April 29, 2025
Provided Image/J. Fusco for South Street Live!
South Street Live! is back Saturday with an abundance of family-friendly activities, including a Kentucky Derby watch party, Renaissance Faire, Maifest celebration and vinyl record market. The photo above is from the 2017 festival.
South Street Live! — the annual spring festival where people can dance around a maypole, join a skateboarding party and watch the Kentucky Derby — returns Saturday.
The free event, formerly known as the South Street Fest, combines nine smaller festivals into one day of family-friendly activities. Across nine blocks, there are markets, live performances, a Vinyl Block Party, a mini Renaissance Faire and food vendors.
South Street Live!, hosted by South Street Headhouse district and Da Vinci Art Alliance, runs from noon to 6 p.m. There are two entry points — the east entrance at 100 South St. and the west entrance at 800 South St.
Here's a block-by-block guide to the festivities:
Board game cafe Queen & Rook is hosting its Fantasy Renn Faire with swordplay and fire dancing performances, renaissance faire food and live-action roleplaying. Costumes are encouraged.
The pub Twisted Tail is putting on its Kentucky Derby celebration. The street party includes live music, lawn games, food and a big screen to watch the horse race, which begins at 6:57 p.m.
The Philadelphia Union also is hosting sports activities for kids.
This block houses the Cultural Hub – the event's main performance stage. Various organizations, including the Mutya Philippine, Modero and Three Aksha dance companies, plan to showcase their talents.
Artist Row – a market filled with creations from local artists – is the center of this block. There's also galleries like Eye's, at nearby 327 South St., which specializes in Latin American folk art. And nearby Queen Village Food Market, at 330 Bainbridge St., is selling piña coladas.
Vendors are selling art made from reusable materials at the festival's Sustainability Hub. Nocturnal Skate Shop, at 612 S. Fifth St., is holding a skateboarding party in the street, and Jim's Steaks, which reopened last year at 400 South St., is selling exclusive merchandise. Also, MilkBoy, at 401 South St., also has an outdoor performance stage.
Repo Records is hosting the South Street Vinyl Block Party. At more than 40 tables, dealers are selling LPs, 45s and CDs. Music is playing all day, and Tattooed Mom's, at 530 South St., is serving its Lemon Bourbon Smash in a juice pouches.
The comic book shop Atomic City, at 638 South St., and spooky home decor store DreamEerie, at 623 South St., are handing out free comic books and hosting an uncanny vendor market. There's also performances from live musicians and cosplayers.
Kampar, the Malaysian restaurant at 611 S. 7th St., is be serving Kacang, a shaved ice dessert.
The beer hall Brauhaus Schmitz, at 718 South St., is celebrating Maifest, the traditional German holiday acknowledging the arrival of spring. People can dance around a maypole to live music, get their face painted and wear flower crowns.
