In this file photo, Mural Arts Fest 2023 is shown. This year’s festival will take place at The Oval on Saturday, Sept. 13.
Steve Weinik
Looking to join in on some fun, fall-time arts and culture events this weekend in Philly? We’ve got you covered.
Philadelphia Fall Arts Festival
The Philadelphia Fall Arts Fest is set for this Saturday, Sept. 13, with a jam-packed schedule of cultural fun in store from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
Hosted at the Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts, the free-to-attend activation will boast festival-style performances, tours of the Marian Anderson House, and the chance to interact with more than 50 regional arts organizations. While perusing around, visitors will be immersed in the worlds of tap, jazz, ballet, opera, Broadway, classical demonstrations and more.
Both stages at the Kimmel will feature performances from shows coming to the city as part of Ensemble Arts’ 2025-26 Broadway season, plus, other local institutions. Talent in attendance includes performers from the Tony-winning Best Musical ‘Kimberly Akimbo’ and ‘The Sound of Music’, The Philly Pops, Opera Philadelphia, Esperanza Arts Center, Project 440, the Philadelphia Ballet, Née Danse/Theatre, the Chocolate Ballerina Company, SHARP Dance Company and more (a full schedule can be found online.)
PROVIDED/ENSEMBLE ARTS
300 S Broad St., ensembleartsphilly.org
Jazz Sundays at Cret Park
Over at Cret Park, Sundays will be dubbed “Sunday Live at Cret.” Happening Sept. 7 to 28 (4 to 6 p.m.), locals can sit back and enjoy the sounds of live jazz at Capriccio Café and Bar. These performances are supported with funds from the Music Performance Trust Fund, American Federation of Musicians, and Local 77. Additional seating for non-café customers is available on the lawn areas of the park.
110 N 16th St., centercityphila.org
Philly AIDS Thrift Block Party
Philly AIDS Thrift has plenty of reasons to celebrate, and the nonprofit is doing so the best way it knows how — with a free street party that promises hours of fun, flair, and fundraising.
On Saturday, Sept. 13, the local charity will be throwing their 20th Anniversary Block Party in commemoration of awarding over $5 million in grants and donations to 50+ HIV/AIDS service organizations in the Greater Philadelphia Region. The free all-ages event will be in full swing from noon to 6 p.m. while taking over the 700 block of South 5th Street.
Now in its 11th year, the Block Party will feature live music, a sword swallowing and fire-breathing clown, food trucks, craft beers, a celebrity dunk tank, games, craft/vintage vendors, a pie-eating contest (registration available online), and dancing in the streets. DJ Robert Drake, a Peabody Award-winning radio host and producer at WXPN since 1998, will be in attendance as the emcee of the event.
Philly AIDS Thrift is hosting its Block Party in commemoration of awarding over $5 million in grants and donations to HIV/AIDS groups.Kory Aversa
Mural Arts Fest 2025
The free celebration of art, music, and more will take place at The Oval on Saturday, Sept. 13, and feature hands-on activities like art-making and kids’ activities, live painting, a Black artist gallery, an artist market, and community pop-ups from partners across the city.
Folks in attendance will enjoy live performances from Interna$hional Bounce, Plantain Party, Tameartz, ThursdayNightGroove, and more, including plenty of food and a beer garden by Libertee Grounds. The celebration will also feature a preview of October’s Mural Arts Month 2025, which will honor Voices of Philly.
2451 Benjamin Franklin Parkway, muralarts.org
Shiekeith Exhibit at TILT
This Thursday, Sept. 11, TILT Institute for the Contemporary Image will debut visual artist Shikeith’s first solo exhibition in his hometown. As a release notes, inspired by a resonant line from Toni Morrison’s seminal novel ‘Beloved People Who Die Bad Don’t Stay in the Ground’, this showcase delves deeply into the artist’s ongoing investigation of the hauntological encounters and lived realities of Black men and boys.
The exhibition uses photography, video, and other installations to highlight and document the “enduring legacy of historical traumas and their persistent reverberations across successive generations, actively resisting attempts at erasure and historical amnesia.” The Opening Reception for the exhibit is set for this Thursday from 6 to 9 p.m. ‘Beloved People’ will be on view until Nov. 22.
1400 N. American St., tiltinstitute.org
The Jury Experience
Participating in a courtroom experience is typically not an open process, but locals will have the chance to be part of all the action with Fever’s latest interactive showcase — The Jury Experience. The activation premiered in Philadelphia a few months ago with a “case” surrounding an accident involving a driverless car, but Friday, Sept. 12, marks a new criminal conundrum to explore.
From start to finish, the experience allows visitors to dissect witness testimonies, unpack evidence, and weigh every argument before settling on a final verdict. The remaining shows of The Jury Experience will play this fall at the Media Theatre For The Performing Arts. Tickets ($51-$64) are currently on sale, some tiers of seats are already sold out for the early productions.
Fever’s latest interactive showcase, The Jury Experience, invites audiences to join the drama.Getty Images
104 East State St., feverup.com