September 26, 2024
Provided image/Kelly Burkhardt
The Fishtown Fall Feastivale will include carnival games like ring toss and a dunk tank. It returns Saturday to Frankford Avenue.
Philadelphia is boasting big carnival vibes during the last weekend of September.
Classic games like whack-a-mole and dunk tanks are coming to the city through two Saturday events: the Fishtown Feastivale and Philly AIDS Thrift's anniversary party. The (medieval) carnie spirit is also alive at Queen & Rook, which is hosting a Ren Faire-inspired anniversary celebration of its own further up South Street.
Barkers won't be found at Delaware River Festival, but visitors can claim pedal boats or free ferry rides for the occasion. A new exhibit on "ice dinosaurs" — not to be mistaken with frozen dino nuggets — also opens at the Academy of Natural Sciences.
The carnival is coming to town, and it's bringing some Oktoberfest flavor with it. The annual Fishtown Feastivale opens Saturday from noon to 8 p.m. on Frankford Avenue. As always, there will be beer, but there will also be food and a carnival game zone featuring ring toss, whack-a-mole and a dunk tank with "Fishtown celebs." A German folk band will also honor the city's ongoing Oktoberfest celebrations.
The asteroid didn't just wipe out the T. rex. It also affected the Troodons, a lesser-known group of dinosaurs that lived in the Arctic Circle millions of years ago. They are the subject of the latest exhibit at the Academy of Natural Sciences. "Ice Dinosaurs," opening Saturday, features not just fossils but a dozen animatronic dinos to give families a sense of the real species. Kids will learn how the small, feathered Troodons hibernated and survived in total darkness. They can also pet a baby dinosaur. Tickets to the exhibit are included with general admission.
Nature lovers can learn about one of Philadelphia's major waterways and glide across it during the Delaware River Festival. The Saturday event will have two hubs in Penn's Landing and Wiggins Park in Camden. Visitors on the Philly side can rent pedal boats between noon and 4 p.m. on a first-come, first-served basis, but anyone can take a free RiverLink Ferry ride across the river for the occasion. Other attractions include themed scavenger hunts, face painting and the Philadelphia Water Department's "water bar." The Independence Seaport Museum will also offer free admission.
The board game cafe Queen & Rook is no stranger to fantasy — just ask the kids who play Dungeons & Dragons there after school. But the South Street spot will bring that gameplay to life on Saturday with a Fantasy Renn Faire, where guests are encouraged to come in costume. The event, which doubles as a fifth anniversary party for Queen & Rook, will unfold on the 100 block of South Street from 1-8 p.m. Fire spinning, Shakespearean musical comedy and stage sword fighting are all on the program. Mead will also be available on tap.
A regional convention debuting this weekend will bring together the two substances responsible for so many sassy mom mugs: coffee and chocolate. Over 100 vendors will offer samples to the crowds at the Pennsylvania Chocolate and Coffee Festival on Saturday and Sunday. Pros like chocolate sommelier Estelle Tracy will also host info sessions on the sweet and bitter treats. Tickets start at $12.99.
Philly AIDS Thrift is marking 19 years in business with a massive Saturday block party. The celebration will spill over the 700 blocks of South 5th Street and East Passyunk Avenue from noon-6 p.m. — and it truly has something for everyone. The day's activities include a pie-eating contest, double dutch, sword-swallowing, fire dancing, a dunk tank and a "Smooch-A-Pooch" dog-kissing booth from Street Tails Animal Rescue. Attendees can also shop a street market featuring nearby vendors like Crash Bang Boom.
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