September 19, 2024
Provided image/Brauhaus Schmitz
Brauhaus Schmitz is kicking off the city's Oktoberfest parties with its South Street celebration on Saturday.
Fall warriors who have been slurping PSLs since August will finally see more signs of the season this weekend.
Sure, it helps that Sunday is the first official day of fall. But the events happening around Philly also have a distinctly autumnal vibe. There's the South Street Oktoberfest, the sprawling celebration of German culture best enjoyed in lederhosen. Equestrians will break out their boots for the Philadelphia Polo Classic, a competition and fundraiser for Work to Ride. And for the Halloween evangelists, there's the maze of haunted houses at Eastern State Penitentiary.
Other activities include WXPN's trademark music festival and an orchestral concert dedicated to M. Night Shyamalan. Put on your flannel and get going:
A Saturday tournament will give spectators the chance to, in the wise words of Beyoncé, look at that horse. The Philadelphia Polo Classic returns for a second showcase Saturday, after its planned 2023 event was canceled due to bad weather. Matches will take place at Edgely Field in East Fairmount Park between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. Come for the competition, but stay for the 2:30 p.m. divot stomp, when dogs take the field to smooth out clods kicked up by the horses. The whole thing benefits the Work to Ride program.
The strains of tuba in the air can mean only one thing: Oktoberfest is back. The 700 block of South Street will transform into a mini Munich on Saturday with over a dozen German beers on tap, soft pretzels and plenty of Oom-pah music. While the event is free, visitors will need tokens to purchase brews and snacks. The beerfest runs from noon-8 p.m.
Enjoy music about things that go bump in the (M.) Night at a special Philadelphia Orchestra concert. The show will focus on composer James Newton Howard's scores for M. Night Shyamalan's thrillers, including "Unbreakable," "Sign," "The Village" and "The Sixth Sense." Howard himself will conduct, while Shyamalan will serve as a master of ceremonies for the Friday evening concert. Tickets are still available.
The most chaotically capitalized music fest in the area will host 23 bands and solo acts this weekend. The XPoNential Music Festival runs for three days in Camden's Wiggins Park, with headliners Rosanne Cash and Guster anchoring Saturday and Sunday. Fans can still snag one- or three-day passes, with a discount for WXPN members.
Eastern State Penitentiary is once again turning its historic prison site into a labyrinth of horrors, starting Friday. This year's Halloween Nights attraction features five haunted houses, including a vampire crypt and demented circus. Visitors can also lounge in themed bars or explore the museum's exhibits between scares. If you're feeling extra courageous, ask for a glowing necklace — it signals to the actors that they can touch.
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