🪕 Tune into Philly Folk Fest | Things to do

This weekend is serving up some of the best of late summer in our beloved city.

Settle into a laid-back evening at the Philadelphia Folk Festival, sample regional flavors at the Ice Cream Festival on Filbert, or embrace the brine with pickle-flavored cocktails at Pickle Palooza.

And that’s only a taste of what’s in store this weekend.

While I’m away at the 2026 National Association of Black Journalists Convention in Atlanta, you’ll attend some of the summer’s best music, food, and cultural festivals.

Here are some of the best things you could be doing this week:

— Earl Hopkins (@earlhopkins_, Email me at thingstodo@inquirer.com)

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The 63rd iteration of the Philadelphia Folk Festival returns this weekend at the Old Pool Farm.

This year’s lineup kicks off with three Philly bands with roots in the rock and roll spirit: Ben Arnold & the 48 Hour Orchestra, Roberta Faceplant, and Lazy Villains will be the campers-only openers on Thursday night.

On Friday, the Folk Fest will be an all-day event, with highlights that include bluesy guitarist Eddie 9V, bluegrass trio Damn Tall Buildings, country-folk duo Kieran Kane and Reyna Gellart, and more.

Saturday standouts include festival regular Tom Rush, Celtic roots group Runa, Terrance Simien & the Zydeco Experience, and John Flynn, who will also serve as main stage emcee throughout the fest.

To close out the fest, Sacred Steel with the Campbell Brothers will open in the morning. The Campbells will be on the Martin Stage later in the day, as well as York, Pa.-native Robbie Fulks and Gauthier. The final stage act is Kentucky mandolin and fiddler player Sam Bush.

Check out the full lineup and purchase tickets here.

⛳ Big swings in Ardmore: The 126th United States Amateur Championship is back at Merion Golf Club for the first time since 2005. The weeklong event features top-end male amateur golfers, including locals such as Nicholas Gross, Hunter Stetson, and Hank Kancher. Grab your tickets to see the competition take its course.

🎨 Celebrate Dominican arts and culture: Check out From Page To Screen at Esperanza Arts Center. The event is part of a three-part series that celebrates authors and filmmakers from the Dominican Republic. The evening will feature film screenings, artist conversations, local vendors, Merengue music, and dance lessons.

🍨 A scoop of local sweets: The annual Ice Cream Festival on Filbert is back at Reading Terminal Market. Participating ice creameries include regional favorites such as Milk Jawn, The Franklin Fountain, Scoop DeVille, Siddiq’s Water Ice, and others.

🥒 Relish in pickle heaven: Pull up to the Pickle Palooza at Neshaminy Creek Brewing. It’s kind of a big dill. (I couldn’t resist). Local vendors will be on-site selling pickles, and bartenders will be mixing dill-flavored cocktails.

📅 My calendar picks this week: Deviled Eggs & Rosé, Festival of India, and Philadelphia Taco Festival. Here’s our full list for the week.

There’s no room for “normal” at the Oddities & Curiosities Expo.

Starting Saturday, one of the world’s largest showcases of oddities is coming to Montgomery County.

The touring expo will set up shop at the Greater Philadelphia Expo Center. There will be a selection of artists and vendors selling clothes, taxidermy, and other items that lean into the bizarre.

There will also be sideshow performers outside of the venue throughout the two-day event.

Grab your tickets and embrace all things weird.

🎷 Funk and jazz in North Philly: The Jazz on the Ave Music Fest, hosted by radio legends Patty Jackson, Dyana Williams, and Mina Say What, returns for an evening of soothing performances by headliners Vertical Current, Kyng Musik, and Jessie Renee.

🥩 Luck up at Live! Casino: Restaurant Week returns to Live! Casino & Hotel through Aug. 20. Stop in for sizzling, seven-ounce steaks at The Prim Rib, Jet Tila’s pad thai at Luk Fu, and special dine-and-drink deals at the casino’s bars and lounges.

🍿 Grab your popcorn: Free Street Movies, presented by Scribe Video Center, is back with a touring outdoor theater experience for movie lovers throughout Philadelphia. The 29th edition of the film series is offering free, family-friendly screenings through Aug. 30.

🎨 The creatives behind Philly street art: Dig deep into the stories of legendary graffiti writers and street artists such as Darryl “Cornbread” McCray at Platform X in Suburban Station. The new art exhibit, “Evolution of the Revolution,” opens on Friday and runs through September.

Here’s pop music critic Dan DeLuca’s list of the best concerts this weekend.

Thursday: The Foo Fighters, smack in the middle of their yearlong “Take Cover” tour, is dropping into South Philly on Thursday. The Dave Grohl-led band will step onto Lincoln Financial Field with Queens of the Stone Age and Philadelphia’s own Mannequin Pussy.

Friday: Jazz trio Trash Gadget, comprised of Philly pianist and bandleader Orrin Evans, bassist Matthew Parrish, and drummer Byron Landham, are celebrating their new album and 30 years of collaboration with two shows at Chris’ Jazz Cafe.

Saturday: Louisville rapper Jack Harlow, who shifted from straight-up hip-hop to neo-soul on his latest album, Monica, will hit the Fillmore Philly stage on Saturday.

Sunday: Miami’s own Flo Rida, who scored several party anthems in the late 2000s, is bringing the South Florida heat to Citizens Bank Park. He performs after the Phillies play the Miami Marlins.

Check out Dan’s full concert list here.

The Philadelphia Folk Festival is one of the nation’s longest-running folk music festivals in the country. What year did it start?

A) 1962

B) 1964

C) 1967

D) 1961

Here’s the answer to last week’s question: Before filmmaker Maori Karmael Holmes founded BlackStar Film Festival, what other festival did she help develop in Philly? Answer: Black Lily Film & Music Festival

Many of you have questions about each week’s listings, and others about Philly’s arts, culture, and entertainment scene.

I have you covered. Have a question? Email me for a chance to have it answered in an upcoming newsletter.

That’s a wrap for this week’s edition of Things To Do. I may be signing out from Atlanta, but you know my heart and mind are forever home in Philly, baby. Enjoy the weekend ahead, and I’ll be back soon to hear about it. Peace!

— Earl Hopkins

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