Mark the unofficial end to summer at one of the many events and activities taking place this Labor Day weekend across Philly. From improv and food festivals to live opera, kid concerts and community celebrations, there are plenty of options (even without Made In America, which did not return for another year), and Billy Penn is here to help you pad your staycation calendar, whatever your budget.
Multi-day events
Yo Adrienne! Improv Festival
From Friday through Sunday, split across two stages, the three-day festival offers back-to-back showcases, improv jams for everyone from curious newcomers to seasoned performers, and creativity-boosting workshops.
Where: The Adrienne Theater, 2030 Sansom St. | $25 for a day pass; $50 for a weekend pass
DroneArt Show (8:30 p.m., both Friday and Saturday)
It’s a picnic-style vibe at this show, where a candlelit string quartet performs classical favorites including Vivaldi’s “Four Seasons,” Debussy’s “The Snow Is Dancing,” and Tchaikovsky’s “Swan Lake,” while hundreds of LED-equipped drones move in sync overhead, creating animated shapes like stars, flowers and abstract patterns to match the music.
Where: Sweetbriar Lane, 3900 Lansdowne Dr. | $40-45 tickets; kids under 3 attend free
153rd annual Volksfest (12 p.m. start, daily Saturday through Monday)
The annual German festival has been held since 1873. Visitors enjoy party music, folk dancing, a market of clothing and gifts, and notoriously great German and American beers and wines, typical and hard-to-find authentic German food (think Bratwurst, Leberkäse, Schnitzel, Maultaschen and Kassler Rippchen), plus American staples including hamburgers, hot dogs, French fries, grilled chicken, potato pancakes, beer nuts and cotton candy. The traditional, three-story-tall “fruit column” decorated with real fruits and vegetables will also return, after taking over a week to be built by volunteers.
Where: Cannstatter Volksfest-Verein, 9130 Academy Rd. | $10 for one day, $15 for a two-day pass, and $20 for all three days
Friday, Aug. 29
HIIT & Happy Hour (4 p.m.)
A HIIT workout with MuuvePhila’s Jam at The Lawn at UCity Square, then head to Two Locals Brewing Co.—Pa.’s first Black-owned brewery. Donations welcome.
Where: The Lawn at UCity Square at 3701 Filbert Street
Community Movie Night: “A Minecraft Movie” (5 p.m. activities; 7:30 p.m. screening)
The final free community movie night of the summer at Bartram’s Garden. BYO picnic blankets, bug spray and snacks.
Where: Bartram’s Garden’s Upper Meadow | 5 p.m. family and kid activities, 7:30 movie screening
Art Battle Philadelphia (6 p.m.)
Art Battle returns with another round of live competition as talented artists race against the clock, bringing their visions to life while guests vote for favorites to help crown the champion across three rounds. Buy a unique masterpiece at auction, too!
Where: SPIN Philadelphia at 211 South 15th St. | Tickets start at $22.05
Producers’ Forum: Kei Pritsker & Michael T. Workman (7 p.m.)
Join Scribe Video Center in West Philly for a screening of “The Encampments” by Kei Pritsker & Michael T. Workman, set at protests at Columbia University, and “On the Rooftop” by Noor Al-Terri, set at Jabalia Refugee Camp in Gaza.
Where: 3908 Lancaster Ave. | $6 to 10 tickets
Liberty City Arts Presents “Opera Meets Broadway” (7 p.m.)
BYO blanket, snacks and friends to NoLibs’ Liberty Lands, entering on Bodine Street. The family-friendly concert brings “La Boheme” and “Rent,” “La Traviata” and “West Side Story” and more, in this accessible exploration of how timeless human stories transcend musical genres.
Where: Liberty Lands, 913 N. 3rd St., entrance on N. Bodine St. | Free with a $10 suggested donation
Saturday, Aug. 30
Public Art, Landmarks and Transformations along the Schuylkill (10 a.m.)
Learn about the changes and development along the lower Schuylkill River and the industrialization that followed by visiting historical landmarks and public art spanning the early-18th to mid-19th centuries. Two miles long.
Where: Starts at Lloyd Hall Rec Center, 1 Boathouse Row, and ends at the Ellen Phillips Samuel Memorial | $18 tickets
Gracie’s Corner Live: Gracie’s Global Adventure (11 a.m. and 3 p.m.)
Inspired by their daughter in the early days of the pandemic, Arlene Gordon Hollingsworth and Javoris Hollingworth created an animated YouTube series. It took off, with guests including music stars Snoop Dogg and Big Freedia coming on the show, which is voiced by their daughter, Graceyn. In 2024, it won an NAACP Award for outstanding children’s programming. Now, the series is making its live-action stage debut, with a stop in Philly as a high-energy, interactive concert experience for families.
