Six Must-Do Philadelphia Festivals This Spring & Beyond

Six Must-Do Philadelphia Festivals This Spring & Beyond

Highlights: Made In America, Celebration Of Black Writing & The BlackStar Film Festival

PHILADELPHIA, April 25, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- From spring until fall, Philadelphia hosts a variety of festivals that music fans and culture vultures will consider must-dos, must-sees and must-hears. For music fans, there's the second-annual Budweiser Made In America concert on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, headlined by Beyonce. Literature lovers will swoon over the Celebration of Black Writing, one of the oldest African-American literary events in the nation. And for movie buffs, the sophomore BlackStar Film Festival, a unique gathering of filmmakers and storytellers of the African diaspora, will be a two-thumbs-up experience. Here are six sizzling festivals worth attending in Philly this spring and beyond:


1. Marking its 29(th) year in 2013, the citywide Celebration of Black
Writing, hosted by Art Sanctuary, serves as one of the oldest
African-American literary events in the nation. The month-long festival,
themed Beautiful Without Permission: Celebrating the Literary
Achievements of Black Women, features author readings and workshops for
emerging writers and closes with a family day, complete with some of
Philadelphia's best food trucks, vendors, performances and more. This
year's Lifetime Achievement Award goes to playwright Ntozake Shange,
author of For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow
Is Enuf, and artist Nnenna Freelon. May 4-June 1. (215) 232-4485,
artsanctuary.org
2. Philly's own Grammy(®)-winning hip-hop band The Roots bring together
artists from various genres for a daylong concert at the Festival Pier at
Penn's Landing. In its sixth year, The Roots Picnic includes all-star
performances by Solange, Gary Clark Jr., Naughty by Nature, Macklemore
and Ryan Lewis and, of course, The Roots. June 1. Festival Pier at Penn's
Landing, 601 N. Columbus Boulevard, (215) 629-3200,
okayplayer.com/rootspicnic

3. There's no better place to celebrate America's birthday than in its
birthplace, and Philadelphia marks the Fourth of July with a free
multi-day festival--Wawa Welcome America!--that includes a concert and
fireworks extravaganza at the Philadelphia Museum of Art. Last year,
Common, Lauryn Hill, Queen Latifah and others graced the stage. Stay
tuned for details about this year's musical guests. July 1-7, with Art
Museum concert taking place on July 4. 26(th) Street & Benjamin Franklin
Parkway, welcomeamerica.com

4. Dubbed "the black Sundance" by Ebony magazine, the BlackStar Film
Festival gathers filmmakers and cinema lovers for screenings and
workshops that illuminate the global black experience. Helmed by honorary
co-chairs Ahmir "Questlove" Thompson and Tariq "Black Thought" Trotter of
The Roots, this year's festival features a special transmedia performance
with DJ King Britt. Also new this year: a ceremony that honors the legacy
of the Howard University Film Program, screenings at the Barnes
Foundation and the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, a critical
issues symposium, an international music showcase and more. August 1-4.
(215) 232-4485, blackstarfest.org
5. Last year, music lovers were thrilled when Philadelphia Mayor Michael
Nutter stood on the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art, alongside
Jay-Z, to announce that a two-day musical extravaganza would take place
on the Parkway: Budweiser Made In America. After an enormously successful
weekend, Made In America returns to Philadelphia for year two. Acts
include Beyonce, Nine Inch Nails, Public Enemy, Emilee Sande, Solange and
more. August 31- September 1. madeinamericafest.com
6. Philadelphia has a rich jazz legacy, and this fall, the city welcomes the
first-ever Philadelphia United Jazz Festival and Celebration. The
festival aims to show off the outstanding jazz music created, performed
and exported from Philadelphia. The historic Clef Jazz Club will serve as
the event's home base with several satellite stages located on Broad
Street. September 21-22. Clef Club, 738 S. Broad Street, (215) 893-9912,
clefclubofjazz.org
(Photo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130425/PH01156)

The Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation (GPTMC) makes Philadelphia and The Countryside(®) a premier destination through marketing and image building that increases business and promotes the region's vitality.

For more information about travel to Philadelphia, visit visitphilly.com or uwishunu.com, where you can build itineraries; search event calendars; see photos and videos; view interactive maps; sign up for newsletters; listen to HearPhilly, an online radio station about what to see and do in the region; book hotel reservations and more. Or, call the Independence Visitor Center, located in Historic Philadelphia, at

(800) 537-7676.









SOURCE Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation

Photo:http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130425/PH01156
http://photoarchive.ap.org/
Greater Philadelphia Tourism Marketing Corporation

CONTACT: Jenea Robinson, (215) 599-2291, jenea@gptmc.com, Cara Schneider, (215) 599-0789, cara@gptmc.com

Web Site: http://visitphilly.com


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