May 09, 2024
Thom Carroll/for PhillyVoice
The Kensington Derby & Arts Festival challenges competitors to construct a vehicle with no motors or batteries and ride it through a muddy course.
Perhaps in an effort to balance out recent trips to the reopened Pat's King of Steaks and Jim's Steaks, Philadelphians are in a racing spirit. Three competitions are coming to the city this weekend, and they all have a bit of a twist.
First, there's the Beerathon, a 5K race around the Navy Yard in which runners fuel up with a new brew each mile. Mini golfers can enter their own Masters tournament at Libertee Grounds and bikers can bring their adorned creations to the Kensington Derby and Arts Festival for another spin through the all-terrain obstacle course.
Other weekend options include a new sushi speakeasy and numerous workshops with a side of wine or bubbles for Mother's Day. Choose your own adventure below:
You won't need a 9-iron for a Masters tournament coming to Francisville. The neighborhood's mini golf bar, Libertee Grounds, will host its third annual tournament Saturday from 2-7 p.m. Only golfers who make it past the qualifiers will have a shot at winning a pair of Phillies tickets, custom green jacket and lifetime membership to the bar, but anyone can enjoy the bonus beer festival featuring 15 local breweries and distilleries. Caddies are not included.
Speaking of beer and athleticism, a brew-forward race will take place in South Philly on Saturday. Runners in the Beerathon 5K earn a fresh pint per mile, which they collect at tents stationed along the route. They finish at the Navy Yard, where a Beer Fest awaits. Registration for the race is still open, but you can skip the cardio and head straight to the Beer Fest from noon to 3 p.m.
Failed engineers and left-brained artists will create their own "human-powered vehicles" for another Kensington Derby and Arts Festival. The popular parade puts the whimsical vehicles, which cannot use motors or batteries, through an equally whimsical obstacle course of bubbles and mud along Frankford Avenue. Bands, food stalls and craft vendors will be there to entertain the spectators, though the balloon-covered bikes are usually entertainment enough.
Sneak into a Fishtown speakeasy where the specialty is not hooch but, well, fish. Sushi by Boū opens Friday in the back of Izakaya, offering 12-course meals curated by the chef with a hip-hop soundtrack. Diners can add extra hand rolls or mochi a la carte, or splurge on the "Bou-gie" upgrade that comes with five more courses. Reservations are available on OpenTable.
Need Mother's Day plans that aren't just a pile of pancakes? There's still time to book mom a candle-making class at Wax + Wine or a sip and (sugar) scrub workshop at Tea Rose Scrub Bar. Don't like those ideas? Take her to a "mimosas and masterpieces" arts & crafts event at Sunset Social or a wine garden brunch at Franklin Square. But hurry: Some of those ticket sales end soon.
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