Where: The Fillmore, 29 E. Allen St. | Tickets start at $64
3rd annual Island Country Indonesian Festival (11 a.m. to 5 p.m.)
Fleisher Art Memorial and Gapura again host this community festival and celebration of folk arts and culture, complete with food, dance, games and more.
Where: 719 Catharine Street
North Philly Day (12 to 6 p.m.)
It’s a Carnival in the Hood at Fotterall Square. Live music, local and Caribbean food, games and more. This event is designed to bring neighbors together for a day of joy, resources and connection — while spotlighting the resilience and brilliance of North Philly.
Where: Fotterall Square, 2400 N. 11th St.
SW Philly Night Market (5 to 11 p.m.)
An evening of food, music, shopping and community vibes at Richard Allen Prep. Food trucks, local vendors, live DJ sets, kids’ activities, giveaways and more. Free to attend.
Where: Richard Allen Prep, 2601 S. 58th St.
Singles Happy Hour (7 to 9 p.m.)
Mixer-style mingling and bingo icebreaker with local singles, ages 25 to 45+.
Where: Kite & Key, 1836 Callowhill St. | $23 tickets
Golden Apples Album Cover Art Night (7 to 10 p.m.)
The Fishtown indie band, led by musician Russell Edling, is about to release its new album, “Shooting Star.” You can help them create limited-edition sleeve art during an event at Freehand Art Supply. For every sleeve created, the band and Lame-O-Records will donate $20 to Beyond The Bars, a student-driven, non-profit organization that engages local youth in music programs with the hope to inspire their futures and disrupt cycles of violence.
Where: Freehand Art Supply, 308 E. Girard Ave.
Sunday, Aug. 31
Manayunk tour (10 a.m.)
Learn about this former mill town’s industrial development along the Schuylkill River canal that was opened in 1825, connecting Philly to the interior coal regions of Pennsylvania. See examples of early immigrant housin, then stroll along Main Street’s late-19th-century commercial buildings and enjoy the fruits of its recent renaissance.
Where: Meet at Canal View Park, 4418 Main St. | $18 tickets
Clothing Swap in Society Hill (12 to 5 p.m.)
Bring your unwanted clothing and textiles (up to 20 items), wearable or not, and take home something new. Any clothing and textiles left over will be used to create upcycled fashions. See the list of accepted and not-accepted item-types here. Every other month on last Sundays.
Where: Stitch & Destroy, 523 S 4th St. | Free
Manayunk Creator Market at Jedidiah Gallery and Design
The penultimate indoor market of the summer, showcasing local art, handmade goods, crafts, candles, jewelry and more.
Labor of Love “Witness” Wrestling (5 to 8 p.m.)
A series of wrestling matches. At National Mechanics in Old City. Not wheelchair accessible.
Where: 22 S. 3rd St. | $25 tickets
We are One X-Perience – A Salute to Frankie Beverly (7:30 p.m.)
This tribute band celebrates the legacy of the late Frankie Beverly, the Philadelphia-born R&B, soul and funk legend who formed Maze in his hometown before being discovered by Marvin Gaye in the ‘70s. His music helped soothe generations of music fans — and our own Jalen Hurts! — with hits like “Before I Let Go,” “Joy and Pain” and “Happy Feelings.”
Where: City Winery, 990 Filbert St. | $35-55 tickets
Pigeon Poetry Jam (8 p.m.)
Close out the summer with The Philly Pigeon’s open-mic and artist mixer, featuring Philadelphia’s poet laureate, Kai Davis.
Where: PhilaMOCA at 531 N. 12th St. | $17.85 tickets
Monday, Sept. 1 (Labor Day)
Philadelphia Labor Day ‘FREE 5K’ & 10K (7:30 a.m.)
Run into autumn with this race starting in front of the Rocky Steps and along Kelly Drive’s scenic views. Every runner receives a finisher’s medal, chip-timed results, free event photos, and post-race snacks.
Where: 2451 Benjamin Franklin Parkway | $50-$65 registration or lottery
38th Annual Tri-State Labor Day Parade (10 a.m. start time)
Philly region unions and community supporters will march in the annual parade.
Where: Sheet Metal Workers Local 19 Hall at 1301 S. Columbus Blvd. & Washington Ave.
3rd annual Labor Day Celebration at FDR Park (12 to 2 p.m.)
A scavenger hunt, archery for ages 10+, nature crafts, Smokey the Bear, food and more.
Where: North side of FDR Park | Free
