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To do this week: The most Philly way to cool down in the August heat

But we have great events, and some sweets, to suck all the juice out of summer, from ice cream treats to drive-ins and more, plus some answers to reader questions.

K'Far's tehina ice cream sandwich, featuring the restaurant's signature tehina chocolate chip cookies and a tehina-almond based ice cream.
K'Far's tehina ice cream sandwich, featuring the restaurant's signature tehina chocolate chip cookies and a tehina-almond based ice cream.Read moreGRACE DICKINSON / Staff
    by Staff Reports
    Updated 
    Published 

The summer is — gasp — almost over. But we have great events, and some sweets, to suck all the juice out of summer, from ice cream treats to drive-ins and more, plus some answers to reader questions. Remember, we’ve got all the ways to save your summer at inqurier.com/summer.

Stay healthy, stay safe, and, as much as possible, it’s still a good idea to stay home.

— thingstodo@inquirer.com

Your questions, answered

  1. 💉 Should I get a flu shot this year? And how? by Stacey Burling

  2. 🛣️ Why do highway signs on the way to Philly only point people to NYC? by Grace Dickinson

  3. 📅 Is Columbus Day still a city holiday? by Grace Dickinson

  4. 🐀 If my apartment has bugs or mice, am I responsible or is my landlord? by Nick Vadala

  5. ⚖️ How can I fight a traffic ticket in Philly? by Timothy L. James

» Ask us a question through Curious Philly: inquirer.com/askus

Know This

There is new toilet etiquette in the time of the coronavirus. Nurse Sherri Becker has some tips on how to safely use the loo if you’re using a friend’s. The key: close the lid, which prevents, um, dispersing “aerosol droplets called a toilet plume.” And, “if you are a bathroom cell phone user, your phone also needs disinfecting. In other words, wipe it before you swipe it.”

💡Do you have tips and rituals you use to stay safe when you’re not at home? Share it with us and we’ll include it in next week’s newsletter.💡

Plan This

Here are some of the best ways to keep busy this week, a few selections from our weekly events calendar:

  1. 🎥 BlackStar Film Festival (Festival / Virtual and In-Person / Multi-day) Films by Black creators and about the Black experience star in the annual fest. While the program largely consists of virtual screenings, three films — Be Water, The Forty-Year-Old Version and Miss Juneteenth open at the Philly Drive-In at Fairmount Park’s Mann Center. ($5-$100, Aug. 20-26, blackstarfest.org, add to calendar)

  2. 🍺 Devil’s Den Pucker Up! Sour Fest (Tasting / Virtual / Beer) A virtual sour beer festival is a good way to kick off the weekend. The fest is led by beer expert Meredith Rebar; tickets include a six-pack of assorted sour brews, glassware, a bottle opener, a discount on food at Devil’s Den and access to the virtual event. ($40, Aug. 21, 7-10 p.m., eventbrite.com, add to calendar)

  3. 🚗 Lighthouse International Film Society’s Drive-In Double Feature (Movie / In-person / Day trip) This double-feature drive-in in a bustling LBI shore town is the epitome of summer. The first film, Team Marco offers a family-friendly experience, while the second film, Stage Mother, is for those without a bedtime. ($35 per car per film, Aug. 21, 7:35 p.m. and 10:15 p.m., Long Beach Island Foundation of the Arts and Sciences, map, add to calendar)

  4. 🇯🇵 Shofuso Japanese House and Garden’s Obon Festival (Festival / Virtual / Kid-friendly) Fairmount Park’s Japanese garden celebrates Obon, which honors the spirits of ancestors, with a virtual event featuring instructional dance videos, crafts, an online flea market and more. The evening ends with an Obon lantern ceremony, where glowing lanterns are set afloat on the garden’s pond, which you can join virtually. (Donations encouraged, Aug. 22, japanphilly.org, add to calendar)

  5. 🎤 First Person Arts’ Virtual StorySlam: Echoes (Performance / Virtual) Listen to talented storytellers tell true tales on the theme of “echoes”: the memories, good or bad, that they can’t get out of their minds during this strange year. Toss your name into the hat if you want to tell a story next time. ($5-$15, Aug. 25, 7:30 p.m., firstpersonarts.org, add to calendar)

  6. 🤣 Fools for Good: A Virtual Stand-up Comedy Benefit (Comedy / Virtual / Fundraiser) This is a local fundraiser with a twist: A slate of local comics each has 2 minutes: The first 30 seconds to roast the previous comic, then 90 seconds to perform their best material. At the end, the audience votes on the funniest, and the pot goes to a local charity of the comic’s choice. There are 17 comics on the bill, each competing for our biggest laughs. ($5 suggested donation, Aug. 26, 8-9:30 p.m., eventbrite.com, add to calendar)

» More great events at inquirer.com/calendar.

Eat This

The ice cream hoagie is real, my friends. But the seasonal treat, from Weckerly’s, is only one of the city’s freshest frozen treats. Grace Dickinson rounded up the must-eat cool-down treats which are both on-trend and perfectly Philly. Here are a few of them. (There are more mouthwatering examples in Grace’s full story.) Behold:

  1. Ice cream hoagies at Weckerly’s. An ice cream hoagie: It’s perhaps the most Philadelphia way to enjoy a scoop. Weckerly’s premiered the treat on National Ice Cream Sandwich Day (Aug. 2). It sold out within 20 minutes. A return is expected sometime during the last weekend in August, with preorders opening in the morning. This next version will be on a Philly Bread sweet potato roll, topped with two flavors of your choice. You choose the toppings, and a spread, too. Price: $10. Get it: Follow @Weckerlys on Instagram for hoagie drop dates; preorder online (weckerlys.com/store) for pickup at the shop, 9 W. Girard Ave.

  2. Vegan ice cream from Vannah Banana. Cinnamon Toast Crunch, Speculoos Cookie Butter, blueberry vanilla — they’re not your typical vegan ice cream flavors. And that’s exactly why Kianu Walker launched Vannah Banana in June. He wanted dairy-free ice cream that wasn’t boring. They all have a coconut milk, not banana, base. Price: $5; price may vary by location. Get it: Prepackaged (8 oz.) cups available at Nourish (650 South St.), Tattooed Mom (530 South St.), Queen & Rook Game Cafe (607 S. Second St.), Atiya Ola’s Spirit First Foods (310 S. 48th St.), Dreams (33 E. Glenside Ave., Glenside), and Vegan Commissary (1429 Wolf St.), and soon at Herman’s Coffee (1313 S. 3rd St.)

  3. Tehina ice cream sandwiches at K’Far. The sandwich starts with K’Far’s signature tehina chocolate chip cookies, baked slightly less than usual to create an extra fudgy exterior. Filled with chunks of dark chocolate and sprinkled with flakes of sea salt, they’re satisfying in themselves. But then comes the tehina ice cream. Naturally dairy-free, it’s made with 50% tehina and an almond milk base that’s flash-frozen by adding crushed dry ice. Price: $6. Get it: Preorder online for pickup Thursday through Sunday (kfarcafe.square.site); walk-in purchases are available Thursday through Sunday, 8 a.m. to 2 p.m.

» More tasty ice treats: Ice cream hoagies and other new frozen treats you have to try in Philly right now

Drive to this

Need another road trip? Nick Vadala has a new road trip to-do list, this time one where you can take kids and keep them entertained. The list has got stuff for any kid at any age, and, I have to say, some perfectly enjoyable treks even if you’re kidless. Nick’s got a dozen spots, near and far, worth the drive, including history, dinosaurs, helicopters, and an enchanted forest.

» Go further: Here are other excellent car trips worth taking right now.