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The best things to do in Philly this weekend and next week

Plus film festival, night tours of the Magic Gardens, and more

The Center City District opens its ice rink this weekend, with enhanced safety features including masking requirements and social distancing measures.
The Center City District opens its ice rink this weekend, with enhanced safety features including masking requirements and social distancing measures.Read moreImages courtesy of Center City District

📅 This calendar is updated every Thursday at noon with the best events for the week. You can always find it at inquirer.com/calendar

FRIDAY (NOV. 6)

⛸️ Opening of the Ice Rink at Dilworth Park (Fall event / in-person / outdoors / kid-friendly / ongoing) The holiday season launches at Dilworth Park with the return of its popular ice skating rink, which, in addition to skating, has super Instagrammable views of Center City and City Hall. This year, the winter park’s food-and-drink cabin becomes an open-air restaurant with a range of food and cocktails, with winter decor and toasty heat lamps. Masks, social distancing and timed tickets required. ($5-14 for skating; $10 for skate rental, Nov. 6-Feb. 28, centercityphila.org, map, add to calendar)

🎨 The Gardens After Dark at Philadelphia’s Magic Gardens (Museum / in-person / kid-friendly) On Friday nights through November 20, Philly’s Magic Gardens keeps its doors open a little later for after-hours tours of the outdoor mosaic garden and the indoor galleries. ($13-$20, Nov. 6, 13 and 20, 6-9 p.m., phillymagicgardens.org, map, add to calendar)

🎨 Philadelphia Museum of Art Contemporary Craft Show (Fall event / virtual / art) More than 150 artists showcase their work virtually at the art museum’s online craft show. Returning for its 44th year, the show lets you shop for furniture, metalwork, jewelry, fiber, wood and more, while raising funds for the gallery. ($10 suggested donation, Nov. 6-8, pmacraftshow.org, add to calendar)

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🌙 First Friday at Cherry Street Pier (Fall event / in-person / art) The expansive Cherry Street Pier hosts a first Friday party with artist studio tours, a market with items from a range of artists and the opening of After the Fall, a multimedia exhibition that explores the theme of loss and trauma. (Free, Nov. 6, 5-9 p.m., cherrystreetpier.com, map, add to calendar)

🎤 GZA, Liquid Swords 25th Anniversary Show (Music / virtual) In 1995, Wu-Tang Clan rapper Gary Grice, also known as GZA or “The Genius,” released Liquid Swords, the RZA-produced album that liberally samples from the martial arts movie Shogun Assassin and is considered by many to be the greatest Wu-Tang solo effort. He’ll celebrate with a live stream performance, backed by a full band, from the New York club Le Poisson Rouge. ($16, Nov. 6, 9 p.m., lpr.tv, add to calendar)

SATURDAY (NOV. 7)

🇲🇽 Fleisher Art Memorial Presents Día de los Muertos Procession (Fall event / virtual / outdoors) After a rain postponement last week, Fleisher moves its Día de los Muertos procession broadcast to this weekend. This year’s procession visits four community altars throughout the city and solemnly honors those we lost to COVID-19 and other causes Experience the sights and sounds of the annual holiday celebration over Facebook Live. (Free, Nov. 7, 3 p.m., fleisher.org, add to calendar)

🧘🏿 Spirits Up! Black Wellness Festival (Festival / virtual / multi-day) For three weekends this month, Spirits Up!, a local organization dedicated to Black liberation and healing, presents a virtual Black wellness festival featuring Black and indigenous music, poetry and art, along with online meditation and yoga classes. ($15-$75 Nov. 7-8, 13-15, 20-22, spiritsup.life, add to calendar)

🎥 Gershman Philadelphia Jewish Film Festival (Film / virtual / multi-day) The film fest celebrates its 40th anniversary with a full slate of independent films, some fresh off of the festival circuit. This year’s all-virtual lineup includes bold new Jewish cinema, along with virtual happy hours, filmmaker spotlights, panels, and more. ($15 for a ticket; $180 for a 1-week pass, Nov. 7-21, pjff.org, add to calendar)

