PHILADELPHIA
by JoAnn Greco CITY GUIDE
For additional event, attraction,
restaurant and hotel information,
visit visitphilly.com
SAVE the DATE
CITYWIDE
WAWA WELCOME
AMERICA
Through July 4
Literally a blowout—there are
usually at least two massive
fireworks displays—this annual
weeklong festival celebrates
the nation’s founding.
welcomeamerica.com
FAIRMOUNT
REMEMBERING BASTILLE
DAY
July 16
Neighbors join forces with the
cabaret group The Bearded
Ladies in a riotous, Philly-style
storming of the “Bastille” that
involves Tastykakes. 215-236-
3300; easternstate.org
AVENUE OF THE ARTS
BRYAN FERRY
July 21
The artist, who gained fame
as Roxy Music’s suave lead
singer, comes to the Kimmel Center to croon tunes
from his most recent album,
Avonmore. 215-790-5800;
kimmelcenter.org
LOFT DISTRICT
PHS POP UP GARDEN
Through September
The Pennsylvania Horticultural
Society unveils a flora-filled
beer garden alongside an unde-veloped site that will soon be
turned into an elevated park.
215-988-8800; phsonline.org
BENJAMIN FRANKLIN PARKWAY
DINOSAURS UNEARTHED
Through Jan. 16
A cadre of roaring, life-sized
animatronic dinosaurs joins the
museum’s strong collection
of real specimens. 215-299-
1000; ansp.org
A polished goat jug
at “The Golden Age
of King Midas” exhibit.
The Midas Touch
Penn Museum’s “The Golden Age of King Midas” (through Nov. 27) paints a picture of the life and times of the 8th-century B.C. ruler with the
famed “golden touch.” It includes 150 objects, many
specially loaned from museums in Turkey. Among the
highlights, says C. Brian Rose, the exhibit’s curator, are
an ivory figure of a lion tamer, which is believed to be the
only piece of the king’s throne ever found, and a large
segment of a pebbled mosaic that’s billed as the oldest in the world. Adds Rose, who’s participated in three
excavations at sites associated with Midas, “We’ve tried
to unravel the secrets and achievements of the King and
place him in the broader context of the age in which he
ruled.” 215-898-4000; penn.museum
Droves of Donkeys
THE DEMOCRATIC CONVENTION RETURNS TO PHILADELPHIA, AND ART AND
ATTRACTIONS FOLLOW
NEARLY 70 YEARS AFTER the Democratic National Convention last came to town in
1948, Philadelphia once again welcomes a thundering stampede—or two—of
donkeys. The main event at the Wells Fargo Center in South Philly (July 25–28)
stars 50,000 attendees, including 20,000 members of the media and about
4,800 delegates. Elsewhere around town, dozens of 250-pound fiberglass rendi-
tions of the iconic beast of burden can be found. One for each state, plus five
U.S. territories, the District of Columbia and Democrats abroad, they’re adorned
with symbols of their locales and painted by Philly-area artists. “We’ve planned
all kinds of events to make sure that the convention is a really cool experience
for everyone who stays or visits
Philadelphia during the week,” says
Anna Adams-Sarthou, spokesperson
for the 2016 DNC Host Committee.
The weeklong PoliticalFest highlights
historical sites like the Liberty Bell
and Independence Hall, as well as
attractions like the National Liberty
Museum, which displays an extensive
collection of White House china, and
the National Constitution Center,
whose “Headed to the White House”
exhibit allows visitors to craft stump
speeches and design campaign stick-
ers while learning about the trials
and tribulations of our most famous
o;ce-seekers. On July 27, the city’s
weekly Center City Sips promotion—
discounted drinks and appetizers on
Wednesday nights—will go super-
sized with an event at Dilworth Park
at City Hall. 215-710-0770; phldnc.com
One of the donkeys that will be on display around
Philadelphia during the Democratic National Convention.
