February 01, 2024
Provided image/Atlanta Botanical Garden
Thomas Dambo's traveling trolls exhibit is now on view at the Philadelphia Zoo. Other events this weekend include curated movies by Black filmmakers for Black History Month and Northern Liberties Restaurant Week.
Sculptures of varying temperatures and textures come to Philadelphia this weekend for two very different events.
In Manayunk, frozen statues will dominate the Founders Philly Freeze-Out, a celebration of ice, the Lunar New Year and, somehow, soup. The sculptures at the Philadelphia Zoo, meanwhile, are 10-foot trolls molded from recycled wood that promote a respect for nature and sustainability.
Other art on view are the films scheduled for Black Cinema Weekend at the Philadelphia Film Center, playing now through Sunday. And for the foodies, a new restaurant week starts as another comes to an end.
Over 25 ice sculptures will line Main Street in Manayunk on Saturday for an especially frosty festival. The Founders Philly Freeze-Out will feature live carvings, an ice igloo, a pop-up market and a lion dance for Lunar New Year. Nearby restaurants will offer specials throughout the day, or their own take on stew for the festival's chowder crawl.
The Philadelphia Film Society is marking Black History Month with a specially curated weekend of movies helmed by Black filmmakers. John Singleton's "Boyz n the Hood" and Kasi Lemmons' "Eve's Bayou" are a few of the selections playing through Sunday, as is Marvin Van Peebles' blaxploitation classic "Sweet Sweetback's Baadasssss Song." Trivia and mixers will be offered between screenings, some of which are free.
Northern Liberties Restaurant Week kicks off its 10-day run Friday, filling the void left by Center City Restaurant Week, which wraps up Saturday. Through Feb. 11, dozens of restaurants in the neighborhood will offer prix fixe three-course dinners for $20, $25 or $40 or two-course lunches for $15 or $20. Cuisines range from Turkish to Mexican and the offers extend to takeout.
Six trolls are currently on the loose in the Philadelphia Zoo, preaching a message of conservation. "Trolls: Save the Humans" is a traveling exhibit of work by Thomas Dambo, the international artist known for his giant wooden sculptures. Dambo works with salvaged materials to illustrate the importance of sustainability, and these trolls are no different. Kamma Can, Ronja Redeye and their other troll pals will be on view through mid-April.
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