The City’s Office of Arts, Culture and the Creative Economy (OACCE) welcomes summer in the city with its annual series of free “Performances in Public Spaces.” From May through October, Performances in Public Spaces presents free, family-friendly cultural performances in public parks and plazas in neighborhoods across the city. The series is presented by OACCE, and is one of the many ways the City supports Philadelphia’s creative talent. The more than 30 performances include a range of artistic genres, offering something for the whole family to enjoy.

 

Mark your calendar for the 2019 lineup of Performances in Public Spaces:

 

MAY

The Lady Hoofers Tap Ensemble at FDR Park
Saturday, May 25 |  1 – 2 p.m.
Celebrate National Tap Dance Day with Philadelphia’s premier all-female tap company. Audience participation is encouraged!

 

JUNE

World Music with DARIA at the Tacony Library LawnWoman playing guitar in a park with children watching.
Saturday, June 1 | Noon – 4 p.m.
During this interactive music-making event, kids can create their own world music instruments. Then they can join in an amazing multicultural live show.

The Fairy Tale Monster Mystery at Hunting Park Pavilion
Sunday, June 2 | 2 – 3 p.m.
The Walnut Street Theatre Touring Outreach Company presents a brand-new adventure story for audiences ages 4-10 and their grown-up friends.

The People’s Festival at Vernon Park
Saturday, June 15 | 11 a.m. – 6 p.m.
A celebration of arts and activism, this day of music, art instruction, and poetry is dedicated to promoting better quality of life for all.

Roxborough Roots in Pocket Park
Saturday, June 22 | Noon – 6 p.m.
The Philadelphia Folksong Society presents an afternoon celebrating our musical roots with live music, children’s music classes, and fun outdoor activities for the whole family.

Jazz on the Green at Fisher Park
Saturday, June 22 | 4 – 7 p.m.
The Sounds of Summer ’19 concert series in the 9th District will kick off with the 4th annual Jazz on the Green at Fisher Park featuring the Marcell Bellinger Quartet and the Double Portion Ensemble.

Paperback Poetry Festival 2019 at FDR Park
Sunday, June 23 | Noon – 8 p.m.
A collaborative effort between Philly’s sub-art-communities to make a safe and welcoming space in which poets, writers, and artists from estranged communities can celebrate one another.

Summer Samba with Ensemble Novo at Pastorius Park
Thursday, June 27 | 7 – 7:50 p.m. and 8:10 – 9:15 p.m.
A perfect summer evening of easygoing samba and bossa nova from Ensemble Novo. The five-piece group will explore the music of Brazil from a jazz perspective.

 

Two men sit on a rock in a park while the crowd watches their performance.

 

JULY

Kimmel Center Great American Party on the Plaza
Tuesday, July 2 | 5 – 7:30 p.m.
The Kimmel Center Cultural Campus, in association with Wawa Welcome America, will host an event featuring performances by Broadway singers, patriotic décor, roaming performers, family-friendly activities, games and giveaways.

Sundays with PopUpPlay featuring the Art of Water at Spruce Street Harbor Park
Sunday, July 21 | 11:30 a.m. – 12:30 p.m.
Bring kids of all ages for a morning of interactive art on the waterfront with PopUpPlay. Hands on creating and playing will focus on the theme of WATER, perfect for the park’s location immediately adjacent to the Delaware River.

The Diaspora Drum Exchange at Fairhill Square Park
Wednesday, July 24 | 6 – 9 p.m.
Various percussion styles such as plena and bomba, hand-crafted instruments, and call-and-response song and dance will interweave the stories of cultural traditions in a rhythmic exploration of the folkloric musical genres of the Afro-Caribbean Spanish language nations.

Shakespeare In Clark Park presents King Lear at Clark Park
Wednesday, July 24 | 7 p.m.
Thursday, July 25 | 7 p.m.
Friday, July 26 | 7 p.m.
Saturday, July 27 | 7 p.m.
Sunday, July 28 | 7 p.m.
Shakespeare in Clark Park brings to life King Lear’s classic tale of power and madness with a company of Philly’s favorite actors, including Brian Anthony Wilson and Charlotte Northeast.

 

AUGUST

Theatre in the X presents “The Beast of Nubia” by Jonathan Rion Bethea at Malcolm X Park
Sunday, August 4 | 5 p.m.
Sunday, August 11 | 5 p.m.
Sunday, August 18 | 5 p.m.
Theatre in the X presents a grand adventure filled with romance and excitement, as two very different people learn to cope with one another.

Jazz in the Park Featuring Tim Warfield at Spruce Street Harbor Park
Sunday, August 11 | 4 – 6 p.m.
Sit back, relax, and enjoy a sweet serenade by local saxophonist, recording artist, and educator Tim Warfield. Nothing beats an intimate Sunday afternoon jazz concert at Spruce Street Harbor Park Sustained by Univest.

 

SEPTEMBER

Orchestra 2001 presents ¡Conexiones! Mexico at Hunting Park Gazebo
Wednesday, September 4 | 5:30 – 6:15 p.m. and 7 p.m. – 7:45 p.m.
Orchestra 2001 will present a 10-piece ensemble playing exciting music by three of Mexico’s most well-known 20th- and 21st-century classical composers: Carlos Chávez, Silvestre Revueltas, and Francisco Cortés-Álvarez.

The Philly POPS: A Musical Celebration of West Philadelphia at Malcolm X Park
Saturday, September 7 | 5 – 6 p.m.
Members of The Philly POPS BIG Band will fill Malcolm X Park with the sounds of West Philadelphia with a one-hour concert celebrating musicians with West Philly connections.

Circadium Presents at Pastorius Park
Saturday, September 14 | 2 – 3 p.m.
Philadelphia’s college for contemporary circus presents an original performance where juggling, acrobatics, and aerial work combine with dance and theater in a thrilling site-specific creation.

Kun-Yang Lin/Dancers at Mifflin Square Park
Saturday, September 14 | 2:30 – 3:30 p.m.
Kun-Yang Lin/Dancers will perform a site-specific work inspired by its recent piece, Spring 101. Families and individuals are invited to watch or dance along with a moving performance throughout the park.

Sunday in the Park with Commonwealth Youthchoirs at Gorgas Park
Sunday, September 22 | 3 – 4 p.m.
Keystone State Boychoir and Pennsylvania Girlchoir are excited to bring the gift of song to the Roxborough community with Sunday in the Park, a choral performance.

 

OCTOBER

Song & Story with Sister Cities Girlchoir at Palmer Park
Saturday October 19 | 10:30 a.m. – Noon
You’re invited to this family-friendly, musical adventure inspired by the connection between songs and stories. The concert will start with a shared story accompanied by sound and movement designed by youth participants, followed by songs and sing-alongs for families.

Luscious Mystery Clown Syndicate presents “Feast of Fools” at Hawthorne Park
Wednesday, October 30 | 7 – 9:30 p.m.
Thursday, October 31 | 7 – 9:30 p.m.
Join the Luscious Mystery Clown Syndicate for the third annual Feast of Fools immersive Halloween clown performance. Gather and glimpse beyond the beyond on these hallowed eves filled with mischievous buffoonery and whimsy wonders.

 

 

For a calendar of free arts and cultural events happening in Philadelphia this summer, including Performances in Public Spaces, visit OACCE’s Arts Access Calendar!