August 21, 2015
© Jacques-Jean Tiziou/www.jjtiziou.net
Invisible River's aerial dancers float above the Schuylkill River.
The Schuylkill River Arts Festival gets back on the water for a day of boating, dance and art Saturday, August 29. The Knight Foundation and aerial dance phenomenon Invisible River teamed up to bring the day of family-friendly activities, which PhillyVoice has also sponsored, to the Schuylkill River and East Fairmount Park.
It all kicks off with a drum line processional led by Positive Movement and Ecstatic Drill Team. The procession will leave from Mander Recreation Center (2140 N. 33rd Street at Diamond Drive) at 2 p.m. At the same time, the festival's "home base" will open up at the parking lot next to St. Joseph’s University Boathouse (2200 Kelly Drive).
Until 8 p.m., the area will be filled with events and sites to see. A floating plant garden by Kathryn Scalvi will lay atop the Schuylkill and a photo installation with pictures of the Schuylkill River and Fairmount Park will take place. Mural Arts, Philadelphia Water and Fairmount Waterworks will put on a storm water demonstration, kids activities and a Schuylkill River mural map. Meta Brunsema’s Floating River Pool will help you deal with the heat, too.
A tightwire performance, fishing demonstrations, a yoga class and a raffle add to the fun. Food from Little Baby's Ice Cream, Chewy's, Jerry's Kitchen and Mom Mom's Polish Food Cart will be available for purchase, and so will brews from Sly Fox.
The big finale, Invisible River's awe-inspiring performance, will take place on the river at 5:30 p.m. Twenty-five dancers will perform atop stand-up paddleboards while aerialists dangle from the Strawberry Mansion Bridge. You can even grab a front row seat to the show in a boat out on the river. In June, Invisible River gave PhillyVoice a sneak peek at their performance; click here to get a taste of what's to come.
