloween in Historic Philadelphia.
The event’s got something for the entire family, including pumpkin and face painting, cupcake decorating, a costume parade, a magician, raffles, a trick-or-treat trail and food provided by Stephen Starr’s delicious burger joint SquareBurger.
Also on hand with will be some of Philadelphia’s very own local celebrities, like Eagles’ tackle Winston Justice, Kathy O’Connell of WXPN’s Kids Corner and, everyone’s favorite, the Phillie Phanatic.
You’ll also get a chance to enjoy some of what the 7.5-acre park has to offer year-round. Take unlimited rides on the Liberty Carousel, or take a swing at the Mini Golf course, which will be in rare, spooky form, specially for Halloween.
Because it’s never too late to dress up like a fool and eat candy, get your tickets now.
Franklin Square PumpkinFest
When: Saturday, October 29, Sunday, October 30, 3-6 p.m.
Where: Franklin Square, 6th & Race Streets
Cost: $25-40 per person, $125-$130 for a family of 4, Children under 2 free
More info: www.historicphiladelphia.org
October 21, 2011
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
