FunTimes Magazine Culture & Entertainment, Week of May 29, 2023

The word June comes from the Roman goddess of Juno, patroness of marriage. That must be why we have so many weddings in June. But the warm weather of June is ideal for any occasion. So, here’s an excuse to explore these upcoming low-cost or free neighborhood festivities in Greater Philadelphia. 

Photo by J. Fusco for Visit Philadelphia

Lauryn Hill & Usher headline at The Roots Picnic

June 2-4, 2023. Chill to performances from some of the biggest names in music at The Roots Picnic. Curated by Philly’s The Roots, the three-day music fest has emerged as an annual signature music event in Philadelphia, where hip-hop and R&B stars like Lauryn Hill, Usher, Philly’s own Lil Uzi Vert. Busta Rhymes, Eve, Roy Ayers and The Isley Brothers will shine in the City of Brotherly Love and Sisterly Affection. A new live podcast stage features Charlamagne Tha God, Questlove Supreme and Off The Record with DJ Akademiks. Love + Grit podcast is also on site to record a live episode. A ticket is required and includes a general admission two-day festival pass for all performances and podcast recordings, starting at $189. Inquire about showtimes. Connected to the event is a comedy show by Dave Chappelle on June 2nd at the Wells Fargo Center. (Separate tickets required). TD Pavilion/Mann Center, 5201 Parkside Ave., West Fairmount Park, (215) 544-2803, therootspicnic.com or manncenter.org.

Keeping the music playin’

June 4, 2023. This is a cause that tugs at your heart strings. Jazz Bridge will host a fundraiser for the Monnette Sudler Fund benefitting female musicians. The event will feature the Jerry Weldon Organ Band. Sudler grew up in Philadelphia’s Germantown section and learned folk songs and later jazz. She went to the prestigious Berklee College of Music in Boston focusing on guitar and composition; later she received her degree at Temple University. She joined the group, The Sounds of Liberation, in the 1970s. The Monnette Sudler Fund was established after Sudler received an organ transplant in 2014; the fund expanded to include female jazz and blues musicians in need. Over the years, Monnette has helped raise money. Jazz Bridge has assisted 30 women with expenses like instrument repair, dental, utility, rental and other needs. 1 p.m. to 4 p.m. (concert at 2 p.m.) Tickets: $30 in advance, ($35 at the door); street parking, free. Cliveden of the National Trust, 6401 Germantown Ave. 215-517-8337, e-mail: [email protected], https://www.jazzbridge.org.

June 2, 2023. Pick your jam: Salsa, Samba, Mambo, Merengue? Cha-cha-cha over to The Lounge for World Cafe Live’s First Friday dance series, Viernes Calientes. Drink, dine and dance like there’s no tomorrow to the live music of Guachinangos. Free, 9 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. The Lounge, World Café Live, 3025 Walnut St., 215-222-1400 or https://worldcafelive.com.

Gone fishin’ 

May 31- August 30, 2023. Catfish, carp, bluegill. Get hooked and head to the Dock & Community Boathouse at Bartram's Garden every Wednesday through August 30 for a relaxing day of free fishing. That means the equipment, bait and basic instruction cost nothing. All ages welcome and no experience, fishing license or pre-registration required. But there’s one catch: You can’t take your prized catches home with you: Catch and release only. Reel in more than 40 species of fish in the Tidal Schuylkill River including channel catfish, white perch, common carp, bluegill and American eel. Join the weekly free catch-and-release fishing in spring and summer or borrow a rod and tackle from the Welcome Center. Visitors can fish at any time from this public dock or from other riverfront spots along the North and South Mile. Live bait is available to buy from a vending machine in the Barnyard by the Welcome Center. Free, 5 p.m. to 8 p.m., Bartram’s Garden, 5400 Lindbergh Blvd., 215-729-5281, e-mail: [email protected] or Bartramsgarden.org. 

ODUNDE kicks off with pre-festival activities

June 11. 2023. The ODUNDE festival is looking good at almost age 50. And just think, it started with a mere $100 in donations before flourishing into what is credited as the most prominent African-American street festival in the United States; Some 500,000 attend annually. As noted in this column, the festival featuring food and music will be June 11, along 15 city blocks near 23rd and South streets in South Philadelphia, from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. This year’s headliner will be Grammy Award-winner R&B and soul singer, Chrisette Michele. ODUNDE will highlight a lively procession, from 23rd and South Street to the Schuylkill River, where an offering of fruit and flowers will be made to Oshun, the Yoruba goddess of the river. ODUNDE also is known for its authentic global African marketplace with merchandise from African nations, the Caribbean and Brazil. In addition, ODUNDE hosts many worthwhile pre-festival events such as Keekee and Me Free Yoga at LOVE Park, 15th Street and JFK Blvd., on June 6, from noon to 1 p.m., and  ODUNDE365 African Fashion Capsule at the Sky Lounge, 1500 Locust St., on June 8, from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m., odundefstival.org or visitphilly.com.

Related article:

Yoruba gods that influence lives

The Yoruba people of West Africa have a rich and varied mythology. Their gods and goddesses cover a wide range of topics, from love and fertility to war and death. Read More » 

Celebrating our youth

June 4, 2023. Check out Rock to the Future’s Year-End Showcase in West Philadelphia featuring student band and choir performances from some of the area’s finest rising musicians. Celebrate the school’s graduating seniors. Free, but a donation to the Higher Education Fund is appreciated. 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. (Doors open at 3:30 p.m.). One Art Community Center. 1431 N. 52nd St., 215-302-9633 or RocktotheFuture.org/YearEndShowcase. 

 

'Spine Tingler' plant

Look what pops up!

The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society’s Pop Up Gardens are in full bloom at South Street and Manayunk in Philadelphia. Summer drinks and food are all the rage at these neighborhood Pop Up Gardens in an outdoor pet-friendly restaurant-bar environment flowering with vibrant European blossoms like English daisies and wispy evergreens. We  particularly like the interesting Epimedium or ‘Spine Tingler’ -- a unique evergreen with lace-shaped leaves originating in North Africa. The Pop Up Gardens will offer weekly activities like plant swaps and floral-design workshops all summer. 215-988-8800 or phsonline.org.