🎵 Patty Griffin (Music / virtual) Austin, Texas country-folk songwriter par excellence was last heard from on her self-titled 2019 album, full of luminous songs that shine with hard-earned faith and draw on blues, gospel and rock. Starting this weekend, she’s doing a series of three shows at Austin’s Continental Club to benefit indie venues across the country, (and again on Nov. 21 and Dec. 5). ($25, Nov. 7, 7 p.m., eventbrite.com, add to calendar)

SUNDAY (NOV. 8)

🇺🇸 Philadelphia Veterans Parade (Parade / virtual / kid-friendly / free) Commemorate veterans with a virtual parade and festival, including pre-taped performances by military bands and local VFWs, a paratrooper landing on Independence Mall, surprise visits from Philly sports teams and more. The parade will be streamed on Facebook Live via the Philadelphia Veterans Parade’s Facebook page and broadcasted on 6abc Action News. (Free, Nov. 8, 12:15 p.m, Philadelphia Veterans Parade, add to calendar)

MONDAY (NOV. 9)

🎶 Emmylou Harris & Friends (Music / virtual / multi-day) Back in September 2019, Emmylou Harris was the first ever headlining act at Philly’s City Winery, playing a benefit for Bonaparte’s Retreat, her Nashville-based dog shelter named after a beloved deceased pet. Next week, the great country harmony singer puts on two shows for the same cause from City Winery’s Nashville outpost, with her band the Red Dirt Boys and special guests. ($15, Nov. 9-10, 8 p.m., citywinery.com, add to calendar)

» READ MORE: Keep your kids busy this week with our kids calendar

WEDNESDAY (NOV. 11)

🎼 The National Museum of American Jewish History Presents Virtual Booktalk: Whiteness and the Broadway Musical (Discussion / virtual) The museum presents an online discussion about how Broadway musicals are shaped by ideas around race and what they say about white supremacy, in partnership with the Free Library of Philadelphia and Temple University’s Feinstein Center for American Jewish History. ($5 suggested donation, Nov. 11, 7 p.m., nmajh.org, add to calendar)

THURSDAY (NOV. 12)

🎶 Annenberg Center Presents Veronica Swift (Performance / virtual / jazz) Jazz singer Swift makes her Annenberg Center debut via a live streamed, Thursday night concert promising upbeat rhythms and soulful melodies. ($25, Nov. 12, 7 p.m., annenbergcenter.org, add to calendar)

🎥 Philadelphia Asian American Film Festival (Festival / virtual / multi-day) The all-virtual film festival showcases more than 80 films through November 15. Screenings include documentaries like The Donut King, about Cambodian immigrant and donut entrepreneur Ted Ngoy, and a series of shorts about determination. Beyond films, the multi-day fest promises panels, performances and more. ($10+ per film, $35-$90 for a festival pass, through Nov. 15, paaff.org, add to calendar)

👨‍🎤 Paul Weller (Music / virtual) The former leader of mod punks The Jam and easy listening smoothies Style Council has gone on to a fruitful decades-long career as a British rock gentleman. His “Mid-Sommar Musik” special will include songs from his 2020 album On Sunset, plus new unreleased tunes. ($15, Nov. 12, 3 p.m., universe.com, add to calendar)

ONGOING

🌙 Night Tours at Eastern State Penitentiary (Tour / in-person / ongoing) Arriving in time for the spookiest season of them all is the penitentiary’s brand-new Night Tours, where you can explore the cell blocks by moonlight. The audio tour is narrated by Steve Buscemi, and features large-scale projections, artist installations and more. ($19-32, through Nov. 15, easternstate.org, map, add to calendar)

🇵🇷 Raúl Romero: Onomonopoetics of a Puerto Rican Landscape (Art / in-person / ongoing) Taller Puertorriqueño presents an immersive exhibit that transports viewers to Puerto Rico through sound. Sounds of the island’s tiny coquí frog can be heard throughout Fairhill’s El Centro de Oro, emanating from sculptures that celebrate Arecibo’s famous observatory. (Free, through Jan. 10, tallerpr.org, add to calendar)

Calendar contributors include music critic Dan DeLuca (music), Howard Gensler (movies), and Jane M. Von Bergen (theater).